Top Law Schools

Grazzhoppa wrote:kool.

deadpoetnsp wrote:

Grazzhoppa wrote:kool.

story.

justcallmeit wrote:

deadpoetnsp wrote:

Grazzhoppa wrote:kool.

story.

bro.

Cicero76 wrote:I honestly thought the following story was impossible in the era of Google.

Today I had lunch with a young guy at the place I'm working from the summer. He just graduated from a private school here in Florida, asked me what I'm doing next year. Told him Yale law, he goes "Oh cool, I'm going to law school too!"

So I ask where. "Florida Coastal," he answers. Oh boy. Here comes the dilemma of trying to warn him without being a dick. I ask him what made him choose there and he says (I'm not kidding) "It's the only one I applied to because my prelaw advisor told me what a good school it was and they seemed really interested in me."

So I ask him how he's going to pay for it, subtly trying to bring up the absurdity of the cost, and he says that he has a scholarship. So I ask if his scholarship has a GPA stip. He has no idea what that means, and when I explain it he tells me that's not a problem because "he plans on a 4.0."

He then absolutely refused to believe me when I tried to explain a law school curve and why that 4.0 was basically impossible. Special snowflake syndrome like I have never seen in my life. His plan after graduation is to do corporate law, "probably in a big corporation." (The old in-house counsel right out of graduation?)

He then explains that Coastal is a "small school" where he's "already gotten to know some amazing professors" and that it's on a gorgeous lake with a dock so he just felt right at home and loved it, which I wouldn't understand coming from a "big school" like Yale. So then I spent a few minutes discussing that Coastal's 600 person class actually qualifies it as big, while Yale's 200 person class qualifies it as small....

But most of all he was excited about Coastal's commitment to student success, and how they pair each student with a personal bar exam tutor for their entire third year, and for any time after that for ANY BAR IN THE COUNTRY (his emphasis). He was completely dumbfounded that Yale doesn't give its students personal tutors, because what is the third year supposed to be if we aren't focusing preparing for the bar? (Apparently Coastal's 3rd year is one giant BarBri course? WTF?)

Anyway, the point is that no matter how many times I tried valiantly to drag the conversation back to "did you think about other schools?" and "maybe you should try googling this...." he remained the most upbeat, happy, and excited future debt slave that I have ever seen. We're having lunch again on Friday, and now I'm struggling with whether I should drop the polite and supportive veneer and just yell to the heavens that he's making the biggest mistake of his life and shake him until he withdraws. What's less ethical--making him feel terrible about himself or letting him make a terrible choice? I doubt I can change his mind anyway--I just met the guy.

I swear this isn't a flame. The entire time I was wondering if he was some giant TLS troll getting me for a good one in real life by spouting literally every single stereotype of a lemming that we come up with here. In the age of LST and Campos and David Segal and TLS, I just can't believe someone doesn't know how to google "Is Florida Coastal a good choice?".....

superdingle2000 wrote:WTf? This is the only forum where a thread contrasting common forum wisdom with the shortcomings of an utter noob doesn't turn into an incestuous circle jerk. You guys don't even know how to internet.

justcallmeit wrote:

deadpoetnsp wrote:

Grazzhoppa wrote:kool.

story.

bro.

Cicero76 wrote:Told him Yale law

isuperserial wrote:You're really smart, you can do better than Cooley." I thought that was a kind thing to say, but she got pissed off.

Cicero76 wrote:I honestly thought the following story was impossible in the era of Google.

Today I had lunch with a young guy at the place I'm working from the summer. He just graduated from a private school here in Florida, asked me what I'm doing next year. Told him Yale law, he goes "Oh cool, I'm going to law school too!"

So I ask where. "Florida Coastal," he answers. Oh boy. Here comes the dilemma of trying to warn him without being a dick. I ask him what made him choose there and he says (I'm not kidding) "It's the only one I applied to because my prelaw advisor told me what a good school it was and they seemed really interested in me."

So I ask him how he's going to pay for it, subtly trying to bring up the absurdity of the cost, and he says that he has a scholarship. So I ask if his scholarship has a GPA stip. He has no idea what that means, and when I explain it he tells me that's not a problem because "he plans on a 4.0."

He then absolutely refused to believe me when I tried to explain a law school curve and why that 4.0 was basically impossible. Special snowflake syndrome like I have never seen in my life. His plan after graduation is to do corporate law, "probably in a big corporation." (The old in-house counsel right out of graduation?)

He then explains that Coastal is a "small school" where he's "already gotten to know some amazing professors" and that it's on a gorgeous lake with a dock so he just felt right at home and loved it, which I wouldn't understand coming from a "big school" like Yale. So then I spent a few minutes discussing that Coastal's 600 person class actually qualifies it as big, while Yale's 200 person class qualifies it as small....

But most of all he was excited about Coastal's commitment to student success, and how they pair each student with a personal bar exam tutor for their entire third year, and for any time after that for ANY BAR IN THE COUNTRY (his emphasis). He was completely dumbfounded that Yale doesn't give its students personal tutors, because what is the third year supposed to be if we aren't focusing preparing for the bar? (Apparently Coastal's 3rd year is one giant BarBri course? WTF?)

Anyway, the point is that no matter how many times I tried valiantly to drag the conversation back to "did you think about other schools?" and "maybe you should try googling this...." he remained the most upbeat, happy, and excited future debt slave that I have ever seen. We're having lunch again on Friday, and now I'm struggling with whether I should drop the polite and supportive veneer and just yell to the heavens that he's making the biggest mistake of his life and shake him until he withdraws. What's less ethical--making him feel terrible about himself or letting him make a terrible choice? I doubt I can change his mind anyway--I just met the guy.

I swear this isn't a flame. The entire time I was wondering if he was some giant TLS troll getting me for a good one in real life by spouting literally every single stereotype of a lemming that we come up with here. In the age of LST and Campos and David Segal and TLS, I just can't believe someone doesn't know how to google "Is Florida Coastal a good choice?".....

Micdiddy wrote:I may be in the minority, which I am fine with, but please, please, please try to educate him further about the mistake he is trying to make. He got caught up in one conversation with someone he barely knew who tells him he is going to YALE LAW and you guys think he's an idiot or Aspie for trying to talk up his plans? It was prob all he could do to not feel like a total failure. Inside, he was probably seething with jealousy, and the fact that he remained unnaturally upbeat I think supports that he was putting on a brave face.
TBH, he prob went home and started doing more research on his own right away. The fact that he tried to save face in one conversation does not mean you should give up on him and let him stroll into financial ruin. Do you have an obligation to do something? Absolutely not. But that's a different question about whether you should, and specifically to your OP, how you would go about doing it.

I taught an LSAT class with a very nice girl who came in beaming about her opportunity to go to American, and how it was her "dream school." I asked a lot of similar questions you did, extremely politely, and at the end of it I simply suggested she take a look at LST. She came back a few days later with her eyes open about what a festering TTT American was because the stats don't lie. When you see him on Friday, tell him about LST, you can even make it sound like you stumbled ontothe Florida Coastal page while doing some law school research and were shocked to see their employment score. "Does FC mention why their score is so bad? Did your pre-law advisor say anything about this? Maybe you should bring it up to them..." and see where it goes from there.
At the same time, ask him about his LSAT prep to try and gauge whether or not he could do better. If you guys work a decent gig (or even if you don't), push him in the direction of retaking and reapplying, saying how you considered sticking with this stress-free, good paying, rewarding, (whatever) job for another year (assuming there are redeeming qualities to the job).

Hopefully, even out of pure curiosity, he will check LST. At THAT point, if he still insists on FC, then you can FO him, IMO.

Micdiddy wrote:I may be in the minority, which I am fine with, but please, please, please try to educate him further about the mistake he is trying to make. He got caught up in one conversation with someone he barely knew who tells him he is going to YALE LAW and you guys think he's an idiot or Aspie for trying to talk up his plans? It was prob all he could do to not feel like a total failure. Inside, he was probably seething with jealousy, and the fact that he remained unnaturally upbeat I think supports that he was putting on a brave face.
TBH, he prob went home and started doing more research on his own right away. The fact that he tried to save face in one conversation does not mean you should give up on him and let him stroll into financial ruin. Do you have an obligation to do something? Absolutely not. But that's a different question about whether you should, and specifically to your OP, how you would go about doing it.

I taught an LSAT class with a very nice girl who came in beaming about her opportunity to go to American, and how it was her "dream school." I asked a lot of similar questions you did, extremely politely, and at the end of it I simply suggested she take a look at LST. She came back a few days later with her eyes open about what a festering TTT American was because the stats don't lie. When you see him on Friday, tell him about LST, you can even make it sound like you stumbled ontothe Florida Coastal page while doing some law school research and were shocked to see their employment score. "Does FC mention why their score is so bad? Did your pre-law advisor say anything about this? Maybe you should bring it up to them..." and see where it goes from there.
At the same time, ask him about his LSAT prep to try and gauge whether or not he could do better. If you guys work a decent gig (or even if you don't), push him in the direction of retaking and reapplying, saying how you considered sticking with this stress-free, good paying, rewarding, (whatever) job for another year (assuming there are redeeming qualities to the job).

Hopefully, even out of pure curiosity, he will check LST. At THAT point, if he still insists on FC, then you can FO him, IMO.

Danger Zone wrote:

Micdiddy wrote:I may be in the minority, which I am fine with, but please, please, please try to educate him further about the mistake he is trying to make. He got caught up in one conversation with someone he barely knew who tells him he is going to YALE LAW and you guys think he's an idiot or Aspie for trying to talk up his plans? It was prob all he could do to not feel like a total failure. Inside, he was probably seething with jealousy, and the fact that he remained unnaturally upbeat I think supports that he was putting on a brave face.
TBH, he prob went home and started doing more research on his own right away. The fact that he tried to save face in one conversation does not mean you should give up on him and let him stroll into financial ruin. Do you have an obligation to do something? Absolutely not. But that's a different question about whether you should, and specifically to your OP, how you would go about doing it.

I taught an LSAT class with a very nice girl who came in beaming about her opportunity to go to American, and how it was her "dream school." I asked a lot of similar questions you did, extremely politely, and at the end of it I simply suggested she take a look at LST. She came back a few days later with her eyes open about what a festering TTT American was because the stats don't lie. When you see him on Friday, tell him about LST, you can even make it sound like you stumbled ontothe Florida Coastal page while doing some law school research and were shocked to see their employment score. "Does FC mention why their score is so bad? Did your pre-law advisor say anything about this? Maybe you should bring it up to them..." and see where it goes from there.
At the same time, ask him about his LSAT prep to try and gauge whether or not he could do better. If you guys work a decent gig (or even if you don't), push him in the direction of retaking and reapplying, saying how you considered sticking with this stress-free, good paying, rewarding, (whatever) job for another year (assuming there are redeeming qualities to the job).

Hopefully, even out of pure curiosity, he will check LST. At THAT point, if he still insists on FC, then you can FO him, IMO.

Yeah, but like, you don't actually believe this is the way you should talk to people, right?

Danger Zone wrote:Oh wait, I just noticed that people are encouraging this type of idiotic behavior. Unless you're actually friends with the dude, leave it be. Even then, it's debatable whether you should say shit like "I'm going to Yale and you're going to a padded room."