Law School Discussion

littlelaurieb,

Updating this after the fact - but checked that website, and sure enough found a roomate. Thanks for the advice.

-Pete

The big questions:

1.) Would you prefer to receive the scholarship money and receive your JD in 3 years while having the convenience of being near Philadelphia?

2.) Would you prefer to go part-time without the money for 4 years (albeit, you can switch to full-time), while working part-time in Washington.

Here's some information based upon the experience of friends of mine in Law School here in DC. I would give careful consideration to your long-term career goals including if you desire "getting your foot in the door" early.

A close friend of mine attends American Law part-time while his girlfriend attends full-time. Both do well academically, but already in his second year he has a job lined up after graduating through where he's working at now. His girlfriend, though finishing a year early, does not have that luxury. The same goes for another set of friends at GW Law. The part-time friend, in the middle of his class, has worked for Daimler-Chrysler, The Livingston Group, and Goldman & Sachs in just the past two years. The other, full-time and in the top 20% of his class, is heading back to Philadelphia to work in his father's friend's firm. He found a lot of difficulty getting a great job in town for the summer without practical firm experience.

With these experiences in mind, had I received an acceptance letter to American part-time I would likely have accepted. Currently I plan on attending Villanova Law Full-Time. I realize the decision, especially with the scholarship offer, is a difficult one to consider. Follow your gut instinct as both are excellent schools.