Law School Discussion

verbal-

i think there's a good chance they would. if you think it would help (which i think it might) you could always stretch the truth and say that you have a possibility for a job this fall, and that you would like to be considered as waitlist for the PT program. if they allowed that, you would probably get in without a problem. and it wouldn't hurt to try- worst case scenario you stay where you are on the FT waitlist.

i entered GW PT and transferred to FT this semester. out of the 120 people who started PT, about half switched to FT after the first semester. a lot of people decide they can't take working and going to school for 4 years, and others enter with no job at all, intending to switch from the beginning.

as far as it being "good", i can't entirely say. as far as i can honestly tell (from talking to upper-level students, guidance counsellers, professors, etc.), it doesn't have as much as a negative effect as most people would think. people who started PT and switched to FT still get plenty of jobs at OCI, clerkships, good summer internships, etc. i was in a position similar to yours- my choice was between GW PT and a school ranked somewhere around where OU is. at first i was hesitant to go PT, but now i'm happy i did. even though some people on these law school message boards might give you crap for using the "backdoor" in to a T20 school, that's about as bad as it gets. you'll still have your own section (with other people who switch to FT) with whom you'll graduate in 3 years, just like those who start FT do with their sections; the only difference is that you'll be 2 classes behind after first semester and will have to take some credits over the summer (which is very easy and can be done in a variety of ways). and of course, when taking in to account the opportunities GW will offer you that a place like OU might not, i honestly think that alone is worth it.

but if you were waitlisted at GW, i'm assuming your numbers are fairly competetive. have you considered applying to GULC PT? i think they're still taking applications online until March 1, so you'd have to rush. still, their PT admit stats aren't much different from GW's, and while you can't switch until second year, it's also very easy to do and you'd be in an even better position than you would at GW.

let me know if you have any other questions.

biglaw (125K) has yearly raises and bonuses, so you escalate very quickly. i believe it's the same for midlaw (starting at 80-110K or so), though of course not on the same level. the government also has yearly raises. i have no idea for public interest.

the one area i assume is different is in starting your own practice or joining a very small one, which seems to be more typical among students from lower-ranked and more local schools. i know someone who joined a small, local firm  and his salary bas basically been stuck where he started (around 55K) and will be until the firm grows and picks up business, which could never happen for all he knows. but then again, his father was in the same position that he is and ended up making than many do in their gigs at biglaw- and of course he likes his work a lot more.

but overall, the salary bump seems pretty normal- if not guaranteed- in most pratice areas even after the first year. if you're working for someone that isn't giving you raises regularly, and you don't stand to find yourself better off if something good happens (when the firm grows, for example), that's probably a good sign that you should find another job.

do they grade grad students on the same curve as the law students in the class?

i would highly suggest posting your question on the transferapps site's board. you're bound to get some decent answers from people who know a lot about the transfer process, and probably even from those who have transferred.

the address is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/transferapps/ in case you don't have it. you have to be a registered yahoo member to access it.

in my own opinion, i wouldn't count on extracurriculars helping you to a great extent. your ranking is what will ultimately determine if you can make the jump from T4 to T14. but i can imagine that if you can still pull off top grades while participating in all of those activities, it will help at least somewhat. i bet law schools would prefer a transfer student with great grades who will also contribute to the school's community.

does anyone know of study abroad programs that also have an internship component?

i was recently told by a career counselor that study abroad by itself is not necessarily the best 1L summer option unless you do also do an internship, in which case it's great.