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Are there any law schools that are recognized as better options for immigration law? I'm interested in practicing immigration law someday, so is it worth considering the immigration programs of different schools, or am I better off just going to the highest ranked school possible? I've been researching the topic for a while now, but I thought this would be a good place to get some additional insight. Thanks!

westy822 wrote:Are there any law schools that are recognized as better options for immigration law? I'm interested in practicing immigration law someday, so is it worth considering the immigration programs of different schools, or am I better off just going to the highest ranked school possible? I've been researching the topic for a while now, but I thought this would be a good place to get some additional insight. Thanks!

Go to the best school you can. Cost of attendance and job prospects should be factors you consider. Not the strength of their immigration law program.

Neither rankings nor the immigration program should decide. Employment outcomes versus cost of attendance are your criteria. Where do you want to practice, what are your numbers?

yale

malleus discentium wrote:Neither rankings nor the immigration program should decide. Employment outcomes versus cost of attendance are your criteria. Where do you want to practice, what are your numbers?

I want to go to practice somewhere in the west, California/Oregon/Washington/Idaho preferably. I've been considering BYU and UC Davis, possibly Washington. Right now I'm at a 3.92, 161, but I'm retaking in September. I usually score between 167 and 172 on my practice tests, so I'm hoping my retake lands in that region.

westy822 wrote:

malleus discentium wrote:Neither rankings nor the immigration program should decide. Employment outcomes versus cost of attendance are your criteria. Where do you want to practice, what are your numbers?

I want to go to practice somewhere in the west, California/Oregon/Washington/Idaho preferably. I've been considering BYU and UC Davis, possibly Washington. Right now I'm at a 3.92, 161, but I'm retaking in September. I usually score between 167 and 172 on my practice tests, so I'm hoping my retake lands in that region.

Dont waste such a high gpa. Study hard and apply to Stanford/berk and don't settle for less.

172-74 with a 3.92 seems competitive for S

westy822 wrote:

malleus discentium wrote:Neither rankings nor the immigration program should decide. Employment outcomes versus cost of attendance are your criteria. Where do you want to practice, what are your numbers?

I want to go to practice somewhere in the west, California/Oregon/Washington/Idaho preferably. I've been considering BYU and UC Davis, possibly Washington. Right now I'm at a 3.92, 161, but I'm retaking in September. I usually score between 167 and 172 on my practice tests, so I'm hoping my retake lands in that region.

First, law school is nothing like liberal arts or natural sciences graduate programs. Law school provides a generalist education (if it provides much of an education at all), and any discussion of "programs" and specialty rankings is just marketing dross. Law school is about signaling; whatever practical training and/or moderate amount of specialization in an area that you can come by is a nice little bonus, but this is essentially meaningless in comparison to the name of your school. Schools like BYU and UC-Davis are not worth attending under any circumstances for someone with your GPA and your LSAT potential.

The best law schools for anything are Yale, Stanford, and Harvard. (Incidentally, because they have tremendous resources, they also have very good to outstanding immigration-related clinical programs.) If other T14 schools offer you enough money, then the employment outcomes vs. cost of attendance calculus can favor attending one of them over YHS. There's a lot more to say on this and other considerations, but this is the start of a primer on what you need to be focusing on.

You have a Yale-worthy GPA. Since the LSAT is far and away the most important part of your application, and since the name of your school will define the boundaries of your future options, your LSAT score is the single biggest determinant of your opportunities after graduation. Put in the effort required to get your score into the 170s and go to YHS or a T14 at a steep discount.