The Howard Law/HBCU Law Schools Thread

[silva]

If I attend Howard, how good will my job prospects be coming out of there, also, how portable is the Howard degree?

If you graduate at the top of the class, you'll have lower top 14 job prospects. If you graduate in the middle or bottom, you'll be unemployed. Howard degree is very portable.

Lawyer: Hey Galt, where'd you go to school?

Galt: Howard

Lawyer: That's a great school. A damn fine school.


I'm sure its the same.

I attend Howard and the statement about middle and end of the pack students is a falsehood or bad attempt at humor. 

Nearly everybody gets jobs by graduation.  Top 1/3 gets market, easy.  Top half still can but it requires alot of work i.e. great personality, real world experience, connections, and/or persistence.  As mentioned already, there are so many firms that visit almost every week that you will have plenty opportunity to sell yourself and get your foot in the door.  Bottom half has a more difficult time but still find jobs though they may not be high paying jobs.  Nonetheless, many Howard students who do not get firm jobs end up working for the government (55-80k).  I hear of very few leaving unemployed, and generally the ones who do did not take advantage of the myriad opportunities we are presented; the amount of opportunities we have literally borders on overkill.  I could do a firm lunch, firm dinner, and interview with three firms in one day - as a 1L.  And while it is true that that does not constitute an offer, many of us do get offers and the firms that come are earnestly looking for prepared candidates.     

As for the comments about student body quality being based on LSAT: It's just hogwash.  I can count on one hand the schools I would attend over Howard.  In terms of black student populations, you would be hard pressed to find a group of black students outside of HYN that is as deep in talent as those that comprise Howard.    White people (Asians, Hispanics, and Arabs) get jobs at Howard too, fyi (good ones!).

Half of Howard grads fail the bar.  The student body quality may very well be excellent at the top, but it is not very deep at all.  Every relevant number is low (GPA, LSAT, bar passage).  Job opportunities are probably better than anywhere outside the 1st tier though.

I'm not sure if anyone responded to this yet, but these facts are very inaccurate.  Howard grads mostly take the bar in NY and MD. HUSL's NY pass rates are comparable to any NY law school.  2007 MD results were poor, however the 2006 results were as good as other schools.  The rest of the class takes the bar in a myriad of other states and I doubt that you have access to those results.

[question?]

NC black male preparing for the '08-'09 application cycle.  152 LSAT, 3.5 GPA, and I am only applying to two schools - North Carolina Central University and Howard Law.  I have faith that I will get into both with my stats.  Which is the better law school and why?  I welcome diverse perspectives. Thanks!
 
Continued and redirected from : http://www.lawschooldiscussion.org/prelaw/index.php/topic,4011318.msg5118684/topicseen.html#new

[Ninja1]

Howdy again. Glad to see you got the move figured out.

Anyway, Howard is supposed to be, based on everything I've seen, one of the best historically black law schools and has produced many excellent black lawyers. That being said, why just Howard and NC Central? Your numbers and URM status could easily land you at much better schools, probably with some money.

[question?]

I guess I want to go to a HBCU Law school because I went to a cuturally deprived undergraduate institution.  Thanks for your input though! I appreciate it.

[Ninja1]

I guess I want to go to a HBCU Law school because I went to a cuturally deprived undergraduate institution.  Thanks for your input though! I appreciate it.

Fair enough. Good luck and have fun.

[TruOne]

Your first mistake was right here:

I am only applying to two schools - North Carolina Central University and Howard Law.

You need to Apply to more schools

Then you messed up again by saying this:

I guess I want to go to a HBCU Law school because I went to a cuturally deprived undergraduate institution.

Law school is not the time to have a "diverse" experience. You should've done that in undergrad, you didn't so suck it up and move on.

Law School is a Professional school. It is the start of your professional career. If you are looking at those two schools you need to look at them because you beleive they are your BEST choice for starting your Professional career, not just b/c they are HBCU's.

2nd, look at the two markets: D.C. vs. North Carolina.

One is more prominent than the other, and if you are looking at going to an HBCU for law school then you need to place yourself in a very LARGE market. You don't want to be in NC competing for a job in Charlotte against students from Duke, UNC, and Wake Forest.

Howard has more name recognition plus it is a Tier 3 school compared to NCCU which is a Tier 4.

At the end of the day the decision is clear: Apply to more schools

[A.]

Law school is not the time to have a "diverse" experience. You should've done that in undergrad, you didn't so suck it up and move on.

TITMFCR

I was thinking the exact same thing, but didn't want to write it out.

[question?]

Your first mistake was right here:

I am only applying to two schools - North Carolina Central University and Howard Law.

You need to Apply to more schools

Then you messed up again by saying this:

I guess I want to go to a HBCU Law school because I went to a cuturally deprived undergraduate institution.

Law school is not the time to have a "diverse" experience. You should've done that in undergrad, you didn't so suck it up and move on.

Law School is a Professional school. It is the start of your professional career. If you are looking at those two schools you need to look at them because you beleive they are your BEST choice for starting your Professional career, not just b/c they are HBCU's.

2nd, look at the two markets: D.C. vs. North Carolina.

One is more prominent than the other, and if you are looking at going to an HBCU for law school then you need to place yourself in a very LARGE market. You don't want to be in NC competing for a job in Charlotte against students from Duke, UNC, and Wake Forest.

Howard has more name recognition plus it is a Tier 3 school compared to NCCU which is a Tier 4.

At the end of the day the decision is clear: Apply to more schools

Okay i'll apply to more schools,  thanks for the advice.

 The little research that I have done indicates that both schools have a rich history for producing strong African American lawyers, and I would rather be a part of such rich tradition. I realize that law school is professional school, but I feel that I would like to begin my professional career in an instutition where my school and administration has historically exhibited a interest in my personal success, as a African American male.  I have been told from current law students at a number of T-1 schools that they feel like it's them against the world, meaning that there is a lack of support and camaraderie. Maybe some of you can touch on that.

And other than a long acronym, what is TITMFCR? 

Thanks again for your assistance.

[A.]

titmfcr = this is the mother-f***ing credited response

And join BLSA (the black law students association) or something if you want people interested in your "personal success, as a African American male."  Don't go to law school simply because of a "rich history for producing strong African American lawyers."  You will uphold the tradition better by going to whatever school gives you the best chances of getting a job (and that will be the most highly ranked one in that geographic area, t14 excluded).

[Pacavelli]

titmfcr = this is the mother-f***ing credited response

And join BLSA (the black law students association) or something if you want people interested in your "personal success, as a African American male."  Don't go to law school simply because of a "rich history for producing strong African American lawyers."  You will uphold the tradition better by going to whatever school gives you the best chances of getting a job (and that will be the most highly ranked one in that geographic area, t14 excluded).

I don't know that I would agree with A, but I would say don't limit your options/opportunities.  I understand your reasoning.  I would think that if you worked hard and were in good academic standing at either of those two schools, you will not have a problem with getting a job.  While a degree from N.C. central would serve you well in N.C., a degree from Howard is likely to serve you well nationally. But hey, I am a 0L so proceed with caution.  Good Luck!