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I received a full ride from both SJU Law and Villanova Law and I'm having trouble committing to a school. I'm from NYC and have spent my entire life here, but I am willing to make the move to Philly if I have to. My issue with Villanova is that I'm afraid it will condemn me to working in PA for the rest of my law career...something I am not willing to do. Both SJU and Villa are very regional schools and their alumni connections are accordingly NYC and PA heavy. Ultimately, I want to live and practice in NYC. I'm having reservations about committing to Villa because I'm afraid a Villa Law degree will have less worth in the NYC market.

My question is: If I go to Villanova, will I have the opportunity to tap into the NYC legal market? Will it be harder to return to NYC once I go to an out-of-state regional school?

FYI, I don't intend to go on the BigLaw route and will more than likely specialize in IP Law because I have a background in CS. The goal is to work as legal counsel for startups and tech companies.

Don't go to Villanova if you want NYC. That being said, St. John's is horrible with their section stacking. Half of students lose their scholarships. Beware.

Neither for NYC.

Putting aside the fact that St. John's might be a bad idea even with a full ride and even if biglaw is not the goal, why are you even considering choosing Villanova instead when you want to work in NYC?

Neither. Still getting stuck practicing in PA will destroy your life less than potentially losing your scholly at SJU, so I'd vote Villanova if you must.

OP, given that you got a full ride at SJU and want to practice at NYC, I wonder if you applied to NYU, Fordham, Rutgers, or even Seton and if they are options. If you scores are good enough for a full ride at these places, I am guessing you have an avenue for an even stronger degree that you can get by paying a little bit but avoiding the risk of the bottom falling out (i.e. due to section stacking).

Section stacking hurts you even if you don't lost your scholarship.