Whitter Law School grad w/ advice and will answer questions
Posted: Sat Jul 06, 2013 3:10 am
I graduated from WLS in the mid 2000s. It was an interesting time to attend, to say the least. Tuition has nearly doubled since I went and looks like it's harder to get a job than it was before, and that's saying a lot.
Look, I'm not here to shout "Don't go to WLS or don't go to law school". Y'all are responsible adults and there is a lot of information out there about the risks involved. I want to share the following for future WLS students but I'm sure most of it will also apply to those planning to attend similarly ranked schools as well (like Thomas Jefferson):
1) I assume most of you are going to WLS with the purpose of transferring to a higher ranked school after 1L. Before you do, you may want to look at the post-graduate employment statistics of the schools you want to transfer to. If you're thinking about transferring to Loyola Law School, University of San Diego or Southwestern after 1L, your job prospects will not improve that much, if at all. And yes, one of a class of 150-200 will transfer to Georgetown, UCLA, USC or Boalt - feeling lucky?
2) Google "Whittier Law School Summa Cum Laude", "Whittier Law School Magna Cum Laude" and "Whittier Law School Cum Laude" and see where these people ended up. In short, I saw two that work for biglaw and others that work for mid-sized law firms. But a surprisingly large number work for small firms or have gone solo. I know most of the smaller firms where they work and they pay less than $100,000/yr to their garden variety associates even with several years of experience.
3) If a WLS alum tells you that he works for a big law firm, I'd be very skeptical. Yes, there are a rare few that work as biglaw associates. But when a WLS alum claims to work for biglaw, it may be for a temporary document review project or as a non-law position like a file clerk.
4) Do not attend WLS if they demand full tuition. The school is extremely overpriced and it's very likely that tuition will decrease next year. If you threaten to walk away, you may get a scholarship.
5) If you have no other career alternatives, I strongly suggest taking the year off to read some books, network with people (it's pretty easy with LinkedIn and even Facebook nowadays), and if needed, develop social skills. Work for an attorney for a year - particularly at a small law firm or a solo practitioner.
I'll answer some questions and share some stories if you are interested.
Look, I'm not here to shout "Don't go to WLS or don't go to law school". Y'all are responsible adults and there is a lot of information out there about the risks involved. I want to share the following for future WLS students but I'm sure most of it will also apply to those planning to attend similarly ranked schools as well (like Thomas Jefferson):
1) I assume most of you are going to WLS with the purpose of transferring to a higher ranked school after 1L. Before you do, you may want to look at the post-graduate employment statistics of the schools you want to transfer to. If you're thinking about transferring to Loyola Law School, University of San Diego or Southwestern after 1L, your job prospects will not improve that much, if at all. And yes, one of a class of 150-200 will transfer to Georgetown, UCLA, USC or Boalt - feeling lucky?
2) Google "Whittier Law School Summa Cum Laude", "Whittier Law School Magna Cum Laude" and "Whittier Law School Cum Laude" and see where these people ended up. In short, I saw two that work for biglaw and others that work for mid-sized law firms. But a surprisingly large number work for small firms or have gone solo. I know most of the smaller firms where they work and they pay less than $100,000/yr to their garden variety associates even with several years of experience.
3) If a WLS alum tells you that he works for a big law firm, I'd be very skeptical. Yes, there are a rare few that work as biglaw associates. But when a WLS alum claims to work for biglaw, it may be for a temporary document review project or as a non-law position like a file clerk.
4) Do not attend WLS if they demand full tuition. The school is extremely overpriced and it's very likely that tuition will decrease next year. If you threaten to walk away, you may get a scholarship.
5) If you have no other career alternatives, I strongly suggest taking the year off to read some books, network with people (it's pretty easy with LinkedIn and even Facebook nowadays), and if needed, develop social skills. Work for an attorney for a year - particularly at a small law firm or a solo practitioner.
I'll answer some questions and share some stories if you are interested.