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Hi Everyone,
I apologize if this discussion distracts someone studying the LSAT and I seriously need to apologize since I posted this discussion before and I just did a minor edition to it. I currently got into BU law, Emory Law, Georgewashington Law, and william and mary law (receive scholarship from all of them). When I limited my choice to GW and BU (incline to BU), an offer from Vanderbilt Law School kinda ruined my decision. Is it true that ranking does not matter if law school is not T14? I want to practice corporate law in Northeast area such as NY, MA (might be DC if possible). As an international student, I really cared about if I can get a job. Now it is GW, BU, or Vandy. 7sagers, what do you think? Thank you so much for whoever has left their comment down here!!
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@tutordavidlevine115 Hey broski, now my choice is down to Vandy and BU since I am not into IP law. I found BU and Vandy have similar job placement rate but Vandy's NLJ ranking is a bit lower than that of BU. That's what makes me nervous. Since I am going to visit BU this weekend, I will arrange another trip to Nashville in order to make a comparison. Thank you so much for your advice. I really appreciate it.
@nessak130467 whoa, this is right to the point. I am gonna do it now. I want to practice corporate law. That is why my decision is down to BU and Vandy. Vandy is gonna get back to me regarding the amount of scholarship (will be determined in late February). Job placement rate is what I care about most. Your list idea is so constructive. Thank you so much!
@alejoroarios925, damn, you still remember me, how touching it is!!! I love both BU and Vandy. I am going to BU this weekend. I will absolutely arrange another trip to Nashville. Vandy's NLJ ranking seems lower than that of BU, which is why I still hesitate. The touchy thing is that I am an international student. Getting a job is my priority. Thank you so much for your advice.
@ehazoury421, I place BU and Vandy over GW as well cause I am not interested in IP law. I still prefer to practice law near NY, MA market (may be DC, not so sure). I think now it is boiled down to which city I like more. Thank you for your advice.
@jyang72422 said:
Hi Everyone,
I apologize if this discussion distracts someone studying the LSAT and I seriously need to apologize since I posted this discussion before and I just did a minor edition to it. I currently got into BU law, Emory Law, Georgewashington Law, and william and mary law (receive scholarship from all of them). When I limited my choice to GW and BU (incline to BU), an offer from Vanderbilt Law School kinda ruined my decision. Is it true that ranking does not matter if law school is not T14? I want to practice corporate law in Northeast area such as NY, MA (might be DC if possible). As an international student, I really cared about if I can get a job. Now it is GW, BU, or Vandy. 7sagers, what do you think? Thank you so much for whoever has left their comment down here!!
Hey! First, congrats on gaining acceptances to some amazing schools! To answer your first question, ranking matters outside of the T14, albeit much less. Generally, location/employment stats/scholarship $$$ take precedence over ranking when discussing schools in the T25.
If you want to practice corporate law Vandy or BU should be your top choices. GW isn't bad, but they don't place as well into NYC/Boston big law.
I really like @nessak130467 's idea of making a pro's and a con's list!
@jyang72422 said:
I received offer from Vanderbilt Law today. Geez, this decision-making is getting tougher.
Congratulations!
I would definitely consider a few factors (perhaps in a pro/con list fashion) in terms of making my choice. These are a few things I'd consider and how I'd go about getting some answers.
I. Job stats upon graduation (because I'd want to graduate knowing I chose a school that gave me a great shot at whatever legal career I aspire to have)
A. What types of law do most graduates of this institution practice upon graduation?
1. Can I leverage this for my career goals and how?
you can check this by looking at the law school's website (browse through info on their alumns etc)
II. Campus culture and climate
A. Will I be happy here? If no, is that dissatisfaction worth the trade off?
1. What is student life like?
2. Do students mostly live on or off campus? Do you have a preference?
3. City preference (food, vibe, people, accessiblity to some place you care about)
III. Student opportunities/requirements
A. What are the graduation requirements?
1. Are there programs/requirements that you are interested in?
2. Are there opportunities for you to explore areas you are interested in regarding required projects and or probono hours?
B. What clubs/organizations would you want to get involved in?
1. Are there any good opportunities for you to explore your legal interests?
C. Professors --are there any specific professors you'd be interested in taking classes with?
1. Are students in clinics, classes, and projects supported by faculty more at one institution over the other?
If Vanderbilt has the best graduation stats and you like Nashville etc then definitely go for it!
Go to Vandy, fall in love with bluegrass and Nashville, and get your Big Law job, dude. Congrats, Johnson! So happy for you!
I would vote for Vandy Law if the money is similar. Vandy does quite well in the southern markets (Dallas, Houston, Atlanta) as well as NYC. I think it's certainly a step ahead of BU and GW in terms of placing into BigLaw based on numbers. I'd place BU ahead of GW because of employment. Even if you like DC, there is NO guarantee you will get DC biglaw just because you went to GW. In fact, you'll have to be close to the top of your class (if you're not in IP). Despite DC being one of the biggest legal markets, it's also the most competitive. Students from across the T14 will be gunning for DC and the competition is tough. That being said, GW is the place to be if you're sure DC the goal.
@staciaglee275, holy shit, you are right!!! I want to practice corporate law, specializing in merger and acquisition. I am going to check them out now.
@jyang72422 congrats on vandy! Yup, more tough decisions ahead. I'd suggest checking the websites of some of the firms in cities where you'd like to practice. See where people went to school, and see how V is represented.
@jordankennedy480, I prepared LSAT for roughly 1 year and a half. I am actually not proud of it cause it took so long.
how long do you prepare for LSAT @jyang72422
@alejoroarios925, yep. In Philosophy courses, we get to read very difficult materials and arguments.
@staciaglee275 I received offer from Vanderbilt Law today. Geez, this decision-making is getting tougher.
I'm in DC for work right now and I gotta tell you it isn't the most uplifting place. The political climate is not great and there are too many government gunners.
hahaha nah, I just minored in Philosophy because I like that kind of stuff. But I heard having a philosophy background helps with law scohool too!
@alejoroarios925 said:
@jyang72422 I agree with your assessment! I also had Econ as a major major and Philosophy as a minor in college. Great choice!! Great minds think alike ;)
For real? Did you minor in Philosophy to help you to read and write better? At least that is my intent in the beginning. :wink:
@tutordavidlevine115 said:
I work for a D.C. think tank. I'm so sick and tired of the D.C. politics. I will head for the west coast for law school this fall... I know this is not helpful...I just feel compelled to add another miserable aspect of D.C.:) BU and GW are both great. I think your decision should come down to where you plan to practice what kind of law and which school can best help you achieve this goal.
D.C. politics? This sounds very interesting. I want to practice corporate law or business law. I felt like BU is better fit for me. Now my decision is becoming clearer :)
I work for a D.C. think tank. I'm so sick and tired of the D.C. politics. I will head for the west coast for law school this fall... I know this is not helpful...I just feel compelled to add another miserable aspect of D.C.:) BU and GW are both great. I think your decision should come down to where you plan to practice what kind of law and which school can best help you achieve this goal.
@jyang72422 I agree with your assessment! I also had Econ as a major major and Philosophy as a minor in college. Great choice!! Great minds think alike ;)
@safavisherry877 , GW has high big law placement rate, but a chunk of them goes to IP law. The problem with me is that I have an Econ degree and philosophy minor in undergraduate. My major does not fit IP law. If I can't pursue IP law, I am really worried whether GW is a good fit for me regardless of how splendid resources that reside in DC. Thank you very much for giving me your insight.
@staciaglee275. Thank you so much for your insight. I felt like GW is living in the shadow of GT. I mean in the future I still want to practice law in the NYC. Fordham can be a good choice for me, but the problem is BU has given me scholarship while Fordham law is notoriously stingy for giving scholarships.
@alejoroarios925, any comment is helpful for me, no worries!! DC is a wonderful city that is full of opportunities. However, I saw that BU has higher biglaw placement rate, bar passing rate, and job placement rate. Anyway, I decide to go visit BU next week and GW next month to see which city do I want to go most.
@jknauf572, thank you so much for your insight. However, I checked the NLJ ranking, and I found out that BU's biglaw placement rate is higher than that of GW. I am not so sure where I want to practice law. That's why I am struggling between BU and GW.
@jyang72422 Another aspect of GW is its reputation as a policy/politics-oriented program. If you are aiming to practice at a firm, this won't be a consideration. But if you want, even eventually, to work within the Beltway in something besides black-letter law, GW has the upper hand.