Top Law Schools

Ask away and I will try to respond as quickly as possible.

Copieed from other thread. Got the fee waiver but haven't really done any research on the school at all. Is the area nice? And does the LS place well even with so many better LSs in the state? Are they generous with scholarship $?

How is the diversity at Richmond, I have been interested in moving to Virginia with my family (girlfriend and son) and wondered how diverse the campus is. I am Native Hawaiian and not to sure what kind of boost I might get.


Would you consider Richmond a safe place to live? Again my family comes first.


How are prospects for business law?

Barbie and jeremydc:
The UofR campus is absolutely gorgeous. The law school is great as well, though certain areas could use some minor refurbishment [the basement student hangout area for example]; however, the classrooms and the library are certainly top-notch. A great amenity that all law students receive is a personal study carrel. I have found this asset to be extremely useful because it greatly reduces the need to lug books, always affords you an excellent place to study, and provides you with a place to store personal items.
I realize that Richmond [the city] is somewhat plagued with disconcerting crime figures, but I have come to realize that the vast majority of the crime occurs in isolated areas that I doubt either of you will see. By contrast, the campus appears to be extremely safe, despite some minor incidents being reported thus far [UofR has a great police force and they have recently increased patrols]. Furthermore, I have fallen in love with the city of Richmond, particularly the charming areas close to the law school [Carytown and the Fan in particular]. The previously mentioned areas appear to be extremely safe and are filled with wonderful restaurants. There are also wonderful places for family activities: numerous museums, tons of festivals, a great botanical gardens, the Maymont Foundation which is gorgeous, etc.

Barbie:
I think that UofR is relatively generous with scholarships: I received one and I know many others who did as well. Concerning job placement: it is true that UofR lags behind W&M, W&L, and UVA; however, UofR has a highly prestigious reputation in the area and it seems that OCI has been in full force thus far [my study carrel is located by the interview room so I see the firms that are posted each day]. I haven't talked to too many 2Ls or 3Ls about job prospects, but I can tell you that the economy has hurt almost every law school. Ultimately, if you place in the top of your class, you should not have difficulty acquiring an excellent job.

jeremydc:
UofR is relatively diverse and there are numerous student organizations that promote diversity.
Concerning business law, I am unsure. I can say that UofR does not place very well for BigLaw, but does seem to have some leverage with Big firms that are have offices in Richmond.

I hope this helps

Thanks for taking Q's. I just got in today. My cousin goes to UG at UR. It was kind of a turn off to me that the school was so fratty (they even wore button shirts and ties to football games). Do the students at the law school share in the same preppy/fratty culture?
Also, do you know anything about the John Marshall Scholarship? What do they look for in a candidate?

No problem, I'm always happy to help. First off, congratulations for the acceptance. Haha I definitely feel you on the undergrad frattyness, but the law school definitely feels like a distinct environment both academically and socially. There are certainly some fratty-ish people, but it is definitely not pervasive.
I don't really know too much about the JM Scholarship program. I know that they take a separate class [a seminar I believe] and it seems pretty legit. I believe that Tim Kaine lectures for them from time to time.

Where do most students live?

there is a law dorm but most students choose to live off campus. there is ample housing close by

I'm from Virginia and go to undergrad pretty close to Richmond, but I'm not all that familiar with what Richmond Law is like. My question is pretty general: What made you decide on Richmond? I'm also applying to W&M, W&L, and George Mason. How does Richmond stack up against those law schools? Do a lot of people find job placement in the DC area? Sorry for the vast string of questions, but I appreciate your help! Thanks.

Hi,

I am interested in going into constitutional law and was wondering if Richmond would be a good school for that focus.

Thanks

Hey maryuva and elvenlord21, sorry for the very delayed response, but I will try to answer both of your questions as well as I can.

maryuva:
I am a VA resident and went to UG close to Richmond as well [not UVA]. I ultimately chose Richmond because I want to practice law in VA, Richmond Law is quite prestigious and places well in the Richmond area and Hampton Roads more generally, and I simply did not have the GPA for UVA or WM [I am not a fan of W&L for any particular reason. I am sure that it is a great school.].
Regarding your second question, I think that at bottom, Richmond Law stacks up very well against WM, W&L, and Mason, especially in the immediate area and Hampton Roads [especially over Mason which really does not have a strong presence in Richmond or Hampton Roads]. While WM and W&L are higher ranked, from what I have heard in speaking with several attorneys in VA, they are considered to be peer schools and are viewed on a level playing field. However, in response to your question concerning DC placement, Richmond Law lags behind the other three. It really just depends where you would like to practice law. Mason, for example, places largely in the Northern VA and DC area, and would probably be a superior choice if that is your goal. By contrast, if you would like to end up in Richmond or Hampton Roads, then Richmond Law is the obvious choice [though I cannot discount WM].

elvenlord21:
I am not really sure about Richmond Law's constitutional law program in particular. As a 1L, I will be taking Con law in the spring and my professor is an extremely accomplished individual who was on Harvard Law Review and clerked for Justice Scalia. Sorry that I can't help more.

I am really impressed with what I have been reading so far about Richmond, I feel like it is underrated, especially considering many of the schools that are ranked above it.

I am interested in practicing law around Virginia, DC, and the other states surrounding VA....how is Richmond's networking in this region? What is your overall opinion of the professors?

dshirs32 wrote:Hey maryuva and elvenlord21, sorry for the very delayed response, but I will try to answer both of your questions as well as I can.

maryuva:
I am a VA resident and went to UG close to Richmond as well [not UVA]. I ultimately chose Richmond because I want to practice law in VA, Richmond Law is quite prestigious and places well in the Richmond area and Hampton Roads more generally, and I simply did not have the GPA for UVA or WM [I am not a fan of W&L for any particular reason. I am sure that it is a great school.].
Regarding your second question, I think that at bottom, Richmond Law stacks up very well against WM, W&L, and Mason, especially in the immediate area and Hampton Roads [especially over Mason which really does not have a strong presence in Richmond or Hampton Roads]. While WM and W&L are higher ranked, from what I have heard in speaking with several attorneys in VA, they are considered to be peer schools and are viewed on a level playing field. However, in response to your question concerning DC placement, Richmond Law lags behind the other three. It really just depends where you would like to practice law. Mason, for example, places largely in the Northern VA and DC area, and would probably be a superior choice if that is your goal. By contrast, if you would like to end up in Richmond or Hampton Roads, then Richmond Law is the obvious choice [though I cannot discount WM].

elvenlord21:
I am not really sure about Richmond Law's constitutional law program in particular. As a 1L, I will be taking Con law in the spring and my professor is an extremely accomplished individual who was on Harvard Law Review and clerked for Justice Scalia. Sorry that I can't help more.

Exams are stressing me, so I thought I'd pick on people. Um constitutional law. um what? Are you planning on being a constitutional lawyer? You know there is no such thing? A school's con law program should have zero impact on your choice of law school.

Also, going to any school because they are strong or weak in a specialty is a horrible thing to do. Employers don't care about a school's specialty- neither should you.

pjo wrote:Thanks for taking Q's. I just got in today. My cousin goes to UG at UR. It was kind of a turn off to me that the school was so fratty (they even wore button shirts and ties to football games). Do the students at the law school share in the same preppy/fratty culture?
Also, do you know anything about the John Marshall Scholarship? What do they look for in a candidate?

Sorry, not trying to hijack this thread, but quick question. pjo, when did you apply? And what are your numbers, if you don't mind me asking?

Anyone part of the John Marshall Scholars?

Hey, I was wondering if you could tell me how the social life at Richmond Law is like. I am currently at UGA and have become very use to the college town environment. Is Richmond like that or is it more urban?

Also, how friendly are the students there? Do most people stick to themselves or in small groups? Is it easy to find new people to student with?

Richmond is very urban. UGA =/= richmond. At all.

Nicholasnickynic wrote:Richmond is very urban. UGA =/= richmond. At all.

+1

I don't know if I'd say VERY urban, but DEFINITELY not a typical quaint little college town (but i don't know anything about UGA so I can't speak to that)

i'll jump in here and answer questions as well. not sure who OP is, but we have the same con law professor next spring and are therefore in the same section.

-_-

jsimp wrote:I was wondering if you could tell me how the social life at Richmond Law is like

UR has a small class size and an excellent community. dean rahman does a great job assembling a diverse and accomplished student base, and almost everyone is friendly and approachable. the social life is what you make of it, of course, but is tremendous in every aspect.

dibs/dshirs32/anyone

Are you familiar with the Summer Session? I'm trying to find out if it is worth the $ and giving up a summer.

OK, I have to weigh in here. Richmond is a great school, lots of fun etc. That being said there are MANY other, better options for the price. A fairly high percentage of my class is employed but a great many of them are underemployed. Luckily I had a family connection that got me into where I wanted to be but I would strongly caution you about UR. If you want to stay in Richmond or the central VA area then, by all means, it would be a great place to go but ONLY if you get significant scholarships.

Nicholasnickynic wrote:Richmond is very urban. UGA =/= richmond. At all.

This is completely wrong...UR is anything but 'very urban'. Go to Temple, NYU, or Georgetown for 20 minutes then come talk about urban v. suburban

URalum wrote:

Nicholasnickynic wrote:Richmond is very urban. UGA =/= richmond. At all.

This is completely wrong...UR is anything but 'very urban'. Go to Temple, NYU, or Georgetown for 20 minutes then come talk about urban v. suburban

+1000. No one in Richmond considers UR a part of Richmond. It's on the outskirts of the city tucked away in the burbs.

Thanks for taking questions. I have two questions.

the first, how expensive is the housing
Secondly, how hard is to get admitted to the law school as far as you know for someone who isn't URM. What is the lowest LSAT you have seen at Richmond?

Campus housing or off campus? Rent isn't too bad in Richmond, looks like $400-$500 per month per bedroom where students generally live.

Someone got in with a 157 last cycle according to LSN. They also had a 4.0. From LSN, it looks like admissions starts wait listing below 160 for non-URM candidate with sub 3.7 GPA. I wouldn't count on much $$$ with a sub 160.

Also, I don't go to UR. Its the first school I heard back from and I have been researching it while bored at work.