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-The schools you are considering: Emory/UGA. They'd be about the same total COA at this point.

-Total debt at graduation: $50k. 90% scholarship, will get to live at home/parents cover COL. This includes $20k in existing student debt. It's likely I can pay the rest of tuition with savings, but the general advice is to overestimate debt.

-Where you are from and where you want to work: I'm from Atlanta and pretty much only want to work in Atlanta.

-Your general career goals: biglaw/FC (or mid law if such a thing exists)

-Your LSAT/GPA numbers: 167/3.8

-How many times you have taken the LSAT: 3x

I realize that Emory vs UGA has been discussed at length. I'm more looking for just opinions on what you all would do. I have a decent 9 to 5 in F500 finance, but ATL biglaw would more than double my income, and hopefully be more intellectually stimulating. I realize I would need top 25% at least at Emory but with such a low debt load is it worth the gamble to potentially take such a big step forward? I don't necessarily hate my job but the path upwards seems rather slow/limited.

Some background: I wanted to attend law school after undergrad but that was 2010 and outlook was bad/scared of debt load. I have done legal internships, etc. and am convinced that I would still like to be a lawyer.

Appreciate any advice!

you can get a T14 with those numbers

Same COA = Emory. Networking with K&S, A&B, Jones Day, Kilpatrick, Troutman, etc. will be significantly easier in Atlanta than in Athens. Additionally, I think I would prefer being a 30 year old student in Atlanta.

Jim Jones wrote:you can get a T14 with those numbers

But not a T14 at $30k total COA. If the end goal is Atlanta, why are you going to add $100k+ to that?

Minnietron wrote:why are you going to add $100k+ to that?

To hedge against the chance that OP falls in the other ~75% since the main goal is BL/FC. (0L, just another pre-grade consideration).

OP, what do your goals look like outside of BL? Is it like - ATL BL >> law job ATL >> BL anywhere -or- ATL BL >> BL anywhere >> law job ATL?

All- thank you for the responses!

Re: goals

ATL BL >> BL Southeast >> law job ATL

Recognizing that not all BL southeast and law jobs ATL are created equal, and there could be situations where the non-BL law job ATL would be acceptable. Not trying for NYC/DC BL.

Minnietron wrote:Same COA = Emory. Networking with K&S, A&B, Jones Day, Kilpatrick, Troutman, etc. will be significantly easier in Atlanta than in Athens. Additionally, I think I would prefer being a 30 year old student in Atlanta.

Jim Jones wrote:you can get a T14 with those numbers

But not a T14 at $30k total COA. If the end goal is Atlanta, why are you going to add $100k+ to that?

Because OP said they want biglaw. Emory is a good choice but there's gives and takes for each route. At some point what job you want enters the calculus

Jim Jones wrote:

Minnietron wrote:Same COA = Emory. Networking with K&S, A&B, Jones Day, Kilpatrick, Troutman, etc. will be significantly easier in Atlanta than in Athens. Additionally, I think I would prefer being a 30 year old student in Atlanta.

Jim Jones wrote:you can get a T14 with those numbers

But not a T14 at $30k total COA. If the end goal is Atlanta, why are you going to add $100k+ to that?

Because OP said they want biglaw. Emory is a good choice but there's gives and takes for each route. At some point what job you want enters the calculus

Valid point. I'd have a hard time justifying the increased expense for something outside T6ish.

I applaud your courage if you truly believe you want to be an attorney, but I have to ask, how much of this is you truly wanting to be an attorney and how much of it is getting out of a F500 finance job? If the latter is the main motivation, you could always look into b school.

Does Top 25% at Emory get biglaw in Atlanta? Atlanta has the reputation of being super grade conscious and not giving 100% offers. Does the Atlanta job market require you get a 1L SA to possibly get an offer?

What will you do if you don't get biglaw?
Where does median at Emory end up?

According to LST, Emory funded 21.3% of its grads.

OP: people go to biglaw in NYC because it's the biggest market with the most jobs. It's generally more difficult to get a job in Atlanta than NYC, though I don't know about Emory.

Edit to add: Emory doesn't report salary information. Do you know what the likely salary will be if you don't get biglaw.

Tls2016 wrote:Edit to add: Emory doesn't report salary information. Do you know what the likely salary will be if you don't get biglaw.

I think that's the dilemma I'm facing. From what I can tell non-BL salary is about what I'd be making (or potentially worse) in three years if I stay on my current path. So is my goal of being an attorney worth the gamble of potentially wasting three years? At least my debt load would be manageable?

Appreciate all the feedback.

Blabrn12345 wrote:

Tls2016 wrote:Edit to add: Emory doesn't report salary information. Do you know what the likely salary will be if you don't get biglaw.

I think that's the dilemma I'm facing. From what I can tell non-BL salary is about what I'd be making (or potentially worse) in three years if I stay on my current path. So is my goal of being an attorney worth the gamble of potentially wasting three years? At least my debt load would be manageable?

Appreciate all the feedback.

You only want to go to law school for the possibility of a biglaw salary? If so, you aren't alone but that doesn't make it a good idea.
For me, knowing what biglaw practice entails and the possibly small odds of getting biglaw in Atlanta along with having a decent job with 9-5 hours, I wouldn't go.
Get other opinions though.