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OT Lawyers: How did you go about choosing a Law School?

Posted on 2/5/15 at 11:19 am
Posted by pivey14
In Your Head
Member since Mar 2012
15446 posts
Posted on 2/5/15 at 11:19 am
What were some of the criteria and priorities that went into your decision of choosing a Law School? What seemed to be most important and least important in your decision? What would you have done different prior to attending Law School to help you make the best decision possible? TIA for any help
Posted by Hermit Crab
Under the Sea
Member since Nov 2008
7379 posts
Posted on 2/5/15 at 11:20 am to
Went to Harvard cause I wanted to work at Pearson Specter. Not sure about that decision now with them adding Litt.
Posted by patnuh
South LA
Member since Sep 2005
7404 posts
Posted on 2/5/15 at 11:20 am to
I have a ton of friends who are attorneys. The really smart one went to Stanford. Most of the others went to LSU. The retards went to Southern.

Hope that helps.
Posted by schlow mo
New Orleans
Member since Feb 2010
5245 posts
Posted on 2/5/15 at 11:21 am to
As a fellow State grad. Let me give you the advice I wish someone would have given me.

1. Don't go
2. Don't go
3. Don't go
4. If you must go, go to a school where you want to live after law school, unless you can get into a top 14.
5. Go to a school that isn't going to cost you over 100k in student loans.
6. Rethink 4 and 5 and don't go.
Posted by piratedude
baton rouge
Member since Oct 2009
2753 posts
Posted on 2/5/15 at 11:24 am to
i had a job, a wife with a job, two kids, 2 houses and 3 mortgages in Baton Rouge. I applied to two schools in Baton Rouge. Southern turned me down, LSU accepted me, so i went there.
Posted by pivey14
In Your Head
Member since Mar 2012
15446 posts
Posted on 2/5/15 at 11:26 am to
I love the Law. I've heard the horror stories and read One L by Scott Turow. I'm well aware of the workload, but it's something I'm passionate about. I should more than likely have an opportunity to gain a scholarship pending a solid LSAT score. I'm originally from Baton Rouge and have been looking at Tulane, LSU, and Loyola.
This post was edited on 2/5/15 at 11:29 am
Posted by LoveThatMoney
Who knows where?
Member since Jan 2008
12351 posts
Posted on 2/5/15 at 11:27 am to
location, cost, reputation, where I wanted to live after, my ability to compete for highest grades in the class.

Got into much better schools than LSU (i.e. Minnesota, UNC, Wisky), but LSU gave me the most money, I wanted to practice in Houston, and I knew I could be in or around the top 10% if I worked a decent amount.

Looking back at it, I should have gone to U of H, but I didn't apply there because I didn't want to follow my girlfriend (soon to be ex-girlfriend) there. Knowing that I wanted to end up in Houston, going to UH would have been way fricking smarter and I probably would have received some money, too.

Worked out though. Still in Houston with a good job and married to a much better woman than the ol' ex.


But I would consider first where you want to live and then find the cheapest way to make it happen, while balancing the reputation of the school and your ability to succeed there. Unless you get into a T14. Then the school's location becomes way less important. You can basically go live wherever you want to after graduating.
Posted by FalseProphet
Mecca
Member since Dec 2011
11720 posts
Posted on 2/5/15 at 11:28 am to
quote:

As a fellow State grad. Let me give you the advice I wish someone would have given me.

1. Don't go
2. Don't go
3. Don't go
4. If you must go, go to a school where you want to live after law school, unless you can get into a top 14.
5. Go to a school that isn't going to cost you over 100k in student loans.
6. Rethink 4 and 5 and don't go.


All of this. Except I went to a private school and made the mistake of incurring 100K+ in loans.
Posted by pivey14
In Your Head
Member since Mar 2012
15446 posts
Posted on 2/5/15 at 11:30 am to
Very helpful
Posted by TexasTiger39
Member since Mar 2009
3671 posts
Posted on 2/5/15 at 11:30 am to
(no message)
This post was edited on 8/8/20 at 10:51 am
Posted by Ace Midnight
Between sanity and madness
Member since Dec 2006
94579 posts
Posted on 2/5/15 at 11:31 am to
I got accepted to LSU, my first choice, after LSDAS updated my information, after I had been rejected by LSU, initially.

I made the minimum index to get in that year.
Posted by BrotherEsau
Member since Aug 2011
3585 posts
Posted on 2/5/15 at 11:31 am to
Criteria - be able to issue me a JD

Most important - being able to get in.

Done different - not go.

Ultimately, you apply to schools and pick one that accepts you and that you can get the loans for and pay back.

It's not fricking rocket science dude.
This post was edited on 2/5/15 at 11:32 am
Posted by Mo Jeaux
Member since Aug 2008
62080 posts
Posted on 2/5/15 at 11:32 am to
quote:

I love the Law.


How do you know?
Posted by pivey14
In Your Head
Member since Mar 2012
15446 posts
Posted on 2/5/15 at 11:35 am to
quote:

How do you know?



I've taken law based business classes and it's very intriguing to me, especially Contracts.
Posted by Mung
Ba’on Rooj
Member since Aug 2007
9124 posts
Posted on 2/5/15 at 11:37 am to
free ride + in BR
Posted by FalseProphet
Mecca
Member since Dec 2011
11720 posts
Posted on 2/5/15 at 11:39 am to
quote:

I've taken law based business classes and it's very intriguing to me, especially Contracts.


Jesus. Learning about the law has no correlation to "loving" the law.

I'll wager good money that you are not one of the 1% of lawyers that actually loves the law.
Posted by SabiDojo
Open to any suggestions.
Member since Nov 2010
84335 posts
Posted on 2/5/15 at 11:42 am to
I chose the free one. I wouldn't advise it.
Posted by Ash Williams
South of i-10
Member since May 2009
18532 posts
Posted on 2/5/15 at 11:42 am to
quote:

I've taken law based business classes and it's very intriguing to me, especially Contracts.




I'd ask a few different attorneys that practice in different areas to have lunch with you and discuss what they do and what their daily schedule are like

try to find ones that are 5-10 years out of law school

i'd meet with someone in big law, someone doing criminal (i'd recommend a prosecutor), a plaintiff's attorney, and someone who is doing general practice with their own shop


the number one problem that most people run into is that once they get into law school or into the practice of the law they realize they werent sure exactly what they were getting into

the more information you have about what law school is like and what actually practicing law is like (you will not learn this in law school) you can make a better decision on if you actually want to go
Posted by Pettifogger
I don't really care, Margaret
Member since Feb 2012
85751 posts
Posted on 2/5/15 at 11:44 am to
Here's my guide:

First, decide what you're in it for. If it's money first and being a lawyer second, ok. If you want to be a lawyer at all costs, that's ok too.

If your ambition is money/career first:

1) Tier the law schools you're interested in by relative ranking. Not within 50 spots of each other, more like within 5 spots of each other.

2) Eliminate any that aren't in the top 75 US News, top 50 Above the Law, etc. Look outside USNWR for comparisons. Some schools may be closely ranked, but one may have significant prestige or employment advantages to another. Use common sense. I'd pursue stagnant but traditionally top tier law schools over those that are fast risers if they're close to one another.

3) Pick the most affordable within the top tier of schools you get into. If you don't get into a school in the top 75, or if you're only getting into top 40-75 type at high prices, consider not going.

4) If they're roughly the same in $$$, pick the school in the top tier that matches your likely geographic practice area. If that fails, pick based on quality of life, name recognition, or prestige.

If you want to be a lawyer at all costs:

1) Go wherever you can get in, but don't bitch about your student loans, the lack of jobs and your shitty pay.
Posted by pivey14
In Your Head
Member since Mar 2012
15446 posts
Posted on 2/5/15 at 11:45 am to
Maybe I'm being misconstrued. I love the concept of Law. No one goes through school reading 200+ pages of cases a week, writing briefs and loves it. I find it's application to real world situations very interesting and something that I can see myself doing as a career.
This post was edited on 2/5/15 at 11:47 am
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