Top Schools for working in PA or Atlanta Forum

[bmathers]

If you are public service oriented and want a full ride there will be no better place than Dickinson. They give out full rides like it's candy(I got one with a 3.2/158), they do a damn good job with public service, and the alumni network is extremely involved in helping us out.

Really?!?! Wow. I am going into LS with an open-mind and will develop a better idea of what I want to focus in.... but, right now, if I had to guess I would lean towards disability law. Does that qualify as PS-oriented?

[immalawyer]

If you are public service oriented and want a full ride there will be no better place than Dickinson. They give out full rides like it's candy(I got one with a 3.2/158), they do a damn good job with public service, and the alumni network is extremely involved in helping us out.

Really?!?! Wow. I am going into LS with an open-mind and will develop a better idea of what I want to focus in.... but, right now, if I had to guess I would lean towards disability law. Does that qualify as PS-oriented?

Disability law? What is that? Like employment disability? Workers Comp? PI?

No. PS oriented is most things outside of private practice. Legal services, public defender, DA, etc.

[bmathers]

If you are public service oriented and want a full ride there will be no better place than Dickinson. They give out full rides like it's candy(I got one with a 3.2/158), they do a damn good job with public service, and the alumni network is extremely involved in helping us out.

Really?!?! Wow. I am going into LS with an open-mind and will develop a better idea of what I want to focus in.... but, right now, if I had to guess I would lean towards disability law. Does that qualify as PS-oriented?

Disability law? What is that? Like employment disability? Workers Comp? PI?

No. PS oriented is most things outside of private practice. Legal services, public defender, DA, etc.

Disability rights, ADA stuff, employment discrimination, etc.

I am probably shooting more for private practice than public sector stuff. Among other things, the pay in private practice seems to be substantially better.

[ronanOgara]

If you are public service oriented and want a full ride there will be no better place than Dickinson. They give out full rides like it's candy(I got one with a 3.2/158), they do a damn good job with public service, and the alumni network is extremely involved in helping us out.

Really?!?! Wow. I am going into LS with an open-mind and will develop a better idea of what I want to focus in.... but, right now, if I had to guess I would lean towards disability law. Does that qualify as PS-oriented?

Disability law? What is that? Like employment disability? Workers Comp? PI?

No. PS oriented is most things outside of private practice. Legal services, public defender, DA, etc.

Disability rights, ADA stuff, employment discrimination, etc.

I am probably shooting more for private practice than public sector stuff. Among other things, the pay in private practice seems to be substantially better.

Well, generally that's true because they work more. However, most small firms don't pay well. I wouldn't bank on making good money just because you're in private practice.

If you want to do private practice in PA, obviously Penn is your best choice but Nova for free is a good option.

[bmathers]

If you are public service oriented and want a full ride there will be no better place than Dickinson. They give out full rides like it's candy(I got one with a 3.2/158), they do a damn good job with public service, and the alumni network is extremely involved in helping us out.

Really?!?! Wow. I am going into LS with an open-mind and will develop a better idea of what I want to focus in.... but, right now, if I had to guess I would lean towards disability law. Does that qualify as PS-oriented?

Disability law? What is that? Like employment disability? Workers Comp? PI?

No. PS oriented is most things outside of private practice. Legal services, public defender, DA, etc.

Disability rights, ADA stuff, employment discrimination, etc.

I am probably shooting more for private practice than public sector stuff. Among other things, the pay in private practice seems to be substantially better.

Well, generally that's true because they work more. However, most small firms don't pay well. I wouldn't bank on making good money just because you're in private practice.

If you want to do private practice in PA, obviously Penn is your best choice but Nova for free is a good option.

Understood. My father has a small practice in central PA and usually starts new associates at around $50k/yr. Until you become a partner (or take on the horrors of Biglaw), pay does not seem too substanital.

[immalawyer]

If you are public service oriented and want a full ride there will be no better place than Dickinson. They give out full rides like it's candy(I got one with a 3.2/158), they do a damn good job with public service, and the alumni network is extremely involved in helping us out.

Really?!?! Wow. I am going into LS with an open-mind and will develop a better idea of what I want to focus in.... but, right now, if I had to guess I would lean towards disability law. Does that qualify as PS-oriented?

Disability law? What is that? Like employment disability? Workers Comp? PI?

No. PS oriented is most things outside of private practice. Legal services, public defender, DA, etc.

Disability rights, ADA stuff, employment discrimination, etc.

I am probably shooting more for private practice than public sector stuff. Among other things, the pay in private practice seems to be substantially better.

Then no. Employment law, which is what you are talking about, is not public service oriented. But I don't know how law schools track this. If you're open to any type of law, draft a public service oriented cover letter and try it out. I don't think they can come back 3 years later when you end up working private practice and say we want our money back. ...But, I don't know, I may be wrong.

[bmathers]

If you are public service oriented and want a full ride there will be no better place than Dickinson. They give out full rides like it's candy(I got one with a 3.2/158), they do a damn good job with public service, and the alumni network is extremely involved in helping us out.

Really?!?! Wow. I am going into LS with an open-mind and will develop a better idea of what I want to focus in.... but, right now, if I had to guess I would lean towards disability law. Does that qualify as PS-oriented?

Disability law? What is that? Like employment disability? Workers Comp? PI?

No. PS oriented is most things outside of private practice. Legal services, public defender, DA, etc.

Disability rights, ADA stuff, employment discrimination, etc.

I am probably shooting more for private practice than public sector stuff. Among other things, the pay in private practice seems to be substantially better.

Then no. Employment law, which is what you are talking about, is not public service oriented. But I don't know how law schools track this. If you're open to any type of law, draft a public service oriented cover letter and try it out. I don't think they can come back 3 years later when you end up working private practice and say we want our money back. ...But, I don't know, I may be wrong.

One of the former partners at my father's firm (private practice) is a Dickinson Law alum -- he probably graduated LS 15, or so, years ago? Even if Dickinson is PS oriented and lean PS, it's not like they forbid alums from working private (another former partner, now judge, is a Widener alum). Rather, it just sounds like they have a lot and a good reputation to help you break into the public sector. Granted, the law scene has dramatically changed in the recent past.

[FamilyLawEsq]

For Central PA Dickinson Law.

[FamilyLawEsq]

If you are public service oriented and want a full ride there will be no better place than Dickinson. They give out full rides like it's candy(I got one with a 3.2/158), they do a damn good job with public service, and the alumni network is extremely involved in helping us out.

Really?!?! Wow. I am going into LS with an open-mind and will develop a better idea of what I want to focus in.... but, right now, if I had to guess I would lean towards disability law. Does that qualify as PS-oriented?

Disability law? What is that? Like employment disability? Workers Comp? PI?

No. PS oriented is most things outside of private practice. Legal services, public defender, DA, etc.

Disability rights, ADA stuff, employment discrimination, etc.

I am probably shooting more for private practice than public sector stuff. Among other things, the pay in private practice seems to be substantially better.

Then no. Employment law, which is what you are talking about, is not public service oriented. But I don't know how law schools track this. If you're open to any type of law, draft a public service oriented cover letter and try it out. I don't think they can come back 3 years later when you end up working private practice and say we want our money back. ...But, I don't know, I may be wrong.

One of the former partners at my father's firm (private practice) is a Dickinson Law alum -- he probably graduated LS 15, or so, years ago? Even if Dickinson is PS oriented and lean PS, it's not like they forbid alums from working private (another former partner, now judge, is a Widener alum). Rather, it just sounds like they have a lot and a good reputation to help you break into the public sector. Granted, the law scene has dramatically changed in the recent past.

Most of the Dickinson grads I know are in private practice

[FamilyLawEsq]

As a follow up, I went to the McNees (substantial firm in central PA) website and looked at the schools for the attorneys
whose last names began with A, B, or C. Theirs schools were:

Dickinson-11
Pitt-2
Widener-2
Arkansas-1
Dayton-1
Denver-1
Drexel-1
Duquesne-1
Gtown-1
Penn-1
Temple-1
Tulane-1'
W&M-1

[ggocat]

For Atlanta, I was going to suggest you look at Mercer with a 158/3.3 because they offer quite a few more-than-full-tuition scholarships (Woodruff scholarship is $5,000 annual stipend plus laptop, maintained simply with good academic standing). The employment outcomes are similar to GSU according to Law School Transparency, and depending whether you have residency in Georgia, Mercer could be substantially cheaper.

Then I read this:

My father has a small practice in central PA

Why leave PA? I'd probably stay in PA unless you're looking at a T14 or a more-than-full-ride scholarship (which will be a long shot with a 3.3 GPA even at a school like Mercer).

[bmathers]

Does Dickinson have much weight in Philly, or are they mostly restricted to Central PA? I put in an application for them

[bmathers]

As a follow up, I went to the McNees (substantial firm in central PA) website and looked at the schools for the attorneys
whose last names began with A, B, or C. Theirs schools were:

Dickinson-11
Pitt-2
Widener-2
Arkansas-1
Dayton-1
Denver-1
Drexel-1
Duquesne-1
Gtown-1
Penn-1
Temple-1
Tulane-1'
W&M-1

Thanks for this. I was just checking out the D's on their site to get a feel of their schools as well, and found an Akron Law alum -- the Zips are everywhere (a bit of an inside joke, I guess)

Also found a Nova grad in the D's... as well as a GTown, GWU, and Harvard grads. Most of the OOS schools seem to have graduated 15+ years ago, though.

[ronanOgara]

Does Dickinson have much weight in Philly, or are they mostly restricted to Central PA? I put in an application for them

I mean, you do see some Dickinson grads around but it doesn't have the same clout as it does in Central PA. Philly is dominated by Temple and Nova.

[bmathers]

The amount of Dickinson alums at this firm is astounding. It looks like Dickinson may be up there with Villanova and Temple with the "whichever is cheaper" decision. COL in Hburg is much cheaper than Philly too... granted, after living near a city for 6 years now, I'm not sure how I'd feel moving back to rural central PA

[bmathers]

FWIW, my father regards Nova law very highly (even more-so than Temple), same as Dickinson. He also said that Widener is a solid school - which, I do not doubt that it's solid and places in central PA, but I'm sure that Widener doesn't have the general reach and influence that I'm interested in (before anyone jumps on the mention of Widener, I am not throwing an app their way).

That being said, he has been in the small town, northcentral PA game now for 35+ years, which I'm sure has tinted his larger legal view.

[ggocat]

I'm sure that Widener doesn't have the general reach and influence that I'm interested in

I don't think many people outside PA or the Northeast will have a clue about the relative strengths of Dickinson/Nova/Temple/Widener. If you're OK with staying local and have your dad's firm as a backup to unemployment (and perhaps taking it over one day), I'd focus on limiting your debt. (edit - though just checking Widener's employment numbers, those are pretty terrible).

[bmathers]

I'm sure that Widener doesn't have the general reach and influence that I'm interested in

I don't think many people outside PA or the Northeast will have a clue about the relative strengths of Dickinson/Nova/Temple/Widener. If you're OK with staying local and have your dad's firm as a backup to unemployment (and perhaps taking it over one day), I'd focus on limiting your debt. (edit - though just checking Widener's employment numbers, those are pretty terrible).

Thank you - yes, Widener employment is very rough. I'm thinking if I can get at least $35k/yr ship from Nova, I may do it (preferably more, and no stips) That would put me under $50k debt at repayment, which is less than $500/mo on a 10-year plan.