Top Law Schools

I am currently planning on going to law school in Fall 2014, and I am only looking at schools in Indiana (my boyfriend can't move away from Indianapolis because he has to take care of his mom, so I am moving there to be with him from NY). I applied to all of the law schools in the state - Notre Dame, IU Bloomington, IU Indianapolis, Valparaiso, and the new law school Indiana Tech. I was rejected at Notre Dame, placed on the wait list at Bloomington, and got into Indianapolis, Valparaiso, and Tech.

I haven't heard about scholarship money yet, but if I get some money at IU would that be worth it do you guys think, over potentially more money at the other schools? I have heard some not-so-good things about Tech and I know they are unaccredited, but it also seems like the only law school where you would really get individualized attention. They will probably work very hard to get their grads jobs, I think. Valparaiso isn't very appealing because it is just a little too far from Indianapolis to be a good choice for me personally, though I'm sure it's a good choice for others. Can students at any of these schools speak to the culture/environment? There are just way too many factors to weigh and I'm hoping others can help, knowing my situation.

Of your three current options, IU-Indianapolis is the only one to consider attending, in my opinion. Hopefully, you will get a good scholarship award. Not a recommendation, however. Best for part-time Indianapolis residents with law related career connections.

Do not go to Indiana Tech. There is no situation where it would be a good idea to go to Indiana Tech. If you find yourself thinking about sending a seat deposit to Indiana Tech, stop thinking about it.

That school needs to wither up and die, and you throwing money at it won't help. Seriously. Don't do it.

Do you anticipate your boyfriend's mom's situation being permanent?

Retake the LSAT until you're able to get serious money at Notre Dame or IU Bloomington. Do not attend Indiana Tech or Valparaiso under any circumstances.

Your priority should be how the respective schools' graduates fare on the job market. Individualized attention and culture/environment should play little to no role in this decision.

http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school=notredame
http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school=indiana
http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school=indiana-indy
http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school=valparaiso

Do you plan on practicing law in Indiana long-term? If not, don't go to law school. If so, go to the school that gives you the most money between Bloomington and Indianapolis (both have ~50% employment score). Valparaiso (39.5%) and Tech (unaccredited) would be good options, if your intent is to be saddled with debt, lose three years of earning potential, have a functionally useless degree, and lack any substantive employment prospects.

anyriotgirl wrote:Do you anticipate your boyfriend's mom's situation being permanent?

This is an important (if personal?) question that you should really take into account. Depending on the situation, uprooting yourself and moving to where your boyfriend is taking care of his mother might not be the best move. If you get a non-portable degree, then you're really pretty stuck there once you graduate too.

Would you be willing to sit out a cycle and retake the LSAT to improve your chances of getting in and getting money at Notre Dame or IU Bloomington (assuming that's still where you want to go)? This extra time may also change the situation with your boyfriend's mother, and change your law school target.

Please don't go to Indiana Tech or Valparaiso.

Good luck!

None of those schools other than IU-I is close enough to Indy to live there. If you're just looking to get close, retake the LSAT and go to Northwestern or Chicago. Michigan and WUSTL would also be acceptable.

How long have you been with your boyfriend and are you serious enough that you literally couldn't function without him? If you're basically married at this point then that's one thing, but you should SERIOUSLY consider whether basing a move like this on a relationship is the right move in the long term. I'm not suggesting you break up but 3 years apart is not the end of the world, especially because you could theoretically do summer work anywhere you want (though it might be a negative to do it anywhere other than the market where you want to end up). Sacrificing any portion of your future success for a relationship can leave you without the career options you deserve AND without the relationship if it leads to your resenting him if and when you can't find a job you want. Sorry, I know you weren't asking for relationship advice, but I think it's worth considering, especially if you're under 25 years old.