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Tier 2 in NY

Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 5:09 pm
by dee16
I am "unfortunately" located on Long Island. I am sure I will only be able to get in to a Tier 2 school, but I understand that with the over saturation in nyc that it may be difficult for me to get a decent job post graduation if I attend a Tier 2.. Should I attempt to move out of this market? Any suggestions on an alternative location?

Re: Tier 2 in NY

Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 5:29 pm
by Rigo
Well what are your career goals?
Can you not improve your stats and thus your situation?

Re: Tier 2 in NY

Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 5:32 pm
by dee16
Rigo wrote:Well what are your career goals?
Can you not improve your stats and thus your situation?
I could potentially raise my lsat. But my gpa is relatively low in my opinion. However, I am currently taking a gap year and my family will not be too keen on taking more time off.

Re: Tier 2 in NY

Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 5:36 pm
by Mikey
what do you want to do with your law degree?

Re: Tier 2 in NY

Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 5:38 pm
by Anon-e-miss
dee16 wrote:
Rigo wrote:Well what are your career goals?
Can you not improve your stats and thus your situation?
I could potentially raise my lsat. But my gpa is relatively low in my opinion. However, I am currently taking a gap year and my family will not be too keen on taking more time off.
What exactly is your GPA and LSAT? What do you want to do as an attorney? Where do you want to practice?

Re: Tier 2 in NY

Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 5:40 pm
by CardozoLaw09
If you want good advice you have to provide specific numbers

Re: Tier 2 in NY

Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 5:41 pm
by dee16
Anon-e-miss wrote:
dee16 wrote:
Rigo wrote:Well what are your career goals?
Can you not improve your stats and thus your situation?
I could potentially raise my lsat. But my gpa is relatively low in my opinion. However, I am currently taking a gap year and my family will not be too keen on taking more time off.
What exactly is your GPA and LSAT? What do you want to do as an attorney? Where do you want to practice?
My gpa is a 3.22 and my LSAT is a 154. International law very much interests me, and I'd like to stay in the LI/NYC area because all of my family is here, but I'm not strictly opposed to moving for a career opportunity.

Re: Tier 2 in NY

Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 5:45 pm
by CardozoLaw09
Re-take your LSAT, score at least a 165, apply to Fordham, Brooklyn, Cardozo, then pick the school that gives you the most scholarship money. Fordham is the best out of those schools but also the most expensive.

The better your LSAT score, the better your options.

Re: Tier 2 in NY

Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 5:45 pm
by Anon-e-miss
dee16 wrote:
Anon-e-miss wrote:
dee16 wrote:
Rigo wrote:Well what are your career goals?
Can you not improve your stats and thus your situation?
I could potentially raise my lsat. But my gpa is relatively low in my opinion. However, I am currently taking a gap year and my family will not be too keen on taking more time off.
What exactly is your GPA and LSAT? What do you want to do as an attorney? Where do you want to practice?
My gpa is a 3.22 and my LSAT is a 154. International law very much interests me, and I'd like to stay in the LI/NYC area because all of my family is here, but I'm not strictly opposed to moving for a career opportunity.
If you're willing to move for your career, you should be willing to retake the LSAT and increase your chances at a large scholarship to a local school or even a shot at a T13. Law school is not a good option with your numbers right now.

Re: Tier 2 in NY

Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 5:48 pm
by dee16
Anon-e-miss wrote:
dee16 wrote:
Anon-e-miss wrote:
dee16 wrote:
Rigo wrote:Well what are your career goals?
Can you not improve your stats and thus your situation?
I could potentially raise my lsat. But my gpa is relatively low in my opinion. However, I am currently taking a gap year and my family will not be too keen on taking more time off.
What exactly is your GPA and LSAT? What do you want to do as an attorney? Where do you want to practice?
My gpa is a 3.22 and my LSAT is a 154. International law very much interests me, and I'd like to stay in the LI/NYC area because all of my family is here, but I'm not strictly opposed to moving for a career opportunity.
If you're willing to move for your career, you should be willing to retake the LSAT and increase your chances at a large scholarship to a local school or even a shot at a T13. Law school is not a good option with your numbers right now.
Do you think even with my relatively low gpa I could increase my lsat high enough for that?

Re: Tier 2 in NY

Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 5:50 pm
by dee16
CardozoLaw09 wrote:Re-take your LSAT, score at least a 165, apply to Fordham, Brooklyn, Cardozo, then pick the school that gives you the most scholarship money. Fordham is the best out of those schools but also the most expensive.

The better your LSAT score, the better your options.

That was my original plan, but Fordham is now likely out of the question, but Brooklyn and Cardozo I could maybe still have a shot at. My more recent problem is certain people in my life telling me that T2 schools won't get me anywhere, which is why I'm now beginning to question my decisions.

Re: Tier 2 in NY

Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 5:53 pm
by Rigo
Brooklyn and Cardozo are going to be prohibitively expensive if you get in and you shouldn't go to local schools below them (the Touro's of the world).

The people telling you you won't get anywhere with a T2 school are being hyperbolic, but it'd probably be better to heed the spirit of what they're saying than to flat out dismiss it as false and stubbornly plow forward.

Re: Tier 2 in NY

Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 5:56 pm
by existentialcrisis
dee16 wrote:
CardozoLaw09 wrote:Re-take your LSAT, score at least a 165, apply to Fordham, Brooklyn, Cardozo, then pick the school that gives you the most scholarship money. Fordham is the best out of those schools but also the most expensive.

The better your LSAT score, the better your options.

That was my original plan, but Fordham is now likely out of the question, but Brooklyn and Cardozo I could maybe still have a shot at. My more recent problem is certain people in my life telling me that T2 schools won't get me anywhere, which is why I'm now beginning to question my decisions.
International Law isn't really a thing. If you give it a lot of consideration and take the time to find out what it is that different types of attorneys do and determine you want to be one, then by all means retake the LSAT. A T2 can get you "somewhere" if that means working for a small firm or in local government, and you're willing to hustle.

On the other hand, do not go to law school because you don't have another plan/you've always just planned on going. A ton of people do this, and I think it likely has a lot to do with why so many lawyers are unhappy. I think questioning whether law school is for you is a healthy and worthwhile exercise.

Re: Tier 2 in NY

Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 6:00 pm
by Johann
International law is not a thing. You need to google/LinkedIn more lawyers and read about heir practices.

Re: Tier 2 in NY

Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 6:07 pm
by Anon-e-miss
dee16 wrote:
Anon-e-miss wrote:
dee16 wrote:
Anon-e-miss wrote:
dee16 wrote:
Rigo wrote:Well what are your career goals?
Can you not improve your stats and thus your situation?
I could potentially raise my lsat. But my gpa is relatively low in my opinion. However, I am currently taking a gap year and my family will not be too keen on taking more time off.
What exactly is your GPA and LSAT? What do you want to do as an attorney? Where do you want to practice?
My gpa is a 3.22 and my LSAT is a 154. International law very much interests me, and I'd like to stay in the LI/NYC area because all of my family is here, but I'm not strictly opposed to moving for a career opportunity.
If you're willing to move for your career, you should be willing to retake the LSAT and increase your chances at a large scholarship to a local school or even a shot at a T13. Law school is not a good option with your numbers right now.
Do you think even with my relatively low gpa I could increase my lsat high enough for that?
A 165 would give you dramatically better options than a 154, and 170 would give you a fighting chance at a T13 with $$$ at top regional schools. You should absolutely retake because a 154 is just not going to cut it if you want to graduate with either 1) minimal debt and/or 2) a job that pays enough to service whatever debt you do have
What are your career goals?

Re: Tier 2 in NY

Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 6:09 pm
by Rigo
Also, get a job if you don't have one. If you're just lounging around during your gap year, of course you're going to feel pressured into a bad decision/situation.

Re: Tier 2 in NY

Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 6:10 pm
by CardozoLaw09
How long have you studied for the LSAT? Is 154 your second go at it?

Re: Tier 2 in NY

Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 6:22 pm
by dee16
CardozoLaw09 wrote:How long have you studied for the LSAT? Is 154 your second go at it?
154 is my first go. I only studied for a few months, starting over the summer because I didn't feel that I could study while finishing up undergrad and working full time.

Re: Tier 2 in NY

Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 6:24 pm
by dee16
existentialcrisis wrote:
dee16 wrote:
CardozoLaw09 wrote:Re-take your LSAT, score at least a 165, apply to Fordham, Brooklyn, Cardozo, then pick the school that gives you the most scholarship money. Fordham is the best out of those schools but also the most expensive.

The better your LSAT score, the better your options.

That was my original plan, but Fordham is now likely out of the question, but Brooklyn and Cardozo I could maybe still have a shot at. My more recent problem is certain people in my life telling me that T2 schools won't get me anywhere, which is why I'm now beginning to question my decisions.
International Law isn't really a thing. If you give it a lot of consideration and take the time to find out what it is that different types of attorneys do and determine you want to be one, then by all means retake the LSAT. A T2 can get you "somewhere" if that means working for a small firm or in local government, and you're willing to hustle.

On the other hand, do not go to law school because you don't have another plan/you've always just planned on going. A ton of people do this, and I think it likely has a lot to do with why so many lawyers are unhappy. I think questioning whether law school is for you is a healthy and worthwhile exercise.
I originally wanted to do family law, but my parents have been persuading me out of it. So I think that is more of where my passion would lie. Not to dismiss the fact that I am still quite interested in a career leaning more towards business.

Re: Tier 2 in NY

Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 6:26 pm
by dee16
Rigo wrote:Also, get a job if you don't have one. If you're just lounging around during your gap year, of course you're going to feel pressured into a bad decision/situation.
I feel like most of the NY schools are going to wind up ridiculously expensive except for CUNY. And I've been working, but its just above minimum wage. Trying to pay down debt.

Re: Tier 2 in NY

Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 6:26 pm
by CardozoLaw09
dee16 wrote:
CardozoLaw09 wrote:How long have you studied for the LSAT? Is 154 your second go at it?
154 is my first go. I only studied for a few months, starting over the summer because I didn't feel that I could study while finishing up undergrad and working full time.
yeah you should def. re-take, man. re-evaluate your study methods, figure out what went wrong the first time, use different prep materials to see what works best for you, etc.

Re: Tier 2 in NY

Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 6:30 pm
by dee16
CardozoLaw09 wrote:
dee16 wrote:
CardozoLaw09 wrote:How long have you studied for the LSAT? Is 154 your second go at it?
154 is my first go. I only studied for a few months, starting over the summer because I didn't feel that I could study while finishing up undergrad and working full time.
yeah you should def. re-take, man. re-evaluate your study methods, figure out what went wrong the first time, use different prep materials to see what works best for you, etc.
Just concerned if I don't do well enough in February then I'll have to take another year off.

Re: Tier 2 in NY

Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 6:38 pm
by mcmand
dee16 wrote: Just concerned if I don't do well enough in February then I'll have to take another year off.
Nothing bad will happen for your legal career for taking another year off.

If your family doesn't like it, they need to understand that it's your decision, and you need to maximize the best possible outcomes in making that decision. If you explain that a higher LSAT and another year off is worth six-figures in scholarships and avoided student loan debt and perhaps in future income with better job opportunities, they'll probably stop nagging and start sending you LSAT prep materials.

Re: Tier 2 in NY

Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 6:44 pm
by dee16
If I'm not able to dramatically increase my LSAT, any opinions on schools that would be good? Not restrictive to the nyc area

Re: Tier 2 in NY

Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 6:49 pm
by Rigo
Idk maybe Hofstra for a full ride with no class rank stipulations and live at home for family law?
I cringe a bit writing that but can’t think of anything that much better for current numbers.