All my decisions are in... Help me choose! :) Forum

[viperess]

I'm an older student (over 60) who already had a solid career, raised a family and has seen grand-babies go off to boarding school.
I want to go to law school because it's on my bucket list.
When I graduate I'm going to only do pro bono work and I really want to work with domestic violence victims or children involved in "the system". I'm not concerned about possible salaries: I'm retired and have already been mooching off my husband for years
Money is no object at this point, so I'm not worried about the varying costs of living.
What I am concerned about is the quality of life at these schools.

I've received news from all of the schools I applied to and was accepted to the following schools:
Suffolk University, Touro College, New England Law | Boston, University of Baltimore, University of the District of Columbia, Roger WIlliams University, and New York Law School.

My husband is really supportive and will move with me wherever I choose to go to school. As far as we're concerned, moving will be a great adventure!

Please help me decide which school I should attend.

Thank you all so much!

[ben4847]

Sounds to me like the most important consideration for you should be location.

Also, realize you are taking advice from a bunch of 20 somethings here. Albeit brilliant ones, hem hem. (And that many of us will be billing over 200 an hour this summer or next fall.)

[apslaw1031]

First of all, I think it's commendable that you've done so much and that you want to go back to school for the sake of education.
I think that's definitely something that you don't see everyday

Personally, if I were concerned about career opportunities, I'd pick the University of Baltimore (other users on this site have opened my eyes to that). Since you're more concerned with quality of life, I think it's much harder to just pick one.
DC, NYC, and Boston are all nice but I think that UDC itself is in a not-so-nice area. Baltimore can get kind of boring, I hear. Plus, you definitely won't have the same cultural experience that you'd have in NYC or Boston. I'd visit Suffolk and NYLS and see if you'd rather spend your time in Boston or New York.
Personally, I prefer the Big Apple, so I'm voting for NYLS

Good luck!

[03121202698008]

These schools are all very regional...so where you want to live after is important. It helps you're not worried about income...but even free PI work can be hard to get. Even if you setup your own shop, you need referrals to get clients. I'd avoid Baltimore or DC as those markets are saturated from top-tier grads...including ones looking for PI.

[RoseMVP]

I can't comment on these particular schools but I can say that I have lived in Boston for quite some time and I think you could find a nice balance here. Boston is a great city with lots going on--but not overwhelming. There are also pockets of neighborhoods around Boston that are "cozy" and very accessible in case city life isn't for you.

[fatpeopleavenger]

Baltimore.

If you don't live in NYC and want to try living in the best city in the world, NYLS.

RWU law is right by the beach so it's beautiful during the summer.

[sunynp]

Wait- before you rip your life up for this. Do you gave any idea what law school will entail? Law school is a tedious slog, I don't think anyone has gone to law school for the adventure. Also, please understand that it isn't so easy to just fins the kind of work you want to do. Just because salary may not be an object for you, you may not find the work you want when you graduate. Law school may not be a way to reach your dreams.
I'm saying that even working for free, you may not find a place to volunteer as a lawyer. To get public interest jobs you need to show some commitment to the field. And, there are already lawyers working for free just to get experience.

I think that what you want to do is great, but you need to have a very solid plan. Make sure that law school is going to get you where you want to end up.

As to your list, I would never ever recommend NYLS to anyone because I have such contempt for that school. I don't think any of those schools are worth the money.

[ben4847]

To those concerned about OP's job prospects at graduation, I am not concerned. OP will probably be able to find some sort of legal aid clinic or something to volunteer for. If money is no object, I am with her all the way.

[fatpeopleavenger]

Wait- before you rip your life up for this. Do you gave any idea what law school will entail? Law school is a tedious slog, I don't think anyone has gone to law school for the adventure. .

She's over 60. She wants to try law school. Money isn't an issue according to her. Better now than never if she wants to study law.

[JuneLSATFail]

If you really want to help children, then instead of dropping 150k into the pockets of the executive's of these scam schools you should donate that money to a charity where it can directly help these people.

[sunynp]

I dunno. I know of places that can't just take volunteers because they don't have office space or enough people to supervise. I'm actually pretty sure that she can find something, but I think she should do some more research before she moves forward with this plan. I don't think she should assume that this plan is just going to work out from all these schools.

As I said, I wouldn't recommend these schools to anyone. At least she should cross off from the list the schools that are being sued by graduates.

Maybe she can find a way to become an advocate without going to law school.

[Geetar Man]

If you really want to help children, then instead of dropping 150k into the pockets of the executive's of these scam schools you should donate that money to a charity where it can directly help these people.

Dude, she said law school was on her bucket list.

[Nikrall]

If you are going to work for free, figure out where you think you will want to live afterwards. Then look up bar passage rates for the various schools.

I can't speak to other states, but in NYS the bar pass rate is not that high and you need your school to adequately prepare you for the bar. If you don't need a "real" (i.e. paying) job afterwards, then prestige doesn't matter. If cost doesn't matter either then really the only thing that matters is how well these schools will prepare you for the bar. I can't help you with that other than the NY Schools.

NYLS > Touro. By far.

[Geetar Man]

What I want to know is: What are your stats (UG school, gpa, lsat, anything else you feel as relevant to your app)?

I think it would be cool to know what you got into those schools with. If you don't want to share, though, that's totally fine. Just wanted some food for thought.

[surfer]

I cast my vote for Suffolk. I think Boston would be a pleasant and exciting place to study law. But you should probably choose a school in the location that you would most like to live. Good luck with your decision.

[woodscommaL]

Wait- before you rip your life up for this. Do you gave any idea what law school will entail? Law school is a tedious slog, I don't think anyone has gone to law school for the adventure. Also, please understand that it isn't so easy to just fins the kind of work you want to do. Just because salary may not be an object for you, you may not find the work you want when you graduate. Law school may not be a way to reach your dreams.
I'm saying that even working for free, you may not find a place to volunteer as a lawyer. To get public interest jobs you need to show some commitment to the field. And, there are already lawyers working for free just to get experience.

I think that what you want to do is great, but you need to have a very solid plan. Make sure that law school is going to get you where you want to end up.

As to your list, I would never ever recommend NYLS to anyone because I have such contempt for that school. I don't think any of those schools are worth the money.

I'm embarrassed for you.

Viperess- You inspire me. I would visit all of the schools and go wherever feels right.

[benito]

If you really want to help children, then instead of dropping 150k into the pockets of the executive's of these scam schools you should donate that money to a charity where it can directly help these people.

as soon as the federal government creates a program to provide and subsidize massive loan amounts to people who would like to "drop 150K" on a charity, your advice will be relevant.

[landla]

I cast my vote for Suffolk. I think Boston would be a pleasant and exciting place to study law. But you should probably choose a school in the location that you would most like to live. Good luck with your decision.

I agree with Suffolk. While I am biased on location (love Boston, think it offers a lot for everyone as someone mentioned above), Suffolk also has a great regional name in Massachusetts that people who aren't from here don't realize, so you would probably do very well coming out of Suffolk in Boston or any of the surrounding area given what you want to do.

Good luck!

[sunynp]

Yes, since she will end up practicing locally and living there, she needs to chose by location. What she plans is a localized practice, so she needs to plan on living several years in her school location.

I'm not against op or her bucket list dream, my point was that her dream may be a very romanticized version of law school. But, just as equally she could know full well what she is getting into.

As money or career won't matter, her grades won't matter so she doesn't have to sweat the curve. She won't have to work very hard. She probably has enough money to open her own not for profit law practice for children, so maybe she doesn't even need to wory about finding a job.

As far as passing the bar, she can take plenty of time to study with bar prep courses or even tutors.

Other than location, she should maybe find the best clinics/externships/interships in the work she wants to do. She should find specific information about those clinics and how hard they are to get into- just because a school offers a clinic, it doesn't mean everyone who wants it will get it.

[fatpeopleavenger]

Wait- before you rip your life up for this. Do you gave any idea what law school will entail? Law school is a tedious slog, I don't think anyone has gone to law school for the adventure. Also, please understand that it isn't so easy to just fins the kind of work you want to do. Just because salary may not be an object for you, you may not find the work you want when you graduate. Law school may not be a way to reach your dreams.
I'm saying that even working for free, you may not find a place to volunteer as a lawyer. To get public interest jobs you need to show some commitment to the field. And, there are already lawyers working for free just to get experience.

I think that what you want to do is great, but you need to have a very solid plan. Make sure that law school is going to get you where you want to end up.

As to your list, I would never ever recommend NYLS to anyone because I have such contempt for that school. I don't think any of those schools are worth the money.

I'm embarrassed for you.

Viperess- You inspire me. I would visit all of the schools and go wherever feels right.

^ this.

Visit all the schools. Wherever feels the best for both you and your husband should be your decision.

I voted Baltimore but don't think you would go wrong with either Baltimore or Suffolk.

[lawgeekgrl]

Wait- before you rip your life up for this. Do you gave any idea what law school will entail? Law school is a tedious slog, I don't think anyone has gone to law school for the adventure. Also, please understand that it isn't so easy to just fins the kind of work you want to do. Just because salary may not be an object for you, you may not find the work you want when you graduate. Law school may not be a way to reach your dreams.
I'm saying that even working for free, you may not find a place to volunteer as a lawyer. To get public interest jobs you need to show some commitment to the field. And, there are already lawyers working for free just to get experience.

I think that what you want to do is great, but you need to have a very solid plan. Make sure that law school is going to get you where you want to end up.

As to your list, I would never ever recommend NYLS to anyone because I have such contempt for that school. I don't think any of those schools are worth the money.

I'm embarrassed for you.

Viperess- You inspire me. I would visit all of the schools and go wherever feels right.

Viperess, the poster I'm quoting is right, you should definitely visit the schools you believe you're interested in and get the vibe of the school, faculty, students, and neighborhood.

Also, I like looking at class curriculums. Although most schools offer similar courses, I always love it when I find something unique. I don't know about these schools in particular, but I would also look into their clinics. Most schools have clinics that work on pro-bono and domestic violence victims, so I think that would make your law school experience more enjoyable. And if you're in the mood for more browsing, look at faculty profiles. One of the reasons I have a top choice is because of a couple of faculty members that are/have been involved with the type of work I'd like to do.

I wish you the best of luck in choosing. And please, update us with the school you end up attending!

[sunynp]

I realize I am not as wildly supportive of OP's idea. But, I think asking her to be sure she knows what she is doing is good advice. Law school is not a fun adventure, at least not for most people I know. OP has an easier time by not needing a job, loans or grades, but law school may not be what she has imagined it will be. I could be wrong, she could know all about law school, but it is worth pointing out. I'm not the least embarrassed about my opinion.

[JuneLSATFail]

If you really want to help children, then instead of dropping 150k into the pockets of the executive's of these scam schools you should donate that money to a charity where it can directly help these people.

as soon as the federal government creates a program to provide and subsidize massive loan amounts to people who would like to "drop 150K" on a charity, your advice will be relevant.

If you read closely, I am pretty sure OP is paying out of pocket

[fatpeopleavenger]

I realize I am not as wildly supportive of OP's idea. But, I think asking her to be sure she knows what she is doing is good advice. Law school is not a fun adventure, at least not for most people I know. OP has an easier time by not needing a job, loans or grades, but law school may not be what she has imagined it will be. I could be wrong, she could know all about law school, but it is worth pointing out. I'm not the least embarrassed about my opinion.

TLS attitude about law school experience seems like a negative one. That may be true for many, but few people do enjoy law school. The OP has absolutely nothing to lose (at least according to her), so she's not going to feel the pressure that a 23-25 year old law student would. If she doesn't enjoy the experience, then she could always drop out and don't have to worry about any debt or what to do with her life.

[woodscommaL]

Yes, since she will end up practicing locally and living there, she needs to chose by location. What she plans is a localized practice, so she needs to plan on living several years in her school location.

I'm not against op or her bucket list dream, my point was that her dream may be a very romanticized version of law school. But, just as equally she could know full well what she is getting into.

As money or career won't matter, her grades won't matter so she doesn't have to sweat the curve. She won't have to work very hard. She probably has enough money to open her own not for profit law practice for children, so maybe she doesn't even need to wory about finding a job.

As far as passing the bar, she can take plenty of time to study with bar prep courses or even tutors.

Other than location, she should maybe find the best clinics/externships/interships in the work she wants to do. She should find specific information about those clinics and how hard they are to get into- just because a school offers a clinic, it doesn't mean everyone who wants it will get it.

How dare you question whether or not she's done her research, say her career won't matter, imply that she isn't capable of being at the top of her class, speculate on how much money she has, or insinuate that she will have difficult getting into a clinic.

Show some class. She asked for opinions on schools, not on her goals.