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I have not taken the LSAT yet but has started checking out law schools tentatively and had a few questions about markets in the deep south. Also regarding ties, I am currently attending a small LAC college in Arkansas and have lived in Arkansas for over a decade, I also have many family members in Mississippi and lived there before we moved to Arkansas. So my questions:
1. If I wanted to practice in Mississippi would being born there and significant family living there be considered sufficient ties to the state?

2. I realize Little Rock and Fayetteville do not have any firms considered biglaw (over 100 attorneys) that I know of, but for the larger firms like Friday Eldredge & Clark or Wright Lindsey & Jennings what would the starting salary look like I have tried to find a hard figure but haven't had much success would $60,000-$70,000 be a reasonable estimate and would it be the same for Jackson, MS?

3. Which schools would be the best for these markets I've seen that the T14 schools suggested for other markets would that hold true for the deep south, or would state flagships like UofA Fayetteville or Ole Miss for each state respectively be better? Also, how does Vanderbilt fare?

Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions.

Duke is probably the winner for big firm jobs. But even the bigger southern legal markets are tough to break into (I.e. Atlanta, Texas, Charlotte, Birmingham, and maybe Nashville). The rest is a crap shoot but strong local ties will help.

If you're cool with a small firm then a state school with a very good scholarship, preferably full ride, isn't a bad outcome

I went to Ole Miss. PM me for more details.

The problem with Jackson, MS is that there aren't really many big firms, and not many openings for associates year after year. It is also super insular and most everyone in Jackson is born and raised there. For Jackson, top grades from Ole Miss, good grades from Vandy, decent grades from UVA/Duke and ties are your best choices.

Also, because they are so small, they will regularly no offer a lot of the summer associates because they don't have the work to hire them as associates eventually. So, you may get the grades to get in there as an SA, but then they choose between you and the kid that went to Jackson Prep, I can tell you who they will choose.

I can't speak to salary at the AR firms, but your # is fairly close for the larger firms with some more $. Smaller firms it is going to be less for sure.