Top Law Schools

Thank you

Your schools are all over the place. Where do you want to work when you graduate?

/insert obligatory "come back after you get your 2nd semester grades"

Most likely, your ceiling is going to be a T25 ish school. Because of your current school's location, you can probably maximize your chances by applying to Michigan, Northwestern, Minnesota, ND, and WUSTL. Though far from guaranteeing you a job, these schools will help you the most in Chicago and the Midwest. I would not transfer to a T2 in Chicago if I were you.

If you want to land in the Pacific Northwest, geographic presence and ties are likely going to make all the difference. Definitely send out an application to UW. I'd probably also consider applying to Lewis and Clark, and Seattle. That'd be a tough choice for me though, because you're really putting all of your eggs in one basket.

Unless you want to practice in California (specifically SoCal), USC and UCLA are likely a waste of your time and money. My understanding is that those schools do not travel well at all to the Pacific Northwest.

Finally, if JMSL isn't free (or damn close to it), get the hell out of there.

The previous poster pretty much hit everything, but I will reiterate a couple of points for emphasis.

Absolutely do not transfer to any of the Chicago TT. The biglaw prospects for a transfer at either school are equivalent to the prospects of a full-bred John Marshall student (which is zero for the record). So it makes no sense to pay sticker to attend a school that will not improve your chances of a job that will pay down the debt.

Your best bet is probably to leverage your performance into a full-ride, though I am not sure how willing John Marshall would be in caving to your demands. I hope at the very least that you have a partial scholarship there already.