middlebear wrote:Howdy all.
So I very much want to work in government or PI, and am applying in the 2014-15 cycle. I would like to hear opinions on applying to schools that are more known for their "business" slant--like Northwestern or Penn, for instance--when you are planning on going in that different direction. I've looked at the job placement numbers, and it's very much deterred me from applying to these two schools in particular. Is that misguided on my part--am I discounting something that might be a good option?
Thanks for your opinions
After speaking with a good number of students on this, I can genuinely say that some of those PI placements numbers are understated/certainly a function of interest rather than capability.
LRAP and/or scholarships are going to be huge in your decision-making process, and I understand from speaking with someone who has done a thorough school comparison that NU's is very good. It's apparently not as good as NYU's? So if you get in there, you should probably matriculate (all else equal).
There's apparently a huge public interest fair that happens at NYU, and students from everywhere attend. I hear that "if you're interested in PI, you go to that fair."
http://pilcfair.law.nyu.edu. This is not to say that you are materially disadvantaged as a Penn or NU student, though; people from Berk, TX, Mich, Cornell, etc. all attend the fair, and I get the sense that it's more about the individual than it is about the reputation of the law school. PI is concerned with your own interest and commitment to the field, and those backgrounds vary widely. For example, some NU or Penn student who has worked for TFA, been in PeaceCorp for many years, and summered at the ACLU, might stand a much better chance than someone who has similar grades but lesser experience coming from a school reputed for its PI focus.
