Suffolk Law - Visit Review

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A lot of people on LSD have been asking me about my visit and write up on my visit to Suffolk Law.  I visited back in December.

Last night my husband and I went to an open house at Suffolk Law and it was really great.  We went to a mock Torts class by Professor Glannon, who is the most famous professor at Suffolk.  He LITERALLY wrote the books on Torts and Civil Procedure a lot of the law schools use I was told. When I mentioned to one of my coworkers at today (she's a Suffolk alum) that he taught the class she immediately said that he was the most famous professor in the school.  The class itself was pretty amusing, since we went over a case about an elderly woman who sued a five year old for battery for taking the chair out beneath her.  I think my husband found it interesting, which I liked because he got a very small glimpse into what my world will be like and how I will be required to think in school.  After the mock class, we took a tour of the law school.  All the facilities are top notch and the law school is very easy to get around, very easy layout and completely useful and purposeful.  The library desks look like nice places to study in, the cafeteria looked very classy, and the chairs were comfortable in the classrooms, and the laptop hookups very convenient.  I found out there was no wireless in the classroom floors, but the student tour guide told us on the *hush hush* that sometimes the wireless from the upper floors trickles down.  Apparently it's up to the professors if they allow you to plug your laptop into the ethernet port at your station.  I guess it makes sense but no fun!  The upper floors seemed more "warm" than the bottom ones if I can say that, the lounge and the library.  I was really happy that my husband went with me, and it made me wish he had gone to the Northeastern Open House with me.  I like him seeing what my world will potentially be.  Overall I feel like Suffolk would be a good fit for me!

The thing about Suffolk is that it's a huge school, so by nature it's really competitive.  There's a lot of people wanting to be in big law and who want to be noticed in general so you really have to excel.  Suffolk has a 2.7 (B-) curve which means for a lot of people they work their ass off and end up with a C.  So it's not easy.  Suffolk has a great location right downtown Boston, within walking distance to many firms so perhaps you can get a job while you're in school (at least this is what I'm hoping).  It has a brand new awesome building - top of the line technology.  Suffolk has been around a long time and all Bostonians, even lay people, know of Suffolk Law school.  My uncle in law asked me if Suffolk and Harvard were the best schools in Boston for example haha.  Suffolk has a great regional reputation, but the market also has a lot of Suffolk grads.  There's a ton of local politicians in our state house with Suffolk Law degrees as part of their background.

If you want to excel at Suffolk, since it is a T3, you really do need to be at the top of your class.  And everyone is working very hard to try and accomplish the same thing, so like I said, this isn't easy.  The better you do in terms of your class rank at Suffolk, the better job you can get.

One of my friends commented a bit how the school seemed imposing and I responded: "yeah the lower floors are pretty formal and imposing, but the usefulness of the classrooms and the layouts makes sense. The 4th floor has a nice lounge and cafeteria, and I found the library quite inviting. Not cozy, but functional and not imposing at all."  My friend also replied that that particular professor had written his civ pro book when he was a 1L (in 2003-4).

I got the feeling from the student body it's a great variety of people who go to Suffolk.  I know the class size is pretty big, so I think thats to be expected, especially with a regional school, especially with day and evening division.  Even just from the people attending the open house - a wide variety of ages and personality types.  Our tour guide seemed to be a very studious student, top of her class, but I didn't get to meet a lot of people that were students to be honest because I was with the open house people and my husband the whole time.



If you have any more questions about my Suffolk visit, let me know 

[Pigeon]

Wow, you wrote up a really thorough summary, and I appreciate it!  I hadn't given the school much thought before I read this but your description encourages me to apply there.

How were the faculty and staff that you met? 

[nubova]

Do not go to Suffolk law school in an attempt to get BigLaw. It is a good school for small firm/government work, but the larger Boston firms only hire a single individual from Suffolk a year, if any. My firm, a very large firm in Boston, has never hired a Suffolk student as a summer associate. We have a few alumni who worked their way up after ten years of experience, but even they have pretty remarkable qualifications (like a PhD from Harvard or a technical degree from MIT).

However, if you want to work in Boston and don't care about BigLaw, I think Suffolk is a pretty good choice.

[lgllgl2atty]

I, too, went to the open house.  I found Suffolk a very inviting place.  Prior to the open house and mock class, I thought it was going to be an okay place, but hoped for more options (I had already been admitted).  After, although I was offered admission to another school that was higher ranked, I couldn't help but feel drawn to Suffolk's atmosphere and location.  During the mock class, I was glad that people felt comfortable asking questions and engaging in the dialogue, and the potential students represented a very diverse set of work and educational backgrounds.  I look forward to the Fall classes!

[lgllgl2atty]

It's much more difficult to be flexible when you've got a family, for sure.  As it is, I'll be commuting from Worcester via commuter rail, because of kids in school and my husband's job.  I wanted Suffolk for the commute (actually wanted BC, but didn't get it), and then was accepted at UCONN.  After many discussions with attorneys in MA, though, and with the tuition at UCONN $42K with no aid offer, I decided to quit stressing about it and accept Suffolk.  It feels good to not be stressed over that now.

[TJCCARDCO]

Suffolk is a great place, I love their campus.

I do not understand why everyone bad mouths schools that are not the top 4 in Boston. Everyone always trashes Suffolk and NESL as not being able to get you a job. The way most of you come off sounding is a really big billboard that says DO NOT GO THERE, even if that is not what you said. It is the ridiculous wording used to describe prospects for Boston schools, not just in this thread, but predominantly in other threads. 

Coming out of those two schools, if you graduate in the top 1/2 of your class, you'll get a job. Not 80-125k coming out of school, but that is reserved for the t-14 schools. NESL is a good school, and not everyone is going to law school for Money.

Many people on the board always trash tier 4 schools and tier 3 schools, and i am really sick of it. Not because I will most likely be going to one but, the belief that unless you are going to a t100 school you cannot be a good lawyer is the way a lot of these threads come off sounding. We must as a group try to change these negative connotations associated with tier 3 and tier 4 schools not named Cooley or FCSL, I really don't find them helpful to anyone who asks questions.

Mike

[OldPosterNewName]

It's not required to go to a T100 school to be a good lawyer, many times it's the other way around.

The other way around...like a contrapositive?  Do you know what the contrapositive of this statement is?

[OldPosterNewName]

It's not required to go to a T100 school to be a good lawyer, many times it's the other way around.

The other way around...like a contrapositive?  Do you know what the contrapositive of this statement is?

Yeah poorly worded.  I meant sometimes people who go to T100 schools are not good attorneys.

Not every single graduate of a T100 school is a great attorney?  I thought the degree automatically meant that you were.

[OldPosterNewName]

It's not required to go to a T100 school to be a good lawyer, many times it's the other way around.

The other way around...like a contrapositive?  Do you know what the contrapositive of this statement is?

Yeah poorly worded.  I meant sometimes people who go to T100 schools are not good attorneys.

Not every single graduate of a T100 school is a great attorney?  I thought the degree automatically meant that you were.

  Truly some are village idiots.

Do you actually know what the contrapositive of your original statement is?

[OldPosterNewName]

It's not required to go to a T100 school to be a good lawyer, many times it's the other way around.

The other way around...like a contrapositive?  Do you know what the contrapositive of this statement is?

Yeah poorly worded.  I meant sometimes people who go to T100 schools are not good attorneys.

Not every single graduate of a T100 school is a great attorney?  I thought the degree automatically meant that you were.

  Truly some are village idiots.

Do you actually know what the contrapositive of your original statement is?

Actually I don't care.  I bombed the LSAT can you tell?

This mindset will not serve you well as an attorney.