Transfer - what to shoot for?

[CKDex]

Hi everyone,

Just finished my first semester at Temple, and wound up with a 3.46 (got SCREWED in one class- one B, all others are A-'s). I'm interested in transferring, and am curious where someone in a top T2 with a 3.46 and a few years of solid work experience should look to aim. T10

Any thoughts? Thanks everyone.

[Lillian_2]

I would love some advice on this as well.  I'm at a slightly lower ranked school with a somewhat higher gpa.  I'm # 2 in my class.  Would T10 or T3 be reasonable or a waste of my time?

[cooleylawstudent]

You'll get a lot of people recommending their school, but unless you want to work for someone else it dosnt matter what you do as long as you get licensed. If you want to work for someone else find out where their top grunts graduated from and try to play copy cat. That might help. mabey.

[xxspykex]

You'll get a lot of people recommending their school, but unless you want to work for someone else it dosnt matter what you do as long as you get licensed. If you want to work for someone else find out where their top grunts graduated from and try to play copy cat. That might help. mabey.

This guy's username says it all... Also, enjoy getting sued for malpractice when you start a solo shop right out of law school.

[cooleylawstudent]

spoken like a true coward who knows that he'll fail so he dosn't try.

[petermharrington]

the kamikaze kid. go get em

[cooleylawstudent]

Hooah.

the kamikaze kid. go get em

[xxspykex]

spoken like a true coward who knows that he'll fail so he dosn't try.

You realize you need clients in order to be successful as a solo, right?  Clients don't just appear into your office out of thin air. You need to get your name out there and a client book in order to go solo, and you simply can't do that right out of law school (i.e. clients need a reason to go to you). Just take a look at the phone book, it is filled with attorneys numbers. Why would a potential client go to you, a freshly minted JD that they don't know anything about, as oppose to XYZ firm with 25 years of experience and a reputation of winning cases X practice area? There is a massive oversupply of lawyers in the country thanks to the ABA's lack of self control in accrediting law schools. Thus, you really need something that differentiates you from the other billion lawyers out there trying to offer their services for practically nothing.

Additionally, you simply don't have the training or skills right out of law school to be successful (hence, the comment about getting sued for malpractice). Obviously, you will want to take a lot of professional skills classes and do clinics and/or practice simulation classes (as oppose to seminars), but that alone really isn't sufficient. You need to get experience out there somehow, get clients, and then you can hang your own shingle.

Also, a last consideration is law school debt. If you have outstanding loans, then you need a steady stream of income in order to pay them. Unless you are attending Cooley for free (including a living stipend, which I don't think they offer) I don't see how you intend to repay your student loans when certain months you will make negative money (how will you even pay your initial outlay of expenses? -- no one will borrow you money to someone with a ton of outstanding debt and no assets to secure the additional debt on).

I'm not really all that different in that I want to go solo ASAP after law school as well. However, I think I've done a lot more research on it then you have, and thus, a lot more realistic about the idea.

[cooleylawstudent]

you bring up some decent points. In theory if someone offered me a cushy enough job under them I'd take(at least short term) I just still have some of that 1L "change the world, bring it on" type mentality. No worries, I'm sure another 3 years will suck it out of me.     While in school I hope to make a few connections with the externships and volunteer work that we're authorised(and highly encouraged) to do. Yeah a guy who only makes $12,000 a year and his welfare mother of 9 livein girlfriend seeking probono advice on workmans comp and social security claims at the free lawclinic won't make you a millioniare by refering their friends to you, but Rome wasn't built in a day either. Ultimately I suppose you and I are saying the same general idea, use connections under someone else and then go solo, I just plan to (at least hopefully) get some of that done prior to graduation. Best of luck to us both I suppose. 

spoken like a true coward who knows that he'll fail so he dosn't try.

You realize you need clients in order to be successful as a solo, right?  Clients don't just appear into your office out of thin air. You need to get your name out there and a client book in order to go solo, and you simply can't do that right out of law school (i.e. clients need a reason to go to you). Just take a look at the phone book, it is filled with attorneys numbers. Why would a potential client go to you, a freshly minted JD that they don't know anything about, as oppose to XYZ firm with 25 years of experience and a reputation of winning cases X practice area? There is a massive oversupply of lawyers in the country thanks to the ABA's lack of self control in accrediting law schools. Thus, you really need something that differentiates you from the other billion lawyers out there trying to offer their services for practically nothing.

Additionally, you simply don't have the training or skills right out of law school to be successful (hence, the comment about getting sued for malpractice). Obviously, you will want to take a lot of professional skills classes and do clinics and/or practice simulation classes (as oppose to seminars), but that alone really isn't sufficient. You need to get experience out there somehow, get clients, and then you can hang your own shingle.

Also, a last consideration is law school debt. If you have outstanding loans, then you need a steady stream of income in order to pay them. Unless you are attending Cooley for free (including a living stipend, which I don't think they offer) I don't see how you intend to repay your student loans when certain months you will make negative money (how will you even pay your initial outlay of expenses? -- no one will borrow you money to someone with a ton of outstanding debt and no assets to secure the additional debt on).

I'm not really all that different in that I want to go solo ASAP after law school as well. However, I think I've done a lot more research on it then you have, and thus, a lot more realistic about the idea.