Peoples thoughts on the following schools Forum

[cubswin]

I hope to end up in the Chicago market someday, and I would still not attend John Marshall if they gave me free tuition, free books and a generous living stipend. Even if you aren't aiming for Big Law, I think getting a few more points on your LSAT and getting into Depaul/Kent/Loyola/NIU would be worth taking a year off (even if that means taking a really shitty job in the meantime). You will be living with the stigma of having attended JMU for the rest of your career. Whether that's fair or not is another issue, but I'd like to be able to pride myself on my education at least a little bit.

As I see it, in a very general and thus inherently somewhat oversimplified sense, there are two possible tracks JMU students will go down: (1) Good students, mostly those attending on full or near-full scholarships and who graduate near the top of their class, will have the opportunity to achieve moderate success (though probably still not in Big Law, in most cases). But no matter how much they may have gotten out of their legal education at JMU, they will be fighting an uphill battle to prove themselves and will be unfairly categorized as having inferior legal minds for the rest of their lives. I think these students would be better off, in most cases, paying a little extra money to attend a school with a better reputation (which they presumably had the option of doing, since most probably came in on scholarships). (2) Students who attend JMU at or near-sticker, finish in the large, undistinguished middle (or the bottom), and probably get overlooked for anything even close to being considered a desirable legal job (Let's not forget that median people at Tier 2 and even tier 1 law schools are struggling right now). These are the kids who didn't get in anywhere else (aside from possibly similarly-ranked schools in other locations) and who attend JMU because they simply want the opportunity to go to law school. I'm not trying to hold myself above these students, but I do think they are, in many cases, having their youthful idealism exploited by JMU.

Some will probably call this reductive, and there certainly may be exceptions here and there. But this is my take on why it's essentially a bad idea for just about everyone considering JMU to attend it.

[The Invisible Man]

John Marshall-pretty decent if you want to work in Chicago
NY Law-arguably the worst ABA-accredited law schools (USNWR rankings-wise) in a heavily saturated market
St. Marys-no.
Samford-other than it sounding similar to Stanford, no.
Seton Hall-pretty good if you want to work in New Jersey; main competition is both of the Rutgers schools
Syracuse-better undergraduate school than law school. in a heavily saturated market. Joe Biden as an alumnus.
Valparaiso-?
WVU-no too bad if you want West Virginia.

Nope. all of these schools are pretty much the same.

Ummm, no they're not.

Which ones are better? Seton Hall is in NJ where it competes with every NYC school + RUs and cost a zillion dollars, Syracuse also costs an insane amount and doesn't have much of a home market (I guess upstate NY has some jobs?)

I guess I'll give that WVU is a cut above the rest. At least WVA doesn't have any competition really at all.

Seton Hall is a fine school, albeit it is a T2. Other than Rutgers (Camden or Newark), New Jersey is for Seton Hall. Yes, some students from NYC schools may want to come to New Jersey but I'm willing to bet that a majority of those students are gunning for NYC, DC or other markets. Plus, I believe employers would look more favorably on the students who attended Seton Hall, indicate that they would like to practice/live in New Jersey for the long run and have a network in NJ rather than some NYC reject student looking for a payday. Yes, Seton Hall is not an ideal school for all that's right in the world, do not treat SH like it's a T3/T4.

The elitism coming off this thread is becoming a bit too much, even for my tastes.

[Blindmelon]

Elitism? I initially said they're all the same basically. You think ones better than the others? Its pretty elitist to just go by US News - T2/T4 its still just what some for profit magazine tells you is better than the other. I don't think theres a great argument out there why SH is better than WVU for example.

[NayBoer]

I don't know about the legal market specifically, but Syracuse has been slowly dying basically since the railroad made it to Chicago. Even a decade ago, height of the boom, upstate NY was economically fucked.

[PunjabiLower]

Yeah douchebag elitists...somebody should ask OP his interests and goals and budget?

[romothesavior]

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[D. H2Oman]

John Marshall chi town

New York Law

St. Mary's

Samford

Seton Hall

Syracuse

Valparaiso

WVU

Any input is appreciated.

Jesus Christ this is a who's who of shitty schools from all every region of the country.

[PunjabiLower]

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hahahahahaha

[bceagles182]

WVU is actually a decent option if you want to work in West Virginia. It's the only law school in the state and has in-state tuition. It's by far the best option here.

[LateNight]

I just used this but have to use it again:

[legalized]

John Marshall chi town

New York Law

St. Mary's

Samford

Seton Hall

Syracuse

Valparaiso

WVU

Any input is appreciated.

Can you tell us what you plan on doing with your law degree when you graduate? You want biglaw and bigmoney, public interest, going to work for a family member or friend that's already invited you on board, what? Cause you can afford lowly regarded (or actually, DISregarded) law schools if your future is basically secure and all you're doing is qualifying to step into said future.

Where do you want to live and work when you graduate? Critical question if you are not going to a school with national reach.

Is debt a factor for you or do you plan on scholarships and student loans all the way?

Why do you like each school/have them on your list?

What is your LSAT score (actual) and LSAC GPA (not the transcript one)?

These are things we need to know.

Also, your school list should always have a few reaches, a few your numbers readily match, and a few safeties. Your list should completely consist of schools of one rank only.

On a rough guess, these schools all seem to be along the eastern seaboard with one in what, texas? And one in chi.

I am sure if I go off location and ranking I could find you a more appropriate list of schools, but the list won't make sense if you don't plan on staying in the school's home market after graduation. And for syracuse and others who feed into new york...they have no home market in this economy, and the ones IN new york are competing for every job with Columbia, NYU, and the other top schools.

I guess based on no additional info what people are saying about WVU makes sense...I personally shudder at the thought of being caught in west virginia. Sun up or down. ROFL.

[The Invisible Man]

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That is fucking hilarious. I'm honored that my quote made it into this post.

[Pastels]

WVU has some of the easiest sluts on the east coast. All fake tan, all are platinum blonde. All know how to take a big boy D. With that being said, this place smells/looks/and has academics like nothing you have ever seen. You better make sure you lay some nice pipe while attending or all will be lost.

[motiontodismiss]

Suck.

[somewhatwayward]

WVU has some of the easiest sluts on the east coast. All fake tan, all are platinum blonde. All know how to take a big boy D. With that being said, this place smells/looks/and has academics like nothing you have ever seen. You better make sure you lay some nice pipe while attending or all will be lost.

i don't know if you're ready for law school.

...but if WVU is the school you were talking about in your other thread, definitely retake and apply next year unless you want to remain in WV for your career. you won't get extra points during the hiring process for having 'laid some nice pipe' during law school.

[savagecheater]

If you're only looking at these schools because you find the idea of law school 'exciting' and you're unemployed and have no other options, you really should not be going to law school.

Ask yourself WHY you want to go to law school - if it's so that you might entertain a chance at $100,000+ jobs, strike that immediately.

[stintez]

If you're only looking at these schools because you find the idea of law school 'exciting' and you're unemployed and have no other options, you really should not be going to law school.

Ask yourself WHY you want to go to law school - if it's so that you might entertain a chance at $100,000+ jobs, strike that immediately.

I have a full-time job and I want to go to law school to work in the AG office or become a JAG. In college I worked for the prosecutors office and loved it. After college I worked for a private law firm in Cincinnati which also served as outside counsel to the AG office for collections.

[bobo11111111111]

I would stay away from John Marshall. It sits behind Depaul, Loyola, and Kent.

Valpo actually has a pretty decent reputation in the state of Indiana, but it still sits behind IU-Indy, IU-Bloomington, and ND. I'm actually going to attend their M.A. program in International Economics and Finance at a reasonable price. Spending 30k is much different than 120k though.

I would choose WV or Cuse only if you are ok with working in that area. But, I would never pay out of state tuition for either. That's insane.

[GATORTIM]

WVU has some of the easiest sluts on the east coast. All fake tan, all are platinum blonde. All know how to take a big boy D. With that being said, this place smells/looks/and has academics like nothing you have ever seen. You better make sure you lay some nice pipe while attending or all will be lost.

not only did you fail to put together a single coherent thought in this rambling post, but we are all now dumber for having read it.....may god have mercy on your soul

[Always Credited]

WVU has some of the easiest sluts on the east coast. All fake tan, all are platinum blonde. All know how to take a big boy D. With that being said, this place smells/looks/and has academics like nothing you have ever seen. You better make sure you lay some nice pipe while attending or all will be lost.

not only did you fail to put together a single coherent thought in this rambling post, but we are all now dumber for having read it.....may god have mercy on your soul

Hes not incorrect about the sluts part though. Its literally fishing with dynamite. Anyone with a 30-rack of keystone light can get laid in Morgentown.

[lawschoollll]

WVU has some of the easiest sluts on the east coast. All fake tan, all are platinum blonde. All know how to take a big boy D. With that being said, this place smells/looks/and has academics like nothing you have ever seen. You better make sure you lay some nice pipe while attending or all will be lost.

not only did you fail to put together a single coherent thought in this rambling post, but we are all now dumber for having read it.....may god have mercy on your soul

Hes not incorrect about the sluts part though. Its literally fishing with dynamite. Anyone with a 30-rack of keystone light can get laid in Morgentown.

Literally?

[dub]

go to valpo, dine on alpo

[SuperFreak]

All shit. Go to Fordham.