Pitt V Duquesne V UNM Forum

[TigersJaw]

Hey guys.

I'm considering two schools in the Pittsburgh area, as well as the University of New Mexico. As of now my scholarship offers are:

Pitt- 12,000 per yr
Duquesne- 33,000 per yr
UNM- 10,000 1st yr

I wouldn't mind staying in the Western/Central PA area, however I am not married to the idea of staying local (enter UNM application). I think in general, Pitt has more of a name than Duquesne. However, Duquesne does alright in the immediate area in and around Pittsburgh. I don't expect to turn any of these degrees into a biglaw job; it's also not what I am aiming for career-wise.

I fully expect my interests and pursuits in law school to evolve. That being said, PD work, environmental & natural/cultural resources law, and general practice at a small-mid sized firm peak my interests looking forward. I have connections locally in PA with a few active lawyers and their law firms. Through an undergraduate program I was also afforded the opportunity to speak with practicing lawyers and counsel in the DOJ and EPA (discussions included career path advice, internship availability, general networking, etc).

The thoughts I am having are A) Pitt v. Duq- While a near full ride (I can make up the extra 5k in tuition and most likely 3 years of living expenses) is nice, I am afraid Duquesne will limit my career path somewhat compared to Pitt Law. B)Would UNM limit me to the 4 corners area out west? Could I come back to PA if I wanted, granted I pass the bar, and find employment with a UNM degree? C) I took the LSAT once. 154/3.62 Only studied for a few months from a Kaplan book, no prep course. A nagging voice keeps telling me to retake.

I feel like many will recommend retaking, but I would love to hear advice on the other points as well.

Thanks everyone!

[BigZuck]

Getting a JD from any of these schools will allow you to take the bar in any state. So you're not technically limited in that way. But employers in PA aren't particularly going to desire UNM grads. Plus it would be extremely difficult to network for a job from afar, and networking will be key for the modest career outcomes.

I don't think you should go to the PA schools unless you want to work in PA long term. I wouldn't go to UNM if I didn't want to work in NM long term.

[PoopNpants]

Kaplans dogshit. Study with powerscore books, 7sage, manhattan,etc. whatever works best for you and retake. Don't go to law school with a 154

[DKM]

Duquesne or retake.

[Clemenceau]

Kaplans dogshit. Study with powerscore books, 7sage, manhattan,etc. whatever works best for you and retake. Don't go to law school with a 154

Agreed. Start your studying from scratch and retake. You can get some way better offers with a 3.6

[tabula rasa]

New Mexico's legal market is insanely insular. UNM can be a great option for locals who want modest legal jobs in-state, but it doesn't make sense if you lack ties.

[OhBoyOhBortles]

Kaplans dogshit. Study with powerscore books, 7sage, manhattan,etc. whatever works best for you and retake. Don't go to law school with a 154

Agreed. Start your studying from scratch and retake. You can get some way better offers with a 3.6

[TigersJaw]

Kaplans dogshit. Study with powerscore books, 7sage, manhattan,etc. whatever works best for you and retake. Don't go to law school with a 154

Agreed. Start your studying from scratch and retake. You can get some way better offers with a 3.6

I have a testing center in my city that has physical classroom courses 3 days a week to prep for the upcoming Oct. LSAT. Unfortunately, I think it is Kaplan. But what if I hit the powerscore/7sage website outside of that to supplement the course as well?

Obviously the largest LSAT increase would be ideal, but what would a good goal be? A 10pt increase- 164/3.6? How much higher can I climb with a 3.6? I saw lower T14's and T1's with that 25% GPA but I feel like I wouldn't get that much scholarship money. On the other hand, I can see how if I reapplied to Pitt, my LSAT could earn more $$.

Any thoughts?

[trebekismyhero]

Kaplans dogshit. Study with powerscore books, 7sage, manhattan,etc. whatever works best for you and retake. Don't go to law school with a 154

Agreed. Start your studying from scratch and retake. You can get some way better offers with a 3.6

I have a testing center in my city that has physical classroom courses 3 days a week to prep for the upcoming Oct. LSAT. Unfortunately, I think it is Kaplan. But what if I hit the powerscore/7sage website outside of that to supplement the course as well?

Obviously the largest LSAT increase would be ideal, but what would a good goal be? A 10pt increase- 164/3.6? How much higher can I climb with a 3.6? I saw lower T14's and T1's with that 25% GPA but I feel like I wouldn't get that much scholarship money. On the other hand, I can see how if I reapplied to Pitt, my LSAT could earn more $$.

Any thoughts?

With a 3.6 and a 164 you will get full rides to top 30 law schools in this application environment and might even be close to getting into a couple t14s. Get in the upper 160s and you will get scholarships to several t14s. Your GPA will not hold you back at all. You need to improve your LSAT

[Clemenceau]

I probably wouldn't bother with the kaplan course. Sounds expensive. Manhattan/powerscore/7sage and a ton of practice tests is all you need. This forum is obviously a good resource as well.

I had a 3.6 and got from $60-105k at a bunch of t14s, as well as full rides to every regional where I applied. I definitely think you should retake.

[timbs4339]

Kaplans dogshit. Study with powerscore books, 7sage, manhattan,etc. whatever works best for you and retake. Don't go to law school with a 154

Agreed. Start your studying from scratch and retake. You can get some way better offers with a 3.6

I have a testing center in my city that has physical classroom courses 3 days a week to prep for the upcoming Oct. LSAT. Unfortunately, I think it is Kaplan. But what if I hit the powerscore/7sage website outside of that to supplement the course as well?

Obviously the largest LSAT increase would be ideal, but what would a good goal be? A 10pt increase- 164/3.6? How much higher can I climb with a 3.6? I saw lower T14's and T1's with that 25% GPA but I feel like I wouldn't get that much scholarship money. On the other hand, I can see how if I reapplied to Pitt, my LSAT could earn more $$.

Any thoughts?

Why do you need to blow money just to have a "testing center" to study in? This should cost you a library card plus a few hundred bucks and a few hours browsing TLS for free study tips/regimens to supplement the books. Or you can study at home and have a beer right after your PT's (that's what I did and I improved 7 pts).

The number of people who will spend 250K on law school but don't have the determination and drive to sit down at home for three hours every other day for 3-6 months and do some multiple choice questions always astounds me (this isn't a dig at you OP, it's just a general observation I've had over a couple years on this forum).

[BasilHallward]

Listen to the nagging little voice; it is seldom wrong with respect to LSAT retake considerations.

[ndirish2010]

You should obviously retake. But if for some reason you do decide to go, you should go to Pitt.

[CM3809]

Don't go to Duquesne unless you already have a job lined up after graduation. And don't go to UNM unless you want to practice in NM.
Pitt is your best option if you want to stay in the region, but you should retake for more scholarship $

[FullRamboLSGrad]

UNM has some outstanding job placement statistics, it was actually my back up plan when I was applying circa 2008. I ended up in AZ instead and don't regret it. But if you're set on these three and you have ties to NM and got into UNM with its crazy 'soft' standards I'd go for it. What is in state tuition like 12k? That's a bargain.

[Mack.Hambleton]

Listen to the nagging little voice; it is seldom wrong with respect to LSAT retake considerations.