The University of Idaho v. Notre Dame Forum

[terrible_student]

Hey about to be 1L here.

I am going to the University of Idaho with a full ride. However, I could have gone to Notre Dame at sticker. I am wondering if this was the correct choice.

How is University of Idaho's reputation in the law community at large? I feel like it is a well-respected regional school and opens Idaho opportunities, which is ultimately where I want to live (I grew up here). Any insight on this school?

[bugsy33]

Notre Dame at sticker is insane, especially if you want to practice in Idaho. If you want Idaho, go to Idaho.

[terrible_student]

Notre Dame at sticker is insane, especially if you want to practice in Idaho. If you want Idaho, go to Idaho.

But I don't want to be marred by sTTTigma for the rest of my life. How's Idaho's rep among lawyers and TLS posters generally? At least Notre Dame gives "street cred" right?

[muskies970]

The troll is strong in this one

[yomisterd]

Notre Dame at sticker is insane, especially if you want to practice in Idaho. If you want Idaho, go to Idaho.

But I don't want to be marred by sTTTigma for the rest of my life. How's Idaho's rep among lawyers and TLS posters generally? At least Notre Dame gives "street cred" right?

not worth sticker. I have family in Idaho, and from what I hear most of the prominent attorneys and politicians in Idaho went to Idaho Law. Could just be anecdotes, but I think it is much better than going full debt at a midwest regional.

[terrible_student]

The troll is strong in this one

It's not a troll. It's only my entire future and career. Just give a legit response please.

[Lord Randolph McDuff]

U of Idaho is not considered a TTT in the state of Idaho.

Most people in this country have never heard of a "third teir toilet," and lawyers in Idaho will think that a U of Idaho degree is really good.

[muskies970]

Notre Dame at sticker is insane, especially if you want to practice in Idaho. If you want Idaho, go to Idaho.

But I don't want to be marred by sTTTigma for the rest of my life. How's Idaho's rep among lawyers and TLS posters generally? At least Notre Dame gives "street cred" right?

The troll is strong in this one

It's not a troll. It's only my entire future and career. Just give a legit response please.

I will when you do... What're you doing worrying about "street cred" lol.

[terrible_student]

Notre Dame at sticker is insane, especially if you want to practice in Idaho. If you want Idaho, go to Idaho.

But I don't want to be marred by sTTTigma for the rest of my life. How's Idaho's rep among lawyers and TLS posters generally? At least Notre Dame gives "street cred" right?

The troll is strong in this one

It's not a troll. It's only my entire future and career. Just give a legit response please.

I will when you do... What're you doing worrying about "street cred" lol.

I thought preftige matters in law. Will my opportunities be largely the same after graduating from either school? (same class rank yadda yadda)

[ymmv]

MODS PLZ.

[terrible_student]

What is "mods?"

[A. Nony Mouse]

Mods is moderators, us purple people.

And no, your opportunities won't be the same graduating from either school, because the schools don't provide the same opportunities. If you want to work in Idaho('s very small legal market), go to U of Idaho. If you want to work in (some parts of) the midwest, go to ND. They're not interchangeable, but it's not because one is better ranked than the other - they're both regional schools. And going to a regional school in the market where you want to work is way better than going to a regional school at sticker somewhere you don't want to end up.

[isuperserial]

Notre Dame at sticker is insane, especially if you want to practice in Idaho. If you want Idaho, go to Idaho.

But I don't want to be marred by sTTTigma for the rest of my life. How's Idaho's rep among lawyers and TLS posters generally? At least Notre Dame gives "street cred" right?

The troll is strong in this one

It's not a troll. It's only my entire future and career. Just give a legit response please.

I will when you do... What're you doing worrying about "street cred" lol.

I thought preftige matters in law. Will my opportunities be largely the same after graduating from either school? (same class rank yadda yadda)

The employment stats is what matters. Having a job is what matters. Sticker at Notre Dame is pants-on-head crazy. Free at Idaho, especially considering you want to live there after graduation, is actually a good idea.

[star fox]

Notre Dame has generally better placement but you would need to be in the top 1/3 or so that gets BigLaw in order to pay back the debt. Idaho doesn't offer the opportunity to go BigLaw but is the only Law School in the state. It should give you the opportunity to make the right connections towards building a career in the state of Idaho. The small debt load makes the overall less attractive employment outcomes bearable.

[Mack.Hambleton]

From your other posts it sounds like you want biglaw so I'd advise to retake and go to neither of these schools

[03152016]

u idaho's employment rate is 54.7%
considering they are the only game in town
the only reasonable conclusions are a) u idaho is so poorly regarded that it can't place well even in a state in which it has a monopoly, or
b) demand for freshly minted jds in idaho must be very low (i'm guessing it's this one)

even if u idaho is the very best route to practice in idaho doesn't mean you should take that route
would you attend anchorage school of air conditioner tech

[whitespider]

If you're happy practicing in Idaho, stay there.

Otherwise withdraw and retake.

Sticker at ND isn't worth considering.

[PepperJack]

Idaho. There aren't even jobs in Idaho in existence that would allow you to comfortably service sticker debt.

[Young Marino]

I had to make a decision like this. Go to a local tier 4 in the city I was born and raised with a strong alumni base in the area at a very steep discount or go to the dominant school in the reigon (a tier 2) and have a slight shot a biglawl while incurring a 6 figure debt. I chose to go with the former and I'm very happy with my school knowing I won't have near the amount of debt 80% of my classmates will at graduation and that my school is perfect for my goals (local prosecutor). You should do the same. If U of Idaho has a great reputation in YOUR reigon and you can go at a full ride, don't even thnk twice. The only people who look at the rankings are prospective law students and practicing attorneys really don't.

[PepperJack]

I had to make a decision like this. Go to a local tier 4 in the city I was born and raised with a strong alumni base in the area at a very steep discount or go to the dominant school in the reigon (a tier 2) and have a slight shot a biglawl while incurring a 6 figure debt. I chose to go with the former and I'm very happy with my school knowing I won't have near the amount of debt 80% of my classmates will at graduation and that my school is perfect for my goals (local prosecutor). You should do the same. If U of Idaho has a great reputation in YOUR reigon and you can go at a full ride, don't even thnk twice. The only people who look at the rankings are prospective law students and practicing attorneys really don't.

This is false. Practicing attorneys absolutely consider the school when hiring. It's only that Miami still isn't well respected. You didn't have to make this decision. You chose to.

[legal_beagle442]

This post still sounds like trolling, but if it's not then the advice given is accurate (go to Idaho if you want to live/work in Idaho). Law school "prestige" matters to the extent that 1) you value it, and 2) it translates into skills. FWIW, perhaps the greatest trial lawyer of the last century, Gerry Spence, is a Wyoming Law alum (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerry_Spence)

[sublime]

..

[legal_beagle442]

^ That's a good point. That was a different time from what I hear.

[McAvoy]

The only people who look at the rankings are prospective law students and practicing attorneys really don't

... because they know which schools are garbage and which are not, and they know that such things do not change on a year-to-year basis.

[03152016]

i don't think i've ever seen this many tlsers endorse a school with such objectively awful employment statistics before
again, just because it's the only game in town doesn't make it a good decision