Top Law Schools

UVA:
-COA: $79,639.00/year
-Financed via loans
-Big Law Interest
-LSAT: 169; GPA 3.65

Duke:
COA: $62,937.00/year
Financed via loans

Georgetown:
COA: $37,100.00/year (all need-based, could be increased up to $50,500.00/year)
Financed via loans

What are your scholarship totals and goals wrt location and job type?

fliptrip wrote:What are your scholarship totals and goals wrt location and job type?

UVA: $0

Duke: $18,00/year

Georgetown: Scholly: $20,000/year, Finaid: $33,400/year
These offer's don't stack, you can choose one or the other.

Honestly, I don't have huge preferences on job location, and I think I want to go into public policy legislation within a firm.

I kind of like Georgetown here. I will say that "public policy legislation" isn't really a thing at a firm. Also, why aren't you getting a public policy degree instead?

Mark me down for Duke. With you heading to biglaw I feel better about Duke's placement than Georgetown's. Your costs are really high however. You'll owe $230k upon graduation, which is just a massive amount of money.

Arguments could be made for both Duke and GULC here. UVA is not worth $50K more than Duke.

As for the two contenders: the difference between GULC and Duke (when you weigh the COA disparity) are close enough that it might come down to personal preferences and career goals. Do keep in mind that DC is going to have a much higher COL than Durham. I hope you're factoring that into your calculations (looks like you might be). Any chance we could get a little more on your career goals (beyond PP legislation...not much of a thing), family situation, etc?

Drmrndaphd wrote:
Honestly, I don't have huge preferences on job location, and I think I want to go into public policy legislation within a firm.

What do you mean by this? Do you have relevant experience to open doors, like time on the Hill as a legislative director?

Becoming a lawyer isn't a great way to influence policy, other than earning enough over 20 years to finance a run for office.

People are signing off on $200k in debt for someone who wants to do "public policy legislation with a firm"?

Retake dude. This is too much money for any school not named Yale, and perhaps even then...