The lantern posted about this topic in another thread a few days ago-- http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... &start=300JayJones78 wrote:Hey there,the lantern wrote:If you are URM, I know they specfically will give your info to student groups and tell them to talk to you. Perhaps they do the same with professors.tch562 wrote: Thanks, I just never expected law schools to be so outgoing. I've received personal messages (ironically) from the three schools at the top of my list, and wasn't sure if that's just something they do for everyone 'cause my numbers aren't impressive at all! Guess my resume and PS (which was great if I do say so myself) really helped.
Mind sharing your exprience there? I have real interest in the school but the only thing I'm wondering is if it truly closes you in the Denver/boulder area forever. I know the school dominates that market, but is it over saturated? What are the salery range for recent grads who finish in the top 20%
The school looks great and I am really hoping for an acceptence so I can visit.
From my tiny perspective, no, you aren't locked into Denver/Boulder forever. First off, there is the rest of the state of Colorado, and depending on your area of interest, especially if it is enviro/water/oil and gas, the mountain west generally. According to the ABA, 69% of grads from 2011 worked in CO, so it looks like a sizable chunk do go elsewhere. (ABA - http://employmentsummary.abaquestionnaire.org) I would suggest many go back to the state they are from, though-- I'm a 2L and I've had success finding paid/unpaid internships in CO and in my home state.
Top 20% is in good shape-- from the ABA data, there were 7 federal clerks and 20 in firms of 26+ attorneys. I can tell you that the private sector in CO is fairly small and broken up, so a firm of 26+ attorneys is very large. There were also
22 non federal clerks, some of these are going to be prestigious supreme court or court of appeals positions (EDIT: looks like 15 of 22 were appellate level, per CU website). Add in the other types of employment sought after by CU students, and Top 20% is a pretty good spot.
Also, and this is rarely stated on TLS but I'll mention it here, there is a difference of culture between the various law schools in the U.S.. Why do you think GW has 66% JD/full-time rate whereas GULC just 59%? I'll give you a hint, it is not because GW >> GULC. (from - http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=204578) At CU, there are a large number of students (myself included) who came in from day one wanting to be public defenders, DAs, consultants at water policy institutes, analysts for federal/state agencies in Denver, etc. I even know a 2L who is getting a JD to help his father start an agra-business. My point is, the employment score on LST is fabulous, but it is only one piece of the puzzle. In the case of CU, and many other schools for that matter, there will be people that have the grades/creds to attain a position that TLS groupthink would desire, but will opt for something less "prestigious," or even something, gasp, JD preferred. Of course, none of this is to suggest there aren't many people who regret their decision to come to law school; I just think that it's something to consider when comparing schools...
