MSU Law - 1L Taking Questions Forum

[Guthrie32]

To be honest about the King Scholars I think that you need a 3.5 to retain the benefits of the King Scholars program but only a 3.0 to retain the full-tuition scholarship

I checked into this, and you are correct, which I did not know. Thank you!

[Donovan]

Does anybody know if there's a closer airport than Detroit? I'm really not looking forward to paying expensive cab fare.

Or, is there a train that runs from Detroit to Lansing? I'll be taking my bicycle.

[sparty99]

lansing has a airport....Usually gets flights from US Air (Pittsburgh), Delta (MSP, DTW), United (Chicago)...

There is a bus from Detroit to Lansing. Not sure if the train goes there too. Just check amtrak.

[Guthrie32]

Does anybody know if there's a closer airport than Detroit? I'm really not looking forward to paying expensive cab fare.

Or, is there a train that runs from Detroit to Lansing? I'll be taking my bicycle.

Grand Rapids also has an airport, and it seems to be a nice option for students. It is about an hour away. Once you get to MSU you will more than likely meet some other 1Ls from either GR or Detroit, and you should be able to con a ride to the airport out of them. I know several in my section did that for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

[Donovan]

Thanks, guys. That's a huge help. I'm looking into tickets now.

[supercal27]

Thank you for this thread and your willingness to answer questions. So, what are the real possibilities of obtaining a 6 figure job out west (ie California, Arizona, Nevada)? Or are the 100k jobs generally in the area of MSU? Thanks!

[chalhou1]

Thank you for this thread and your willingness to answer questions. So, what are the real possibilities of obtaining a 6 figure job out west (ie California, Arizona, Nevada)? Or are the 100k jobs generally in the area of MSU? Thanks!

hate to be blunt but you're going to the wrong school

[supercal27]

Thank you for this thread and your willingness to answer questions. So, what are the real possibilities of obtaining a 6 figure job out west (ie California, Arizona, Nevada)? Or are the 100k jobs generally in the area of MSU? Thanks!

hate to be blunt but you're going to the wrong school

No, that's fine. That's what I need to hear/know! Do you mean wrong school as in no 100k jobs out of MSU period? Or for the region I want?

[chalhou1]

Thank you for this thread and your willingness to answer questions. So, what are the real possibilities of obtaining a 6 figure job out west (ie California, Arizona, Nevada)? Or are the 100k jobs generally in the area of MSU? Thanks!

hate to be blunt but you're going to the wrong school

No, that's fine. That's what I need to hear/know! Do you mean wrong school as in no 100k jobs out of MSU period? Or for the region I want?

It will be very difficult to find that kind of job in cali with an MSU degree. In Michigan, there are opportunities for six figures

[Guthrie32]

Thank you for this thread and your willingness to answer questions. So, what are the real possibilities of obtaining a 6 figure job out west (ie California, Arizona, Nevada)? Or are the 100k jobs generally in the area of MSU? Thanks!

hate to be blunt but you're going to the wrong school

No, that's fine. That's what I need to hear/know! Do you mean wrong school as in no 100k jobs out of MSU period? Or for the region I want?

It will be very difficult to find that kind of job in cali with an MSU degree. In Michigan, there are opportunities for six figures

Sadly, I have to agree. Honestly, the jobs that start out paying that kind of money have become almost unattainable for most students. The landscape of the entire legal market has changed, and the jobs paying 100k to new associates are very limited and extremely competitive. The only way to ensure a job like that is to be in the top 10% of your class or to go to a T14 law school. Hopefully, it is just temporary and sorts itself out by the time we are all looking for jobs, but I'm not counting on it.

http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/arti ... yers_earn/

This article shows average salaries for lawyers across the country, but this is not of first year attorneys, it is of all lawyers in the market. You can expect to make below the median starting out, and in some markets, well below the median. Law school is becoming more and more of a leap of faith, yet students still come in expecting to all make 6 figures right out the gate. I'm glad you asked that question because, as you indicated, some students just need to hear what they can realistically expect to earn upon graduation. If you have serious goals of working in the Cali market and earning that much, this simply may not be the school for you. Good luck.

[Imogene]

Thanks for taking questions!

I am seriously considering MSU for several reasons, and I want to make sure that I am making the correct decision. I have a 165/4.0. I took the LSAT twice, and my first score was a 161. I have 11 credits left in my undergrad, and I should graduate in December with a BA in Environmental Science and Biology, so I plan on applying this fall. The thing that I am concerned about is the fact that I went to a small private liberal arts school. I think that the classes were super easy and I am afraid that it has made me over-confident of my abilities. If I had went to a large state university, I am guessing that my gpa would have been significantly lower. Do you know people who came from small colleges who were still successful at MSU? Is it relatively common? I am sure that I can get in, and I have a decent chance at some good scholarships, but I am scared that I will not do well once I start.

The second question that I have kind of relates back to the first question. If I go to MSU, I can live at home for free. The commute would be about 45 minutes. How important is it that I am close to campus? Several replies mentioned taking advantage of the library. Would I be better off to spend a lot of time in the library and drive home late, or to have an apartment on campus? Financially, living at home seems like the better option, but I don't want it to affect my academic performance.

My third set of questions have to do with the dual degree programs. Specifically the MS in Fisheries and Wildlife, Forestry, or Community, Agriculture, Recreation, and Resources Studies. Are there a lot of people enrolled in these programs? Are you aware of any scholarship assistance available for the programs, and do you think that they would be worth the extra year of school? What kind of job opportunities would they open up that would not be available with just a JD.

Answers to any of my questions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my long post. I figured that it would be best to get all of my questions out of the way at once with as much background information as possible. Thanks!!!