Full ride to regional or retake? Forum

[whm0829]

Ok so I'm deciding between a full ride to Kansas or retaking next cycle.

My career goals are to work the ladder within a collegiate athletic department starting out with a job in compliance. I've been told by multiple sources that compliance is the best way to get the experience needed for upward mobility and that having a law degree is now becoming a necessity to attain compliance jobs. I have always had an interest in going to law school and wouldn't mind working for a mid size firm anywhere. I'm from NC so I would prefer to practice here if it came to that. My concern is that Kansas will not allow for any mobility if my goal as a compliance officer were to not pan out. I currently live at home working crap jobs and I'm a year removed from undergrad.

Stats: 3.4/159
Total COL < $20,000/year
Goal: law degree preferred compliance job.

Thanks in advance for the advice.

[jumpingjack]

How hard did you study for the LSAT?

[whm0829]

About 3 months using the LSAT trainer. That was my second try after taking a year off from the previous take. I went up from a 152.

[Nomo]

I have no idea how hard it is to get a job in compliance. Do you have a background in athletic departments. If so, people you know can probably help you figure out what your prospects will be. If they say, this is the way to go and you'll be a shoe-in then go to Kansas then that's great and you should got to Kansas.

Your right to be concerned about legal job prospects in NC if you go to Kansas. Its hardly impossible, but NC is already overloaded with law schools. Coming from Kansas will do you no favors.

[jumpingjack]

There are a few more things you need to answer before anyone can give you better advice than "retake." Retake should almost always be an option, but with that being said:

1) Do you have any good connections to any "collegiate athletic department's" that would allow you to get your foot in the door during law school in Kansas?

2) What are the stipulations on your scholarship? Did you look at the Standard 509 report for the school to see how many people lost their scholarship?

3) (Having just realized that you are from NC) What area do you have most ties in? I don't know how much sense it makes for you to move from NC to Kansas. My most valuable summer experience came from the DA's office in the city of my alma mater and another DA's office that is within 20 minutes of my parents' house (it is medium-sized and had a great supervised practice program). Being able to use pre-existing family and friend connections during and after law school can make or break the start of a legal career.

4) What other law schools have you applied to, and have been accepted at? Glancing at North Carolina law schools briefly, by improving your LSAT a few points, you may be able to get money at UNC.

[CoffeeIsLife]

Don't quote me here, but I don't think you need a law degree to go into compliance.

Here is a NCAA site which lists job openings. Check out the qualifications for ones you would like. http://ncaamarket.ncaa.org/jobs/categor ... compliance

[whm0829]

Ok so if my goal to work in athletic compliance doesn't work out am I doomed going to KU? Would my best option be to retake and try for a 165+ and go to UNC? That way I could still stick to my goal while also having good ties to NC if it were to not work out.

[ManoftheHour]

Ok so if my goal to work in athletic compliance doesn't work out am I doomed going to KU? Would my best option be to retake and try for a 165+ and go to UNC? That way I could still stick to my goal while also having good ties to NC if it were to not work out.

Not many are going to say a full ride to UNC with ties and no aspirations for big law is a bad idea. Best of luck.

[ndirish2010]

I think that you shouldn't close doors to other areas just yet. Therefore, I would retake and go to Carolina.

[whm0829]

I have very good ties in NC to the point where I feel dumb for not staying in state. Do I lose any steam by going to school in a region half way across the country if I do summers in NC?

[twenty]

Define "doomed." With 65k in debt, it's not like your debt load would keep you from having a house/kids/etc. With the legal market as impacted as it is, the job you want being pretty lofty, and the fact that you're going to be trying to "work your way back" to NC, the likelihood of you actually getting a compliance gig is pretty phenomenally low.

That said, I would take Kansas with a full ride over UNC with 90k-ish, which with being below their GPA median, may be exactly where you end up next year even if you do improve a lot on the LSAT.

[Lord Randolph McDuff]

Full ride scholarships are not automatic even with great numbers. You could conceivably retake, improve your score, reapply to KU next cycle and not get a full ride. Lotta luck involved in full ride scholarships...

Is 60k debt from KU better than retake and 130k debt from UNC? For me, yes. Rankings are a flame UNC and KU are peer schools that just happen to place in different regions. You ok working in Kansas City area or taking your KU degree back to NC?

[cm2015]

I'm from NC so I would prefer to practice here if it came to that

If you want to get back to NC, Kansas is not the best option for you. A full ride is tough to turn down, and if you are ok with practicing in Kansas for at least few years (if not the long haul) then you should take it, but since you want to be in NC I think you should look at retaking and aim for a NC school w/ $$.

Edit: Just to clarify, I still wouldn't say UNC full sticker is a great idea though.

[whm0829]

Yes I would be fine working anywhere honestly. I have talked to multiple attorneys here in Charlotte and they say that if I make a concerted effort to return to NC i.e. Summers that I should be fine.

[Lord Randolph McDuff]

Yes I would be fine working anywhere honestly. I have talked to multiple attorneys here in Charlotte and they say that if I make a concerted effort to return to NC i.e. Summers that I should be fine.

I think this is possible as well. Gotta do both summers in NC, though. Also out of state alumni groups are way more helpful than in state groups. Those people know what's it's like to travel with a degree and are way more willing to help.

Are there stips on the KU $$$?

Also work during 2L and 3L to reduce debt load. If you try you can get out of there with 45k debt, no problem. That's really not that much work.

[Nova]

Retake for UNC

[Nova]

Yes I would be fine working anywhere honestly. I have talked to multiple attorneys here in Charlotte and they say that if I make a concerted effort to return to NC i.e. Summers that I should be fine.

In my experience, its been extremely difficult to network from over 1000 miles away.

& you will be at the bottom of the hiring totem pole behind UNC/Wake & prob local TTTs.

[whm0829]

Thanks for the input guys. Nova can you elaborate on your experience? I understand that building new relationships will be tough from 1000 miles away but I'm in a situation where I already have a lot of connections. I understand a degree from an instate school would help but I don't necessarily want to pay the tuition. My stips are 3.0 or else have to pay in state tuition. I know it's not great.

[Nova]

you should see what class rank a 3.0 typically is

Nova can you elaborate on your experience?

I will later. gotta go do some stuff right quick

[whm0829]

It says class average must be 2.8-3.0. Does that mean top 50%?

[Nova]

It says class average must be 2.8-3.0. Does that mean top 50%?

no

although you can infer that likely means AT LEAST top 50%, cause if the average is closer to 2.9 or 2.8 its prob gonna be a tougher than median stip.

you would need to know the typical median, not average. although based on compiled data from 2 years ago ( http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 2&t=189178 ) 2k14 (a Kansas local who is at a T14) said it was approximately median.

[twenty]

If 3.0 is the median class rank, then yes, you have a 50% chance of losing your scholarship.

edit> missed the "average" vs "median" split, average does not equal median.

[whm0829]

Thanks. Do schools typically negotiate on stips? Or is it kind of insulting to negotiate on their generous offers?

[raininthedesert]

I would recommend doing further research into the necessity of a law degree for compliance.

While it may be true that the downturn in the economy has resulted in a greater number of JD's seeking and obtaining jobs in the athletic compliance department, a JD is far from necessary for that work. In fact, the normal progression is an entry level position -- usually with a masters degree -- and then a trajectory based on performance. A JD is way overqualified for the starting positions, the salary will not increase initially because of the JD, and you will likely frown upon starting at a lower level after completing three rigorous years of graduate education.

In summary, if you are adamant about athletic compliance then I would strongly recommend you not go to law school.

[raininthedesert]

P.S. The best strategy is to obtain an entry level compliance job at a university that has a part time law program so that later in your career -- after a couple or few years of advancement -- you can go for free while working full-time at the school's expense (a perquisite of being an employee). This is the more typical route to incorporating a JD degree into that career path.