University of Denver: Sturm College of law

starbuck

I was wondering, what do you guys think about UD Sturm? A buddy got full ride. Is it a good back up?

NotMyName

Depends on what you intend to do after law school. UD is ranked #76 meaning it is a tier 2 school and likely could only provide regional job placement. The way I view school choice is a balance between potential tuition and job prospects. If you aren't interested in working in the region, I would strongly recommend against that school.

If you do want to work in the region, I would still recommend against that school unless you could receive a sizable scholarship. This is where personal opinions come into play. Me, personally, I hate debt! Debt may be worth taking on if you are going to a sexy law school like T14 or even Top 30 I bet because (assuming you do well which in law school is never a given) your salary prospects are big enough that even if you had to do something you hated for a few years, you could pay that off.

Now I don't know what the salaries or job market is like in Denver, but I can imagine you would struggle to pay off the $200k price tag of UD. Also, as your school choice rank goes lower and lower, it becomes ever more important to finish with a high class rank. Check out this post for example http://abovethelaw.com/2010/05/the-tier-system-within-the-law-school-tiers-according-to-shell-oil/

Alex

@starbuck said:
I was wondering, what do you guys think about UD Sturm? A buddy got full ride. Is it a good back up?

I'll be honest, I would seriously reconsider going here.

According to LST "62.9% of graduates were known to be employed in long-term, full-time legal jobs." That means 4 out of 10 people could not find jobs. Those are some pretty scary odds...

That number does not include those who could only find work in JD advantaged jobs. Also, it isn't uncommon for people at these schools to have parents or family members who are lawyers who help them with employment.

As someone who lives in NYC, the amount of friends/acquaintances I have come to know who went to law school and ultimately ended up without legal jobs is staggeringly high. So much so that it has really instilled in me that it is much easier to retake the LSAT than to struggle finding a legal job.

It also seems to carry a quite exorbitant price tag at ~$70k a year to attend. Graduating 210k+ in debt is arguably not with it for any school.

AllezAllez21

I agree with the above posters.

I actually live in Colorado. While there are definitely successful lawyers who went to DU, it's current costs and employment prospects should give you caution.

That being said, if you know people in Colorado who could help with job placement and you get a full scholarship (plus hopefully living stipend) then it could be a decent school.

fuzzy228

Starbuck, it depends on what your goals are. Going to a 1st or 2nd tier law school does not guarantee success, the same for a 3rd or 4th tier school, doesn't mean you will not be successful. In the end, whatever aligns with your respective goals, taking into consideration factors such as geographic location, family, finances, career ambitions, etc.
perhaps could be helpful in helping you to narrow things down.
I wish you all the best, we are all on this journey together.
In the meantime, I came across these articles I wanted to share, they speak to both sides of the issue.
This is by no means indicative of the majority but.......

1st tier
http://butidideverythingrightorsoithought.blogspot.com/2010/09/harvard-to-homeless-and-other-anecdotal_21.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/27/business/dealbook/burdened-with-debt-law-school-graduates-struggle-in-job-market.html

https://theivylie.com/tag/mit/

Fourth tier?
http://abovethelaw.com/2010/09/lawyer-of-the-day-david-j-stern-florida-foreclosure-king/

http://www.bcgsearch.com/article/900044911/10-Factors-That-Matter-to-Big-Firms-More-Than-Where-You-Went-to-Law-School-Why-the-Law-School-You-Went-to-Ultimately-Does-Not-Matter-as-Much-as-You-Think-It-Does-to-Major-Law-Firms/