Law School Discussion

So it turns out South Campus Gateway is out of studios   . They also only have one 1br left, and that lease starts in June. Needless to say, I will not be living in SCG. Housing has not gotten back to me about space availability on campus. I'm hoping that something comes available.

I don't even know how to look for an apartment when I'm hundreds of miles away from Columbus 

Time to live up to my reputation as THE Ohio State University troll...

After Ohio, the #1 destination of tOSU Moritz grads the past few years has been Washington D.C. OSU has strong ties to D.C. due largely to their Washington D.C. summer program (for UC kids, think 'UCDC' but for law students). Check it out and see if it interests you. Students I talked to highly recommended either this one or the Oxford program:

http://moritzlaw.osu.edu/programs/washington/index.php

For Ohio, Chicago and D.C. OSU places very well. Recently the placement in NYC and California has gotten a lot better too (echoing the huge rise in the US News rankings over the past decade). It's reputation as a regional school is largely based on self-selection (60% of the students are from Ohio, and 60% work in Ohio after graduation. Chances are it's the same people). Also, OSU has a strong alumni base (like most schools with big time sports programs) so when you find an OSU alum on a firm website, they are more likely to be helpful in your job search than alums from other schools (every OSU alum I've emailed has responded with very long insightful emails about their law school experience and job search).

Going to Georgetown or GW would obviously make getting a job in DC easier, but chances are you will enjoy your OSU experience more (as THE Ohio State University troll, I must make it sound like the most fun place in the world... although it seemed to be the most fun law school I visited).

Interesting. I was expecting it to be a little cheaper. I know on campus you can get a grad student single for like 500 a month with utilities included. Farther away it would probably be cheaper, but then you'd need to commute. I wonder if South Campus Gateway comes with a parking spot...

I'm not sure where I'm going to live. I might even end up living on campus for the convenience factor (provided I can get a single). I dunno if South Campus Gateway still has available units, otherwise that might be a good choice. I don't know much about housing in the area and signing a lease sight unseen is hard, hence why I am leaning to one of the two.

Hastings will make it easier to get a CA job, especially biglaw. No debating that. Although I actually think more people on the east coast know Hastings than people on the west coast know Fordham (Hastings used to be t20 in the early 90s).

I will say this though. It seems when a person on this board asks 'which school should I attend if I want to practice in city xyz?' there is usually a consensus on an obvious choice (the school in that city/region). This ignores HUGE factors in picking a school that you need to think about, specifically quality of life. Would you be happy at the best school you got into in the city you want to work in? Or would you be happier at another school in a different region? Secondly, there is a difference between 'it is easier to get a CA job from Hastings than Fordham' and 'you can only get a CA from Hastings, and will not get one from Fordham'. If I'm not mistaken Fordham actually has a few CA firms do OCI there (it is a T1 school after all). If not, it doesn't mean you can't sent applications to CA firms or participate in off-campus interview programs/job fairs. It also doesn't mean that you can't network with people in the area you want to work if you aren't going to school there (although it is more difficult). Basically, if you think you will be equally happy (or happier) at Hastings, go there. If you think you will be significantly happier at Fordham, you should give it serious consideration (after making a pro-con list, of course).

Good luck on your decision. And FWIW, I chose The Ohio State University over Hastings, even though I am from CA. When I visited Admitted Students Day it just felt blah, and I wasn't really happy with it (though most of their students I talked to were very happy to be there). Meanwhile, when I visited tOSU I fell in love. The school was perfect for me. I talked to a number of recent grads who work in CA now to see what their job search was like, and decided I was willing to go through a more grass-roots job search in order to get a job back in CA (it also helps that I'm not obsessed with biglaw). I also know there are some people that would be turned off by the things at OSU that I loved. To each his own. On that note, visit both schools if you can. It's worth the plane tickets (I had already sent a deposit to Hastings before my visit to OSU. It gave me a chance to 'correct' my decision.)