Top Law Schools

Hello all,

The general opinions about GULC on this forum seem to be negative. I'm wondering why that is? Is it mostly to do with Big Law placements?

In the case of someone who is certain they want to do public interest (preferably with an international dimension) and would presumably seek LRAP employment, how does the school's reputation fare?

Please read GULC's school profile on TLS.

GULC is by no means a sub-par school, however it is usually rankned on the lower spectrum of the T14s. Sometimes even ranked outside of T14 depending on the rankings you are looking at.

GULC's Big Law placement is just as competitive as many of the T14 schools with the exceptions of HYSC.

I am going to assume that the general opinion of GULC is slightly negative due to the fact that almost everyone here is aiming for T10 or T5.

Chidasuuu wrote:Please read GULC's school profile on TLS.

GULC is by no means a sub-par school, however it is usually rankned on the lower spectrum of the T14s. Sometimes even ranked outside of T14 depending on the rankings you are looking at.

GULC's Big Law placement is just as competitive as many of the T14 schools with the exceptions of HYSC.

I am going to assume that the general opinion of GULC is slightly negative due to the fact that almost everyone here is aiming for T10 or T5.

I think the GULC hate is a bit much, but cmon man, you're really saying GULC biglaw placement is just as competitive as Penn, or NYU?

Why is this a new thread once/week?

Clearly wrote:

Chidasuuu wrote:Please read GULC's school profile on TLS.

GULC is by no means a sub-par school, however it is usually rankned on the lower spectrum of the T14s. Sometimes even ranked outside of T14 depending on the rankings you are looking at.

GULC's Big Law placement is just as competitive as many of the T14 schools with the exceptions of HYSC.

I am going to assume that the general opinion of GULC is slightly negative due to the fact that almost everyone here is aiming for T10 or T5.

I think the GULC hate is a bit much, but cmon man, you're really saying GULC biglaw placement is just as competitive as Penn, or NYU?

FINE, I rescind my previous statement, GULC is as competitive in biglaw placements as some of the T14 schools. I'm just trying my best to defend poor GULC

Chidasuuu wrote:

Clearly wrote:

Chidasuuu wrote:Please read GULC's school profile on TLS.

GULC is by no means a sub-par school, however it is usually rankned on the lower spectrum of the T14s. Sometimes even ranked outside of T14 depending on the rankings you are looking at.

GULC's Big Law placement is just as competitive as many of the T14 schools with the exceptions of HYSC.

I am going to assume that the general opinion of GULC is slightly negative due to the fact that almost everyone here is aiming for T10 or T5.

I think the GULC hate is a bit much, but cmon man, you're really saying GULC biglaw placement is just as competitive as Penn, or NYU?

FINE, I rescind my previous statement, GULC is as competitive in biglaw placements as some of the T14 schools. I'm just trying my best to defend poor GULC

Georgetown is a fine school, and has its own strengths, but biglaw hiring isn't one of them, and I can only think of 1 other T14 that might be worse.

Clearly wrote:

Chidasuuu wrote:

Clearly wrote:

Chidasuuu wrote:Please read GULC's school profile on TLS.

GULC is by no means a sub-par school, however it is usually rankned on the lower spectrum of the T14s. Sometimes even ranked outside of T14 depending on the rankings you are looking at.

GULC's Big Law placement is just as competitive as many of the T14 schools with the exceptions of HYSC.

I am going to assume that the general opinion of GULC is slightly negative due to the fact that almost everyone here is aiming for T10 or T5.

I think the GULC hate is a bit much, but cmon man, you're really saying GULC biglaw placement is just as competitive as Penn, or NYU?

FINE, I rescind my previous statement, GULC is as competitive in biglaw placements as some of the T14 schools. I'm just trying my best to defend poor GULC

Georgetown is a fine school, and has its own strengths, but biglaw hiring isn't one of them, and I can only think of 1 other T14 that might be worse.

Well, if I'm not mistaken 31.3% of their graduates go on to biglaw. thats approx 1/3 of their graduates. I'd say it is still pretty competitive in the biglaw department. Just as long as you're in the top 30% of your class at GULC.

ITT and those like it: consistent failure to understand that the Georgetown negativity is relative.

.

Regulus wrote:Read these:

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=220821
http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=221334
http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=221919

/thread

Very useful links. Again, I agree that GULC negativity is relative but I would not hesitate to go to GULC over any other school outside of T14. And depending on the $$$ i might even pick it over a few of the T14 schools.

Chidasuuu wrote: I would not hesitate to go to GULC over any other school outside of T14. And depending on the $$$ i might even pick it over a few of the T14 schools.

Throw in some considerations regarding regional goals and this is pretty much the majority opinion.

Chidasuuu wrote:

Regulus wrote:Read these:

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=220821
http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=221334
http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=221919

/thread

Very useful links. Again, I agree that GULC negativity is relative but I would not hesitate to go to GULC over any other school outside of T14. And depending on the $$$ i might even pick it over a few of the T14 schools.

You would go to GULC at sticker over Vanderbilt on a full ride? You cray cray. I happily chose a non-T14 over GULC and didn't even think twice about it.

GULC is a fine school. But it's placement seems to lag behind other T14s and it is usually crazy stupid expensive. Hence the hate. Of course it's all relative, but for most people GULC is simply a trap. They should either go to a better school for the same price (or cheaper, as is frequently the case) or a worse school for significantly cheaper. I can only think of 1 TLSer for whom GULC made the most sense when he proposed his choosing thread.

BigZuck wrote: for most people GULC is simply a trap. They should either go to a better school for the same price (or cheaper, as is frequently the case) or a worse school for significantly cheaper.

Zuck makes a good point; I forgot how stingy they are with money.

BigZuck wrote:

Chidasuuu wrote:

Regulus wrote:Read these:

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=220821
http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=221334
http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=221919

/thread

Very useful links. Again, I agree that GULC negativity is relative but I would not hesitate to go to GULC over any other school outside of T14. And depending on the $$$ i might even pick it over a few of the T14 schools.

You would go to GULC at sticker over Vanderbilt on a full ride? You cray cray. I happily chose a non-T14 over GULC and didn't even think twice about it.

GULC is a fine school. But it's placement seems to lag behind other T14s and it is usually crazy stupid expensive. Hence the hate. Of course it's all relative, but for most people GULC is simply a trap. They should either go to a better school for the same price (or cheaper, as is frequently the case) or a worse school for significantly cheaper. I can only think of 1 TLSer for whom GULC made the most sense when he proposed his choosing thread.

Well, it really depends on the financial background you are coming from. If your family is pretty well off and money is not a concern of yours then I think it doesn't sound far fetched at all to take GULC at sticker over Vandy on a full ride. Again, all relative.

Chidasuuu wrote:

BigZuck wrote:

Chidasuuu wrote:

Regulus wrote:Read these:

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=220821
http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=221334
http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=221919

/thread

Very useful links. Again, I agree that GULC negativity is relative but I would not hesitate to go to GULC over any other school outside of T14. And depending on the $$$ i might even pick it over a few of the T14 schools.

You would go to GULC at sticker over Vanderbilt on a full ride? You cray cray. I happily chose a non-T14 over GULC and didn't even think twice about it.

GULC is a fine school. But it's placement seems to lag behind other T14s and it is usually crazy stupid expensive. Hence the hate. Of course it's all relative, but for most people GULC is simply a trap. They should either go to a better school for the same price (or cheaper, as is frequently the case) or a worse school for significantly cheaper. I can only think of 1 TLSer for whom GULC made the most sense when he proposed his choosing thread.

Well, it really depends on the financial background you are coming from. If your family is pretty well off and money is not a concern of yours then I think it doesn't sound far fetched at all to take GULC at sticker over Vandy on a full ride. Again, all relative.

Maybe not far fetched to people who are okay with wasting 200k on a marginally better school, but that is by itself a sign of massive ignorance and lack of financial savvy. I consider that a far fetched choice by anyone who has done moderate research on the topic.

Chidasuuu wrote:

BigZuck wrote:

Chidasuuu wrote:

Regulus wrote:Read these:

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=220821
http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=221334
http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=221919

/thread

Very useful links. Again, I agree that GULC negativity is relative but I would not hesitate to go to GULC over any other school outside of T14. And depending on the $$$ i might even pick it over a few of the T14 schools.

You would go to GULC at sticker over Vanderbilt on a full ride? You cray cray. I happily chose a non-T14 over GULC and didn't even think twice about it.

GULC is a fine school. But it's placement seems to lag behind other T14s and it is usually crazy stupid expensive. Hence the hate. Of course it's all relative, but for most people GULC is simply a trap. They should either go to a better school for the same price (or cheaper, as is frequently the case) or a worse school for significantly cheaper. I can only think of 1 TLSer for whom GULC made the most sense when he proposed his choosing thread.

Well, it really depends on the financial background you are coming from. If your family is pretty well off and money is not a concern of yours then I think it doesn't sound far fetched at all to take GULC at sticker over Vandy on a full ride. Again, all relative.

Disagree. Inheritance from a rich family can be better served for another purpose rather than marginally improving job prospects. Of course this is all hypothetical but I think a blanket statement of "I would go to Georgetown over any school not in the T14" is short-sighted. Of course GULC has better placement than the schools in the tier below it but that doesn't make it the right choice regardless of cost.

Eta: scooped

Ignorance and lack of financial savvy? As we all know, GULC is stingy as hell, which means the majority is there on sticker or very little $$. GULC may not be the best of the T14s but I wouldn't consider their student body to be filled with ignorant people. All I'm saying is everything is relative, 200k may be pocket change to some people and why not go to a "marginally" better school when it won't make a dent in your pocket anyway.

Chidasuuu wrote: Well, if I'm not mistaken 31.3% of their graduates go on to biglaw. thats approx 1/3 of their graduates. I'd say it is still pretty competitive in the biglaw department. Just as long as you're in the top 30% of your class at GULC.

And as long as you finish ahead of 95% of your class at USD you'll be very competitive for biglaw. What's the big deal?

Others have laid out the primary reasons why people have trouble with GULC, but to the OP's question specifically it needs to be pointed out that the only outcomes we can be very confident are consistently of a high quality are Biglaw and Federal Clerkship placement. Schools can very easily game the other categories, and people looking to invest huge sums of money to get a legal job want to put themselves in the best position to get a good one. GULC lags behind the rest of the T-14 in this area, which is why people see it as a step down from the rest of the schools ranked ahead of it. But as has been said, about 200 other schools rank behind GULC, so this is all relative.

I had already pointed out to OP why people do not like GULC, I was simply stating that it is not as bad as people make it seem.

Chidasuuu wrote:I had already pointed out to OP why people do not like GULC, I was simply stating that it is not as bad as people make it seem.

People don't make it seem that bad. This is worth repeating:

Pneumonia wrote:

Chidasuuu wrote: I would not hesitate to go to GULC over any other school outside of T14. And depending on the $$$ i might even pick it over a few of the T14 schools.

Throw in some considerations regarding regional goals and this is pretty much the majority opinion.

Of course we assume that if you might take it over some other T14 schools depending on money you'd also consider taking some schools below it depending on money. But otherwise, people generally agree with your position. Unfortunately, the combination of cost and placement generally makes GULC the wrong choice at the end of the cycle.

Chidasuuu wrote:Ignorance and lack of financial savvy? As we all know, GULC is stingy as hell, which means the majority is there on sticker or very little $$. GULC may not be the best of the T14s but I wouldn't consider their student body to be filled with ignorant people. All I'm saying is everything is relative, 200k may be pocket change to some people and why not go to a "marginally" better school when it won't make a dent in your pocket anyway.

You're making the false assumption that students with little or no scholarship at Georgetow had Vandy for free as an option. That's not my understanding of the levels of financial aid between the two for a given applicant. Sticker at Georgetown does not require quite that lofty of credentials from what I've heard. So I am not calling the majority of their students ignorant per se, but I am calling a student in your provided hypo ignorant for valuing gtown at 200k more than vandy.

200k invested properly is a material amount of money for anyone intending to either become or remain wealthy. My man Buffett wouldn't pay that much premium I'm guessing, even though he's a billionaire. It's just silly.

Fiero85 wrote:

Chidasuuu wrote:Ignorance and lack of financial savvy? As we all know, GULC is stingy as hell, which means the majority is there on sticker or very little $$. GULC may not be the best of the T14s but I wouldn't consider their student body to be filled with ignorant people. All I'm saying is everything is relative, 200k may be pocket change to some people and why not go to a "marginally" better school when it won't make a dent in your pocket anyway.

You're making the false assumption that students with little or no scholarship at Georgetow had Vandy for free as an option. That's not my understanding of the levels of financial aid between the two for a given applicant. Sticker at Georgetown does not require quite that lofty of credentials from what I've heard. So I am not calling the majority of their students ignorant per se, but I am calling a student in your provided hypo ignorant for valuing gtown at 200k more than vandy.

200k invested properly is a material amount of money for anyone intending to either become or remain wealthy. My man Buffett wouldn't pay that much premium I'm guessing, even though he's a billionaire. It's just silly.

Point taken. Your man Buffett would probably say don't go to law school go to Wharton or Columbia B school.

Some international students I know blow 50K weekly at casinos, I'm sure they wouldn't mind paying sticker at any school. (just saying) I wouldn't call anyone ignorant for making either choice because I do not know what other factors they may have for picking GULC. It depends on your perspective.

Chidasuuu wrote:

Fiero85 wrote:

Chidasuuu wrote:Ignorance and lack of financial savvy? As we all know, GULC is stingy as hell, which means the majority is there on sticker or very little $$. GULC may not be the best of the T14s but I wouldn't consider their student body to be filled with ignorant people. All I'm saying is everything is relative, 200k may be pocket change to some people and why not go to a "marginally" better school when it won't make a dent in your pocket anyway.

You're making the false assumption that students with little or no scholarship at Georgetow had Vandy for free as an option. That's not my understanding of the levels of financial aid between the two for a given applicant. Sticker at Georgetown does not require quite that lofty of credentials from what I've heard. So I am not calling the majority of their students ignorant per se, but I am calling a student in your provided hypo ignorant for valuing gtown at 200k more than vandy.

200k invested properly is a material amount of money for anyone intending to either become or remain wealthy. My man Buffett wouldn't pay that much premium I'm guessing, even though he's a billionaire. It's just silly.

Point taken. Your man Buffett would probably say don't go to law school go to Wharton or Columbia B school.

Some international students I know blow 50K weekly at casinos, I'm sure they wouldn't mind paying sticker at any school. (just saying)

True that, he's a state school to Columbia Business school guy, so he'd probably advocate a similar route

And I know you are just saying, but I would just call those people fools. Their existence does not validate their decisions. They may end up embarrassingly rich and successful regardless, but they're not a healthy model to follow, and aren't seeking my advice anyways. Good luck to them, but for people actually looking for help to make a wise decision (of all financial backgrounds) I would say there's more to it then "just go to the highest rank school you get in to".

I see it's time for our weekly Georgetown thread.

"Georgetown is great wut u talkin bout"
"but biglaw placement!"
"but t14!"
"combined A3 and biglaw still below evry1 else"
"but jd advantage!"
"preexisting jobs"
"but dose r pt jobs"
"but EVEN IF EVRYONE IN PT GOT JD ADV. THERE WOULD STILL NOT BE COMPARISON TO OH I DON'T KNOW CORNELL"
"lol cornell is cold that's like equal to -10 biglaw jobs"
"HUGE REG POST

15% - 500
1590234 -> 7
50 + q
THIS LINK and THIS LINK detail out exactly why you are wrong. Red font will make it better. That way there can be no comparison. Also, UChicago > everything, have a great day."

(radio silence for a few days)
(new thread)
"hi guys so why does everyone hate Georgetown so much?"

Also:

Pneumonia wrote:ITT and those like it: consistent failure to understand that the Georgetown negativity is relative.

Again it's just a tricky school to be positive about because it is worse than 1-13, and often too expensive to be worth it over a discounted 15 or lower school, for most people.