Top Law Schools

Okay, now that the title got you reading...

I've been on TLS for a few years, and I'm pretty well-versed in TLS-lore. Unfortunately, I didn't discover TLS until I had planned on going to my current school. Below, I'll lay out the facts. Then, you vote to give me some guidance as to what I should do next.

1. I was a biomedical engineer in undergrad with a ~3.4 UGPA.
2. I took and passed the patent bar before law school.
3. I go to a school ranked in the 50s/60s. It's in a regional market, and the school places pretty well in that market. However, with all markets ITT, this fact is basically worthless. Thus, assuming for the sake of argument, that because its a T2 my job prospects are not looking too hot.
4. I did pretty well this year, but not well enough. Just shy of a 3.6 and I missed the top 10% grade-on for LR by literally 4 people or probably just a few tenths of a GPA point. Thus, my shot at LR is solely with the write-on competition. I place my chances in that competition at lowwww% because LR will probably take about 5 out of at least 200 entries.
5. I got As in LRW, so I'm hoping that my writing is decent enough for a secondary journal. If I don't get that, I come up empty-handed because I chose not to do the moot court competition.
6. About 20-30 or so biglaw employers come to our school to recruit. ITT, even if 80% of those firms hired one person, thats a low number.
7. I want to do patent law. Thus, I'm most likely looking at biglaw, patent botiques, etc... I did the PLIP but won't hear back about interviews until next week. Also, the only patent botique firm in my area is not coming to my school to recruit. FML.
8. I'm also considering a transfer. I really like DC and my SO lives there.
9. I applied EA to Gtown and was deferred, but I did significantly better this semester than last. I also applied to GW, and will probably apply to Penn and Mich for the hell of it. I might also try Vandy, but I'm not sure.
10. I have to make a decision to stay, transfer, drop out, or /self.

Thanks in advance.

Anonymous User wrote:Okay, now that the title got you reading...

I've been on TLS for a few years, and I'm pretty well-versed in TLS-lore. Unfortunately, I didn't discover TLS until I had planned on going to my current school. Below, I'll lay out the facts. Then, you vote to give me some guidance as to what I should do next.

1. I was a biomedical engineer in undergrad with a ~3.4 UGPA.
2. I took and passed the patent bar before law school.
3. I go to a school ranked in the 50s/60s. It's in a regional market, and the school places pretty well in that market. However, with all markets ITT, this fact is basically worthless. Thus, assuming for the sake of argument, that because its a T2 my job prospects are not looking too hot.
4. I did pretty well this year, but not well enough. Just shy of a 3.6 and I missed the top 10% grade-on for LR by literally 4 people or probably just a few tenths of a GPA point. Thus, my shot at LR is solely with the write-on competition. I place my chances in that competition at lowwww% because LR will probably take about 5 out of at least 200 entries.
5. I got As in LRW, so I'm hoping that my writing is decent enough for a secondary journal. If I don't get that, I come up empty-handed because I chose not to do the moot court competition.
6. About 20-30 or so biglaw employers come to our school to recruit. ITT, even if 80% of those firms hired one person, thats a low number.
7. I want to do patent law. Thus, I'm most likely looking at biglaw, patent botiques, etc... I did the PLIP but won't hear back about interviews until next week. Also, the only patent botique firm in my area is not coming to my school to recruit. FML.
8. I'm also considering a transfer. I really like DC and my SO lives there.
9. I applied EA to Gtown and was deferred, but I did significantly better this semester than last. I also applied to GW, and will probably apply to Penn and Mich for the hell of it. I might also try Vandy, but I'm not sure.
10. I have to make a decision to stay, transfer, drop out, or /self.

Thanks in advance.

Dude you are in excellent shape. Quit complaining. Go to the loyola patent job thing in chicago. You will get a job.

thexfactor wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Okay, now that the title got you reading...

I've been on TLS for a few years, and I'm pretty well-versed in TLS-lore. Unfortunately, I didn't discover TLS until I had planned on going to my current school. Below, I'll lay out the facts. Then, you vote to give me some guidance as to what I should do next.

1. I was a biomedical engineer in undergrad with a ~3.4 UGPA.
2. I took and passed the patent bar before law school.
3. I go to a school ranked in the 50s/60s. It's in a regional market, and the school places pretty well in that market. However, with all markets ITT, this fact is basically worthless. Thus, assuming for the sake of argument, that because its a T2 my job prospects are not looking too hot.
4. I did pretty well this year, but not well enough. Just shy of a 3.6 and I missed the top 10% grade-on for LR by literally 4 people or probably just a few tenths of a GPA point. Thus, my shot at LR is solely with the write-on competition. I place my chances in that competition at lowwww% because LR will probably take about 5 out of at least 200 entries.
5. I got As in LRW, so I'm hoping that my writing is decent enough for a secondary journal. If I don't get that, I come up empty-handed because I chose not to do the moot court competition.
6. About 20-30 or so biglaw employers come to our school to recruit. ITT, even if 80% of those firms hired one person, thats a low number.
7. I want to do patent law. Thus, I'm most likely looking at biglaw, patent botiques, etc... I did the PLIP but won't hear back about interviews until next week. Also, the only patent botique firm in my area is not coming to my school to recruit. FML.
8. I'm also considering a transfer. I really like DC and my SO lives there.
9. I applied EA to Gtown and was deferred, but I did significantly better this semester than last. I also applied to GW, and will probably apply to Penn and Mich for the hell of it. I might also try Vandy, but I'm not sure.
10. I have to make a decision to stay, transfer, drop out, or /self.

Thanks in advance.

Dude you are in excellent shape. Quit complaining. Go to the loyola patent job thing in chicago. You will get a job.

This. "Boo-hoo, I have a great chance of landing biglaw, waaaaa..."

seirously.. when i read the post i thought he was just trying to "show off" his grades.

the Op is in excellent shape for biglaw.

OP here. Not showing anything off--just trying to elicit some advice. Thanks for the responses though.

top 15%? patent related degree, passed patent bar, and wants to practice patent?

Good shape. Probably not a bad idea to transfer, though, unless it would cost you a lot of money or opportunities (but judging from what you've said, it doesn't sound like you lose much by transferring).

ggocat wrote:top 15%? patent related degree, passed patent bar, and wants to practice patent?

Good shape. Probably not a bad idea to transfer, though, unless it would cost you a lot of money or opportunities (but judging from what you've said, it doesn't sound like you lose much by transferring).

OP again. Really? Even if the school is like t20ish? Fwiw, I have $0 scholarship at my current school, but I would be paying more per year if I transferred (probably like $15k-ish more).

Anonymous User wrote:

ggocat wrote:top 15%? patent related degree, passed patent bar, and wants to practice patent?

Good shape. Probably not a bad idea to transfer, though, unless it would cost you a lot of money or opportunities (but judging from what you've said, it doesn't sound like you lose much by transferring).

OP again. Really? Even if the school is like t20ish? Fwiw, I have $0 scholarship at my current school, but I would be paying more per year if I transferred (probably like $15k-ish more).

$30K plus interest is not an insubstantial amount of money. Tough call. I think GW is probably worth the move if you want DC and do not make law review. Same goes for Vandy unless your current school is in the DC area (and even then, it's a tough call).

If you made LR, wanted to live in the state of your current school, or had a large scholarship, I'd think otherwise (T20ish school not worth the move). But just from your post, it seems like there's not much holding you to your current school, right? $30K is a decent chunk of change, though.

Good luck!

OP here...hmmm interesting...

Definitely consider transferring to GW if you're accepted. They are very well-respected in patent-IP fields (my spouse works in IP/IG with a number of very successful GW alumnae.) Probably easier to land a job and you'll be happier on a personal level.

mbw wrote:Definitely consider transferring to GW if you're accepted. They are very well-respected in patent-IP fields (my spouse works in IP/IG with a number of very successful GW alumnae.) Probably easier to land a job and you'll be happier on a personal level.

OP here...this is my understanding as well. ITT, however, how well do you think a transfer (w/o a GW GPA) would fare at OCI? I know that GW would provide like 5-10x the biglaw exposure compared to my old school's OCI, but does anyone have any data (or point me in the right direction) about GW transfers? Thanks!

IN at GW. Does this change the calculus at all? I guess I'll sit tight while I wait for Gtown, Duke, Mich, and Penn.

Thanks for the responses so far. Does anyone else think that the move to GW would definitely be worth it? Ideas, comments?

op i go to gw... PM me.

Just to address one little point, Kelo was wrongly decided!! But seriously, just because a particular firm isn't participating in OCI doesn't mean they aren't hiring, etc. I have no statistics, but the vast majority of people don't even get OCI interviews and still get jobs. Don't let that be a factor in your decision.

funkblaster wrote:Just to address one little point, Kelo was wrongly decided!! But seriously, just because a particular firm isn't participating in OCI doesn't mean they aren't hiring, etc. I have no statistics, but the vast majority of people don't even get OCI interviews and still get jobs. Don't let that be a factor in your decision.

op again.

lol no. eminent domain + maximizing economic potential, ftw (kidding, of course, because I don't think the pfizer deal ever went through as planned).

Thanks for the response. I'm aware that firms hire outside of OCI. However, OCI is often a pretty good proxy of the potential for a rising 2L at a particular school to gain exposure to firms AND the general disposition that many firms take on what a particular school has to offer--e.g. rising 2Ls. I would agree with you that the vast majority get jobs outside of OCI. However, the type of job that I want (or at least think I want) will most likely come through OCI. Therefore, it's kind of an important factor in my decision.

op again, yeah my feigned worry about my great prospects notwithstanding, thanks for telling me what great shape I'm in.

Anonymous User wrote:op again, yeah my feigned worry about my great prospects notwithstanding, thanks for telling me what great shape I'm in.

Thanks for your contribution .

Anonymous User wrote:IN at GW. Does this change the calculus at all? I guess I'll sit tight while I wait for Gtown, Duke, Mich, and Penn.

Thanks for the responses so far. Does anyone else think that the move to GW would definitely be worth it? Ideas, comments?

Congrats on the acceptance.

Could be worth it. Did you make law review?

ggocat wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:IN at GW. Does this change the calculus at all? I guess I'll sit tight while I wait for Gtown, Duke, Mich, and Penn.

Thanks for the responses so far. Does anyone else think that the move to GW would definitely be worth it? Ideas, comments?

Congrats on the acceptance.

Could be worth it. Did you make law review?

I didn't grade-on. My only shot is the write-on which takes about 3-9 people each year. Out of ~200 entries. lulz.