161/2.8 SUNY Buffalo Forum

[timesnewboston]

I'm a senior at a famously grade deflated school (guess from username lol), but moreover I was very immature my first 2 years and have been digging myself out of that hole. Practice tested consistently between 166-168 then totally blew logic games on test day in October, didn't even see the last game. So it goes.

Pretty confident I'm capable of testing 170+ with enough time, but between now and December I really don't have time to put in many hours for it.

I'm a NY resident and would be very happy to go to school on the cheap in Buffalo, and potentially transfer out of there if I do well and get that 170+. That's a thread for another day, though.

Idk if it matters, but I grew up military and went to 7 different schools growing up, including a public school in Germany. Other than that, straight white male.

Thanks for reading.

[hephaestus]

If you think you can get a 170, then you should retake, even if it means waiting a year. Employers like seeing full time work experience, and the score/GPA you have now do not make going to law school make sense.
A note on transferring: LSAT does not matter any more. You traditionally need to be in the top 10% after 1L to transfer. It is a lot easier to retake than to be in the top 10% after 1L.

[timesnewboston]

Why does it not make sense?

[hephaestus]

Why does it not make sense?

Even if you get in, you are going to get in at the sticker price. SUNY Buffalo is cheap, but that is a relative term. You still will have well over 100k of student loans for a school with mediocre job prospects, located in a small and insular legal market. You need to retake.

[timesnewboston]

Thanks for the honesty. I'm not too worried about debt, my family will be willing to "loan" me the money for it (since it'll be 35k/yr instead of 65). As far as being trapped practicing in Buffalo, I'd participate in their Finance Law program in NYC, does that change anything? http://www.law.buffalo.edu/beyond/nyc.html

[hephaestus]

Thanks for the honesty. I'm not too worried about debt, my family will be willing to "loan" me the money for it (since it'll be 35k/yr instead of 65). As far as being trapped practicing in Buffalo, I'd participate in their Finance Law program in NYC, does that change anything? http://www.law.buffalo.edu/beyond/nyc.html

Actual placement to NYC is going to be limited though. There are so many better schools that place into NYC: Columbia, NYU, Cornell (and the rest of the T14 not in NY) will all be ahead of Buffalo in terms of placement. There is a vast structural problem in law, as close to half of new graduates do not get jobs as lawyers (which is the entire point of law school). As a result, you need to go to a top school (or a regional school for close to free) for it to make any sense.
Why are you so averse to a retake?

[timesnewboston]

I'm averse to taking a year off. Not confident I could secure a decent job, and that it would do much good. I know the t14 schools are all the best at placing people into high paying jobs, but I don't think I have a realistic shot of making into those schools, year off or not.

[timbs4339]

That program is not going to help you if you want to work in the corporate/financial law sector, since those are jobs you secure after the first year of law school and would require literally the top of your class to get (in NYC) or probably the top 5-10% if you want to work at a large or midsize firm upstate.

If you want to work in or around Buffalo, doing the types of law that small firms do or work for the DA/PD offices up there (making around 50K to start), then Buffalo at sticker is not the worst option. But don't pay sticker if your family can't really afford it (ask yourself if they'd be able to blow the money on a World Tour if they didn't give it to you for law school).

[TheSpanishMain]

I'm averse to taking a year off. Not confident I could secure a decent job, and that it would do much good. I know the t14 schools are all the best at placing people into high paying jobs, but I don't think I have a realistic shot of making into those schools, year off or not.

It would be better to spend a year struggling to find a decent job than spend the rest of your career struggling. Shit, just do some temp work, or loads trucks at UPS, or whatever. Even if you end up at the same school, every extra point on the LSAT = more scholarship money = less debt.

Also, realize that the average of 1Ls is 25ish. It's not like if you have a gap between undergrad and law school people are going to look at you like you're weird.

[timesnewboston]

Debt is not a huge issue for me. My family is well off, and will help me financially if needed. But I will seriously consider taking a year off, my family won't like it though.

[guano]

Debt is not a huge issue for me. My family is well off, and will help me financially if needed. But I will seriously consider taking a year off, my family won't like it though.

Will you marry me? No prenup?

[romothesavior]

You can do much better than SUNY and your job prospects will be radically better if you retake.

[Ti Malice]

I know the t14 schools are all the best at placing people into high paying jobs, but I don't think I have a realistic shot of making into those schools, year off or not.

With a 170+ and some work experience (doesn't need to be anything special), you would have a good shot at Northwestern.

[Ti Malice]

But I will seriously consider taking a year off, my family won't like it though.

This is because your family erroneously persists in the idea that a law degree from anywhere is a golden ticket to a comfortable life, as it essentially was for the boomers. That's not our world. Half of today's law school graduates fail to find employment as actual lawyers. The legal economy is a dumpster fire, and because of deep structural changes taking place, the boomer days are not coming back.

You need to read this book first to inform yourself, and then you can tell your parents that you'll discuss matters with them after they've read it: http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Law-School-U ... ool+unless. Until they've read the book, they will be incapable of having informed opinions about your educational choices. The book is written by a law professor, and it's cheaper than a movie ticket.