Law School Discussion

I hate to say this, but you'd have a hard-enough time getting a job in FL, let alone Philadelphia.  Unless you're going to a school with "national appeal" (e.g., a T-14 school), you really should try to go to a school in the region where you want to practice law.  Temple and Villanova place well in the Philly area, and obviously University of Pennsylvania does.  I wouldn't recommend Widener in Wilmington, DE, especially because it is hard enough to get a job from there when the economy is good.  Since you're considering Ave Maria, I'm assuming your LSAT score wasn't very good, and it's unlikely you could get into Temple or Villanova.  However, retaking the LSAT often does wonders.  I retook, and it opened up many doors for me.  I recommend retaking, especially if you didn't take a prep class/didn't study hard the first time.  Good luck!

With all due respect, I have some reservations about much of what you posted.  I'll address that below.  (Before I begin that, though, in the interest of full disclosure I'm a UF Law student.  Also, I think FSU is a fine school, and have nothing against their school.  However, I feel that I should address these statements made, so that someone considering the schools have both sides presented.)

That's a VERY limited analysis taxguy. Hopefully you'll learn to make distinctions once you finish law school. Unfortunately, my analysis will be biased because I chose FSU over UF (was offered admission into both). But, here are some things you have completely ignored in why one would ever choose UF over FSU, and things that I considered when choosing to attend FSU Law: (1) FSU dominates UF in location for law. At FSU, you are in the state capital of Florida, on the doorstep of Florida Legislature and the Supreme Court of Florida, literally walking distance from both. UF has NOTHING in terms of law backdrop, outside of the school itself, to offer a student.

You really need to more precisely define "location for law," but I think you're saying that there are more opportunities for externships, and eventually jobs, in Tallahassee.  I don't think any rational person would dispute that.  However, there ARE options in Gainesville, such as federal judges, state attorneys offices, etc.  Because UF is highly touted in the state, nearly every governmental agency here has interns, and often many of them, outside the Gainesville area, from southern Florida to the Panhandle.  Moreover, UF places very well in places such as the Florida Supreme Court, among other high-profile internships, often better than FSU.  (I have an example of this, but because I would like to somewhat protect my  anonymity, I shall refrain from disclosing at this time.) 

But keep in mind that I'm conceding that FSU is better for government opportunities--it's hard for you to argue that it's better for private-firm jobs.  While it's true that in Gainesville there are very few "good" private firm jobs, UF's name carries better in the state.  It doesn't matter what the reason is--what matters is that the firms like the UF "brand."

(2) Faculty is FAR SUPERIOR. Look at the stats and you'll see a marked discrepency in citations and output from the professors at both Universities, HEAVILY skewed in FSU's favor. Here's just ONE example of why UF can't compete with FSU in terms of faculty: I took Florida Constitutional Law with a Florida Supreme Court Justice, Ricky Polston. WHAT AN AMAZING opportunity... you can't say that you'll ever have a similar experience at UF.

This might be true, but I don't think it's as clear as you think.  For example, former Chief Justice Overton teaches a seminar on the Florida Supreme Court.  Professor Wolf is the editor of the premier treatise on Property, Powell on Property.  Professor Mills was a former Speaker of the House for Florida. 

FSU has GREAT faculty, such as Ehrhardt (who is THE premier expert on evidence in Florida), don't get me wrong.  But you seem to know only one side of the equation.  UF has great faculty too, and places better in the state. Since both have great faculty, and one places better, why not go to the better school (in terms of job opportunities)?

(3) FSU has a higher placement rate than UF. So if you are looking to have a job once you graduate, FSU is a better choice.

Link to this? 

(4) FSU routinely has a higher bar passage rate than UF (and among the highest in the state on average).

First, link to this?  (I'm curious to see this.  It wouldn't surprise me, though, if you're right.)  Second, very few law schools in the top 100 law schools teach to prepare us for the bar exam, so this doesn't say much.  (I'll skip the issue of whether law schools should teach us to prepare us better for the bar exam.

(5) The law school itself is ALOT cooler than UF's law school.

Yours is probably prettier, that's for sure.  But most people don't care much about aesthetics.  Jobs are what matter. 

(6) FSU is premised on helping students, making life a little easier through your experience at the school. UF is premised on coldness and an "every man for themself" attitude. Very cut throat.

This is certainly a statement you can't substantiate.  As someone who works on the law school campus, it's really very laid-back.  Yes, you have your competitive people, but I was shocked how calm and nice most people are. 

(7) FSU is the most selective school in the state (i.e. they take less % of incoming 1Ls per number of applicants than ANY of the schools in Florida.

That means little in Florida, as no school in Florida takes people with "elite" credentials.  For example, a school could accept only 1% of applicants--and they could be the "cream of the crop" by having a median LSAT of a 151 and a 3.0 GPA. 

Also, how close are the acceptance rates?  If they're close, it's also not a big deal. 

( FSU has very small classes and has the lowest teacher-to-student ratio in the state. UF has GIGANTIC classes and GIGANTIC 1L ADMISSIONS, as do Stetson and Miami (both are very indiscriminate about who they take, with an incoming class at roughly 500 students per school compared to a number roughly half that by FSU).

Most classes really aren't too large here once you get past your first year of law school.  Also, incoming classes are "only" 300 now instead of 400, which will drop class size. 

So while you might be right that UF, Stetson, and Miami have more course offerings I think you get the most bang for your buck at FSU for the reasons I just mentioned (I honestly think a person would have to have slight brain damage to choose Stetson or Miami over FSU).

I think FSU is a great school, and each person must decide for him/herself whether they should go to UF, FSU, or somewhere else.  Hopefully this will allow people to see both sides. 

If you prefer Western PA over Central - Pitt.  That's about all there is to it.

Exactly. 

Everything's cool, I've just been out and about leading the hustla lifestyle as of late. I'm still a 2L for another month. I have a little something lined up for summer, but nothing spectacular at the moment, probably just doing part time work and part time school.

And how are things in your neck of the woods?

I'm glad that all goes well for you.

Things are going very well for me actually.  I'm  lucky to have a very solid opportunity for this summer, especially with the state of the economy.  It's brutal out there, even for students with top-notch grades and LR. 

UF.

You're a traitor!