Apply where you want to work / stay ?

ebalde1234ebalde1234 Member
in General 905 karma

Title is pretty self explanatory. Should you apply only to schools that you could see yourself working / staying there or should you apply to schools outside of your state / province . Some context I live in Ontario and plan on applying for Ontario based schools . That being said they are pretty competitive. Applying up north might give you more chances, but I would probably like to practice in Ontario and that could hinder my chances of networking as well as a feel for the laws of that area. Would love to hear feedback on this topic.

Comments

  • paulmv.benthempaulmv.benthem Alum Member
    1032 karma

    This is a thought I've be mulling over for a while now. I currently live in Winnipeg, but know that I will likely live on either the West or East coast, as I would like to practice immigration law and those regions off the most opportunities to work with immigrants/refugees.

    Any advice I would give is fairly anecdotal, but I have chatted about this with a lawyer friend of mine and there were a couple things he said I should keep in mind. First, how strong is the reputation of the school you are planning to attend. In terms of Canada, if you have a degree from UofT or Osgoode, then you're going to have good chance of finding employment across the country. Second, if possible, attend school where you hope to live long-term, especially if it's Southern Ontario (Though, this is not necessary). During school, there's a lot of opportunities to network and the chances increase for being able to land a decent position coming out of school within the area.

    In terms of your specific situation, things do seem a little bit trickier since you're contemplating going to school elswhere and returing to Ontario. (I assume you're looking at working in Southern Ontario?) If you hoping to go to a less reputable school because of the lower degree of competition, I suspect you might find it difficult once you're finished school and looking to move to the Southern Ontario area, since you'd be competing for employment with the graduating classes from UofT/Osgood, who have both the name and the step-up in terms of networking. This is why my friend has recommended that if I expect to live, work, and play in Southern Ontario, I should be shooting to get into UofT, Osgood, Queens, or Dalhousie. Each of those school appears to have strong employment numbers and networks in Southern Ontario and on the East Coast.

    Hope that helps!

  • ebalde1234ebalde1234 Member
    905 karma

    Funny you say mulling ... I've used that word like a million times with this decision. It makes logical sense apply where you want to work = networking/reputation of school =employment chances.It's more of a last resort option. thanks for the feedback

  • OhnoeshalpmeOhnoeshalpme Alum Member ⭐
    2531 karma

    This is a challenging, but crucial decision for the vast majority of applicants. Attending a school that is regionally competitive (generally T40-50) can be a strong option for those without Big Law aspirations. I personally am torn between Minneapolis and Atlanta due to various familial pressures. I'm not worried though, as they are both great places to practice law.

  • ebalde1234ebalde1234 Member
    905 karma

    @Ohnoeshalpme said:
    This is a challenging, but crucial decision for the vast majority of applicants. Attending a school that is regionally competitive (generally T40-50) can be a strong option for those without Big Law aspirations. I personally am torn between Minneapolis and Atlanta due to various familial pressures. I'm not worried though, as they are both great places to practice law.

    Very common dilemma. I recall one of my professors saying that it can be done ; not necessarily easier to transition but it is doable . With the right attitude anything is possible.

  • gaflparalegalgaflparalegal Alum Member
    133 karma

    I’ve gone back and forth on this as well. I currently live in Atlanta and have a great job here but I don’t want to go to law school here nor do I want to practice law here. I’m focusing my efforts on schools in a Florida as that is where I’d like to buy a house and eventually open my own firm.
    I have several friends who have gone to law school and most recommend studying where you plan to practice. One girl in particular went to school in AL and is having a really hard time passing the GA bar.
    I think it’s possible either way though, as most attorneys I know are barred in multiple states.

  • ebalde1234ebalde1234 Member
    905 karma

    @gaflparalegal said:
    I’ve gone back and forth on this as well. I currently live in Atlanta and have a great job here but I don’t want to go to law school here nor do I want to practice law here. I’m focusing my efforts on schools in a Florida as that is where I’d like to buy a house and eventually open my own firm.
    I have several friends who have gone to law school and most recommend studying where you plan to practice. One girl in particular went to school in AL and is having a really hard time passing the GA bar.
    I think it’s possible either way though, as most attorneys I know are barred in multiple states.

    Thanks for the feedback ,

  • Leah M BLeah M B Alum Member ⭐
    8392 karma

    I think the general rule most people think is that if you aren't attending a school in the T14, then you should go to a school where you plan to practice. The top law schools are much more portable; they have big names and carry a lot of weight. It's a lot less difficult to get a job in another area if you are from a very very good school.

    However, I have no idea how that all translates to Canadian schools. I would assume it's probably similar, but there's not a "T14" per se. But if you are not going to a top law school, it's probably ideal to go where you want to end up.

  • GuillaumeGuillaume Alum Member
    652 karma

    I'm curious about this topic too. I think it's different in Canada vs the US as we only have 19 law schools and there is no definitive ranking of which school is "better". Most people I've talked to have said that you should go to the school in the market you want to work in, and also factor financial constraints. For those reasons, I'm pretty much staying in Vancouver unless I bomb the LSAT over and over again and can never reach 168 lol. However, it would be interesting to contrast a school like Toronto vs one that has historically lower articling rates like Windsor or the newer schools like TRU and Lakehead. My guess is that if there is a strong school in your region to go there and keep studying until your LSAT is high enough to get in.

  • ebalde1234ebalde1234 Member
    905 karma

    @Guillaume said:
    I'm curious about this topic too. I think it's different in Canada vs the US as we only have 19 law schools and there is no definitive ranking of which school is "better". Most people I've talked to have said that you should go to the school in the market you want to work in, and also factor financial constraints. For those reasons, I'm pretty much staying in Vancouver unless I bomb the LSAT over and over again and can never reach 168 lol. However, it would be interesting to contrast a school like Toronto vs one that has historically lower articling rates like Windsor or the newer schools like TRU and Lakehead. My guess is that if there is a strong school in your region to go there and keep studying until your LSAT is high enough to get in.

    Yeah ideally you want to go for a higher ranked place mind you school rankings are more abstract in Canada then in the usa. Which is something you mentioned. I think as a last resort to getting in once you have exhausted your lsat score and are intent on doing Law ; you might as well apply and go where accepted .

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