I need some advice. Fairly atypical Forum

[tho]

Please feel free to move this if this is the wrong place for this.

Y'all may think this is premature, since this is for next cycle and I haven't retaken yet. However this will help me determine how much effort I want to put into an LSAT retake.

-How you will be financing your COA

I have some pretty significant savings and my father will pay for the rest. No debt will be taken out.

-Where you are from and where you want to work, and other places where you have significant ties (if any):

I am a K-JD from Baton Rouge and go to LSU now. I have significant ties here.

-Your general career goals:
My end goals make this a worthwhile post (at least to me). I own a small real estate company. My partner can handle the business wherever I decide to attend school. My dad owns a very successful business in the area and my goal is to eventually be a large part of that as well. A JD/MBA or JD/MSF with a focus in real estate will probably helpful in the field but not necessary.

Finally I am in the process of starting a charity in the area. This would have to be put on the back burner while I am in school. I don't mind doing this and picking it back up when I get back.

Regardless, the plan is to end up back in Louisiana for the long haul.

-Your LSAT/GPA numbers:
167/ 4.0
I was PTing in the 174-176 range and plan on probably retaking in October and December.

Also I have a question outside the poll:
Let's say I went to a T-14 school versus a top regional, would this have much effect on a job search say 15 years from now?

Please don't quote


Thanks in advance

[BankruptMe]

You have said nothing about actually practicing law.

work for a few more years and then get a M7 - Top 20 MBA.

A JD would not make much difference for you.

EDIT: A University of Texas MBA would be good enough. I heard they have decent real estate classes there also.

http://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/centers/refic

[tho]

I think being able to essentially be a real estate/contract attorney for both companies may make a JD attractive.

[guano]

http://www.arch.columbia.edu/programs/r ... evelopment

The most important thing is that A) you have your own company, and B) your dad has his own company, both of which will employ you. Therefore, you don't need prestige, or job placement prospects. Your three biggest considrations should be:
- quality of education*
- alumni network
- cost/location

Ignoring quality of education*, you're really looking at cost, location, and alumni network. Most of your classmates at inkidink college are not gonna be anywhere near as valuable as your classmates at SuperSchool, and you should consider how much it's worth, to you, to be able to establish such a network. This should also be coupled with what kind of network you want, as FlagshipState will provide a bunch of great local connections, in a variety of fields, while BigLawBuilder will provide a great network of movers and shakers in the corporate world centered around e.g. NYC, Silicon Valley or De Capital

Your situation is unique, and the typical TLS advice doesn't apply. Only you can decide what kind of future network is most important to you, and what you're willing to pay to have such a hypothetical future network. Is your real estate business mostly local development, or are we talking about a series of global REITs? Are we talking more zoning and planning, or more operating and leasing? All these things have an impact on what's more important, so, you should analyze your situation and figure out what's best for your future

*People can argue till they're blue in the face about quality of education, but the general gist of it is that the quality of education alone does not vary enough between schools that it should impact your decision.

[BankruptMe]

I think being able to essentially be a real estate/contract attorney for both companies may make a JD attractive.

But law school doesn't teach you how to actually be a real estate or contract attorney.

Unless reading cases over and over again will somehow help with forming decent DCF models, site analysis, acquisitions & dispositions or property management.

Law School also teaches nothing in regards to general business either.

I think someone is just chasing prestige. You already have a good launching pad. Go to LSU MBA classes at night, work, build your businesses and profit. Especially if you want to stay in Louisiana. If you want to expand these businesses out of Louisiana, then a reputable MBA will put you in contact with bankers, consultants, etc.

[rad lulz]

Law school will teach you next to nothing about how to do real estate transactional law, which can so have tricky tax consequences (REIT, like kind exchange, etc.)

Don't bother

[buffalo_]

If your goal is only to gain knowledge and experience to benefit your own business and your fathers, just go wherever you can for free. But it's tough to say if it's even going to be worth a $0 investment if it costs you three years of growing your business. An MBA is probably going to be more valuable.

Unless you specifically need an attorney for your business, and you think being one will be easier than hiring one, I think you are much better served getting an MBA on the cheap.

[timbs4339]

Law school will teach you next to nothing about how to do real estate transactional law, which can so have tricky tax consequences (REIT, like kind exchange, etc.)

Don't bother

Yes. You learn this stuff by working at a firm which caters to the kind of clients that resemble your Dad's company. So biglaw or midlaw probably.

You won't even learn enough to be a general counsel who looks over the work of the outside firms.

[tho]

Wow, I thought I'd be able to at least read over outside work. That is depressing.

[WhiskeynCoke]

Given your situation, you haven't articulated a single cogent reason that would justify wasting 3 miserable years and $$$$ on a degree that would essentially be worthless to you. Do you know what your post is missing? The words "I want to be a lawyer."

Law school isn't a trip to Europe. It's not something you should do just because "dad is paying." Law school sucks shit, and it's only worth it if you stand TO GAIN SOMETHING. You stand to lose far more than gain. Spend the next 3 years building your business. It's definitely not worth you going to law school just to save $ on the occasional attorneys fees, especially since you won't learn jack shit about how to actually manage real estate transactions in law school.

Don't be stupid.