Top Law Schools

I'd really appreciate some input on my decision because it's driving me nuts and the deadline is fast approaching.

Gpa: 3.73
LSAT: 165

I'm in at the University of Houston (#50) with a full ride and a $90,000 scholarship at Boston University (#20). My parents live in Houston so I'd be able to live with them with no rent. With cost of living taken into account, I'm guessing Boston would cost around $40,000 a year. I'm going to be taking out loans. Currently waitlisted at UT (my #1 hope coming into the application process) and UCLA (probably going to withdraw today because I already turned down USC)

Houston was the lowest ranked school I applied to, but now the temptation of a free JD is making me consider it seriously. I lived there during high school and had a dislike for the city, honestly, but the legal market is strong and I have an interest in health law (as much as any 0L knows about their preferred field). I expect that I would be happier during law school in Boston, but since Boston is a regional school, if anybody has any personal opinions on the north-east vs Texas, It'd be helpful to hear them.

Big Law isn't essential for me, I'm currently leaning on the opinion that the hours and structure of those firms don't seem worth the compensation, but it would be nice to have some options out of Law School.

What do you guys think, what would you do?

Houston is also a regional school, so where you want to practice is pretty vital.

Do you want to work in Boston or Texas?

Let's put it this way: I don't know if my desire to practice outside of Texas is worth $70-100k debt. I really hate Houston and Dallas, if I could practice in Austin then I would like that, but then Austin doesn't have as good of a legal market. I've never lived in the North-East, so I want to avoid a "grass is always greener on the other side" sort of outlook, but I have friends in Boston that love it.

How regional is Boston? Is it limited to the North-east? Do you think Houston is limited only to Houston?

I guess my confusion at the moment about where to choose is related to how important school rank and location is for the rest of a lawyers career. If I go to Houston, will I likely practice in Houston for pretty much my entire career? Will Boston give me more opportunities only initially so that by mid-career my work experience matters more than my school or would going to a lower ranked school be a constant anchor on my advancement as a lawyer?

FWIW, it will be very difficult for you to hate big cities (Houston and Dallas) and have a decent outcome from law school. I know you stated that BigLaw is not essential, but that usually means you'll strive for it as start going through 1L, barring specific PI goals from the outset. Objectively, Houston and Dallas are great cities for young lawyers, cost of living etc. Retake is my recommendation, unless UT pulls you off the waitlist with $$. Also, Austin is a tough market to crack. I go to UT.

Yeah I get the impression that going into Law School I should assume, since I'm not dead set on Big Law but would consider it, that I should try to minimize the chance that it would be closed to me.

That's actually really helpful that you go to UT. Do you get the impression that most UT students wind up in Dallas and Houston anyway? (I just graduated as an undergrad from UT and that seems to be what the undergrads all do)

BU and Houston are both regional schools, which means that they will largely place within a specific region. Lawyers can move around throughout their careers (though keep in mind it's not always easy because of bar exams), but if you are making a jump from either Boston or Houston to some unknown third location, the ranking of neither school is going to do anything for you - your ability to move will be based on connections and experience (and maybe to some extent grades). So while BU has a higher USNWR ranking than Houston does, you're not going to have an easier time moving to, say, Chicago out of BU than out of Houston because of BU's ranking - you will be able to move to Chicago if you can leverage connections in Chicago and you have experience that an employer in Chicago wants.