Top Law Schools

Stats: 4.01 GPA (LSAC); 174 LSAT (one try)
Goals: Top law firm in TX; uncertain as to area of law; initial fed clerkship if available
Demographics: White KJD male with strong TX ties (top private TX undergrad and other strong ties)
Admitted: UT ($$$), Vanderbilt ($$$), Duke, Penn, NYU ($$) and Harvard; waiting on scholly from Duke/Penn
WL: UChicago, Berkeley and Georgetown; withdrew from all
R: None
Other: All scholarship offers above are initial. Waiting on Duke and Penn before seeking reconsiderations.
Finances: With strong parental assistance and estimated summer internship earnings, all schools except Harvard will result in no debt for me. I will have to finance roughly $110k-$120k (includes accrued interest over three years) for Harvard.

Although I’m committed to TX big law going in, I’d like to keep as many options open as possible given my general lack of knowledge and experience in such matters. I strongly prefer working in Texas, but would not rule out other big law markets if Texas doesn’t work out. I really don’t want to live in NYC although I love visiting.



Looking for advice.

Harvard doesn't strike me as worth an extra $110-120k over the other T13 schools for your goals, especially if you'll be debt-free from NYU. If Duke or Penn offer a full ride, I think those are defensible choices (since they're not in NYC and would save your parents some money). But otherwise, NYU is a no-brainer here.

And as noted in your last thread, there's no reason for you to still be considering UT or Vanderbilt. You have too many better options.

Thanks for the input. I meant to say I don’t want to live in NYC long term. I think I would really enjoy living there for law school assuming the COVID restrictions continue to ease as I would expect they will. I’m not sure how active TX firms are in on-campus summer intern recruiting. I hear they are very active at Duke and Harvard. It might mean I would have to put some extra effort into finding a spot which would be fine.

See what Duke and Penn say- I think these are going to be great choices/packages for you. I'd also, once they calculate your package, show them what you've got from NYU and ask for a reconsideration if they aren't giving you $$$. I think for your goals Duke would be a strongest pull here (or Penn if they give you a better option, but all things equal, I believe Duke has a stronger networking system in TX than Penn). You've got a lot of good choices though and don't think you could go terribly wrong with H or NYU; I probs wouldn't take NYU in your situation because you want to be in TX, don't want NYC long term, and NYC is expensive.
Best of luck.

You have received excellent advice from the above posters; however, because your initial goal is to secure a federal clerkship, I think that you should give Harvard Law School serious consideration.

In my opinion, I think that you should have remained on the WL at the University of Chicago School of Law if your primary goal is to secure a federal clerkship. Your Harvard Law acceptance might have helped you to receive a scholarship offer from Chicago even though accepted off the WL.

Chicago with a decent scholarship would have been an appropriate match for your goals that would justify turning down Harvard at full sticker price.

Because law students' plans often change during their law school years both as to practice area & with respect to location, Harvard Law would offer the most flexibility with respect to career options
& locations.

I also would have recommended staying on the Chicago waitlist. They have been known to give up to full rides off of it