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

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.

---

This is good advice, though I don't feel as strongly about it since although being a lawyer sucks, from what I can tell most other jobs I would've done instead also suck.

But definitely go to a school that is either nationally recognized as truly elite or go near where you want to practice.

I can't emphasize enough how little anyone cares that your law school in a different state was ranked 38th instead of 83rd.

Go wherever is cheapest. Outside of the very top grads at the very top schools, no one cares.

Also, be aware that law schools all want a diverse a student body, culturally but also geographically. This is just based on my experience, and it wasn't intentional, but I think if you can apply from a location far from the school I think it helps with getting in and with scholarships (obviously this doesn't quite work in-state).

I'm from Louisiana and went to undergrad at LSU, but happened to have sent in my applications while temporarily in DC, and based on the scholarship offers I got from Texas schools relative to other similar LSU guys applying from Louisiana, I'm pretty sure they were looking at me as someone from across the country rather than just another guy from the region.

This x100000

I only applied to Ole Miss and Alabama, Ole Miss gave me the most money, so I went there. I decided I wanted a masters in tax law, I didn't want to live in New York or DC and pay the private school tuition, I could get in-state tuition to Florida through academic common market, so I went to UF for tax.

quote:

---

I'm originally from Baton Rouge and have been looking at Tulane, LSU, and Loyola.

---

Do you want to be in New Orleans or Baton Rouge? If so, I would choose LSU. I think it's a better school than Tulane, you'll have to work hard because you really need to shoot for top 20% to get the good jobs out of but not to the extent you would at a more prestigious university, and it's WAY cheaper than either Tulane or Loyola. There is no reason to go to either of the other schools, though, be warned, New Orleans law firms will turn their noses up at you since you are from Baton Rouge. They will immediately not believe you want to stay in New Orleans long term.

quote:

---

It's funny how much stock is put into the USNWS rankings when the rankings themselves are literally a joke. Choosing a school based on the rankings is an awful idea unless you're looking at T14 schools or schools that are consensus purely for profit schools (e.g. Cooley).

---

Rankings matter significantly, but USNWR are not necessarily reflective of the rankings in the heads of hiring partners.

But you'll rarely go to a large law firm from a tier 2 school unless there is a geographic connection (Georgia State kids sometimes go to big Atlanta firms), and very, very rarely from a tier 3 or tier 4 school.

I do agree that going to a non T14 tier one school and taking that to another state may not get you much credit. Take your Alabama (23 USNWR/28 ATL) or UGA (29 USNWR/20 ATL) degree into Dallas and see how much of a shite people give when comparing you to beloved SMU.

quote:

---

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.

---

Speak with as many attorneys in law firms and in-house positions as you can. Google BR firms like Taylor Porter, Phelps Dunbar, Breazeale Sachse, Kean Miller, Baker Donelson, etc. and look for attorneys who practice Corporate Law, since you seem to think that contracts and the business side of things is interesting.

Call them at first. Don't email them. You're easy to ignore if you email them. Have a very basic script so they don't hang up on you immediately. Tell them who you are, where you are in school, and what you're interested in, then offer to take them to lunch. Have a list of basic questions including why they work in the law, what they like about corporate law versus litigation (if they know), etc.

It may be a bit of a long shot, but I can't imagine you won't get at least one or two people to agree to meet with you if you call enough people. That may give you a better idea as to what it is they do and whether you will like it.

quote:

---

I can see you are deluded and beyond the point of being capable of taking this advice, but don't go to law school.

---

If I had to do it all over again and I could still have met my wife, I wouldn't go to law school. But, that said, it's not totally awful and the market is shifting from pure shite to decent for young lawyers. Less and less kids are taking the LSAT, less and less kids are going to law school, and the economy is actually doing well enough to have a healthy mix of litigation and deal work. Deal work last year in particular was fricking out of control. M&A associates in Houston were billing 2600 hours without blinking.

All good points.

And easier said that done, but unless you go to a top 20 school, you really need to do well. Even at 20 or higher, finishing low can derail you.

I'm talking top 50% at a 20-40 schools at minimum with top 33% being the goal (and that's a modest goal). Beyond that, you need to be top thirdish, with top 25% or higher being your goal.

If you're bottom 50% and go to a school outside the top tier, it's going to be tough going unless you have really reasonable expectations or have good connections.

LSU Law grad

My options were Tulane, U of Texas, and University of Virginia.

LSU gave me a full ride scholarship. By my senior year, I had that plus a stipend. Free is a very attractive price point.

Ended up with a US Fifth Circuit clerkship, offers in Houston, Dallas, and Atlanta. I think LSU remains a good deal if you can do it without debt and if you bust your tail for grades. That's just one man's opinion.

Very happy I did not go Tulane. I'm a country boy. Very happy I did not go UVA. I'd have had a buttload of debt and probably ended up in DC. Texas might have been nice. I'm licensed there and practice there a fair amount.