First year should I go or not??? Forum

[Lauren44]

Should I go to law school or not? I just got into a fourth tier law school, I'm planning on doing well so that I can transfer but is law school still worth it? I need help, I'm not sure I any longer want to go or think its worth it...

[Cupidity]

Should I go to law school or not? I just got into a fourth tier law school, I'm planning on doing well so that I can transfer but is law school still worth it? I need help, I'm not sure I any longer want to go or think its worth it...

What 4th Tier, where do you want to practice?

[Kilpatrick]

No

[Cavalier]

Should I go to law school or not? I just got into a fourth tier law school,

Don't go.

I'm planning on doing well so that I can transfer but is law school still worth it?

You can't count on doing well, and even if you do, the schools you can transfer to aren't worth attending. Don't go.

[chem]

Should I go to law school or not? I just got into a fourth tier law school, I'm planning on doing well so that I can transfer but is law school still worth it? I need help, I'm not sure I any longer want to go or think its worth it...

Depends on what makes it worth it to you? Is its to get a shiny biglaw job, then no. If its to get a job, no. If its to get a job that requires a JD, well, you'll have to ask yourself if your a gambler, because its not good odds going to a t4

[billyez]

...I just got into a fourth tier law school, I'm planning on doing well so that I can transfer...

No. Only go to a law school if you would be content graduating there and receiving the same opportunities that it currently has. Law school is the finest example of Lake Woebegone syndrome you'll ever see; there are going to be at least a hundred other kids thinking along the same lines as you.

[Lauren44]

I got into Florida Coastal and plan on transferring to UM or FSU. I want to practice in South Florida. Why is it a bad idea?

[Cupidity]

I got into Florida Coastal and plan on transferring to UM or FSU. I want to practice in South Florida. Why is it a bad idea?

What are you paying?

[Lauren44]

About 40,000 for tuition and fees...

[NYC Law]

I got into Florida Coastal and plan on transferring to UM or FSU. I want to practice in South Florida. Why is it a bad idea?

Don't go. Florida coastal is never worth it. What's your gpa/lsat?

[Cupidity]

About 40,000 for tuition and fees...

Per year, or total?

[ihhwap1]

.

[Lauren44]

Per year but I would definitely transfer, I have no intentions of graduating from Florida Coastal because I know there job prospects are poor. Is the problem, that the idea of going to law school is no longer a good one in these economic times or not graduating from a top law school? Thanks everyone!

[NYC Law]

As to transferring: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 7&t=124519

And Florida Coastal is always a bad idea, even in good economic times. Its own students hate the school. If you must go, try for Florida International, it's much cheaper and it's actually in South Florida. But the credited response is to retake and get into Miami/FSU/UF right away or don't go.

[ihhwap1]

.

[thederangedwang]

You should try getting into stetson, much better reputation in FL and more aid (from what I hear at least). Then do well and transfer to UF, FSU

[bk1]

You should try getting into stetson, much better reputation in FL and more aid (from what I hear at least). Then do well and transfer to UF, FSU

[sjkL1]

I got accepted and am attending a T4 school this fall as well. I have the same hopes in transferring after year one into a better school. From my readings-it is extremely difficult to transfer above a T3 from a T4-unless of course, you make the right connections!

I got accepted to several schools in T3-however, received a full scholarship to my T4 school-and that's the only reason I am going or I would have gone elsewhere. I think if you're paying full tuition-that you should maybe think about retaking the lsat exam and trying to get in at least with a partial scholarship. If getting your law degree is important to you-then go for it and work hard-but see the reality of the student loans (if you are taking them) and be ready to expect the worst in the job outcome.

I spoke with several admissions committees of T1 and T2 schools for transfers and they told me that to get there you have to be THE top in the class and of course, excellent recommendations etc. Problem is that acceptance to a first year is based on GPA and LSAT-you don't have to have a 4.0 in undergrad and a 176 on your LSAT to be a super star in law school and unfortunately they have to use this broad based system to evaluate students for acceptance.

I'm not sure what your job prospects look like now-but I can say with confidence that in 3 years you have a better shot at something with a law degree under your belt than not.

[NYC Law]

I got accepted and am attending a T4 school this fall as well. I have the same hopes in transferring after year one into a better school. From my readings-it is extremely difficult to transfer above a T3 from a T4-unless of course, you make the right connections!

I got accepted to several schools in T3-however, received a full scholarship to my T4 school-and that's the only reason I am going or I would have gone elsewhere. I think if you're paying full tuition-that you should maybe think about retaking the lsat exam and trying to get in at least with a partial scholarship. If getting your law degree is important to you-then go for it and work hard-but see the reality of the student loans (if you are taking them) and be ready to expect the worst in the job outcome.

I spoke with several admissions committees of T1 and T2 schools for transfers and they told me that to get there you have to be THE top in the class and of course, excellent recommendations etc. Problem is that acceptance to a first year is based on GPA and LSAT-you don't have to have a 4.0 in undergrad and a 176 on your LSAT to be a super star in law school and unfortunately they have to use this broad based system to evaluate students for acceptance.

I'm not sure what your job prospects look like now-but I can say with confidence that in 3 years you have a better shot at something with a law degree under your belt than not.

[billyez]

I actually disagree with the above redaction. If you have a full ride a a T4 and don't take on substantial debt on living expenses...I fail to see what's so terrible about that situation.

[NYC Law]

I actually disagree with the above redaction. If you have a full ride a a T4 and don't take on substantial debt on living expenses...I fail to see what's so terrible about that situation.

I actually had the biggest problem with the last line. Plus places like Florida Coastal have the habit of taking away full scholarships for most recipients.

[bk1]

I actually disagree with the above redaction. If you have a full ride a a T4 and don't take on substantial debt on living expenses...I fail to see what's so terrible about that situation.

Maybe. I mean it won't cost you much but it will be 3 years of your life and at a lot of T4's you will have less than a 1 in 4 shot at full time legal employment so even at minimal debt it isn't necessarily a great idea. Not to mention that that poster was wrong about a lot of other things.

[joeshmo39]

I'm with both Billyez and NYC Law here. I think what made NYC shudder was the last line where you're better with a law degree in 3 years than not a law degree in 3 years. Not true because:

1) often employers shy away from people with JDs thinking they are flight risks for something better. The JD also creates a 3 year employment gap so if you are working in a non-legal field, it puts you behind the ball. Others improved their corporate/business/trade/baseketball etc. skills while you improved your legal skills. The legal skills may not be needed though.

2) 3 years later you have 150l-200k of debt to pay off. No one is better of with an extra hundred thousand dollars of debt and no increased skills.

If you got into a T-4 with a full ride in a place you want to the attending is a solid idea. If you got into a T-4 in a smaller market that is already crowded, ie. Florida, and no scholarship then attending is an abysmal idea.

[albanach]

I'm not sure what your job prospects look like now-but I can say with confidence that in 3 years you have a better shot at something with a law degree under your belt than not.

Or, you could learn to be a plumber. It'll cost less, pay more, have you working 8 to 5 (or if you work out of hours the money will make it worthwhile), and you'll never see your job off shored.

[zugabdu]

I'm planning on doing well

Everyone goes to law school planning on doing well. Obviously, you want to do your best, but you shouldn't plan your future and make a decision that could land you a couple hundred thousand dollars in debt on the assumption that you will do well. Going to a fourth tier school like Florida Coastal is rolling the dice with your future.

Don't ask, "should I go to law school?", instead ask "do I want to practice law as my career?" Law practice is a career, law school is not. If the answer to the question "do I want to practice law for at least several years?" is anything other than yes, you've already answered the question "should I got to law school?" And the answer is "no." Yes, people with law degrees do other things, but most spend at least a few years practicing law, and all the career services resources at your law school will work around the assumption that you want to practice law somewhere. Law school takes too much time and costs too much to be the kind of thing you do if you are anything but completely and sincerely committed to a career in law.