Top Law Schools

Hi, everyone,

I'm trying to choose between a free ride + $5K fellowship at Dickinson and a 50% tuition at W&M. Interested in federal clerkship out of law school, then law form or government, with academia or politics as possible longer-term goals. Transfer potential to T14 is a consideration. I have a Ph.D. and 164 LSATs. I'm a nontraditional student, so I don't want to push it off a year and retake the LSAT. I want to practice in either the Philly or DC areas. Any advice you could offer would be appreciated.

dwkriebel wrote:I'm a nontraditional student, so I don't want to push it off a year and retake the LSAT.

I assume you included this because you know that your career goals are entirely unrealistic from either of these schools, especially in the upcoming hiring market. But I just want to reiterate that if your ultimate long-term goals are non-legal academia or politics, law school will be a complete waste of your time.

If you're comfortable working at a small Philly firm or in local/state government in PA, then PSU for free is a great option. The same is not true for DC and William & Mary, because you don't have a significant enough scholarship there to make it a financially sound decision.

If that doesn't sound good to you, then you need to retake and reapply. Do not assume you will perform well enough at either of these schools to transfer to a top school, much less get biglaw, competitive federal government positions, or federal clerkships. Assume median performance; if you aren't happy with what that gets you, don't go.