Thomas Jefferson School of Law c/o 2015 Forum

[Lord Randolph McDuff]

I'll interpret the data for you because most people don't have much experience with it..


For c/o 2010, only 31% were full time attorneys nine months out.
Of that, obviously a smaller percentage were in the private sector.
Factoring in the percent in full time JD required jobs who reported a private sector salary (16%), we find that only EIGHT graduates are represented by TJSL salary quartiles of 45k/65k/75k.
This means that only FOUR students in the class of 2010 made more than 65k, the "median salary."

Four divided by 221 =.018. The "median" salary that TJSL published is represented by 1.8% of the class.

Now do you see why law schools are being sued?

Note: if you actually made big law out of this school, you were probably the only student to do so. I haven't checked the salary range, but it isn't obvious from this data that any student from 2010 made big law. (only 8 represented by the quartiles... so 2 made more than 75k.... hmm maybe 1 made 160k???)

[ensign85]

Do you work in the admissions office of TJSL?

No one is saying T-14 or bust here. The fact is though that there are a few private law schools (TJSL, Cooley, Florida Coastal) that are strait up scamming people. There was a dude who went to my T1 who killed himself a few years back. I think the soul-crushing debt and the fact that he couldn't find employment in the field he had devoted his life to played a role. This shit is serious.

If that can happen at a school where the vast majority of grads become full-time attorneys, think about what happens to the lives of the human beings who attend TJSL? The majority at this school cannot even pass the bar examination in order to properly interview for a job. This school should be shut down. Do you not want to hear this fact because you work for the school? The fact remains.

If we are going to compare irrelevant anecdotes, I can offer one up too. I went to TJSL and now I have a big law job.

Stop acting like your doing anyone a favor and trying to boost your self esteem by putting down a school you have nothing to do with. "The lives of the human beings who attend TJSL" LOL get off your high horse, your only at a t1 school, not prestigious bro.

*you're.

[Lord Randolph McDuff]

Yeah... I mean what I said basically was negative about my T1, so I wasn't really saying anything about prestige. I don't see going to a state school as prestigious (honestly I don't see going to anything outside HYS as prestigious, I just see the T-14 as a good idea for people who want big law/corporate work). Furthermore, while it is harder to get into my school than say, KU or Texas Tech, I really don't see a difference between them all, despite what "tiers" they are. State schools that open doors into the forum states legal market... This goes for UMN (ranked 20) and CU-Boulder (ranked 44) and U of Montana (ranked in the 100s..?), etc.

As far as the numbers go--what jumps out to you guys? I see 153k average indebtedness with 93% of the student body borrowing money on one side, and the FOUR students who cleared their "median" salary of 65k on the other. I mean I understand the " this is a forum for admitted students " idea, but how can I not say something?

[bk1]

This thread is for discussing acceptances/denials/waitlists to TJSL Class of 2015 not for bashing the school or the decisions of its applicants.

If you're not doing that, kindly GTFO.

[Lawl Shcool]

This thread is for discussing acceptances/denials/waitlists to TJSL Class of 2015 not for bashing the school or the decisions of its applicants.

If you're not doing that, kindly GTFO.

wooooooo

[Lawschoolsdreams]

on waitlist, kinda shocked by it but it happens. Anyone know how large of a crowd TJSL accepts off the waitlist? Also typically when do people start finding out?

[davidfett]

Depends bro, wicked waitlist, very selective, so GL!

[lawbosscalif]

Hi entering class. I just finished my 1L year at TJSL.

I am waiting to get my Spring grades but after the fall I ranked in the top 5%.

Here is some advice / information I can offer.

The professors I had were generally GREAT. They are knowledgeable and make learning the law enjoyable. Don't be a jabroni like 50% of the class and sit on facebook during class. Sit in the first 3 rows and don't browse the internet during class and you will do well.

The new building is top notch, no complaints there. The 8th floor faculty lounge / conference room is impressive.

The area is generally good, but I would NOT recommend the student housing at "Entrada". Eventhough it is only 2 blocks away from the school, the area deteriorates rapidly as you move another block east from the school towards Entrada. Homeless, drug dealings, hookers, etc. It is also like being in the "dorms," loud and people drinking. Stay away if you want to do well.

Being in the top 5% you would think it would be easy to get a summer internship. Applied to around 20 jobs, got three interviews. Out of the 3 interviews I did get offered an internship. However, The 1 that I got was only because of a connection who got me "in." Otherwise, the job prospects looked pretty weak.

Overall it was a great year, you must work your ass off to ensure you do well as the curve is hard. And for the new entering class they are making the curve even harder. I believe the average is going from a 2.7 to a 2.5. That will certainly put some additional pressure on the current entering class.

That being said if TJ is the best school you got into or you must be in San Diego, go to TJ by all means. But don't have unrealistic expectations and of course your education if what you make of it and who you know plays a big part whether you will get a job. For me, I could only get into T4's with my shit lsat and gpa so TJ made sense. I'm sure this is the case for a large majority of the students. However, since I did well I am trying to transfer to USD who's reputation is leaps and bounds better in the SD legal community.

Overall I recommend TJ but know going into it that you have a full disclosure: bar passage rate blows, sub-par reputation in legal community, and brutal curve. However, if it's your only option then by all means go for it and try to make some useful connections.

Good luck to the entering class.

[Danteshek]

I am waiting to get my Spring grades but after the fall I ranked in the top 5%.

since I did well I am trying to transfer to USD who's reputation is leaps and bounds better in the SD legal community.

Overall I recommend TJ but know going into it that you have a full disclosure: bar passage rate blows, sub-par reputation in legal community, and brutal curve. However, if it's your only option then by all means go for it and try to make some useful connections.

Try to transfer somewhere better than USD...

[DuckEUG2010]

First of all, Congratulations to everyone that got accepted into TJ. The agony spent studying for and taking the LSAT (3 times for me), gathering all your LOR's and spending HOURS on your personal statement have finally paid off. You are going to law school. Don't let anybody dilute that success.

I just finished my 1L year, I have a 4.072 GPA (still have 2 grades to come out), which will probably put me in the 1-1.5% range if these last two grades come out as planned.

Some words of advice for the admitted students: The profs here truly are great. All the tenured profs graduated from T14 schools, they understand the ranking of TJ and the bar passage rates and, thus, seem to have more of an incentive to bend over backwards to help you. The building is amazing, the technology the students have access to is also amazing and the location can't be beat. While we are relatively close to a part of town that isn't the most desirable, we are literally 4 blocks from PETCO park where the padres play, everyone gets a gym membership to Fit (voted one of the nicest gyms on the west coast) and can walk to the Gaslamp District as well as the beach when you need a break. I am very glad I came here and would do it all over again in a second if I could.

Career Services was no help to me. I will admit that I didn't seek them out as much as I should have, but my summer internship did not come from them. You will have to do a lot of your own networking for your 1L summer internship but there are so many connections to be made down here and the professors are so well connected that if you do well and are persistent you WILL get a good internship.

The bar passage rates don't mean **** to me. TJ can only do so much to help students with the bar. They require students who are in the bottom 33% after the first year cut to take legal synthesis- a bar prep course- prior to graduation. At the end of the day, if a student chooses to not study there is nothing an institution can do.

I agree, succeeding in a T14 school will open more doors for you than equal success at TJ; I am attempting to transfer into a T14 school myself, but after T14 and some T1's, from whom I've spoken with around the Tier 2/3/4 community, it's all the same. Feel free to message me about any and all questions about my 1L year at TJ and I will do my best to give you an unbiased answer. Deciding to come to Tj was one of the best decisions of my life, taking into account the pros and the cons.

[DCthompson]

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