Law School

[APhi Diva]

Your second year summer job is really important. At big firms, about 95% of their incoming attorneys have gone through the summer program their second year summer, so it's harder to find a job during your third year.

And you never know what you might find interesting! With the economy being as tough as it is right now, I'd take the best job you can find for the summer and hope to land a permanent spot there!

Originally posted by AXORissa
hey lawyers, can you help a poor student??

Im a 2L at Seton Hall, which has an excellent reputation in NJ, and is a top 5 school for Health Law (which is the specialty I plan to pursue)... however, im in the top half, but not at the top, of the class.

I am in the process now of applying for my summer job- i've been on three interviews, got one rejection, and havent heard from the other two. One is a firm I really want to work at-- the last few years, they've hired mainly from my program at my school, so thats an edge I have. They're hiring 4-5 clerks, I hear. I also have an interview next week at a PI/Med Mal firm that is supposedly very good, but its NOT what I want to practice.

How important is your summer job after your 2nd year? I know its very important in trying to find employment your 3rd year- but what if I decide to clerk for a judge for a year? I currently am a clerk to a personal injury lawyer (this is how I know I dont want to practice it!) so I have some legal work experience-- but the job market is SO tough for my class, and I dont know if I will wind up with a job at all, so I might have to stay where I'm at now. If I do have to stay here, I would also want to intern for a judge like I did last summer.

Thanks

[APhi Diva]

I couldn't agree with AlphaGam more.....when I graudated from college, I was faced with a choice: full scholarship at a well respected law school in my area, or 100K plus of debt at an Ivy League. My dad told me to go for broke and attend the Ivy, and I have never once regretted it. While you can get an excellent education at a lesser ranked school, the options you have are greater coming out of a top ranked school, and you don't have to be first in your class and on law review to get a great job.

Originally posted by AlphaGam1019
My bf, who's a 3L at HLS, made the following comments:


G8Ralphaxi's right that you can get nice firm offers to make decent money without going to a top 10 law school. BUT see, I could be the biggest loser at harvard and walk into one of those jobs. Granted, debt may not allow me to take a job for $70k when top in the market is $100k- but I have the choice. When you graduate from a lower tier school, you have to be in the top third of your class to even get a job at a midlaw type environment. If you're even a single tick below it, you're basically going to end up in a job where you don't make any more money than if you just got a job out of college (and, probably not doing something you want -- ie public defender or city attorney, etc).

[valkyrie]

Originally posted by APhi Diva
Go to the best school you can get into. Period. Everyone takes a bar review class the summer before the bar exam and that is where you learn what you need to pass the bar.

I mostly agree with this, BUT it depends on what you want to do. If you want to work at a large law firm, you should absolutely go to the best school you can get into. However, if the big firm lifestyle isn't appealing to you and you'd rather do public interest work, you should seriously consider going to a cheaper school. It's impossible to work in public interest (and that includes being a public defender or prosecutor) if you went to a very expensive school because the salaries are low. I did not go to a top school, but I graduated summa cum laude & was on law review, so I had my pick of public interest positions (I got a lot of, "Wow, we've never had someone with such a high GPA apply!") and I landed a federal clerkship. I was never interested in working at a big firm, so going to a top school wasn't important to me at all.

If you don't know what kind of law you want to do, really think about it before you start law school. I'm amazed and saddened every day when I hear about the many unhappy attorneys who feel trapped in their horrible law firm jobs because of their loan debt. Don't let that happen to you!

[jonsagara]

Tax law. I'm guessing I could go either way on that - firm job or IRS/SEC/etc.

[valkyrie]

Originally posted by jonsagara
Tax law. I'm guessing I could go either way on that - firm job or IRS/SEC/etc.

Something to remember -- when you're in law school, you can apply for positions with the Department of Justice through their Honors Program. Watch for that -- it's a great opportunity. Also, almost anyone can greatly benefit from clerking for a judge right out of law school. It's a great job and opens many doors.

[AlphaGam1019]

Originally posted by jonsagara
Tax law. I'm guessing I could go either way on that - firm job or IRS/SEC/etc.

I heard that area has the best (shortest) hours (in most firms)

[SigmaChiCard]

So, who has what offers so far for law school?

I'm probably going to end up going in-state. I didn't think I would, but being on this London trip makes me appreciate the value of friendship. I'm kind of kicking myself for not going to my undergrad school cause I got almost a full scholarship..I'd have to pay only $600 a year. But I'll end up at UofK cause it's a little better and I like the city better.

I'm waiting to hear from IU, Wash&Lee, & Will&Mary.

I got into UofL, UofK...waiting list at UConn.

1 Rejection.

it's a funny thing applying to schools wile working in an admissions office.

[moe.ron]

I thought this might help everybody looking into law school

Ranking On Law School

I think this ranking site does a better service then the all famous US News one.

[cashmoney]

Originally posted by SigmaChiCard
So, who has what offers so far for law school?

I'll be going to UM in the spring 2005.

here's the link: http://www.law.miami.edu/

[kddani]

Originally posted by moe.ron
I thought this might help everybody looking into law school

Ranking On Law School

I think this ranking site does a better service then the all famous US News one.

Those rankings are interesting, but they seem to focus very heavily on the faculty.

How many times someone's been published or cited in other sources isn't necessarily indicative of how good of a teacher they are. I've had some profs that aren't as academically known be mcuh more phenomenal teachers than the superstar profs.

I think any rankings are subjective. The US news and world report at least looks at a variety of factors. And they can change quickly. My school has jumped from mid second tier to first tier in the past two years. The other school I was considering went the exact opposite.

It's all a crapshoot, lol

[Corsulian]

George Mason University has an excellent although not quite so well-known law school (it's on the Arlington, Va campus--right outside DC)

[FeeFee]

Originally posted by AlphaGam1019
If you're even a single tick below it, you're basically going to end up in a job where you don't make any more money than if you just got a job out of college (and, probably not doing something you want -- ie public defender or city attorney, etc).

I know plenty of people who went to very good law schools and work as city attorneys (at least in NYC). Don't be fooled - they have a selection criteria of their own and it's not easy to get in either.

[GeekyPenguin]

Originally posted by kddani
Those rankings are interesting, but they seem to focus very heavily on the faculty.

How many times someone's been published or cited in other sources isn't necessarily indicative of how good of a teacher they are. I've had some profs that aren't as academically known be mcuh more phenomenal teachers than the superstar profs.

I think this is such a good point - I don't want you to be teaching me because you can write a good book, I want you to be teaching me because you can explain CrimPro well. My first choice school appears nowhere on that list, and I don't care - I'm happy with what actual students have told me about the faculty and that's more important to me.

[Kevin]

Good luck on your LSAT's everyone!

[APhiRattlerGal]

Ack!! Tomorrow's the big day!!