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Related Discussions
Does ranking really matter for me?
dhaley22
Member
This is a bit of a preemptive post, but I've been reading up a lot about choosing a law school and most people advise going to the "best" school you get into. I definitely see how this could be true for those interested in Big Law, but I'm trying to figure out if it applies to me.
I've never, ever been interested in Big Law, so I don't see that changing in law school. My two biggest interests so far have been criminal law (prosecution, most likely) or national security law. I'd really love to end up working for a federal branch (Homeland Security, DOJ, FBI, Pentagon, etc.) I've also had some interest in IP litigation in the past, and if I weren't to go into government work, I think I would really enjoy IP.
Given my interests, the two main schools I'm planning to apply to are Georgetown and GW, simply because of the connections and opportunities being in DC offers. I have a 3.96 GPA from NYU, so I feel confident those schools could be options if I get a decent LSAT score. Of course, this is all contingent on that, but I'm planning to retake as many times as I need to to get a "good" score.
My question is: do you think there's a big difference between the schools? Does the better ranking and prestige of Georgetown matter as much, in this case? It's much more likely that I'll get $$ from GW, while I might have to pay closer to sticker price at Georgetown. I also know Georgetown is much more selective, whereas I feel confident that I could make it to GW given my average PT scores.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated 
Comments
I used to have similar interests to you and I was weighting a similar question. It really depends on what avenue you wanna take in order to get there. If you are thinking the honors program is the right path, then prioritizing GPA while in school has more weight than the school itself. There are other paths as well, just a bit longer of a wait to get there and it typically involves bouncing between a few different gigs.
That being said though, any way you look at it, the best possible thing you can do at this point is to max your lsat score. With your GPA and a comparable good LSAT, you could be getting into top tier schools. While going to big law is a fairly typical outcome for folks leaving those top Law Schools, plenty go into Fed work or Public Service oriented work.
I think there is a HLS guide to the either federal honors program or DOJ honors program that I thought was quite illuminating. It would be worth a read!
It's the best school for you where you would be the happiest. Georgetown puts you in the center of bread and butter legal opportunities. I don't know you, but Georgetown was the striking word in your post. NYU also has opportunities, though--maybe a few more in regards to large law firms, v. Georgetown is near more federal government positions. Both these law schools are near other similar law schools, which means lots of students competing for the same slots. What about UVA? Or Washington and Lee? Do these law schools interest you?
@asahwhalen That totally makes sense. I do feel like getting towards the top of my class in a lower ranked law school might benefit me more, but I'm not sure. I'm mostly concerned because I just don't think I can break 170; I've been studying full time for four months now, and have definitely seen improvement, but I'm still averaging around 167. That's why I don't think I will make it to a top tier school (like HLS,) unless a miracle happens. What did you end up doing? Where are you at school now?
@lsatplaylist What exactly do you mean about "striking word?" In terms of other schools, I don't think I want to be in NYC again. I loved my time at NYU, but I want to try to experience life in a different location for law school. I've talked to a bunch of people at UVA, and I'm not sure it's a great fit, but I haven't heard much about Washington and Lee. I'll look into it!
Georgetown just seemed like it may be a good school for your list and your GPA is in their range.
@lsatplaylist I'm only worried about my LSAT score, since my PT average is a bit below their median.
I think you'll do well. This isn't true for everyone and on here it's impossible to account for all variables, but many times a high gradepoint makes it more likely that someone will get a high LSAT, and you went to an almost-Ivy for undergrad.
@dhaley22 At the time when I was doing that research I was a junior in college. When it came to decide when I should start studying for the LSAT, I didn't feel like I could do that senior year, and I had been given some advice from family to take a couple years off before going to Law School. I ended up doing TFA, and I will be done with that next May! I've got a ways to keep going studying wise, and tbh, the LSAT I get will likely determine where I go. I would really love to stay in the south though (looking at you Vandy)
Also this is the guide I was thinking of, while it is directly related to becoming an AUSA, it has info on the honors program, and other avenues into the DOJ.
https://hls.harvard.edu/content/uploads/2008/06/fast-track-final.pdf