Top Law Schools

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If you don't have work experience after undergrad, don't bother applying to Northwestern. They don't admit people straight from undergrad.

Also, international law doesn't exist for people who don't go to Harvard or Yale.* Go to a public policy or IR grad school if you want to do diplomacy. Studying abroad is likely to hurt your career prospects; people who study abroad in civil law countries (basically, anywhere that doesn't speak English) have very, very difficult times getting law jobs in the United States.

*Exception to this is advising foreign multinational corporations on US law. But the "international" aspect to this is negligible, even though you're working for a foreign company. Also, some environmental law jobs have a somewhat international bent.

Otherwise, your list looks decent. But we can't really say much until you've retaken the LSAT. If you improve to a 170, your options would open up immensely.

I think your only reasonable chance to crack the T14 is to apply ED to UVA on the first day applications become available. If you look at LSN they have taken a lot of low 160's LSATs with above median UGPAs. You are right at median for UVA on GPA, they may take you but if there is anyway that you can bump your GPA in the last semester to a 3.87 I think your chances improve quite a bit for UVA.

Also, those schools listed as targets are reaches (sans Alabama and maybe BC).

Retake the LSAT and then come worry about applying to law school. I had your exact numbers after my first attempt, and was able to get well into the 170s on my retake. It'll make your application cycle much better.

BenJ wrote: Also, international law doesn't exist for people who don't go to Harvard or Yale.

Not true. Vandy has an excellent IL program, but you'll need to raise your LSAT a bit.

double negative. haha

Experimental Section wrote:

BenJ wrote:Also, international law doesn't exist for people who don't go to Harvard or Yale.* Go to a public policy or IR grad school if you want to do diplomacy.

Not really true. Harvard and Yale will definitely open up doors involving international law.

To OP: study like crazy for the retake. If you can get a 170+ or 173+, you'll be golden.

Most of the schools on your list are regional, meaning that if you go there, your best job prospects will be nearby. The first decision you need to make is where you want to live. Then your list of schools should be the ones in that area (or those areas, if you're open to more than one). Since these schools are all over the map it's not clear how you came up with them.

The poster who said international law doesn't exist for people who didn't go to H or Y may be exaggerating, but it is a very difficult field to break into from lower-tier schools. Do you want to do legal work for the State Department? Then if you don't go to a T14, go to school in/near DC/Virginia.

If you're considering American, consider George Mason instead because it's in the same area and is cheaper, yet of similar quality.

sdv wrote:

BenJ wrote: Also, international law doesn't exist for people who don't go to Harvard or Yale.

Not true. Vandy has an excellent IL program, but you'll need to raise your LSAT a bit.

Having an excellent IL program =/= Having a job in IL. Maybe one Vandy grad a year will work in IL, max, probably more like one every two or three years. This is true pretty much all the way up the ladder; even Columbia and NYU, which invest ridiculous amounts in IL, will put maybe three people each into IL jobs per year. Only Harvard and Yale can consistently put their IL students into IL jobs. (Stanford puts much less emphasis on IL.)

International law is heavily invested in because students want it, not because it's a field with any jobs available. (Again, international law here being distinct from advising a foreign company on American law or working in trade law, both fields with actual jobs but without the "international glamor" that people who talk about international law want.)

BenJ wrote: Having an excellent IL program =/= Having a job in IL. Maybe one Vandy grad a year will work in IL, max, probably more like one every two or three years. This is true pretty much all the way up the ladder; even Columbia and NYU, which invest ridiculous amounts in IL, will put maybe three people each into IL jobs per year. Only Harvard and Yale can consistently put their IL students into IL jobs. (Stanford puts much less emphasis on IL.)

International law is heavily invested in because students want it, not because it's a field with any jobs available. (Again, international law here being distinct from advising a foreign company on American law or working in trade law, both fields with actual jobs but without the "international glamor" that people who talk about international law want.)

+1. I always hear people say stuff like "But Stetson has a great IL program!" People should not be making decisions based on anyone's IL program outside of the schools you mentioned.

Also, OP, you're probably out at Texas, WL at Vandy, BC, and BU, and maybe in at Bama. Your targets are really more like your reaches.

My advice to you, good sir or madam, is this:

1. Retake LSAT.
2. Score over 170.
3. Pick schools.

If you don't want to take the LSAT again, look for schools ranked around 50. Temple, Nova, and Cardozo come immediately to mind. A 162 will likely keep you out of BU/BC/GW/Fordham though

BenJ wrote:If you don't have work experience after undergrad, don't bother applying to Northwestern. They don't admit people straight from undergrad.

Also, international law doesn't exist for people who don't go to Harvard or Yale.* Go to a public policy or IR grad school if you want to do diplomacy. Studying abroad is likely to hurt your career prospects; people who study abroad in civil law countries (basically, anywhere that doesn't speak English) have very, very difficult times getting law jobs in the United States.

*Exception to this is advising foreign multinational corporations on US law. But the "international" aspect to this is negligible, even though you're working for a foreign company. Also, some environmental law jobs have a somewhat international bent.

Otherwise, your list looks decent. But we can't really say much until you've retaken the LSAT. If you improve to a 170, your options would open up immensely.

What's your reasoning for the no intl law outside HY? I heard Columbia has a pretty damn good program.

Not arguing, b/c I haven't done that much research into it, just curious.