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Messages - mousqueton

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Law School Applications / Re: Military

« on: June 14, 2009, 10:17:36 AM »

I've actually noticed a significant bump due to my military status. I've got 5+ years in the Army as an officer with combat experience. I think it depends on how you frame that experience. If you try to go all Rambo on your personal statement it's going to look hokey. On the hand, if you were a human resources or maintenance tech, it's probably not going to be interesting to them unless you have a good story/experience.

As an example, I got into Georgetown(PT), and was waitlisted at several other T-14s and got some unlikely acceptances from the T25. My GPA/LSAT is 3.33/164, so I've definitely exceeded my expectations.

Transferring / Transferring from a part-time program to HYSCN... anyone have experience?

« on: May 06, 2009, 10:52:39 PM »

I'm wondering if anyone knows about transferring from a part-time program to a top school (HYSCN) or any school for that matter.

I'm beginning GULC-PT this Fall. I decided on doing the PT program because I'd like to spend extra time with my two kids as I missed out on a lot while deployed to Iraq for 15-months with the Army last year.

If next year around this time, I had great grades, do the top-5 schools transfers from part-time students? I know they nominally say they do, but I'm wondering if anyone knows of anybody who actually did it.

During the actual academic year, I'd be taking 24 units (everything that normal 1Ls take except for Crim and an elective). I would then take those two courses over the summer and have the same number of credits as a full-time 1L at GULC.

Stats:
UG: 3.33 from a service academy
LSAT: 164
Softs: Military officer / cultural diversity (non-URM)

Any comments or anecdotes?

Where should I go next fall? / Re: Difficult Choice (T14 vs full-ride (& more) at T30)

« on: March 14, 2009, 11:12:37 AM »

Quote from: nerfco on March 14, 2009, 02:13:54 AM

So, if I understand correctly, if you go to U Dub, the army pays tuition and gives you 80k on top for three years and then you work for them for six years, at ~100k/year. you also give up the chance to work cool places in summer.

Yes, exactly.

Quote from: darner on March 14, 2009, 10:48:06 AM

What would your duty status be if you attend a non-FLEP school? Would the Army be paying you any salary/benefits? What would be your remaining service commitment after finishing?

My service obligation expires this May, so I'd be a civilian- no pay or benefits from the Army, but no requirement to serve the military any longer. I'm an officer, so I have minimal GI Bill benefits, only a few thousand/year.

Where should I go next fall? / Difficult Choice (T14 vs full-ride (& more) at T30)

« on: March 14, 2009, 01:59:28 AM »

I've got a tough choice to make about where I'm going in the near future.

Background: I'm an Army officer who was accepted to the FLEP program (basically where the Army pays for my tuition and I'm obligated to be a JAG for 6 years after passing the bar). I really want to go to the best school possible, but the poor job market for lawyers is definitely making me a bit nervous. I'm not 100% sure of what type of law I want to do yet, but I'm gravitating towards criminal or civil litigation.

Here are the options:

#1). I've been accepted to Georgetown(PT) & USC. I'm also hopeful about Cornell/Duke/Michigan panning out into an acceptance. I will probably not get anything but very minor grants to any of these schools. FLEP will not pay for these schools because they only allow up to $20K annual tuition, and I am legally not allowed to pay the remainder. Only the school can cover the rest, and like I said none of those schools will likely offer me anything more than a very minor grant. So if I did one of these, I'd have to pay my way full-freight.

#2). University of Washington, Seattle. This is the best school I got into that FLEP will pay for. I will have absolutely no student debt upon graduation and will be on active duty status during law school. As such, I will collect about $80K/year captain's pay (in addition to not paying tuition/fees), will have full health/dental for myself/family. I will also have a job in JAG waiting for me (pays about $90K/year and will not top out more than about $110K). The cons are that I would have to serve at least 6 years after graduation. I also have to spend my summers doing Army internships and would not be allowed to do a clerkship (something which interests me).

I've got to make the decision within 4 weeks(before most schools even require a deposit). That being said, I know I'm lucky to have this "problem", and I'd appreciate any input you guys have. My goals aren't necessarily to serve exclusively in the military (I've already done the Iraq/combat thing). I'd like to get either into a big firm or the USAO whether or not I go Army.

Edit: Also, in the military, I basically wouldn't have much of a choice as to where I'll be living. Could be Hawaii, Europe or DC or alternatively Northern Louisiana, Kansas, inner-Georgia. Tours are typically 3 years in length. Civilian world, I'd be interested in LA or NY.