Best Fit for PI in the Southeast Forum

[handsup]

Hey y'all, I'm a rising senior with a 164 LSAT (up from an early PT 153 and right at where I was PT-ing after months of prep) and a 3.96 GPA from a T15 private undergrad looking to work as a public defender or a prosecutor in the southeast, particularly in Alabama or Tennessee, where I have family in the Nashville and Huntsville areas. I'm non-URM, with ok softs (substantial independent research experience, lots of on-campus leadership, summers doing non-elite PI work like substantial work at local PD offices and teaching in NYC). I'm considering applying to the following schools: Virginia ED, Georgetown, Michigan, Vanderbilt, W&L, W&M, Alabama, Georgia, and WUSTL (for the sake of leverage in scholarship negotiations). Is there any better fit than Alabama at $$$? Would it be worth it to rely on Virginia's LRAP at sticker if they were to reach during October ED or to take out substantial loans at Vanderbilt or Emory? Is Mercer worth a look, or are there any other schools I should especially be looking at? Narrowed down to this list after a lot of research and can pretty much recite the LSN stats by heart, but would especially love to get some market context and to hear from those practicing down south or currently attending at strong regionals in the southeast!

[handsup]

Bump

[Sweetneers]

Cumberland has an excellent reputation in Alabama