Top Law Schools

OK I did some long, hard thinking after the June LSAT about why I really want to go to law school and where I would want to work if I decided to attend and I realized that I still want biglaw but if I don't improve my LSAT and can't get T14 then I want to go to a school with a strong reputation in either Chicago or NYC. I'm from the Northeast so I would prefer to live and work in a colder climate.

Here are my stats:
GPA: 3.61
LSAT: 158
Softs: URM (PR Male), some extracurriculars and clubs in college


I'm working hard to make sure I don't collapse again like I did on the June LSAT (seven points below PT average), but if I'm forced to apply with these numbers, do you think Fordham and BC are realistic targets? I was also thinking Notre Dame would be a good target for Chicago but after reading a lot of threads on here it seems like it's placement numbers are trumped by the likes of Chicago, Northwestern, Michigan, and UIUC making it a much weaker option than BC in Boston or Fordham in NYC for what I want (biglaw).

I do realize that going to a school like BC or Fordham would require me to graduate at least in the top 40th percentile of the class to get biglaw but I'd just like to know what my chances for admission are right now.

Top 25% atleast

Bankrupt257 wrote:Top 25% atleast

Really? From everything I've read on here it seems like it's usually top 1/3 in any given year.


Well who cares. That's like going to the casino and playing a little bit of roulette.
I'm probably going to law school at sticker price anyway. Would I get in right now?

Top third was pre-bad economy. Now, it's top 25% at best-- BU was barely top 20% last year

AlanShore wrote:Top third was pre-bad economy. Now, it's top 25% at best-- BU was barely top 20% last year

No. pre-economy 33% got the job, meaning you probably had to be about top half to get an interview (the rest being personality & fit). ITE about 20%-25% get biglaw, meaning you need to be roughly top 1/3 to get an interview.

I love that OP wants a school with a strong reputation in Chicago or NY and then picks a school in Boston. Also love that when OP is considering a school outisde of T14, he's worried about competition from UChi, Northwestern and Michigan.

If you can't get into the T14, try Fordham for NY, maybe Notre Dame or UIUC for Chicago (sorry, I'm just not familiar with the Chicago market) and maybe have BC/BU as safeties.\

Your grades are good enough, but if you were non-URM that LSAT would be much too low. I don't know how much of a URM boost you'll get, but if you can break 160 on a retake, you should have a solid cycle.

I don't agree with some of this advice. I don't think you'd get into either Fordham or BC with a 16(2-3). You need at least a 164 for both of those schools. BU is on the decline and while it is basically an unwritten rule on TLS to lump BU/BC, this economy renders the differences in unemployment between the two schools pretty significant (see LST numbers).

Statistically, BC puts the most grads in large firms out of the three.

JetsFan1990 wrote:I don't agree with some of this advice. I don't think you'd get into either Fordham or BC with a 16(2-3). You need at least a 164 for both of those schools. BU is on the decline and while it is basically an unwritten rule on TLS to lump BU/BC, this economy renders the differences in unemployment between the two schools pretty significant (see LST numbers).

Statistically, BC puts the most grads in large firms out of the three.

you're missing the URM bump.
Those grades and a 164 gives a non-URM a good shot. a URM can score a bit lower.

dingbat wrote:

JetsFan1990 wrote:I don't agree with some of this advice. I don't think you'd get into either Fordham or BC with a 16(2-3). You need at least a 164 for both of those schools. BU is on the decline and while it is basically an unwritten rule on TLS to lump BU/BC, this economy renders the differences in unemployment between the two schools pretty significant (see LST numbers).

Statistically, BC puts the most grads in large firms out of the three.

you're missing the URM bump.
Those grades and a 164 gives a non-URM a good shot. a URM can score a bit lower.

whoops! You're absolutely right. Sorry about that, OP.