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Hi all,

My question is in regards to regional schools. I'm a non-trad student with a 3.42 GPA and a 162 June LSAT (I plan on retaking in October). My goal is not big law, but is, instead, to work in the criminal justice system as either a prosecutor or public defender. Assuming I don't ace the October LSAT, I'm thinking that my odds of a T-14 are pretty slim. So, the question is, which regional schools would you all recommend for someone with my goals in mind. I'm fairly flexible geographically; although, if it matters, I am originally from the Philadelphia area. I've followed this board for a while, and it seems that (after T-14), the best bet is to go to a regional school. I guess the real question is, which geographic area has the highest need for lawyers in this area. Thanks for your time.

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Thanks for the reply. I totally understand your point, and I am shooting for a higher score. I guess I'm putting the cart before the horse. Of course I'm shooting for a t-14, I guess I'm just planning before I take the test as a just in case. Just curious what options I'd have if I don't improve too much. Thanks again, though

jayup wrote:Thanks for the reply. I totally understand your point, and I am shooting for a higher score. I guess I'm putting the cart before the horse. Of course I'm shooting for a t-14, I guess I'm just planning before I take the test as a just in case. Just curious what options I'd have if I don't improve too much. Thanks again, though

It's best to attend a regional school where you have ties. For example, iowa is ranked higher than temple by usnwr or whatever. But if you're from philly, going to temple is likely a much better choice. On that note, temple is probably a viable option for you to consider, as is villanova. Do your best to get that lsat up so you can get yourself into full ride territory at one of those schools. Good luck.

Yes Temple is on my list. I was wondering about the second part of my question, though. Does anyone know if there is an area where public workers are in higher demand? As you said, ties matter a lot, but I assume that if there is a geographic area under served in a particular field that going to a regional school in that area would trump a regional school from a different area? For example if Oklahoma needs public workers far more than Pennsylvania it would make sense to go to a regional school from Oklahoma?

Again thanks for any advice. As I said, I'm just doing some research now and any input is greatly appreciated.

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jayup wrote:Yes Temple is on my list. I was wondering about the second part of my question, though. Does anyone know if there is an area where public workers are in higher demand? As you said, ties matter a lot, but I assume that if there is a geographic area under served in a particular field that going to a regional school in that area would trump a regional school from a different area? For example if Oklahoma needs public workers far more than Pennsylvania it would make sense to go to a regional school from Oklahoma?

Again thanks for any advice. As I said, I'm just doing some research now and any input is greatly appreciated.

No. Hiring needs are unpredictable and in the public sector are based almost entirely on turnover and budget rather than need.

But even if you could predict that, three years from when you enroll, Oklahoma DA's or PD's offices would have large hiring needs when you graduate, that advantage is negated because they are more likely to hire your hometown classmates over you.

Don't overthink this, nail your retake and go to Temple/Nova for free.

Very cool. I guess the goal then is to shoot for Penn or Temple for free. As a last note, and this just pertains to the Philly area, does anyone have any thoughts about Rutgers-Camden compared to Temple or Villanova? I hear that it's merging, so could that make it more competitive? Just curious. As always, thanks for all the input.

Also, PJam1989, when are you applying and what schools are you looking at?

If you're bilingual ( English-Spanish), then feel free to attend any regional as that may trump local ties for PD or DA office positions.

jayup wrote:Very cool. I guess the goal then is to shoot for Penn or Temple for free. As a last note, and this just pertains to the Philly area, does anyone have any thoughts about Rutgers-Camden compared to Temple or Villanova? I hear that it's merging, so could that make it more competitive? Just curious. As always, thanks for all the input.

Rutgers-Camden isn't an awful option if you are thinking about working in South Jersey. In Philly, Rutgers doesn't have the best pull, but there is still a decent amount of Rutgers grads in Philly. Rutgers serves its purpose because it is cheap, but, if you go there, you need to be in the top 25% of your class if you want to have decent job prospects.