Is it possible to complete two concentrations in Law School Forum

[adameddins]

I'm having a difficult time deciding which path I want to take when I get in (hopefully for the 2014 cycle - I took LSAT today). I am very interested in both Entertainment/Sports Law (emphasis on Sports Law) and Criminal Law. If I got accepted to Loyola LA, which offers Sports and Criminal Concentrations, would I be able to do both? Or, must school be completed in three years and/or simply not possible?

Thanks.

[JuTMSY4]

con...cen...tra...tions?

[Ludo!]

You don't want to complete any concentrations, just go to a good law school

[midwest17]

Concentrations are basically meaningless; sports law doesn't really exist.

There are careers for which it matters that you take relevant coursework. But fulfilling the technical requirements for a concentration won't matter.

[sublime]

..

[Nova]

Ask Loyola...

[adameddins]

Ok thanks. I figured that it was necessary to get a certificate/concentration in criminal law in school if you wanted a good shot at a ADA job, but I guess not.

[midwest17]

Ok thanks. I figured that it was necessary to get a certificate/concentration in criminal law in school if you wanted a good shot at a ADA job, but I guess not.

Nope.

More importantly, you need to decide whether you want to do "Entertainment/Sports law" (aka BigLaw) or work in a DA's office before you start law school.

[Lwoods]

Ok thanks. I figured that it was necessary to get a certificate/concentration in criminal law in school if you wanted a good shot at a ADA job, but I guess not.

Nope.

More importantly, you need to decide whether you want to do "Entertainment/Sports law" (aka BigLaw) or work in a DA's office before you start law school.

No he doesn't.

Make sure you want to actually practice law before going to law school, but there's room to change your focus/goals as you learn more about the law. Your first year curriculum is likely to be set anyway.

Aim higher, though. LA is a tough market for anyone coming from a school below USC or UCLA.

[bp shinners]

Ok thanks. I figured that it was necessary to get a certificate/concentration in criminal law in school if you wanted a good shot at a ADA job, but I guess not.

Nope.

More importantly, you need to decide whether you want to do "Entertainment/Sports law" (aka BigLaw) or work in a DA's office before you start law school.

No he doesn't.

I think he was saying that mainly because it should affect where you're going to enroll - how much scholarship money you need to make it worthwhile, how strong the school's LRAP program is, etc...

[midwest17]

I think he was saying that mainly because it should affect where you're going to enroll - how much scholarship money you need to make it worthwhile, how strong the school's LRAP program is, etc...

That, and also from what I've gathered good public interest jobs require a resume that indicates commitment from the beginning. My understanding is that you do very different things with your time outside of class if you're gunning for a DAs office vs trying to get BigLaw.

[rad lulz]

m

[outlawscr10]

I think he was saying that mainly because it should affect where you're going to enroll - how much scholarship money you need to make it worthwhile, how strong the school's LRAP program is, etc...

That, and also from what I've gathered good public interest jobs require a resume that indicates commitment from the beginning. My understanding is that you do very different things with your time outside of class if you're gunning for a DAs office vs trying to get BigLaw.

derp

[midwest17]

I think he was saying that mainly because it should affect where you're going to enroll - how much scholarship money you need to make it worthwhile, how strong the school's LRAP program is, etc...

That, and also from what I've gathered good public interest jobs require a resume that indicates commitment from the beginning. My understanding is that you do very different things with your time outside of class if you're gunning for a DAs office vs trying to get BigLaw.

The issue is that the vast majority of data we use is based on employment within 9 months of graduation. At 9 months, one might determine that law school was a bad investment. After 15 years--and that's more relevant when you're dealing with a career investment--that determination might have completely shifted.

I think you may have responded to the wrong thread?

[outlawscr10]

I think he was saying that mainly because it should affect where you're going to enroll - how much scholarship money you need to make it worthwhile, how strong the school's LRAP program is, etc...

That, and also from what I've gathered good public interest jobs require a resume that indicates commitment from the beginning. My understanding is that you do very different things with your time outside of class if you're gunning for a DAs office vs trying to get BigLaw.

The issue is that the vast majority of data we use is based on employment within 9 months of graduation. At 9 months, one might determine that law school was a bad investment. After 15 years--and that's more relevant when you're dealing with a career investment--that determination might have completely shifted.

I think you may have responded to the wrong thread?

TITCR

[Ludo!]

Whatever thread he was trying to respond to though that looked like a retarded post

[outlawscr10]

Whatever thread he was trying to respond to though that looked like a retarded post

Cheers.

[Ludo!]

I looked it up, I was right

[mr. wednesday]

More importantly, you need to decide whether you want to do "Entertainment/Sports law" (aka BigLaw) or work in a DA's office before you start law school.

I don't think those two particular paths are incompatible, really. Public interest people can focus on grades 1L year without being off track, and a 1L summer at a DAs office isn't going to hurt your chances at biglaw. Signing up for a mixture of corporate-type classes and crim pro/DA clinic for 2L isn't going to prevent a biglaw SA offer either. DA hiring tends to be on a different schedule, and you can start applying if it looks like you struck out at OCI without them ever knowing that you did OCI. The biggest hurdle will be getting any job from Loyola, not having biglaw/DA as a plan A and plan B.

[midwest17]

More importantly, you need to decide whether you want to do "Entertainment/Sports law" (aka BigLaw) or work in a DA's office before you start law school.

I don't think those two particular paths are incompatible, really. Public interest people can focus on grades 1L year without being off track, and a 1L summer at a DAs office isn't going to hurt your chances at biglaw. Signing up for a mixture of corporate-type classes and crim pro/DA clinic for 2L isn't going to prevent a biglaw SA offer either. DA hiring tends to be on a different schedule, and you can start applying if it looks like you struck out at OCI without them ever knowing that you did OCI. The biggest hurdle will be getting any job from Loyola, not having biglaw/DA as a plan A and plan B.

This isn't the impression I've gotten from various threads, including this one: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=220431

But I'm a 0L, so I'll defer to those with more experience.

[A. Nony Mouse]

I think positioning yourself as a DA wouldn't preclude you from getting biglaw, since biglaw mostly cares about grades and doesn't care much about experience during law school (I mean, there are some pre-LS jobs that can help you interview well and make connections to firms, but you can get biglaw without those things). I think if you try to position yourself for biglaw and therefore don't go for any of the DA-type things (clinics) during law school, do a biglaw SA 2L summer, and then decide you'd rather go DA, you're going to face an uphill battle. But yeah, if you come in considering both those possibilities, you can pull it off if you're careful and keep your options open.

[Cicero76]

What on earth is a "concentration?"

[rad lulz]

[,

[bp shinners]

I think positioning yourself as a DA wouldn't preclude you from getting biglaw, since biglaw mostly cares about grades and doesn't care much about experience during law school (I mean, there are some pre-LS jobs that can help you interview well and make connections to firms, but you can get biglaw without those things). I think if you try to position yourself for biglaw and therefore don't go for any of the DA-type things (clinics) during law school, do a biglaw SA 2L summer, and then decide you'd rather go DA, you're going to face an uphill battle. But yeah, if you come in considering both those possibilities, you can pull it off if you're careful and keep your options open.

Probably not BigLaw, but very possibly entertainment/sports law. For those, you either have to come out of law school and head to a mail room, or be lobbying to get one of those positions from the very first day of school (if not before). I know a fleetingly small number of people who ended up in entertainment/sports law; I know many people who wanted to go into it. The ones who made it had great grades AND a large amount of time dedicated to ECs in those areas, plus connections and TA positions for professors with connections.

[A. Nony Mouse]

That makes sense. I've mostly heard of people doing entertainment law by going to one of the few biglaw firms that does it, then getting into that practice group, so was treating it as equivalent to doing biglaw. But I don't know much about that (or anything really about sports law).