BC or GW or Emory? Forum

[haberr]

Hi there, hope everyone is staying healthy!

I'm deciding between BC, GW, or Emory. I was hoping to have been accepted into a national law school (the best I've gotten is a WL from Georgetown, but not the preferred WL). 165-167 and 3.4-3.6 uGPA.

Given that I am fairly undecided about which market I'd like to be in after law school, this choice is a tough one for me. I worked in BL as a paralegal for two years in NY and will likely seek out a BL position for a few years once I've graduated, then eventually move into PI (where my heart really is) after I've made some money.

As for COA, I've received the most scholarship money from Emory (about two years' of tuition), then received between 60-70k from GW and BC.

I have no ties to any of the cities, and apart from being a bit challenged in the driving department, I have no real preference. I should also note I am also WL'd at USC, UCLA, WashU, BU, UNC and waiting to hear back from UCI and UT. I was hoping for a SoCal school, but so far none has worked out.

Which school will give me the most flexibility with regard to where I can live after law school, and which is going to give me the greatest opportunity for a BL job while also providing me with the best foundational education/connections for an eventual career in PI? Money is definitely a limiting factor -- which will give me the most bang for my buck? I know this is a big ask and you may be thinking I need to do some soul-searching to figure out which of these is the real priority for me, but what are your gut reactions?

Endlessly thankful for any input the TLS community might be able to offer me!! Stay safe out there!

[cavalier1138]

I worked in BL as a paralegal for two years in NY and will likely seek out a BL position for a few years once I've graduated, then eventually move into PI (where my heart really is) after I've made some money.

What kind of PI are you interested in?

It's not that you can't jump ship from biglaw to PI (it's actually quite a bit more common than people seem to think), but depending on your interests, it might make much more sense to target lower-ranked schools with a full scholarship.

[Johnnybgoode92]

Hi there, hope everyone is staying healthy!

I'm deciding between BC, GW, or Emory. I was hoping to have been accepted into a national law school (the best I've gotten is a WL from Georgetown, but not the preferred WL). 165-167 and 3.4-3.6 uGPA.

Given that I am fairly undecided about which market I'd like to be in after law school, this choice is a tough one for me. I worked in BL as a paralegal for two years in NY and will likely seek out a BL position for a few years once I've graduated, then eventually move into PI (where my heart really is) after I've made some money.

As for COA, I've received the most scholarship money from Emory (about two years' of tuition), then received between 60-70k from GW and BC.

I have no ties to any of the cities, and apart from being a bit challenged in the driving department, I have no real preference. I should also note I am also WL'd at USC, UCLA, WashU, BU, UNC and waiting to hear back from UCI and UT. I was hoping for a SoCal school, but so far none has worked out.

Which school will give me the most flexibility with regard to where I can live after law school, and which is going to give me the greatest opportunity for a BL job while also providing me with the best foundational education/connections for an eventual career in PI? Money is definitely a limiting factor -- which will give me the most bang for my buck? I know this is a big ask and you may be thinking I need to do some soul-searching to figure out which of these is the real priority for me, but what are your gut reactions?

Endlessly thankful for any input the TLS community might be able to offer me!! Stay safe out there!

None will give you too much geographic mobility outside the top of the class and all, if you do well (top third), should give you a shot at big law.

You don’t need a car for GW, unsure of the other two.

I would take the school offering the most money after negotiating. Frankly, I would consider retaking or reapplying right when the next cycle begins. With your numbers I think you can do better.

[haberr]

What kind of PI are you interested in?

It's not that you can't jump ship from biglaw to PI (it's actually quite a bit more common than people seem to think), but depending on your interests, it might make much more sense to target lower-ranked schools with a full scholarship.

I'm interested in defense work at first followed by prosecution after. Thank you for the reply and the help in advance!

[cavalier1138]

What kind of PI are you interested in?

It's not that you can't jump ship from biglaw to PI (it's actually quite a bit more common than people seem to think), but depending on your interests, it might make much more sense to target lower-ranked schools with a full scholarship.

I'm interested in defense work at first followed by prosecution after. Thank you for the reply and the help in advance!

Assuming that you aren't interested in federal prosecution (which is a different ballgame), you should go for the money at Emory or retake/reapply next year and look for a full scholarship somewhere. The jobs you're interested in (particularly defense) are going to hire based on your ability and dedication to the field, not based on your school pedigree.

Long-term note: Don't tell defender offices that you're interested in prosecution. Some won't have an issue with it, but there are enough true-believer offices that you will seriously limit your options by showing an interest in the other side.

[bciara96]

Assuming that you aren't interested in federal prosecution (which is a different ballgame), you should go for the money at Emory or retake/reapply next year and look for a full scholarship somewhere. The jobs you're interested in (particularly defense) are going to hire based on your ability and dedication to the field, not based on your school pedigree.

Asking because I'm in a similar situation -- do you still recommend Emory/more money even though original post mentioned starting in Big Law?

[cavalier1138]

Assuming that you aren't interested in federal prosecution (which is a different ballgame), you should go for the money at Emory or retake/reapply next year and look for a full scholarship somewhere. The jobs you're interested in (particularly defense) are going to hire based on your ability and dedication to the field, not based on your school pedigree.

Asking because I'm in a similar situation -- do you still recommend Emory/more money even though original post mentioned starting in Big Law?

My line of thinking is generally that you can skip the biglaw step if you sufficiently eliminate debt. It's not all that easy to survive a few years in biglaw, even if you're at least somewhat interested in the work. But if you're completely uninterested in the work and really want to be doing public defense, you should go to the school that lets you go straight to public defense with as little debt as possible.

[haberr]

Assuming that you aren't interested in federal prosecution (which is a different ballgame), you should go for the money at Emory or retake/reapply next year and look for a full scholarship somewhere. The jobs you're interested in (particularly defense) are going to hire based on your ability and dedication to the field, not based on your school pedigree.

Long-term note: Don't tell defender offices that you're interested in prosecution. Some won't have an issue with it, but there are enough true-believer offices that you will seriously limit your options by showing an interest in the other side.

Thank you for the tip, Cavalier! Can you talk a little more about federal prosecution? I actually am interested in pursuing that! Does that change your opinion?

[The Lsat Airbender]

Assuming that you aren't interested in federal prosecution (which is a different ballgame), you should go for the money at Emory or retake/reapply next year and look for a full scholarship somewhere. The jobs you're interested in (particularly defense) are going to hire based on your ability and dedication to the field, not based on your school pedigree.

Long-term note: Don't tell defender offices that you're interested in prosecution. Some won't have an issue with it, but there are enough true-believer offices that you will seriously limit your options by showing an interest in the other side.

Thank you for the tip, Cavalier! Can you talk a little more about federal prosecution? I actually am interested in pursuing that! Does that change your opinion?

Federal prosecution (= Assistant U.S. Atty or "AUSA") is very competitive, because there are fewer spots and it pays better than most state-level jobs. Clerkships/biglaw are some of the easier routes and it's hard to get an AUSA gig in one's preferred city even from a T13.

[haberr]

Federal prosecution (= Assistant U.S. Atty or "AUSA") is very competitive, because there are fewer spots and it pays better than most state-level jobs. Clerkships/biglaw are some of the easier routes and it's hard to get an AUSA gig in one's preferred city even from a T13.

Sorry I should have clarified! I understand what Cavalier meant by federal prosecution -- I was trying to ask how my desire to pursue that path might impact my choice among BC/GW/Emory. Could any of those schools put me on that trajectory, or is that highly unlikely?

[The Lsat Airbender]

Federal prosecution (= Assistant U.S. Atty or "AUSA") is very competitive, because there are fewer spots and it pays better than most state-level jobs. Clerkships/biglaw are some of the easier routes and it's hard to get an AUSA gig in one's preferred city even from a T13.

Sorry I should have clarified! I understand what Cavalier meant by federal prosecution -- I was trying to ask how my desire to pursue that path might impact my choice among BC/GW/Emory. Could any of those schools put me on that trajectory, or is that highly unlikely?

All three of those schools are equally mediocre if you're gunning for an AUSA gig. They're not going to hold you back per se (except for in a few very prestige-sensitive districts), but they also make it hard to get into the clerkship/BL on-ramp that I allude to above. I would still take the money, and I believe cav would agree.

You can search for "AUSA" in the employment section of this forum to get much more comprehensive information about what it takes to get there.

[lavarman84]

Federal prosecution (= Assistant U.S. Atty or "AUSA") is very competitive, because there are fewer spots and it pays better than most state-level jobs. Clerkships/biglaw are some of the easier routes and it's hard to get an AUSA gig in one's preferred city even from a T13.

Sorry I should have clarified! I understand what Cavalier meant by federal prosecution -- I was trying to ask how my desire to pursue that path might impact my choice among BC/GW/Emory. Could any of those schools put me on that trajectory, or is that highly unlikely?

I'd say Emory is the best followed by GW, but it's not easy from any of the three. I say Emory is the best because it's in the South and Georgia. I've seen a lot of postings for AUSA positions in the districts in Georgia. With many of those jobs being in smaller towns, they're not going to be as competitive as your typical Massachusetts AUSA job. You also have some regional portability, which opens up Alabama, the Carolinas, and Florida. Again, there are some less competitive positions available in those states (in smaller cities/towns).

Of course, when I say that these positions are less competitive, I still don't mean easy to get. They're just more attainable than others are. The easiest path to them would be a federal D. Ct. clerkship in one of those states followed by biglaw or prosecution experience. And Art. III clerkships aren't easy to get at any of those three schools.

Why GW over BC? The D.C. AUSA office handles cases that would normally go to state prosecutors, so it's a much bigger office than your typical AUSA office. It's not easy to get either, but again, I think it's more attainable than your average D. Mass. AUSA job. Of course, I've heard that the D.C. AUSA Office has a high burnout rate and isn't a great place to work.

Basically, I think Emory gives you the best chance of any of the three, and it offers the lowest COA. But to feel confident in that path, you're likely going to need strong grades and a D. Ct. clerkship. Now, if you work as a prosecutor for a number of years and are good at it, there's a chance you could get your foot in the door at one of the more rural GA AUSA offices. But that's a much more difficult path.