Cooley Law School's New Tampa, FL campus opens 2012

[Hamilton]

I appreciate what you are saying and applaud your attitide.  Also, not saying/asking this to be a jerk, but you -- to yourself -- need to critically evaluate what "being creative and resourcefull" means when it comes to finding a job.  It sounds good, but what does that really mean?

[pslaw2011]

To me it means doing whatever it takes to make it work.

I expect that I'll have to work for 40-50k a  year for the first couple years, and I plan to live within that sort of budget. I use public transportation, have roommates, and work part time through law school. I also do not live in a "major market" area, its not nyc/boston/dc/cal. 

[pslaw2011]

And this is what the Tampa campus is about! Serving the legal education needs of people who want to work in the public defenders offices and have small law offices in areas most people don't want to work in- in the tampa bay area.

Stetson is 33/23k for tuition (ft/pt) alone, and their 25th percentile lsat starts in the low to mid 150s. This makes it an inaccessible school for a substantial portion of applicants. Some of Cooley's policies/actions are not the best or representative of their students attitudes, but this Tampa campus does serve the mission of Cooley Law.

[fortook]

I hope you dream comes true, I really do, honestly.  It's just like undergrad, but X 10.   You graduate and think life will be cake and then end up taking a job that is half of what you expected. 

PD jobs are, unexpectedly, competitive.  So are military JAG jobs.  New grads want the massive experience provided by both.  Neither are, by no means, a sure thing.  The top ten grad I mentioned, I'll say it again- top ten percent of her class, is getting passed over at Legal Aid. The full time opening went to someone else.

I don't know the FL legal market.  I suspect all these law schools are popping up because of corporate job openings.  Corporate jobs are "big law" and the hardest to get.  If you are at Cooley now, and not Canadian,  it might be worth you while to study in FL.  I love St. Pete, such a fun city

[pslaw2011]

I'm not going back to FL LOL!! FL has a worse economy than Michigan I'd bet! And your definitely right, the jobs here in FL are corporate - finance and insurance fields mostly.

I personally intend on working in government service. Public administrative law would be ideal- but I'm completely fine with an analyst/govt agency position that would just be a JD preferred position. Cooley does have a joint JD/MPA that I'm looking into. 

I am just saying Cooley is right in that they provide an affordable and more accessible option that Stetson and Barry.

[Hamilton]

$1,100/credit hour is a more affordable option?  More accessible - yes, not more affordable.

I am just saying Cooley is right in that they provide an affordable and more accessible option that Stetson and Barry.

[pslaw2011]

Every private law school in Florida is more expensive per credit hour than Cooley.

[Hamilton]

Seriously?  Wow.  What are these other schools charging? 

Regardless, Cooley is stretching the concept of "more affordable" with this.  IMO, no school out of the T14 should be charging more than $800/credit hour.

[FalconJimmy]

Seriously?  Wow.  What are these other schools charging? 

Regardless, Cooley is stretching the concept of "more affordable" with this.  IMO, no school out of the T14 should be charging more than $800/credit hour.

Cooley gives a heck of a lot of scholarships with relatively easy criteria.  I could have gotten a 75% ride, there.  Would have been cheaper than my school.

[fortook]

First, I want to say you probably know FL and MI better then I do.  I have friends in FL, go there now and again, almost took a job there, but I have never lived there.  I've been to MI too.  MI is falling apart.  People, and even law schools are fleeing the state in droves.  The state will be forced to reinvent itself, like PA had to do in the 80s.  It will take decades and won't be easy.  I can't think of a worse place to start off a legal career, maybe NV, but even they are coming back.

Do you really thin MI has a better economic situation, i.e. job outlook, than FL?