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Please Help ME!!!!!!

Brooklyn PT(Sticker) or Hofstra(30,000,based on keeping a 3.25 GPA)

Hofstra. I don't think Brooklyn places that much better than Hofstra, as to justify paying 90k more for. Just DO NOT fall below 3.25, and if you do, I would seriously consider dropping out.

yo111 wrote:Please Help ME!!!!!!

Brooklyn PT(Sticker) or Hofstra(30,000,based on keeping a 3.25 GPA)

both extremely bad options.

Neither is worth sticker, and chances are you're losing that Hofstra scholarship

Career goals, etc?

Can you find work at a small firm while doing BLS part-time, and turn that into a job offer?

Both will be pretty dangerous investments, especially in this economy. Have you considered targeting a different market? If you've got BLS numbers, you've probably got better options. The siren-song of NYC manages to attracts people who could probably get into lower T50's that place much better in areas with much cheaper cost of living...

I plan o going into Tax and I currently have a job as an accountant in NYC

Do not go to either. Because if you do... you will look back on this and realize this is the best advice and you chose to ignore it.

In all seriousness though, I truly believe that you need to explore other options.

E\/ERLAST wrote:Do not go to either. Because if you do... you will look back on this and realize this is the best advice and you chose to ignore it.

In all seriousness though, I truly believe that you need to explore other options.

Not necessarily. I have a friend who went to BLS and now works at a biglaw firm. It does happen. The fact that OP has prior career experience may be advantageous to him.

rayiner wrote:Career goals, etc?

Can you find work at a small firm while doing BLS part-time, and turn that into a job offer?

Both will be pretty dangerous investments, especially in this economy. Have you considered targeting a different market? If you've got BLS numbers, you've probably got better options. The siren-song of NYC manages to attracts people who could probably get into lower T50's that place much better in areas with much cheaper cost of living...

Rayiner is trying to help you, but he seriously hates New York, so keep that in mind. That said, trying to crack the NYC market from either of these schools makes me very nervous for you. I love this city more than my life, so leaving was not really an option for me. I don't know your situation, but if it is similar, you need to look very carefully at your goals. What type of tax work do you plan to do? If you want NYC biglaw, you must retake. I very rarely give this advice, and only when it is truly warranted. If your goals include small firm employment, the Hofstra scholarship might be able to get you there. The Hofstra median is 3.15, so you will have to beat out a sizable percentage of your classmates to keep that scholarship.

As it stands, if neither retaking nor leaving is an option for you, I would heed nitsudrx. It seems awful to head into law school with a contingency plan that includes dropping out, though, so please consider other options before you do this! Depending on your GPA, a 165+ could give you better opportunities than I had.

My goal is not necessarily going into big law although that would be nice. I would like to work in Tax in one of the big 4 accounting firms for a couple of years. And than go into big law. I have no interest in retaking my LSAT.

yo111 wrote:My goal is not necessarily going into big law although that would be nice. I would like to work in Tax in one of the big 4 accounting firms for a couple of years. And than go into big law. I have no interest in retaking my LSAT.

Your goals are 1000% unrealistic. For the love of god rethink what you are doing. You are not going to ever go to a biglaw after a few years at a big - 4. Maybe with a tax llm, but even then, I doubt it. Going to hofstra or BLS qualifies you to handle high end slip and fall cases and DUI defense.

I think there is a difference between the opportunities BLS can offer and Hofstra. In terms of "biglaw", the difference is not THAT much. However, there is a whole beautiful world outside the BigLaw bubble. I think BLS can provide you great access to many middle sized law firms, that pay well.

If you have a good full time job that you can sustain throughout law school and cover your expenses, I would attand BLS. I tend to disagree with other posters that BLS and Cardozo are death sentances because the NLJ graph shows on 10% yield. I know the economy is even worst now, but the NY legal market is huge, and BLS and Cardozo have great connections to the non Biglaw market.

Good luck.

Hopefully I will have a job throughout law school and I appreciate people telling me not to go to law school. But the ? was which one would you go to given my choices. I will have a CPA and a tax LLM is def an option.

yo111 wrote:I plan o going into Tax and I currently have a job as an accountant in NYC

Get your CPA.

sentinal5656 wrote:I think there is a difference between the opportunities BLS can offer and Hofstra. In terms of "biglaw", the difference is not THAT much. However, there is a whole beautiful world outside the BigLaw bubble. I think BLS can provide you great access to many middle sized law firms, that pay well.

If you have a good full time job that you can sustain throughout law school and cover your expenses, I would attand BLS. I tend to disagree with other posters that BLS and Cardozo are death sentances because the NLJ graph shows on 10% yield. I know the economy is even worst now, but the NY legal market is huge, and BLS and Cardozo have great connections to the non Biglaw market.

Good luck.

Do these "beautiful, middle sized" firms really exist? If so, is it common for them to hire recent law grads? How about Brooklyn Law grads?

sentinal5656 wrote:I think there is a difference between the opportunities BLS can offer and Hofstra. In terms of "biglaw", the difference is not THAT much. However, there is a whole beautiful world outside the BigLaw bubble. I think BLS can provide you great access to many middle sized law firms, that pay well.

If you have a good full time job that you can sustain throughout law school and cover your expenses, I would attand BLS. I tend to disagree with other posters that BLS and Cardozo are death sentances because the NLJ graph shows on 10% yield. I know the economy is even worst now, but the NY legal market is huge, and BLS and Cardozo have great connections to the non Biglaw market.

Good luck.

Follow this advice and you are destine to be an angry BLS-JDU troll in about 4 years. Midlaw is a fucking unicorn that exists for very few. I know this because I work in midlaw in NYC.. The pool of peer firms is small and hard to break into. They like ex-biglaw or people with biglaw stats right out of school.. 2009 Predictions for BLS grads at 9 months... 45% unemployed... 5% in Biglaw... 5% in "Midlaw".. 20% in "industry" 5% clerking.. 20% in shitlaw...

If you are giong to go to a shit house law school... like i did... do so with the right expectations and minimize your debt.. There is no difference between BLS and Hofstra with respect to job prospects.. Its that simple.

the choice is dog shit dipped in gold or silver... While one might look nicer on the outside and have a little more resale value.. at the end of the day, the core is still dog shit.

yo111 wrote:Hopefully I will have a job throughout law school and I appreciate people telling me not to go to law school. But the ? was which one would you go to given my choices. I will have a CPA and a tax LLM is def an option.

Realistically speaking, you're not going to get a big-4 accounting job or a biglaw job out of either school. So put those out of your mind. Ask yourself: what do you want to do with your JD? Are you looking for a higher salary ceiling than you would have with your CPA? Do you just want to be a lawyer?

There are reasons to go to BLS. They include things like wanting to do small law in NYC or wanting to work in local government, etc. From a financial perspective, a CPA going to BLS doesn't make a whole lot of sense, though. You'll accumulate a lot of debt, and coming out you'll work more hours for less money.

Why doesnt a CPA going to BLS make a diff?

rayiner wrote:

yo111 wrote:Hopefully I will have a job throughout law school and I appreciate people telling me not to go to law school. But the ? was which one would you go to given my choices. I will have a CPA and a tax LLM is def an option.

Realistically speaking, you're not going to get a big-4 accounting job or a biglaw job out of either school. So put those out of your mind. Ask yourself: what do you want to do with your JD? Are you looking for a higher salary ceiling than you would have with your CPA? Do you just want to be a lawyer?

There are reasons to go to BLS. They include things like wanting to do small law in NYC or wanting to work in local government, etc. From a financial perspective, a CPA going to BLS doesn't make a whole lot of sense, though. You'll accumulate a lot of debt, and coming out you'll work more hours for less money.

Having a CPA will help, but the big-4 firms have their pick of CPAs with T14 degrees. Why would they hire a BLS JD?

BLS is a festering Toilettt dressed up as a real school... Its a mess dood. You'll leave there with 180k in debt and no job. You will NEVER work at a big 4 coming out of there and biglaw will be all but impossible.. You're on the verge of making the biggest mistake of your life.

nitsudrx wrote:

sentinal5656 wrote:I think there is a difference between the opportunities BLS can offer and Hofstra. In terms of "biglaw", the difference is not THAT much. However, there is a whole beautiful world outside the BigLaw bubble. I think BLS can provide you great access to many middle sized law firms, that pay well.

If you have a good full time job that you can sustain throughout law school and cover your expenses, I would attand BLS. I tend to disagree with other posters that BLS and Cardozo are death sentances because the NLJ graph shows on 10% yield. I know the economy is even worst now, but the NY legal market is huge, and BLS and Cardozo have great connections to the non Biglaw market.

Good luck.

Do these "beautiful, middle sized" firms really exist? If so, is it common for them to hire recent law grads? How about Brooklyn Law grads?

My dislike of BLS is well documented (and unfortunately well earned), but I would not say that the school is a death sentence. Cardozo is certainly no death sentence! It is, however, unrealistic to attend either school with biglaw as a goal. I have several PI bound friends heading to each of these schools, and all seem happy with their prospects. This OP does not want to do legal aid or government work, though. I believe he would be better served by attending a higher ranked school if he desires to stay in New York. I understand that not everyone can retake, but given his goals, I feel like our school would suit him a lot better.

Oh I love how BLS, even with the scam in full view, still has kids thinking that they can take "a nice midlaw job for 88k and better hours." Oh wow. Anyone that goes to BLS for sticker at this point deserves the hell they will live thereafter..

Again given my options where would you GO??? Thanks for telling me how bad the law schools I got in to are. But I did not ask you about that. HOFSTRA(30,000) Brooklyn (STICKER)???

yo111 wrote:Again given my options where would you GO??? Thanks for telling me how bad the law schools I got in to are. But I did not ask you about that. HOFSTRA(30,000) Brooklyn (STICKER)???

Is the Hofstra $30k/year, or $30k total?

With a gun to my head, I'd choose BLS PT. Keep my current job and use that to offset the cost. Oh, and find religion and pray 5 times a day...

yo111 wrote:Again given my options where would you GO??? Thanks for telling me how bad the law schools I got in to are. But I did not ask you about that. HOFSTRA(30,000) Brooklyn (STICKER)???

Is this 30k scholly per year at hof? If so, can you negotiate the requirement to keep the scholly without regard to class rank... If Hofstra gives you 30k a year schooly with no strings, then enjoy the three year vacation and bo ok with a job earning between 45k and 70k at graduation.. Other than that.. your options are horrible, because bls at sticker is insane and Hofstra yanks schollys like its their job.

It is 30,000 a year based on keeping a GPA of 3.25.Cost of living is not a problem.

rayiner wrote:

yo111 wrote:Again given my options where would you GO??? Thanks for telling me how bad the law schools I got in to are. But I did not ask you about that. HOFSTRA(30,000) Brooklyn (STICKER)???

Is the Hofstra $30k/year, or $30k total?

With a gun to my head, I'd choose BLS PT. Keep my current job and use that to offset the cost. Oh, and find religion and pray 5 times a day...