Top Law Schools

.

Do want Biglaw? Then neither - sit out a cycle and retake/reapply higher (depending on your current LSAT score and GPA of course). If you're happy with your current job and have a decent career path within the USPTO and a chance of tuition repayment, I'd say George Mason.

Also try cajoling some money out of GULC. They officially don't give PT students scholarships but the PT program is on the ropes so maybe they'll start making exceptions soon.

Capitol_Idea wrote:Also try cajoling some money out of GULC. They officially don't give PT students scholarships but the PT program is on the ropes so maybe they'll start making exceptions soon.

Looking at the latest 509, they have already started giving scholarships to PT students

I agree with the above poster's comment about big law. Also, it sounds like your dream job, particularly academia, would require you to get top grades at a top school.

If I wanted biglaw, why would I apply higher and reapply? Is it impossible to get biglaw if I go PT? Because I can't go any higher than GULC for PT...

I know of people who have done GT PT and gotten biglaw. If you want biglaw, you should go to GT over Mason, unless you think you can graduate within the top 5% at Mason, whereas if you go to GT, you don't have to be top 5% of the class to get biglaw. You might have to be top half or top 1/3 to be safe to get biglaw. Still agree with previous poster, if you can get higher LSAT, probably better to retake and negotiate (if you apply higher and they accept you, you can use this to leverage) and save money that way rather than take your chances at Mason. Basically, don't go to Mason and maybe GT if they give you money.

http://www.lstscorereports.com/schools/ ... yers/2014/
Mason: Gov - 16.8%, Fed Clerk: 2.7%, Law firm (501+) - 5.4%, Under-employment: 16.8%

http://www.lstscorereports.com/schools/ ... yers/2014/
GT: Gov - 13.9%, Fed Clerk - 3.5%, Law firm (501+) - 33.5%, Under-employment: 9.4%

If you have to do PT, Georgetown. You'll know after the first year or so if your grades are in range to meet your career goals, and you can reassess from there should funding get cut for the tuition reimbursement program (whether to take on debt to shoot for those jobs or cut your losses and drop out).

As a current PT student at Mason, I would strongly recommend not going to Mason unless you are receiving a hefty scholarship and in-state tuition.

Mason forces Law and Economics down your throat and makes you take 5 credits of writing beyond any other school that are student taught and a waste of time. Because of this, Mason required 89 credits vs 80 (or so) at other DC schools. You must talk about economics on your finals. And, the writing classes are equally as awful your first year. Also, there are limited course offerings because of small school size that forces you to take Friday classes. Your first 1.5 semesters at Mason will be awful in terms of having a healthy life style. They forget to tell you this when you are applying! lol

Your best bet is to go to GT.

Another approach many students took the first year was to get in top 25% at Mason and you are auto accepted to GW. There are no scholarships in transferring but with PTO tuition reimbursement I am not sure if this matters?

In terms of big law, you don't have to worry about that since you are patent track. GW/GT/GMU all have prominent alumni partners in the large DC firms and smaller DC firms that it shouldn't matter where you go for job opportunities.