Top Law Schools

tfleming09 wrote:

trollhunter2 wrote:So I got off of the waitlist today. Great news too. The issue is, however, I created a post a few weeks ago about a similar dilemma and it was determined to go with University of Baltimore at a 60 % scholarship (3.25 GPA Stip-tried negotiating and nada). As I wish to practice environmental law, Lewis and Clark was my number 1 for a while. Recently though, I have done a ton of research and the employment rate coming out of L&C is disturbing (--LinkRemoved--).

At Baltimore things aren't so peachy either but at least going to Baltimore will be virtually free. Another issue is that if I can't do environmental law, I really don't wish to go to law school. This has been my focus for years; I've started a career around it and studied environmental policy as an undergrad. I would work corporate or NGO, but either way, that sort of work is what I am good at and passionate for.

Looking at job listings in Baltimore (thanks Craigslist), I couldn't find any environmental job listings. From that small sample I looked at, Baltimore looks like a labor and malpractice law town. Researching the environmental law firms in Maryland, I couldn't find any UB graduates. Nearly every associate was a UMD graduate, which doesn't surprise me in the least since UMD has an outstanding environmental law program.

Turning to the Portland job market, within minutes, I found an associate listing at an environmental law firm. The posting said they were looking for somebody with 0-2 years experience and that an environmental law certificate was a plus. Turning to law firms, it seems that many of the environmental law firms in Portland are staffed with L&C graduates.

To be fair, I don't think most people find their jobs through Craigslist, so I don't know if that's a representative sample of potential job openings.

I doubt it is too. I was just testing the waters, as it were.

Also, I would disregard specialty rankings as they are generally worthless, even in a niche field. Obviously Lewis & Clark is going to be respected in Portland, outside of there it won't matter.

I would agree that most people don't really give a damn about specialty rankings. My impression is that they only really convey the academic offerings a school has and not much more beyond that except perhaps, in professional societies.

Realistically - and I'm not trolling you - are you familiar with environmental law work? It's either plaintiff's side work for little pay, and the public interest organizations are still crippled from budget funding/hiring freezes; OR it's corporate defense work which is just environmental tort defense, which is handled by large firms. I'm guessing you want to do the former.

Indeed, I've never truly practiced environmental law. However, I have worked as a legislative aid at a major ENGO back in 2009, and liked it a lot. I wouldn't even mind working tort defense as long as the corporation wasn't evil. I am interested in water rights and appropriation the most, and care less about what side I am on, rather than the work itself.

trollhunter2 wrote:I guess the crux of my question is: does the debt incurred there worth the opportunity that Lewis and Clark can afford me?

Depends on the AMOUNT of debt, but probably not. Also Portland is known to be incredibly insular. I don't think a school like that is worth relocating for UNLESS you really want to settle there.

It's hard to tell this early on, but for my first year, I would need to borrow about $12,000. I am fortunate since I owe zero from undergrad. I am cool with living in Portland for the next ten years but probably not much longer than that.

trollhunter2 wrote:It should be noted that I ultimately wish to move to Colorado.

Did you apply to CU/DU?