Top Law Schools

What's the worst law school worth sticker price? GULC? How much money are the T19 schools worth?

No school outside of the T14 is worth sticker.

no law school is worth sticker. period.

For me, no school was worth sticker. Not even Yale. But if your parents have money to blow, then any school may be worth sticker (depending on how much money they have to blow).

Moving this to the right forum, since this isn't actually a question about choosing between specific law schools.

Also, what is the T19? I know that we can put any number after "T" to get a set of schools, but that's the most arbitrary one I've seen yet.

cavalier1138 wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 25, 2020 7:05 am

Also, what is the T19? I know that we can put any number after "T" to get a set of schools, but that's the most arbitrary one I've seen yet.

Some people get fussy about the fact that "T20" is only a rough grouping. They want it to be a discrete list of schools, like the T14.

So "T19" = T14 plus Texas, UCLA, Vandy, WashU and USC. Literally just what people around here call the T20.

Regarding the OP, assuming you are trying to make money (i.e., biglaw) only the T13 produce good ROI for their sticker price. If anyone bucks this trend it's probably the handful of super-cheap local schools that still exist.

If you're 100% set on public-interest work, HYSColumbia are the most defensible because of their negative-am LRAP policies. The rest of the T14 (and I assume some non-T14 schools, but I don't know which ones) have pretty good LRAP programs too, assuming PSLF lasts. But LRAP/PSLF life is a massive cost of its own, so you need to be deeply invested (e.g. in public-defender work) for this to be a reasonable life choice.

The Lsat Airbender wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 25, 2020 10:31 am

If you're 100% set on public-interest work, HYSColumbia are the most defensible because of their negative-am LRAP policies.

NYU has this option, too.

No school is worth sticker but gun to my head I'd say UT-Austin, in-state, assuming my focus is Texas biglaw. Is that cheating?

HydroFlask666 wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 28, 2020 4:41 pm

No school is worth sticker but gun to my head I'd say UT-Austin, in-state, assuming my focus is Texas biglaw. Is that cheating?

What about ucla instate?

laanngo wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 28, 2020 4:55 pm

HydroFlask666 wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 28, 2020 4:41 pm

No school is worth sticker but gun to my head I'd say UT-Austin, in-state, assuming my focus is Texas biglaw. Is that cheating?

What about ucla instate?

I want to say UCLA in state tuition is higher and you have LA CoL.

Depends on financial situation - if you are paying using your loans or savings, then no law school is worth it at sticker. You can get significant scholarships at good schools if you're able to get into the top schools at sticker. If your parents or family are paying (and can afford it), then by all means, go wherever.

dabigchina wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 28, 2020 5:06 pm

I want to say UCLA in state tuition is higher and you have LA CoL.

Of course, but still worth sticker?

laanngo wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 28, 2020 6:47 pm

dabigchina wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 28, 2020 5:06 pm

I want to say UCLA in state tuition is higher and you have LA CoL.

Of course, but still worth sticker?

You'd probably be better off making a thread about your stats and your goals and asking for advice generally, rather than asking a whole variety of specific question to which the answer is invariably going to be "It depends." No one can answer what the "worst law school worth sticker" is in a vacuum.

nixy wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 28, 2020 7:13 pm

laanngo wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 28, 2020 6:47 pm

dabigchina wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 28, 2020 5:06 pm

I want to say UCLA in state tuition is higher and you have LA CoL.

Of course, but still worth sticker?

You'd probably be better off making a thread about your stats and your goals and asking for advice generally, rather than asking a whole variety of specific question to which the answer is invariably going to be "It depends." No one can answer what the "worst law school worth sticker" is in a vacuum.

I assume most people would say GULC is worth sticker, but UCLA? Fwiw i'm from the midwest.

laanngo wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 28, 2020 7:35 pm

nixy wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 28, 2020 7:13 pm

laanngo wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 28, 2020 6:47 pm

dabigchina wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 28, 2020 5:06 pm

I want to say UCLA in state tuition is higher and you have LA CoL.

Of course, but still worth sticker?

You'd probably be better off making a thread about your stats and your goals and asking for advice generally, rather than asking a whole variety of specific question to which the answer is invariably going to be "It depends." No one can answer what the "worst law school worth sticker" is in a vacuum.

I assume most people would say GULC is worth sticker, but UCLA? Fwiw i'm from the midwest.

Lol, no, especially not around here.

Georgetown at sticker only makes sense in very particular situations, if at all, and is a gamble even then. UCLA has slightly worse biglaw outcomes but is also slightly cheaper, so same story there.

The Lsat Airbender wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 28, 2020 7:52 pm

Lol, no, especially not around here.

Georgetown at sticker only makes sense in very particular situations, if at all, and is a gamble even then. UCLA has slightly worse biglaw outcomes but is also slightly cheaper, so same story there.

I personally think Yale is worth sticker but none of the others. Anyone else agree? I think law prof is a way better gig than other law jobs though.

laanngo wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 28, 2020 7:35 pm

nixy wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 28, 2020 7:13 pm

laanngo wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 28, 2020 6:47 pm

dabigchina wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 28, 2020 5:06 pm

I want to say UCLA in state tuition is higher and you have LA CoL.

Of course, but still worth sticker?

You'd probably be better off making a thread about your stats and your goals and asking for advice generally, rather than asking a whole variety of specific question to which the answer is invariably going to be "It depends." No one can answer what the "worst law school worth sticker" is in a vacuum.

I assume most people would say GULC is worth sticker, but UCLA? Fwiw i'm from the midwest.

This is totally not responsive to what I said. You can't answer this in a vacuum. Different schools are worth it to different people depending on their circumstances.

But if Yale is your answer, good luck with that.

nixy wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 28, 2020 8:43 pm

depending on their circumstances.

I'm from the midwest.

laanngo wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 28, 2020 8:51 pm

nixy wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 28, 2020 8:43 pm

depending on their circumstances.

I'm from the midwest.

Well, that makes everything clear.

Nixy was more asking for you to explain your career goals, etc. You being from the midwest doesn't impact the question of whether [Insert School Here] is worth sticker. Your career goals, stats, financial situation, and other factors do have an impact on whether [Insert School Here] is worth it for you.

I'll bite- I'd pay sticker at the T13. I'd even consider Vandy cause I could live with family. I'd also consider UT, just because I think you can get resident status pretty quickly there (1 year?) and then pay instate. But I'd be hesitant to pull the trigger on either of those.

cavalier1138 wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 28, 2020 9:04 pm

Nixy was more asking for you to explain your career goals, etc. You being from the midwest doesn't impact the question of whether [Insert School Here] is worth sticker. Your career goals, stats, financial situation, and other factors do have an impact on whether [Insert School Here] is worth it for you.

Ok I guess I could have provided more details, but not ready to be doxxed yet. Hailing from the midwest does make UofC/NU/UofM/WU/ND/UI/UIUC a better value proposition because I would be seen as not a flight risk, and one or more of those options gives me the opportunity to stay with family.

laanngo wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 28, 2020 9:47 pm

cavalier1138 wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 28, 2020 9:04 pm

Nixy was more asking for you to explain your career goals, etc. You being from the midwest doesn't impact the question of whether [Insert School Here] is worth sticker. Your career goals, stats, financial situation, and other factors do have an impact on whether [Insert School Here] is worth it for you.

Ok I guess I could have provided more details, but not ready to be doxxed yet. Hailing from the midwest does make UofC/NU/UofM/WU/ND/UI/UIUC a better value proposition because I would be seen as not a flight risk, and one or more of those options gives me the opportunity to stay with family.

That’s not quite how it works. You won’t be seen as a flight risk in the Midwest bc you’re from the Midwest; you don’t have to go to school there. If you go to a national school, you open up opportunities outside of as well as within the Midwest. If you know for certain you want to stay in the Midwest that does make midwestern schools a better proposition, but Chicago/NU/Michigan are in a different category than WU/ND/UI/UIUC, depending on what kind of job you want. (Chicago is far and away the best for academia. Why are you interested in academia?)

nixy wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 28, 2020 10:04 pm

That’s not quite how it works. You won’t be seen as a flight risk in the Midwest bc you’re from the Midwest; you don’t have to go to school there. If you go to a national school, you open up opportunities outside of as well as within the Midwest. If you know for certain you want to stay in the Midwest that does make midwestern schools a better proposition, but Chicago/NU/Michigan are in a different category than WU/ND/UI/UIUC, depending on what kind of job you want. (Chicago is far and away the best for academia. Why are you interested in academia?)

Would crossing a state line to attend WU/ND/UI/UIUC make me seen as a flight risk in my home market?
I'm interested in academia because law professors produce something - scholarship. Practicing lawyers don't produce; they interpret.

laanngo wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 28, 2020 10:12 pm

nixy wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 28, 2020 10:04 pm

That’s not quite how it works. You won’t be seen as a flight risk in the Midwest bc you’re from the Midwest; you don’t have to go to school there. If you go to a national school, you open up opportunities outside of as well as within the Midwest. If you know for certain you want to stay in the Midwest that does make midwestern schools a better proposition, but Chicago/NU/Michigan are in a different category than WU/ND/UI/UIUC, depending on what kind of job you want. (Chicago is far and away the best for academia. Why are you interested in academia?)

Would crossing a state line to attend WU/ND/UI/UIUC make me seen as a flight risk in my home market?
I'm interested in academia because law professors produce something - scholarship. Practicing lawyers don't produce; they interpret.

Depends on what your home market is and what local law schools it has. But most likely not.

And that's a new take on academia (if you want to produce scholarship, why law?). But also, the chances of getting an academic job in your home market are slim to none. Academia is a gig in which you have to be willing to go where the job is located.