Help! Forum

[lawyergirl94]

I would really like to work for a firm that practices entertainment law. If I do not end up in a state such as California, I am also interested in Labor & Employment Law. I would like to reside in either California (first choice) or a big city in the South, such as Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, etc. The ties I have are Michigan (hometown) and Atlanta, Georgia (school and internships). Here are the options I'm considering:

Chicago (15k scholarship); COA after scholarship: Approx. 80k
Virginia (60k scholarship); COA after scholarship: Approx. 63k
Texas (30k + in-state tuition); COA after scholarship: Approx. 45k
USC (75k scholarship); COA after scholarship: Approx. 60k
UCI (135 k scholarship); COA after scholarship: Approx. 36k

Here are other options that I'm not really considering. Feel free to give input on these too.

Michigan (45k scholarship); COA after scholarship: Approx. 57k
Cornell (No scholarship offer [yet]); COA: Approx. 90k
Georgetown (No scholarship offer [placed on Alternate list]; COA: Approx. 71k
Emory (84k scholarship) COA after scholarship: Approx. 76k

[fliptrip]

I would really like to work for a firm that practices entertainment law. If I do not end up in a state such as California, I am also interested in Labor & Employment Law. I would like to reside in either California (first choice) or a big city in the South, such as Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, etc. The ties I have are Michigan (hometown) and Atlanta, Georgia (school and internships). Here are the options I'm considering:

Chicago (15k scholarship); COA after scholarship: Approx. 80k $258k
Virginia (60k scholarship); COA after scholarship: Approx. 63k $233k
Texas (30k + in-state tuition); COA after scholarship: Approx. 45k
USC (75k scholarship); COA after scholarship: Approx. 60k
UCI (135 k scholarship); COA after scholarship: Approx. 36k

Here are other options that I'm not really considering. Feel free to give input on these too.

Michigan (45k scholarship); COA after scholarship: Approx. 57k
Cornell (No scholarship offer [yet]); COA: Approx. 90k
Georgetown (No scholarship offer [placed on Alternate list]; COA: Approx. 71k
Emory (84k scholarship) COA after scholarship: Approx. 76k

Well, your most optimal solution hasn't changed since you last made a help! thread, OP. Your best option is to sit out, retake the LSAT and get better schools on your roster to facilitate your chase of Entertainment Law or reduce your COA more significantly. If I wanted a unicorn goal, I'd aim for HYS.

If you insist on instead going to school in the fall, I'd take Chicago and try for California, but I'd definitely ask a lot more about your odds of scoring California from Chicago without ties.

Alternatively, you could take UVA and try for Atlanta, which might be a better play because you have preexisting ties to Atlanta. UVA is right on the razor's edge of rationality at a COA of $233k.

Chicago's more rational at $258k, but regardless, you're paying a whole lot (at least $100k) for things that probably aren't worth that much (basically the chance to go to school this fall as opposed to next).

[lawyergirl94]

I would really like to work for a firm that practices entertainment law. If I do not end up in a state such as California, I am also interested in Labor & Employment Law. I would like to reside in either California (first choice) or a big city in the South, such as Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, etc. The ties I have are Michigan (hometown) and Atlanta, Georgia (school and internships). Here are the options I'm considering:

Chicago (15k scholarship); COA after scholarship: Approx. 80k $258k
Virginia (60k scholarship); COA after scholarship: Approx. 63k $233k
Texas (30k + in-state tuition); COA after scholarship: Approx. 45k
USC (75k scholarship); COA after scholarship: Approx. 60k
UCI (135 k scholarship); COA after scholarship: Approx. 36k

Here are other options that I'm not really considering. Feel free to give input on these too.

Michigan (45k scholarship); COA after scholarship: Approx. 57k
Cornell (No scholarship offer [yet]); COA: Approx. 90k
Georgetown (No scholarship offer [placed on Alternate list]; COA: Approx. 71k
Emory (84k scholarship) COA after scholarship: Approx. 76k

Well, your most optimal solution hasn't changed since you last made a help! thread, OP. Your best option is to sit out, retake the LSAT and get better schools on your roster to facilitate your chase of Entertainment Law or reduce your COA more significantly. If I wanted a unicorn goal, I'd aim for HYS.

If you insist on instead going to school in the fall, I'd take Chicago and try for California, but I'd definitely ask a lot more about your odds of scoring California from Chicago without ties.

Alternatively, you could take UVA and try for Atlanta, which might be a better play because you have preexisting ties to Atlanta. UVA is right on the razor's edge of rationality at a COA of $233k.

Chicago's more rational at $258k, but regardless, you're paying a whole lot (at least $100k) for things that probably aren't worth that much (basically the chance to go to school this fall as opposed to next).

Thanks! You don't think either of the California schools are rational?

[fliptrip]

Thanks! You don't think either of the California schools are rational?

No, neither intuitively, nor on the numbers, do I think either are rational.
/
Tell me, lawyergirl, why is someone so young in such a hurry to go to law school? What's the rush?

[lawyergirl94]

Thanks! You don't think either of the California schools are rational?

No, neither intuitively, nor on the numbers, do I think either are rational.
/
Tell me, lawyergirl, why is someone so young in such a hurry to go to law school? What's the rush?

I really don't see the need to take a gap year. I really just want to get all of my schooling out the way. I've always planned to go straight through and while my numbers could be better, I think I've returned with some pretty good acceptances/scholarships. I'm not sure what meaningful job I would have during any gap years either.

[fliptrip]

I really don't see the need to take a gap year. I really just want to get all of my schooling out the way. I've always planned to go straight through and while my numbers could be better, I think I've returned with some pretty good acceptances/scholarships. I'm not sure what meaningful job I would have during any gap years either.

Here's some reasons to take the gap year:

1. As you stand now, I'd give you a great shot of getting your LSAT up. I believe with your GPA you'd get a full ride somewhere in the t-14. Let's say for argument's sake, that full ride is at UVA. If you go to Chicago at your current figures instead, you will be spending $172,710 for the privilege of not taking a gap year. That's alot of money!

2. Working a job is meaningful in and of itself regardless of what you do. There's not a lot of meaningful work for 22 year olds out there, honestly. Hell there's not a lot of meaningful work out there in general for anyone. Irrespective of your job, you will be challenged and you will grow in important ways. Working that year will make you a better law student and will be of some advantage in your second cycle.

3. I disagree with your assertion that you have good acceptances/scholarships. As I said, they are far from abominable and you have some rational choices you could make, but they aren't good. You're making the same argument that Will Hunting made to Chuckie about being a construction worker and Chuckie shut down (I pray you've seen Good Will Hunting). Where's the honor or celebration in settling short of your potential? Chicago is a fine school, but you're paying more than you should for it and you'd have a better shot at achieving your impossible to achieve goal by going somewhere else--a somewhere else you could attain by retaking the LSAT! You're super high GPA makes you a great candidate for Stanford. You wouldn't even have to get very far beyond 162 to have a real shot. For someone who wants to be in California and chase a unicorn goal, I don't think there's a better school to do it. I think you'd be able to live easier with yourself knowing you spent $150k to chase your goal rather than $150k to only sorta chase your goal and run the clock faster.

4. Law school will still be there next year.

[lawyergirl94]

I really don't see the need to take a gap year. I really just want to get all of my schooling out the way. I've always planned to go straight through and while my numbers could be better, I think I've returned with some pretty good acceptances/scholarships. I'm not sure what meaningful job I would have during any gap years either.

Here's some reasons to take the gap year:

1. As you stand now, I'd give you a great shot of getting your LSAT up. I believe with your GPA you'd get a full ride somewhere in the t-14. Let's say for argument's sake, that full ride is at UVA. If you go to Chicago at your current figures instead, you will be spending $172,710 for the privilege of not taking a gap year. That's alot of money!

2. Working a job is meaningful in and of itself regardless of what you do. There's not a lot of meaningful work for 22 year olds out there, honestly. Hell there's not a lot of meaningful work out there in general for anyone. Irrespective of your job, you will be challenged and you will grow in important ways. Working that year will make you a better law student and will be of some advantage in your second cycle.

3. I disagree with your assertion that you have good acceptances/scholarships. As I said, they are far from abominable and you have some rational choices you could make, but they aren't good. You're making the same argument that Will Hunting made to Chuckie about being a construction worker and Chuckie shut down (I pray you've seen Good Will Hunting). Where's the honor or celebration in settling short of your potential? Chicago is a fine school, but you're paying more than you should for it and you'd have a better shot at achieving your impossible to achieve goal by going somewhere else--a somewhere else you could attain by retaking the LSAT! You're super high GPA makes you a great candidate for Stanford. You wouldn't even have to get very far beyond 162 to have a real shot. For someone who wants to be in California and chase a unicorn goal, I don't think there's a better school to do it. I think you'd be able to live easier with yourself knowing you spent $150k to chase your goal rather than $150k to only sorta chase your goal and run the clock faster.

4. Law school will still be there next year.

Thanks for that fliptrip! I'll definitely give it some thought!

[letmeseeyoulurkit]

If entertainment is your goal your best shot is from CA or NY. Your goal should seriously be to keep your debt down and start kindling relevant industry connections. The entertainment industry doesn't drool over T14 lawyers in the same way other industries do. It's a small pond and big work is picked up through informal connections, parties, etc. As such, the T14 student at the top 10% of his/her class loses their appeal to a record company, talent agency, etc., when compared to the non-T14 student with a few years of industry experience (maybe in licensing, talent management, etc.) who can get something done through past colleague. I guess my response assumes that you want to work deal side for one of the aforementioned entities as opposed to strictly in a law firm - as far as I can tell the demand for entertainment lawyers is higher outside of a traditional firm and the work is cooler too.

If you're considering entertainment at all I would suggest a gap year. I was dead set on entertainment and worked 3+ years at a boutique entertainment law firm only to realize that I didn't want the grind it entailed. Also, after an entertainment focus it's extremely hard to cross back over into a different area of law (UCLA makes you sign a statement that you acknowledge that this fact upon declaring an entertainment focus - scary!) but the same doesn't hold when breaking into entertainment, you can break in from any background with enough brown nosing. I mean obviously there are exceptions to everything. Look at Joel Katz out of Greenberg Traurig Atlanta - a huge mover from an unlikely school in an unlikely location for entertainment.

Now I'm rambling, godspeed.

[Generally]

I would really like to work for a firm that practices entertainment law. If I do not end up in a state such as California, I am also interested in Labor & Employment Law. I would like to reside in either California (first choice) or a big city in the South, such as Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, etc. The ties I have are Michigan (hometown) and Atlanta, Georgia (school and internships). Here are the options I'm considering:

Chicago (15k scholarship); COA after scholarship: Approx. 80k
Virginia (60k scholarship); COA after scholarship: Approx. 63k
Texas (30k + in-state tuition); COA after scholarship: Approx. 45k
USC (75k scholarship); COA after scholarship: Approx. 60k
UCI (135 k scholarship); COA after scholarship: Approx. 36k

Here are other options that I'm not really considering. Feel free to give input on these too.

Michigan (45k scholarship); COA after scholarship: Approx. 57k
Cornell (No scholarship offer [yet]); COA: Approx. 90k
Georgetown (No scholarship offer [placed on Alternate list]; COA: Approx. 71k
Emory (84k scholarship) COA after scholarship: Approx. 76k

Are the 15k and 60k scholarships for Chicago and UVA the total over three year? I am assuming so, in which case I don't understand how you got those COA. Anyway, out of these I think UVA is the best choice, but it's awfully expensive. Also, this is assuming you are just thinking entertainment law would be nice but aren't dedicated to it. I don't think any of these gives you a great shot at that goal, so you would need to be ok with your fallback standard big law stuff. People have said sit out a year and retake, I don't know what your GPA and LSAT is, but if you can realistically get big scholarships next year by retaking, I would do that. I just would not be comfortable with that much debt at UVA, and even more so I wouldn't be ok with that much debt at Chicago.

[cleo510]

I would go UVa or Michigan if I were you.

[cleo510]

Michigan may play slightly better among employers on the West coast. Did you apply to Berkeley?

[cleo510]

But I agree with above statements about a gap year - that is just if you have your heart set on going this year

[lawyergirl94]

Michigan may play slightly better among employers on the West coast. Did you apply to Berkeley?

Yes, got waitlisted

[Abraham Lincoln Uni.]

Fortunately, you have a wide variety of options to choose from. Factors you should consider include,

total cost of law school, location, and since you are interested in a specific area of law, statistics

regarding employment in those areas upon graduation.

It truly depends on your preference regarding the location and cost. At the end of the day, so long as

you pass the general bar exam, present yourself well, and show the prospective law firms how you will

be an asset to their team through your law and academic experience and professional demeanor there

is no reason you cannot succeed in those areas of law.

Best of luck!