Top Law Schools

Haven't seen anyone from the class of 2014 create a similar thread so . . .

Fire away!

What are the housing options like in Durham?

Another 1L here, jumping in.

Re: housing: it seems that most 1Ls live in one of three places: Alexan Garrett Farms (which I would recommend), Addington Farms, and Pinnacle Ridge. There are a few other apartment complexes scattered around, and some students rent houses, but it seems the majority of people are in one of the above.

Edit: Would also like to throw out that housing in Durham is way, way less expensive than almost all major cities. For less than I was paying for a small studio apt in a Midwestern city (not Chicago), here I have a brand-new, spacious apt with pretty fantastic amenities.

Tadatsune wrote:What are the housing options like in Durham?

There is a place for everyone. While most people live at the three places mentioned above, they are far from the only places.

There are places 2 seconds from Duke or 20 minutes from Duke. Prices range from $500 - $1200 a month and you, IMO, generally get what you pay for for.

If you have more of a specific question about housing, I can get more detailed...

I don't know if it applied to you but do you know how readily Duke negotiates scholarships? Could I conceivably negotiate up a 42k at Duke using 90k from Vanderbilt as leverage?

Is the basketball stadium outdoor? Cause that would really be neat. Also, do you know if duke students like mexican food? I really like tacos and wonder if I would have that in common with my peers?

smokeylarue wrote:I don't know if it applied to you but do you know how readily Duke negotiates scholarships? Could I conceivably negotiate up a 42k at Duke using 90k from Vanderbilt as leverage?

They matched (plus a little) a scholly I had from mich. Don't know how it would work using a scholly from vandy.

dabbadon8 wrote:Is the basketball stadium outdoor? Cause that would really be neat. Also, do you know if duke students like mexican food? I really like tacos and wonder if I would have that in common with my peers?

Penn student asking sarcastic questions about Duke. I will pass on these

smokeylarue wrote:I don't know if it applied to you but do you know how readily Duke negotiates scholarships? Could I conceivably negotiate up a 42k at Duke using 90k from Vanderbilt as leverage?

$42k is a decent chunk of money from Duke. While I believe that they would be willing to match a peer schools scholly offer (re: MVPDC), I do not think the $90k from Vandy will provide much leverage. Nevertheless, it cannot hurt to try!

lawyerwannabe wrote:

dabbadon8 wrote:Is the basketball stadium outdoor? Cause that would really be neat. Also, do you know if duke students like mexican food? I really like tacos and wonder if I would have that in common with my peers?

Penn student asking sarcastic questions about Duke. I will pass on these

What about duke students asking really urgent sarcastic questions about duke?

dabbadon8 wrote:

lawyerwannabe wrote:

dabbadon8 wrote:Is the basketball stadium outdoor? Cause that would really be neat. Also, do you know if duke students like mexican food? I really like tacos and wonder if I would have that in common with my peers?

Penn student asking sarcastic questions about Duke. I will pass on these

What about duke students asking really urgent sarcastic questions about duke?

Ha. Just actually looked through post history and we are in the same section! LOL.

Thanks for doing this thread.

Most interested in hearing anecdotal stories about where Duke places (region-wise). Obviously it's a player in the South (looking at the website, it looks like some 30% of students end up in the South), and of course some feeding to NYC (another 30%); but what if someone were hoping to target Chicago or mid-sized Midwestern markets? Any tales, good or bad, of your classmates re:Midwestern markets?

I have some other good options but Duke is by far the most convenient for me, so I'm hoping it's not a mistake to take it over NU or Michigan for the Midwest.

If you have ties to the Midwest, then Duke should get you back there. People are placed in markets throughout the country from Duke.

Admittedly affected by self-selection, not many Duke students work in Chicago after graduation though. Most end up in NYC, DC, CA, TX, and NC it seems. If your heart is set on Chicago, I would visit all the schools you listed but also keep in mind that Chicago is the closest major market for schools like Michigan and Northwestern.

What do you and your friends have lined up for the summer? Paid unpaid?

ETA: Saturday was a terrible day, I extend my sincerest apologies as a fellow duke basketball fan.

Duke will absolutely get you back to the Midwest. I'm hoping to return to my Midwestern secondary market, and I can't emphasize enough how receptive employers have been to the Duke name. I have a solidly mediocre resume, and I applied for jobs in early January, but I still had interview requests from almost every big firm in the market. (I had to decline the interviews, though, as I had already accepted a judicial internship). I've also gotten positive comments on my school at networking events/firm receptions.

With that said, though, if I was absolutely Chicago-or-bust, it'd be tough to beat Northwestern. There's something to be said for actually being in your target market (if only for networking). But if you have good reasons for wanting Duke (honestly, even if you just like the fit/culture of Duke more than NU), then it wouldn't be a mistake to come here. Based on what I can tell (including talks with students/recent grads who have successfully targeted the Midwest) I would bet that Duke's placement power in the Midwest (assuming ties) is equal to NU or Michigan.

Re: 1L summer jobs: I'm interning for a district judge in Illinois. Of my friends: two are working in Cali (one for a firm, the other for an AG), one is working in a big southern firm, and the other is hoping to get an offer from a big southern firm in the near future.

Edit: And yeah, that game was awful. UNC probably has more talent, but to get blown-out by 18 on your home court? Damn.

.

Mal Reynolds wrote:What do you and your friends have lined up for the summer? Paid unpaid?

i got an SA at a big firm in a southern market. mediocre grades, strong ties, non-URM.

of my 4 closest friends: one is working for a reputable nonprofit in DC (unpaid); one is interning with a fed district judge (unpaid); one will be at a big southern firm (paid obv); one will be at a firm in cali (paid)

I live elsewhere in NC, and if I attend Duke I am considering the possibility of commuting during 1L. Is that feasible? The alternative would be renting a room to spend M-F in Durham.

thanks!

mmk33 wrote:I live elsewhere in NC, and if I attend Duke I am considering the possibility of commuting during 1L. Is that feasible? The alternative would be renting a room to spend M-F in Durham.

thanks!

Define feasible? It takes me about 30 minutes door-to-door commuting because the lot 1Ls have to park in is about a 10 minute walk from the law school.

lawyerwannabe wrote:

Tadatsune wrote:What are the housing options like in Durham?

There is a place for everyone. While most people live at the three places mentioned above, they are far from the only places.

There are places 2 seconds from Duke or 20 minutes from Duke. Prices range from $500 - $1200 a month and you, IMO, generally get what you pay for for.

If you have more of a specific question about housing, I can get more detailed...

Is it typical to have a car in Durham?

Tadatsune wrote:

lawyerwannabe wrote:

Tadatsune wrote:What are the housing options like in Durham?

There is a place for everyone. While most people live at the three places mentioned above, they are far from the only places.

There are places 2 seconds from Duke or 20 minutes from Duke. Prices range from $500 - $1200 a month and you, IMO, generally get what you pay for for.

If you have more of a specific question about housing, I can get more detailed...

Is it typical to have a car in Durham?

Oh yeah. Bring your car; if you don't own a car, plan to get one before you arrive in Durham.

lawyerwannabe wrote:

mmk33 wrote:I live elsewhere in NC, and if I attend Duke I am considering the possibility of commuting during 1L. Is that feasible? The alternative would be renting a room to spend M-F in Durham.

thanks!

Define feasible? It takes me about 30 minutes door-to-door commuting because the lot 1Ls have to park in is about a 10 minute walk from the law school.

If I accept Duke I would try to commute from Greensboro (about an hour). I'm also considering trying to find a friend of a friend to rent a room and stay in Durham at least Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.

How would you describe the students, teachers and the general atmosphere at Duke? Very excited to visit at the end of the month

mmk33 wrote:

lawyerwannabe wrote:

mmk33 wrote:I live elsewhere in NC, and if I attend Duke I am considering the possibility of commuting during 1L. Is that feasible? The alternative would be renting a room to spend M-F in Durham.

thanks!

Define feasible? It takes me about 30 minutes door-to-door commuting because the lot 1Ls have to park in is about a 10 minute walk from the law school.

If I accept Duke I would try to commute from Greensboro (about an hour). I'm also considering trying to find a friend of a friend to rent a room and stay in Durham at least Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.

Of course that is "feasible." I just would not do it. But to each their own. If you go to Duke, you have the choice to live in Greensboro and commute. Classes are generally bunched nicely together. So you could come on campus for class, eat lunch and study a little in between, and then leave and go home after your last class or stick it out in the library for a little.

thesmark wrote:How would you describe the students, teachers and the general atmosphere at Duke? Very excited to visit at the end of the month

Is ASW at the end of the month?

Anyways, I love Duke overall. The weather is great. The law school is very new. The teachers are top-notch, as you would expect.

And, I am not quote sure how to describe the students, but I would say that we are just students? LOL. For the most part, everyone is normal and easy to get along with.

HTH. For questions like these (open-ended), visiting and experiencing the school for yourself will do you much more good than anything I can type into my computer.