Six-Year BA/JD Program @ Rutgers-Camden... Good Idea? Forum

[romothesavior]

Um, I didn't ask for advice about Camden. I know a few grads from there who are doing pretty well for themselves, and at least two graduated above median but not really at the top (they were obviously reticent about specifics but they all work in Philly or the surrounding suburbs)

Jersey has three schools, only one that is in South Jersey, and their only real competition in Philly is Temple (which outplaces them) and Villanova (which I think is crap but eh)

They dominate state gov't and the like too

In anything but biglaw, it does quite well for itself, and it dominates South Jersey, a pretty healthy legal market

And what are your thoughts on Seton Hall?

[legalease9]

There is no reason to lock yourself into a low level law school when you can go to undergrad and get a shot at better schools. Besides, you should take the four years of undergrad to be sure you want to be a lawyer. No reason to make this decision now. The one year you would save is NOT worth it in any stretch of the imagination.

And you gotta take the LSAT. I know its stressful, and am sympathetic to an inability to handle stress because of anxiety. But anxiety of this magnitude is a problem that needs to be dealt with (by therapy or other means) before starting the path to be a lawyer, which will ALWAYS be more stressful than the average profession, and definitely more stressful than the LSAT.

[romothesavior]

There is no reason to lock yourself into a low level law school when you can go to undergrad and get a shot at better schools.

This.

The person in question should go to undergrad, enjoy their four (or five) years there, get good grades, and spend 3 months of their life studying for the LSAT. Then of course ???, concluding with profit.

[ajmanyjah]

Um, I didn't ask for advice about Camden. I know a few grads from there who are doing pretty well for themselves, and at least two graduated above median but not really at the top (they were obviously reticent about specifics but they all work in Philly or the surrounding suburbs)

Jersey has three schools, only one that is in South Jersey, and their only real competition in Philly is Temple (which outplaces them) and Villanova (which I think is crap but eh)

They dominate state gov't and the like too

In anything but biglaw, it does quite well for itself, and it dominates South Jersey, a pretty healthy legal market

And what are your thoughts on Seton Hall?

Overpriced, good schollies, totally doesn't have the same pull in SOUTH Jersey. Seton Hall is REALLY well regarded in Jersey though. If you do well you do great

Personally, I'll be sending my worst case scenario app to Rutgers-Newark, probably a worse school than Camden, but it has great connections in North Jersey (one of the better legal markets ITE) and decent ones in NYC...problem is it's competing with CLS, NYU, Fordham, Cardozo, Brooklyn, SH, etc...also it's cheap

I say she waits it out and applies after undergrad, but realize that including opportunity cost she is looking at a 165k-225k difference if she pays sticker at a top 14 (LESS than 20k a year at Camden, and cheaper than Chicago, Cali, NYC, Boston Metro, DC COL)...and she gets a jump in WE on her other path...and running 3-8% interest (assuming 5%, and 200k debt difference, that is an average of 10k over 7 years, so 70k)

And if she wants to work in state government or judiciary, the connections living near Trenton at a school a large portion of gov't employees and state judges went to equal prestige of t14.

It's a gamble of 220-300k that ONLY makes sense with a big or midlaw payoff...

[capitalacq]

There is no reason to lock yourself into a low level law school when you can go to undergrad and get a shot at better schools.

This.

The person in question should go to undergrad, enjoy their four (or five) years there, get good grades, and spend 3 months of their life studying for the LSAT. Then of course ???, concluding with profit.

+1

Of course you could also just try to graduate UG in 3 years and attend a better LS and still have a BA/JD in 6 years

[09042014]

Reading your previous posts:

She finds the LSAT stressful and she wants to go to school and be a lawyer? If she finds that stressful she would be better in a low stress environment like working the deep fryer at McDonald's.

LoL at no LSAT=food services. That is patently stupid.

No accredited law school that values it's ranking is going to take a student without LSAT.

No LSAT/BAR = no chance at law. Ever. Just tell your..."you" to quit at this point.

Northwestern does, but it's barely accredited.