Harry_Pluxen wrote:Roberrrrto wrote:Current UF Law 2L happy to take any questions.
1. Where do most people end up working:
a. Geographically
b. What type of job
2. Are there many international students at UF law?
3. If you have participated in a clinic, what was it like?
4. How has 2L been so far? What were your upper year courses like?
5. Could you speak a bit about housing options? What are the good areas to live in around the campus?
6. How is the social life and Levin college of Law the rest of the Campus and the city of Gainesville?
Okay, lots of questions.
1. Where do most people end up working:
a. Geographically: The vast majority of UF Law students are from and want to remain in FL. I know people that have accepted positions in Atlanta (EPA), NYC, and DC (Skadden) as well. UF completely dominates Tampa, Orlando, and Jacksonville and the rest of the state to some degree. I know lots of people working in Miami too. I don't know anyone working in the panhandle.
b. What type of job: This varies greatly across the board. Regarding Big Law, you are your GPA. We had a large number of large firms (Ex. McDermott Will & Emery, Holland & Knight, Greenberg Traurig, DLA Piper, Jones Day, Shook Hardy Bacon...) come to campus one week before classes start. Yet, those firms are only interested in interviewing the top 20% or so and really only make offers to students in the top 10-15%. If that is you, congrats. I got a big law job and am pretty excited about it. Other students want to save the world and target organizations like the EPA or ACLU. I know someone obsessed with sports that is working for an agent. There are some others working at family law firms, trust & estate firms, and criminal law firms. Prosecutors and public defenders from around the state are on campus frequently looking for students. Basically, whatever you want to do, you can do, unless it's Big Law, then you need to be in the top 10-15% of the class to have a shot. There are mid-size firms that hire down into the top 40% or so. The lower your class rank, the smaller the firm that will employ you. I think this is true everywhere outside the Top 14.
2. Are there many international students at UF law? No. I have seen a few, but not many. They may be here but they are more likely taking the LLM program and not the JD. We do have a few exchange students from the Netherlands on campus.
3. If you have participated in a clinic, what was it like? I have not done a clinic.
4. How has 2L been so far? 2L Fall was very stressful and busy, but the results were great. 2L summer-2L fall is when all of the Law Review and Journal write on competitions take place, Moot Court & Trial Team auditions, and of course, OCIs. It was crazy busy, but again, it all worked out.
What were your upper year courses like? I have taken mostly business law courses and really enjoy them. I knew, coming in, that I wanted big law, was fortunate enough to secure a position based on 1L grades, and am now focused on learning as opposed to protecting my GPA. We have some truly incredible professors here (like Sokol, Wolf, Davis, Cohn) and I have enjoyed their classes.
5. Could you speak a bit about housing options? What are the good areas to live in around the campus?
The vast majority of law students live along 34th street. The apartment complexes there in order from nice to not are: Cazabella, Pointe West, Village 34, Camelot, Hawaiian Village. Many of the students that come from money live at The Bartram. If you can afford that, more power to you. I can't. The Continuum is also an option. There are also houses near that law school that groups of students will rent together.
6. How is the social life and Levin college of Law the rest of the Campus and the city of Gainesville? I did not go to undergrad at UF so I'm not really sure. The law school is on the western edge of campus and very self-contained. The only time I ever go to main campus is to go to football games. JMBA, the John Marshall student Bar Association, throws parties in mid-town and occasionally downtown. There is a very large social scene here, especially during football season.
