Law School Discussion

i would suggest not attending any law school with the intent of transferring. sure it's relatively "easy" to transfer from GW to GULC (apparently they take top third), but let me tell you that finishing at the top of your class at GW seems a lot easier BEFORE you begin law school than it is once you get there.

i actually started in GW PT with the hopes of transferring to full time, and then to GULC, in order to "overcome", if not completely erase, the fact that i started PT. we haven't received grades back yet, but i can assure you that i will probably not finish top third. and i really did nothing but study that first semester. that's just how law school is.

i would say go to GULC PT. i think the "backdoor" PT route is a decent way of getting in to a law school of your choice that most people tend to think is worse than it really is. basically, before i started at GW, i heard a lot more people saying that the PT --> FT route is bad, but it was mostly places like this board that i heard things like this. i have never really heard that from people at the school, including those who have actually done it. the "stigma" might exist, but it's not quite like most people imagine it to be. if you do well enough in law school, employers aren't going to care that you took 1-2 less classes your first year.

so if you're planning to do well (which you must be if you're aiming to transfer), there's no real reason to consider GW FT over GULC PT. your employment prospects will be much better coming out of GULC, and if you've done well then no one will care about the PT factor. in fact, they're really more concerned about having an associate with the GULC diploma than they are about their own, personal presitge issues with the PT thing.

the only real pro i see to starting GW FT is that, if you were able to transfer to GULC, it would look really good; employers apparently like transfer students. but is this really worth the risk of not graduating top third at GW and then being able to transfer? is it preferable to starting at GULC PT, where you're very likely to form a community of colleagues who will transfer to FT and finish with you in 3 years? i don't really see why it would be.

i think the GULC PT is a route that more people should take when in the position, but for some reason don't.

hey. who me?? I didn't lower your rankings points!! Honest - I don't even know how. Nor do I no how to tell why my own ranking is -2.

No, I asked for more details on "miserable" only out of curiosity. Just a few months ago, I went to Detroit mid-November and took a trip to Lansing. After seeing for myself, I totally agree with what you're saying. East Lansing or even the developing western part of Lansing is much better. Downtown seems rundown a bit.

yeah, my bad. i didn't even realize that you can't lower or raise "reputation" until you've made 50+ posts, which you haven't. i just remember that mine was lowered right after i saw your previous post. but anyways, i apologize.

i don't hate lansing at all. i feel like the whole lansing/east lansing area is a second-home to me. but i lived in the actual city of lansing for a while, and i know many people who lived there much longer than i did. it's really quite "bland", or what many might consider "miserable", including myself. but if it's your thing it's your thing (you seem to have your own opinions...that's cool). i mean no offense to anyone.

best of luck to you.

i'm left waiting until february 1, our official date for 1L grades.

it's hard to get motivated when you're still waiting, especially that long. i just might have to drop out next month if they're not what i expect.

you seem biased against PhD's and other types of "intellectuals"...

http://www.nalpdirectory.com/

do a search for the city / firm that you are interested in

generally the schools from which the firm recruits are listed

as i general rule (from what i have noticed from my own job search) is that they actively recruit from Yale to GW [that whole t20 nonense] and whichever local schools that happen to be in the area

question- how "actively" do they recruit from those at a T20 outside of the T14? i've generally got word at my school that, because we're not T14 and only T20, only 1/3 of our class has a chance at "biglaw".