Top Law Schools

Last year, unhappy with my work in Buying for a top national retailer, i decided to focus my energy once again towards my hopes of attending law school and working in the field of International Law and Policy. I studied hard for the LSAT but sort of shot myself in the foot when it came to applying to schools because i feared that my lack of both undergraduate and professional experience would hurt me in the eyes of the admissions directors at top tiered law schools around the country. So i decided to spread the wealth (my applications) and apply to a couple of schools throughout all ranking levels. To date i have been accepted into almost all of them (still waiting to hear back from 2) but now the decision is even harder because one of the worst ranked school has offered me a full ride scholarship which is basically an opportunity to earn an education and walk out of it without having owed a dime (since i already live in the state this school is located and will not have to worry about living, moving or transportation expenses)...HELP!!! what do i do??? Is school ranking really that important post graduation? I mean mostly since i'm not interested in working for a big firm and will most likely opt for work in the public sector...

Below is a list of all the schoools I have been accepted into:
Howard University Law School
Suffolk University Law School (15k scholarship)
Syracuse Law School
Loyola New Orleans Law School (12k scholarship)
New England Law (FULL TUITION SCHOLARSHIP)

still waiting to hear back from Northeastern University...and another top tier school that i shutter to divulge the name of

classof2013hopefull wrote: Below is a list of all the schoools I have been accepted into:
Howard University Law School
Suffolk University Law School (15k scholarship)
Syracuse Law School
Loyola New Orleans Law School (12k scholarship)
New England Law (FULL TUITION SCHOLARSHIP)

still waiting to hear back from Northeastern University...and another top tier school that i shutter to divulge the name of

If you want to do public interest, wait to hear from Northeastern and your other top tier school (unless that top tier school is an NYC market school ranked below Fordham that isn't Rutgers).

Considering the options listed:
If you're black, go to Howard. Otherwise, go to Suffolk. Don't go to NESL, WNESL, SNESL, etc.

I'm not sure ranking is worth your peace of mind. 120K is a a lot of a money and I personally know many attorneys who told me they are unhappy with their careers because of the amount of debt they took on. Unless Harvard or something similar is your other choice. New England Law also seems to invest a lot on their international law dept. I would definitely think about (of course, this is coming from a guy who is married, with kids, and already has one mortgage - no need for a second).

Thank you guys, very helpful advice/perspectives. I look forward to having some clarity about the decision at hand...but @amassa, I'm definitely leaning more towards your point. I've heard that devilish comparision between law school loans and a mortage (for a home you can't live in) used too many times. It sends shivers down my spine in fact!

classof2013hopefull wrote:Last year, unhappy with my work in Buying for a top national retailer, i decided to focus my energy once again towards my hopes of attending law school and working in the field of International Law and Policy. I studied hard for the LSAT but sort of shot myself in the foot when it came to applying to schools because i feared that my lack of both undergraduate and professional experience would hurt me in the eyes of the admissions directors at top tiered law schools around the country. So i decided to spread the wealth (my applications) and apply to a couple of schools throughout all ranking levels. To date i have been accepted into almost all of them (still waiting to hear back from 2) but now the decision is even harder because one of the worst ranked school has offered me a full ride scholarship which is basically an opportunity to earn an education and walk out of it without having owed a dime (since i already live in the state this school is located and will not have to worry about living, moving or transportation expenses)...HELP!!! what do i do??? Is school ranking really that important post graduation? I mean mostly since i'm not interested in working for a big firm and will most likely opt for work in the public sector...

Below is a list of all the schoools I have been accepted into:
Howard University Law School
Suffolk University Law School (15k scholarship)
Syracuse Law School
Loyola New Orleans Law School (12k scholarship)
New England Law (FULL TUITION SCHOLARSHIP)

still waiting to hear back from Northeastern University...and another top tier school that i shutter to divulge the name of

None of these schools are great, and most of them probably have similar placement. I'd take the money and run, but check on scholarship retainment before you do so. Many non T1 schools places ridiculous stipulations on scholarships.