Top Law Schools

Hawaii is a unique place where many of its inhabitants care little for outsiders. You think it would be difficult for a graduate with no ties but a top degree to find work there? I know many of you think T-14 is always better than the local school, but if there were to be an exception, it would be here.

The Univeristy of Hawaii law school is actually really tough to get into for mainlanders/people without ties. Class size is 100 and some years as high as 90 of those have gone to people who reside in the islands.

mrwarre85 wrote:Hawaii is a unique place where many of its inhabitants care little for outsiders. You think it would be difficult for a graduate with no ties but a top degree to find work there? I know many of you think T-14 is always better than the local school, but if there were to be an exception, it would be here.

The Univeristy of Hawaii law school is actually really tough to get into for mainlanders/people without ties. Class size is 100 and some years as high as 90 of those have gone to people who reside in the islands.

Well the T-14 is good, among other things, for the sense of national reach and portability they bring with the degree. If you're absolutely dead set on practicing in Hawaii, it sounds like the safe choice, especially given a hefty scholarship. That said, if you're not dead set on practicing in Hawaii, you're going to have an incredibly hard time looking for jobs outside of Hawaii.

I would imagine the fact that 90% or more of the students being islanders is due to self-selection.

If you really want to work in Hawaii and have no ties, definitely go to the University of Hawaii. Nobody on TLS will ever tell you to go to a T14 if you want to work in a secondary market to which you have no ties, you're better off going local.

bk187 wrote:I would imagine the fact that 90% or more of the students being islanders is due to self-selection.

If you really want to work in Hawaii and have no ties, definitely go to the University of Hawaii. Nobody on TLS will ever tell you to go to a T14 if you want to work in a secondary market to which you have no ties, you're better off going local.

The problem I see is that the legal market in general is shit. I honestly have no idea how Hawaii is doing so take the following with a grain of salt. UofHawaii offers no back up plan if OP strikes out in Hawaii. The T14 is much safer. Just a thought.

FuManChusco wrote:

bk187 wrote:I would imagine the fact that 90% or more of the students being islanders is due to self-selection.

If you really want to work in Hawaii and have no ties, definitely go to the University of Hawaii. Nobody on TLS will ever tell you to go to a T14 if you want to work in a secondary market to which you have no ties, you're better off going local.

The problem I see is that the legal market in general is shit. I honestly have no idea how Hawaii is doing so take the following with a grain of salt. UofHawaii offers no back up plan if OP strikes out in Hawaii. The T14 is much safer. Just a thought.

Well of course, but this is true with every school that dominates its secondary market. It's a tradeoff of risk versus desire to live/work in a specific place.

T-14, UCLA, HI in that order.

FuManChusco wrote:

bk187 wrote:I would imagine the fact that 90% or more of the students being islanders is due to self-selection.

If you really want to work in Hawaii and have no ties, definitely go to the University of Hawaii. Nobody on TLS will ever tell you to go to a T14 if you want to work in a secondary market to which you have no ties, you're better off going local.

The problem I see is that the legal market in general is shit. I honestly have no idea how Hawaii is doing so take the following with a grain of salt. UofHawaii offers no back up plan if OP strikes out in Hawaii. The T14 is much safer. Just a thought.

hawaii would cost only 55k plus COL with no scholarship. its very cheap there. T-14 would cost around 150k plus COL with no scholarship. if you don't want biglaw, then that debt willl turn into something like 300k or 400k by the time you pay it off. I agree with you, but they are both risky in their own different ways.

mrwarre85 wrote:

FuManChusco wrote:

bk187 wrote:I would imagine the fact that 90% or more of the students being islanders is due to self-selection.

If you really want to work in Hawaii and have no ties, definitely go to the University of Hawaii. Nobody on TLS will ever tell you to go to a T14 if you want to work in a secondary market to which you have no ties, you're better off going local.

The problem I see is that the legal market in general is shit. I honestly have no idea how Hawaii is doing so take the following with a grain of salt. UofHawaii offers no back up plan if OP strikes out in Hawaii. The T14 is much safer. Just a thought.

hawaii would cost only 55k plus COL with no scholarship. its very cheap there. T-14 would cost around 150k plus COL with no scholarship. if you don't want biglaw, then that debt willl turn into something like 300k or 400k by the time you pay it off. I agree with you, but they are both risky in their own different ways.

Keep in mind that COL in Hawaii is incredibly high. Gas, groceries, and rent are all obscenely priced, and salaries are, by and large, not proportionally higher than mainland salaries to make up for it. Gas prices in Hawaii are far and away the highest in the country. Electricity is almost 3 times the national average. You'll pay $6-7 for a gallon of milk or $3 for the loaf of generic bread that costs $.99 on the mainland.

rinkrat19 wrote:

mrwarre85 wrote:

FuManChusco wrote:

bk187 wrote:I would imagine the fact that 90% or more of the students being islanders is due to self-selection.

If you really want to work in Hawaii and have no ties, definitely go to the University of Hawaii. Nobody on TLS will ever tell you to go to a T14 if you want to work in a secondary market to which you have no ties, you're better off going local.

The problem I see is that the legal market in general is shit. I honestly have no idea how Hawaii is doing so take the following with a grain of salt. UofHawaii offers no back up plan if OP strikes out in Hawaii. The T14 is much safer. Just a thought.

hawaii would cost only 55k plus COL with no scholarship. its very cheap there. T-14 would cost around 150k plus COL with no scholarship. if you don't want biglaw, then that debt willl turn into something like 300k or 400k by the time you pay it off. I agree with you, but they are both risky in their own different ways.

Keep in mind that COL in Hawaii is incredibly high. Gas, groceries, and rent are all obscenely priced, and salaries are, by and large, not proportionally higher than mainland salaries to make up for it. Gas prices in Hawaii are far and away the highest in the country. Electricity is almost 3 times the national average. You'll pay $6-7 for a gallon of milk or $3 for the loaf of generic bread that costs $.99 on the mainland.

Don't forget rent.

If you haven't lived there for an extensive period of time or spent enough time there to know, and I mean know, that you love living there, not vacationing there, Hawaii law is not worth it.

Many people who think they will love living in Hawai'i who move there find that they get rock fever, as in I've got to get off this rock, so bad they leave and never go back. A JD from Hawai'i does not travel well.

So unless you truly know what living in Hawai'i is like, applying to Hawai'i Law is not a good idea.

Kama'aina need only apply is a good rule of thumb. And if you don't even know what it means . . .

Veyron wrote:T-14, UCLA, HI in that order.

No USC?

HeavenWood wrote:

Veyron wrote:T-14, UCLA, HI in that order.

No USC?

Based on my limited knowledge of HI (basically family friends + having browsed atty profiles for local BIGKAHUNALAW, it seems as if UCLA is held in uniquely high regard. Its almost like another state flagship.

Ok let me offer you some advice.

If you're dead set and I mean DEAD SET on practicing law in Hawaii after you graduate then I would definitely attend UH. The school is quality for money if you're getting in-state tuition (out of state tuition at 30gs is probably not worth it) and the professors have really good connections locally, not to mention they're all pretty good. They will have your back, especially if you want to practice enviro law. However, keep in mind that as mentioned already the COL is super high and starting salaries are low. I thought at first that that would be no big deal but trust me... it is. It's a huge deal when you're paying 1,000+ for a 1bed apartment in the ghetto part of town that doesn't even have an oven or stove and there are big daddy cockroaches crawling around. Honolulu makes the Bay Area seem... cheap and Downtown San Jose seem upscale. When you're shopping at Whole Foods because it has "the best deals"... that's kind of a problem.

However, if you know that Hawaii is where you want to practice and live, then definitely consider UH. The school is improving every year and the faculty are for the most part interesting and accomplished. Keep in mind that at a T-14 you're going to be around a higher caliber of student, and the atmosphere is going to be more academic (UH has a party atmosphere). If you want to be truly challenged by law school, I wouldn't necessarily chose UH (they can actually be quite lenient on students). The lack of competition will not guarantee you top grades, or shot at the best law firms. A lot of law firms look for local ties... Hawaii works in mysterious ways.

I second everything Shastaca said... but also would add, you want to make sure that you're not going to regret turning down the chance at T-14.

Veyron wrote:T-14, UCLA, HI in that order.

highly doubt that T14 or UCLA w/o ties other than "the surf on north shore is wicked, dude" will have much success in HI, if that market is as insular as others here have suggested

f0bolous wrote:

Veyron wrote:T-14, UCLA, HI in that order.

highly doubt that T14 or UCLA w/o ties other than "the surf on north shore is wicked, dude" will have much success in HI, if that market is as insular as others here have suggested

Nor did I say he would. However, Mr. Random Applicant is likely to find his prospects will be better at a T14 or UCLA than at UH. Better does not necessarily = success. How did that whole LSAT thing go for you?

Veyron wrote:

f0bolous wrote:

Veyron wrote:T-14, UCLA, HI in that order.

highly doubt that T14 or UCLA w/o ties other than "the surf on north shore is wicked, dude" will have much success in HI, if that market is as insular as others here have suggested

Nor did I say he would. However, Mr. Random Applicant is likely to find his prospects will be better at a T14 or UCLA than at UH. Better does not necessarily = success. How did that whole LSAT thing go for you?

wow...you sure must be a pleasure to be around...

more success = better prospects, btw

next time get your head out of your ass

f0bolous wrote:

Veyron wrote:

f0bolous wrote:

Veyron wrote:T-14, UCLA, HI in that order.

highly doubt that T14 or UCLA w/o ties other than "the surf on north shore is wicked, dude" will have much success in HI, if that market is as insular as others here have suggested

Nor did I say he would. However, Mr. Random Applicant is likely to find his prospects will be better at a T14 or UCLA than at UH. Better does not necessarily = success. How did that whole LSAT thing go for you?

wow...you sure must be a pleasure to be around...

more success = better prospects, btw

next time get your head out of your ass

Classic Veyron baits classic sap. Will this emerge into a classic TLS brawl? Only time will tell.

f0bolous wrote:

Veyron wrote:

f0bolous wrote:

Veyron wrote:T-14, UCLA, HI in that order.

highly doubt that T14 or UCLA w/o ties other than "the surf on north shore is wicked, dude" will have much success in HI, if that market is as insular as others here have suggested

Nor did I say he would. However, Mr. Random Applicant is likely to find his prospects will be better at a T14 or UCLA than at UH. Better does not necessarily = success. How did that whole LSAT thing go for you?

wow...you sure must be a pleasure to be around...

more success = better prospects, btw

next time get your head out of your ass

(1) I radiate sunshine, piss rainbows, and shit unicorns
(2) Prospects
–noun
1.
Usually, prospects.
a.
an apparent probability of advancement, success, profit, etc.

Sorry about your tiny pink command of English bro.

Veyron wrote: (1) I radiate sunshine, piss rainbows, and shit unicorns
(2) Prospects
–noun
1.
Usually, prospects.
a.
an apparent probability of advancement, success, profit, etc.

Sorry about your tiny pink command of English bro.

i bet you do, and thanks.

i'm out