Dickinson Law for Philly Mid/Small Firm Forum

[fourwinds]

I am currently in my final year of undergrad at a Florida college, preparing for law school. I want to practice estate planning / tax law in a small/mid-sized firm. I've been targeting Miami (UF and UM mainly) but I've been looking at schools in Pennsylvania as well, as that's where my entire family lives. I've lived in FL for the past 10 years, but all of my extended family lives in PA around the Carlisle area. I could go to Dickinson Law and live with family for free, which beats rents in Miami and even Gainesville to go to UM or UF... Only question: how well does Dickinson place in Philly? I don't want to live in the Carlisle / central PA area any longer than it takes me to graduate and pass the bar.

I have a 3.7 and 156 LSAT.

[cavalier1138]

My understanding of the PA market is that Dickinson almost exclusively places in central PA. And regardless, you shouldn't go to Penn State for anything less than a full ride.

[URMSenator52]

If you want tax in Philly go to Villanova/Temple. Retake the LSAT as well, for at least a 160+ for $$. Overall from a Tier 1 school... I would go to Penn State/ Temple if your a resident of PA. Dirt cheap tuition / free ride beats massive debt always.. Especially if you want Philly. Go to a PA public school/Nova with ($$$ / free ride), or U Penn...

[FamilyLawEsq]

If you want to practice in PA, forget the FL schools. If your LSAT was 160, you would get free tuition from Dickinson, and can live free in Carlisle with your parents, which seems like a no brainer to me. So, consider a second shot at the LSAT. If not, your first step after graduating from law school is to clerk in one of the Orphan's Courts in PA: Chester, Bucks, Berks, Montgomery Counties, or Philly, if you do not want to be in central PA. Make sure you take federal income tax and wills & trusts, if not mandatory, and estate tax, and estate planning, as electives. Dickinson is better than Penn State.

[FamilyLawEsq]

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