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Weekly Law School Thread: Charleston

greekdeac2011

greekdeac2011

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Okay Pit. I need some pure unbiased advice about my most recent dilemma. I have some gut feelings, but my parents are split on the issue and it isn't helping much since I still depend on them financially, for now. Here we go:

I graduated from Wake in May with a business/econ degree. I originally wanted to go to law school, but floundered around with double majoring and didn't do too well on the LSAT. I'm from Charleston and got into the law school there along with being wait listed at USC.

Does anyone know any grads from CHS Law? I've heard mixed reviews. The only practicing CHS Law grads in Charleston I know were all cum laude. The other employed attorney can't pass the bar and hence can't accept his employment offer until he does.

I have the opportunity and connection to work in Congress this fall and spring if I so choose to take it, so in my mind, I think doing that and retaking the LSAT would be the smartest route to take.

I know the legal job market is pretty crappy right now, especially for grads from lesser known schools like Charleston Law. Also, I will not be taking out loans to go to CHS Law, but I'm not sure the return on the $110,000 investment will be worth it, especially to become a glorified, over educated paralegal.
 
yeah do your congress thing next year and take the lsat again to see if you can get into a top 50 school. go if you can. if not, find something else to do with you life.
 
Manifest Destiny got like a half scholarship to Charleston but decided not to go. Isn't newly accredited, kind of like Charlotte?
 
IrishAnglerDan went to CSL. Since he is a bright dude I won't knock the school.

But I did take out a butt-load of loans and regret it now, so take that for what its worth.
 
I live in Charleston and had a lot of friends that went. My main question to you would be, where do you want to practice law and do you know what kind you want to practice? As we all know, the lawyer market is very saturated and is insanely saturated in Charleston, SC. Very few of my friends have been able to stay here after getting a law degree from Charleston as many firms are looking at people from better schools.
 
Go work with Congress. And think about doing something other than law.
 
I'm a lawyer. You should not go to law school.

I wish I could talk you out of it. It's hard to overstate how bad things are right now. There are tens of thousands more lawyers coming out of school every year than there are available jobs. It's really a crisis. There are so many more valuable things you can do. And you can always go to LS later if the economy/job market improves.

Don't believe what any LS tells you about job or salary prospects. They are being highly deceptive at best or outright lying at worst because they want your tuition dollars. That's ALL they care about.
 
Dented said:
yeah do your congress thing next year and take the lsat again to see if you can get into a top 50 school. go if you can. if not, find something else to do with you life.
Click to expand...

Getting into a top 50 school will not do the trick unless you're willing to take a huge gamble that you'll finish in the top 15 percent of your class. The only way you can go to law school and not worry about your class standing is to go to a top 10 (give or take).

And remember that the game is pretty much over after your first semester, b/c for all practical purposes it's the first semester grades that will determine your job trajectory. So in essence, you'll be judged on your performance in a game that you're forced to play without learning the rules. It's an unpleasant reality.
 
Just to echo everyone else: don't go.

This is one of the easier "dilemma" type questions that has come up on the pit in some time. This one isn't even close. Law is an over-saturated market and likely will be for quite some time.
 
inspectah said:
Getting into a top 50 school will not do the trick unless you're willing to take a huge gamble that you'll finish in the top 15 percent of your class. The only way you can go to law school and not worry about your class standing is to go to a top 10 (give or take).

And remember that the game is pretty much over after your first semester, b/c for all practical purposes it's the first semester grades that will determine your job trajectory. So in essence, you'll be judged on your performance in a game that you're forced to play without learning the rules. It's an unpleasant reality.
Click to expand...

This except top 10 guarantees nothing. Also your entire 1L grades matter.
 
Most of you are telling me what I'm already thinking. I'm doing to DC next week to meet with a few people about congressional jobs, Burr's office etc. I'm strongly leaning against it because of the reasons most of you reiterated. Like I said, the last thing I want to do is have my family spend $110,000 for me to get nothing out of it.
 
Shit, you guys finally fucking caught on

Better late than never

There are few things more soul crushing than huge student loan debts
 
I wouldn't have any debt. I'd just make a dent in my inheritance. But you're right. I'm just not comfortable spending that kind of money on that kind of school.


Sent from my iPhone
 
You are the guy who asks the boards about advice for undergrad, right? You wanted to go to Wake, but everyone said go to UNC because it was cheaper. And you transferred to Wake after spending time at UNC.

Point being, make the decision that you think is right for you.

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using Tapatalk
 
I had friends just graduate from UDC law and they took the bar this week. It's not a great school at all and I don't know what their job prospects are like but it was cheap for law school. Plus, it was their dream to go.

Don't go.

Sent from my PC sitting at home, alone, on Friday night.
 
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