Top Law Schools

Up until November, I imagined myself going to law school in New York City (or surrounding area) and practicing law in the city as well. However, I decided to apply to a few schools on the west coast, University of San Francisco Law, McGeorge Pacific, Lewis & Clark, and Golden Gate (just as a safety). I've always wanted to live on the west coast at some point in my life and I figured at attending school out there might be the best time to realize tat I also applied to various schools in NY and NJ. So far I've been accepted to San Francisco, McGeorge, and Rutgers-Newark (dont know my financial information for any of them). My question is, what are your thoughts on going to a lower ranked school just because I want to live out west and possibly continue my life out there?

Educate yourself on the job prospects coming from those schools and your list gets a lot shorter.

Even if you want to live out West, you'd want to go to the best school in the region. So, wait for Lewis and Clark, and hopefully it won't be too expensive. I don't know what the job opportunities are from L&C, but there's waaay too many schools in California ranked higher than the ones you got in to. Rutgers wouldn't be bad if you could get in-state and you want to live in New Jersey.

A school like Rutgers will pretty much limit you to practicing in NJ, NY, PA in the earlier years of your career, assuming you get a job at all. Lower ranked schools than that are not even worth attending for money, maybe not even worth free.

rinkrat19 wrote:Educate yourself on the job prospects coming from those schools and your list gets a lot shorter becomes a blank page.

FTFY

The legal market is so bad that it's hard to get a job in a place you're not from even if you go to school there. Also those schools have a very high likelihood of leading to modern-day debtor's prison.

chimp wrote:

rinkrat19 wrote:Educate yourself on the job prospects coming from those schools and your list gets a lot shorter becomes a blank page.

FTFY

+1, and thank you for the chuckle.

OP, seriously, do some research. Obtaining full-time legal employment from any of these TTTT schools is incredibly hard, and Rutgers isn't worth it if you're from Cali. Retake or don't go.

Grizz wrote:The legal market is so bad that it's hard to get a job in a place you're not from even if you go to school there. Also those schools have a very high likelihood of leading to modern-day debtor's prison.

What is this? ( I understand that it's a metaphor, but for what?)

jerichosm wrote:

Grizz wrote:The legal market is so bad that it's hard to get a job in a place you're not from even if you go to school there. Also those schools have a very high likelihood of leading to modern-day debtor's prison.

What is this? ( I understand that it's a metaphor, but for what?)

The crushing shackles of non-dischargeable student loan debt.

jerichosm wrote:

Grizz wrote:The legal market is so bad that it's hard to get a job in a place you're not from even if you go to school there. Also those schools have a very high likelihood of leading to modern-day debtor's prison.

What is this? ( I understand that it's a metaphor, but for what?)

Not being able to find a job that pays enough to allow you to service your loans. Forget ever buying a house or driving a decent car or being able to send your kids to college.

Grizz wrote: The crushing shackles of non-dischargeable student loan debt.

Grizz wrote:

jerichosm wrote:

Grizz wrote:The legal market is so bad that it's hard to get a job in a place you're not from even if you go to school there. Also those schools have a very high likelihood of leading to modern-day debtor's prison.

rinkrat19 wrote:Not being able to find a job that pays enough to allow you to service your loans. Forget ever buying a house or driving a decent car or being able to send your kids to college.

Post-judgment interest rates on non-dischargeable student loan debts are ~6%...not too shabby. Not to mention, the FDCPA provides MORE than adequate relief from creditors, in the sense of mailings, phone calls, and the publicity of your debts.

However, not being able to pay your student loan payments = shitty.
$100,000 debt = ~$1,000 - $1,500 payment per month

$1,500 x 12 mos. = $18,000 per year

(CNNMoney) -- College grads are getting offered bigger paychecks for the first time since 2008.

Students who will graduate this spring are receiving job offers with starting salaries averaging $50,034 per year, up 3.5% from last year, according to a survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

(NALP.org) -- The national median salary for the Class of 2010, based on those working full-time and reporting a salary, was $63,000

College grad:

$50,000 - $18,000 = $32,000 remaining

Law school grad:

$63,000 - $18,000 = $45,000 remaining

I don't see falling behind on payments as an issue for flexible, competent individuals. Even if you don't get a law job, attaining a job with a salary above $40,000 is not impossible.

jerichosm wrote:Post-judgment interest rates on non-dischargeable student loan debts are ~6%...not too shabby. Not to mention, the FDCPA provides MORE than adequate relief from creditors, in the sense of mailings, phone calls, and the publicity of your debts.

However, not being able to pay your student loan payments = shitty.
$100,000 debt = ~$1,000 - $1,500 payment per month

$1,500 x 12 mos. = $18,000 per year

(CNNMoney) -- College grads are getting offered bigger paychecks for the first time since 2008.

Students who will graduate this spring are receiving job offers with starting salaries averaging $50,034 per year, up 3.5% from last year, according to a survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

(NALP.org) -- The national median salary for the Class of 2010, based on those working full-time and reporting a salary, was $63,000

College grad:

$50,000 - $18,000 = $32,000 remaining

Law school grad:

$63,000 - $18,000 = $45,000 remaining

I don't see falling behind on payments as an issue for flexible, competent individuals. Even if you don't get a law job, attaining a job with a salary above $40,000 is not impossible.

Dude, you do realize that going to law school gives you more debt, right?

InGoodFaith wrote:

jerichosm wrote:Post-judgment interest rates on non-dischargeable student loan debts are ~6%...not too shabby. Not to mention, the FDCPA provides MORE than adequate relief from creditors, in the sense of mailings, phone calls, and the publicity of your debts.

However, not being able to pay your student loan payments = shitty.
$100,000 debt = ~$1,000 - $1,500 payment per month

$1,500 x 12 mos. = $18,000 per year

(CNNMoney) -- College grads are getting offered bigger paychecks for the first time since 2008.

Students who will graduate this spring are receiving job offers with starting salaries averaging $50,034 per year, up 3.5% from last year, according to a survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

(NALP.org) -- The national median salary for the Class of 2010, based on those working full-time and reporting a salary, was $63,000

College grad:

$50,000 - $18,000 = $32,000 remaining

Law school grad:

$63,000 - $18,000 = $45,000 remaining

I don't see falling behind on payments as an issue for flexible, competent individuals. Even if you don't get a law job, attaining a job with a salary above $40,000 is not impossible.

Dude, you do realize that going to law school gives you more debt, right?

I inadvertently tailor-made it to my situation. Adjust as necessary -- I don't think paying sticker is a good idea for law school if you already did so for undergrad.

InGoodFaith wrote:

jerichosm wrote:Post-judgment interest rates on non-dischargeable student loan debts are ~6%...not too shabby. Not to mention, the FDCPA provides MORE than adequate relief from creditors, in the sense of mailings, phone calls, and the publicity of your debts.

However, not being able to pay your student loan payments = shitty.
$100,000 debt = ~$1,000 - $1,500 payment per month

$1,500 x 12 mos. = $18,000 per year

(CNNMoney) -- College grads are getting offered bigger paychecks for the first time since 2008.

Students who will graduate this spring are receiving job offers with starting salaries averaging $50,034 per year, up 3.5% from last year, according to a survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

(NALP.org) -- The national median salary for the Class of 2010, based on those working full-time and reporting a salary, was $63,000

College grad:

$50,000 - $18,000 = $32,000 remaining

Law school grad:

$63,000 - $18,000 = $45,000 remaining

I don't see falling behind on payments as an issue for flexible, competent individuals. Even if you don't get a law job, attaining a job with a salary above $40,000 is not impossible.

Dude, you do realize that going to law school gives you more debt, right?

He also appears to be completely disregarding income tax.

rinkrat19 wrote:

InGoodFaith wrote:

jerichosm wrote:Post-judgment interest rates on non-dischargeable student loan debts are ~6%...not too shabby. Not to mention, the FDCPA provides MORE than adequate relief from creditors, in the sense of mailings, phone calls, and the publicity of your debts.

However, not being able to pay your student loan payments = shitty.
$100,000 debt = ~$1,000 - $1,500 payment per month

$1,500 x 12 mos. = $18,000 per year

(CNNMoney) -- College grads are getting offered bigger paychecks for the first time since 2008.

Students who will graduate this spring are receiving job offers with starting salaries averaging $50,034 per year, up 3.5% from last year, according to a survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

(NALP.org) -- The national median salary for the Class of 2010, based on those working full-time and reporting a salary, was $63,000

College grad:

$50,000 - $18,000 = $32,000 remaining

Law school grad:

$63,000 - $18,000 = $45,000 remaining

I don't see falling behind on payments as an issue for flexible, competent individuals. Even if you don't get a law job, attaining a job with a salary above $40,000 is not impossible.

Dude, you do realize that going to law school gives you more debt, right?

He also appears to be completely disregarding income tax.

True. These are worst-case scenario for anyone that didn't attend a cookie-cutter state institution and get a bachelor's degree in psychology OR someone who didn't attend a non at least T-2 law school.

I've heard the arguments (trolling), yet I've seen the reality. I'm the youngest of four, with one fresh out of college. The economy sucks for those who suck. If you know what you're doing, you'll find a job.

Just as it isn't set in stone that you will get a high-paying job with a law degree, it's not set in stone that you won't, nor that you can't succeed from a lower-ranked law school.

I say this in regard to the titles of the posts that are trolled -- this person did not ask whether or not to go to law school; they asked, from a list of choices, which was their best option.

What world do you live in where making $50k straight out of undergrad is "worst case"?

InGoodFaith wrote:What world do you live in where making $50k straight out of undergrad is "worst case"?

The one where I have tangible work experience and didn't run the drive-thru at KFC through undergrad. The one where I attended a strong undergraduate institute that provided me with the skills, education, and connections to either continue with my education or attain a solid job.

State schools = poison

Wondering when you graduated UG, considering barely anyone I know who graduated ITE is making that much.

InGoodFaith wrote:Wondering when you graduated UG, considering barely anyone I know who graduated ITE is making that much.

Wondering the qualifications of the posters on here crushing peoples' dreams -- rather than advising the best path to follow through law school (since almost everyone on here has already decided such) they try to tell them to not attend.

Can I get a CV from any of you that do this?

jerichosm wrote:

Grizz wrote: The crushing shackles of non-dischargeable student loan debt.

Grizz wrote:

jerichosm wrote:

Grizz wrote:The legal market is so bad that it's hard to get a job in a place you're not from even if you go to school there. Also those schools have a very high likelihood of leading to modern-day debtor's prison.

rinkrat19 wrote:Not being able to find a job that pays enough to allow you to service your loans. Forget ever buying a house or driving a decent car or being able to send your kids to college.

Post-judgment interest rates on non-dischargeable student loan debts are ~6%...not too shabby. Not to mention, the FDCPA provides MORE than adequate relief from creditors, in the sense of mailings, phone calls, and the publicity of your debts.

However, not being able to pay your student loan payments = shitty.
$100,000 debt = ~$1,000 - $1,500 payment per month

$1,500 x 12 mos. = $18,000 per year

(CNNMoney) -- College grads are getting offered bigger paychecks for the first time since 2008.

Students who will graduate this spring are receiving job offers with starting salaries averaging $50,034 per year, up 3.5% from last year, according to a survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

(NALP.org) -- The national median salary for the Class of 2010, based on those working full-time and reporting a salary, was $63,000

College grad:

$50,000 - $18,000 = $32,000 remaining

Law school grad:

$63,000 - $18,000 = $45,000 remaining

I don't see falling behind on payments as an issue for flexible, competent individuals. Even if you don't get a law job, attaining a job with a salary above $40,000 is not impossible.

(there are no taxes)

http://www.irs.gov/publications/p17/ch19.html

Student Loan Interest Deduction

Generally, personal interest you pay, other than certain mortgage interest, is not deductible on your tax return. However, if your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) is less than $75,000 ($150,000 if filing a joint return) there is a special deduction allowed for paying interest on a student loan (also known as an education loan) used for higher education. For most taxpayers, MAGI is the adjusted gross income as figured on their federal income tax return before subtracting any deduction for student loan interest. This deduction can reduce the amount of your income subject to tax by up to $2,500 in 2011.

Edit: This helps to some degree.

jerichosm wrote:

InGoodFaith wrote:Wondering when you graduated UG, considering barely anyone I know who graduated ITE is making that much.

Wondering the qualifications of the posters on here crushing peoples' dreams -- rather than advising the best path to follow through law school (since almost everyone on here has already decided such) they try to tell them to not attend.

Can I get a CV from any of you that do this?

Don't want advice, don't poast.

Grizz wrote:

jerichosm wrote:

InGoodFaith wrote:Wondering when you graduated UG, considering barely anyone I know who graduated ITE is making that much.

Wondering the qualifications of the posters on here crushing peoples' dreams -- rather than advising the best path to follow through law school (since almost everyone on here has already decided such) they try to tell them to not attend.

Can I get a CV from any of you that do this?

Don't want advice, don't poast.

Yeah no shit.

Also, LOLOLOLOLOL @ $63,000 being a worst case scenario for people at T2s and up. I know people who would chew off a testicle for a $60,000 job at a T20 right now.

jerichosm wrote:

InGoodFaith wrote:What world do you live in where making $50k straight out of undergrad is "worst case"?

The one where I have tangible work experience and didn't run the drive-thru at KFC through undergrad. The one where I attended a strong undergraduate institute that provided me with the skills, education, and connections to either continue with my education or attain a solid job.

State schools = poison

Mom and dad?

InGoodFaith wrote:What world do you live in where making $50k straight out of undergrad is "worst case"?

I went

after reading that.


Someone has been sheltered.