I give up - I don't know where I want to live

[.Cheese.]

Edit:

Ok, so apparently I phrased my question poorly.

The question really is - where are good places to live in the US other than Florida?

Good culture, stuff to do, nice people, good job market, etc.

If I know where I want to live, it will make choosing which law school to go to much easier as I can then see what schools would be able to place me in that region career-wise.

[De Selby]

Santa Clara had a good program-too bad you missed out.  I have met a good proportion of very professional types who went there, contrary to what its position on the page of US News would indicate.

Your list of things to worry about indicates that law school is very likely to become the wrong choice for you after a semester of study.  I guarantee you that when you start competing in your classes, the last thing you will be worried about is the snow outside or the gun laws or anything else.  You need to be focused on going somewhere that has a program for teaching what you want to learn.  If you are stuck on quality of life at this stage, be prepared to enter the regional law market...which is abysmal.  (But then again, so is the national market, but that's new at least....)

The question you should be asking yourself is: What do I want to learn, and what kind of work do I want to do?  Tailor your school choice accordingly.  When you start there, spend all your time worrying about what's in those casebooks instead of worrying about how much it sucks that you can't shoot guns there.

Then, go get a job that will pay for your hobbies, including guns, and that makes you happy.

[.Cheese.]

I'm not talking about where to go to school.

I'm talking about what regional market I want to try to place myself in.  If I know where I'll want to ultimately live, I can better choose what school to go to based on schools that place well in that market.  While in school all I plan to do is study - obviously.  I don't plan to do anything else - period.

After I graduate though, if I end up stuck in a regional market where I don't want to live, it kind of defeats the whole purpose of trying to get out of Florida.

[De Selby]

I'm not talking about where to go to school.

I'm talking about what regional market I want to try to place myself in.  If I know where I'll want to ultimately live, I can better choose what school to go to based on schools that place well in that market.

I would pick the program over the place-good reputations travel further and have more weight than local networks.  To a degree and there are exceptions etc etc.

If you would at all be interested in living in Northern Virginia, which isn't a bad place at all...American ain't too shabby.  I don't know what it's like to compete (I went to one of the other schools in DC) with the others, but I doubt the lawyers from American are all crying in their beers over having gone there.

There is no limit to the amount of trouble a motivated type can get himself into in that city, so of all those you listed, I'd say D.C. 

Edit: There's another plus...D.C. is a great place to be a single young male, if that's you.  There are few places in the world that exceed its treasures in that respect.  (Can you tell I'm nostalgic?)

[.Cheese.]

Then I guess I'll have to wait until I hear back from the rest of the schools and pick which one has the best program.

I don't even know how you can pick that though.  Best program in what?

I don't yet know if I want to do criminal or civil, let alone have any insight into any specialties within the two.

How do you pick the best program?  I remember last year seeing that Santa Clara had one of the best IP programs.  UF had one of the best tax law programs.

In T50, each school has something they excel at, in T30 it seems to get a little more broad, and in T20 even a little more broad.  Unfortunately, I only have one T20 option that is solid so far, U Minnesota, and they've offered me a decent scholarship.

My worry about U Minnesota though is just how cold it is there and if that would make it difficult to get to class on some days.  It's a good school from everything I've read though.

As to being a single young male, sure I am one.... but I'll be honest, I have no plans of trying to get into the dating scene while in law school.  I don't need some girl's drama interfering with my studies.... but after I graduate, I might dabble in the dating scene.  I'm not in any rush in that regards IMO.

[De Selby]

You do need to have some idea of what you're interested in.  Then you look at the faculty and see what they're all up to-frequent publications, participation in ongoing research, commissions, and connections to the various think tanks and institutes are all good things to watch for.

Or pick a school that will be known no matter where you go-but that's like a 10 percent proposition in the best admission years for the most part, so don't wait so long that you pass up a good offer somewhere else.  You may want to ask for more from the schools you did get in to while you wait.  Additional aid packages can tip the balance if you're ambivalent about the rest or in need of cash.

And once you get there...Ignore the advice you'll get about taking classes to pass the bar, apart from the MBE subjects.  You can learn everything you need to pass any state's bar in bar/bri. 

Edit:

Check out U Minnesota's placement stats....if they place a significant number of people in LA, New York, and Chicago every year, that's a good sign you'll have some options.  Also see if you can find its bar pass rates in the big states. 

[.Cheese.]

Of course.  I want to study to become a good attorney - not just to pass the bar.

Fortunately, financial aide isn't something I need, but I'm not necessarily passing on noticing the schools that have offered me money.

Unfortunately, the one school that has offered me almost a full scholarship (the same school I went to undergrad), I have no desire to go to.  They've been dropping in the rankings, I've kept in touch with some peers that graduated from their law school who are having massive difficulty finding decent jobs, and regionally it would place me where I live right now, which is where I need to get away from.

[.Cheese.]

Check out U Minnesota's placement stats....if they place a significant number of people in LA, New York, and Chicago every year, that's a good sign you'll have some options.  Also see if you can find its bar pass rates in the big states. 

I will check on that.  My understanding is that they place very well in the midwest in general, Chicago included.  Unfortunately, with Chicago there is Northwestern and U Chicago to compete with.  I still have yet to hear back from Northwestern, and I didn't apply to U Chicago.

I have a family member that just graduated from U Minnesota and she got a job almost immediately in Chicago, so I guess that's good.

[De Selby]

I will check on that.  My understanding is that they place very well in the midwest in general, Chicago included.  Unfortunately, with Chicago there is Northwestern and U Chicago to compete with.  I still have yet to hear back from Northwestern, and I didn't apply to U Chicago.

I have a family member that just graduated from U Minnesota and she got a job almost immediately in Chicago, so I guess that's good.

Definitely a good sign that your cousin got work so quickly-ask her how the school is received there in the firm and elsewhere in town too.  Obviously you get a slightly biased opinion, but it will be useful to know if there are any big things that jump out.

You are right not to think only about cost-sometimes the full ride costs more than 50,000 a year.

[Dannyboy]

Austin.  UT Law.

[Jamisjockey]

Southeast or the West (Excluding California)
Those are the places I like the most.

[.Cheese.]

Austin.  UT Law.

Would have been nice, and I did apply.  I got rejected unfortunately.

[seeker_two]

Austin.  UT Law.

Would have been nice, and I did apply.  I got rejected unfortunately.

How about Baylor University?  They have a good law school....

[taurusowner]

The nature of this site being what it is, I assume firearms and CCW are probably things you care about.  Are Chicago or Cali really places that fit those goals?

[.Cheese.]

I'm ok going to school in an anti city... but would prefer that the school has good placement elsewhere that is reasonable on gun laws.

For example, if I get into Northwestern, it's a no-brainer... I'd go.  I would have to deal with the gun laws and leave most of my guns here in FL, but after I graduate I'd be set to practice in any number of places.

The same with Duke, and a few others I haven't heard from yet.

Fingers crossed that I get into one of those kinds of schools as it would make this easier.

What's making my life hard right now is trying to choose a school that has limited placement outside of a defined region and so I have to figure out where I'd likely end up practicing, and if I'm ok living there ultimately on a permanent basis.

[Scout26]

I'm ok going to school in an anti city... but would prefer that the school has good placement elsewhere that is reasonable on gun laws.

For example, if I get into Northwestern, it's a no-brainer... I'd go.  I would have to deal with the gun laws and leave most of my guns here in FL, but after I graduate I'd be set to practice in any number of places.

The same with Duke, and a few others I haven't heard from yet.

Fingers crossed that I get into one of those kinds of schools as it would make this easier.

What's making my life hard right now is trying to choose a school that has limited placement outside of a defined region and so I have to figure out where I'd likely end up practicing, and if I'm ok living there ultimately on a permanent basis.

Northwestern is is Evanston, not Chicago.  And Evanston dropped most of their gun control laws as a result of the Heller decision (and an NRA lawsuit).   Still might be subject to Cook county stupidity laws, but if Evanston is Home Rule (and I think it is, don't quote me), then Cook Cty laws may or may not apply.

[.Cheese.]

The undergrad campus is in Evanston.  The law school is next to the med school in Chicago.  I'm not going to college again.  I'm going to law school. 

[Jeff B.]

Would have been nice, and I did apply.  I got rejected unfortunately.


How about Baylor University?  They have a good law school....

Being partial to Texas, both University of Texas @ Lubbock (Red Raiders) and SMU (Mustangs) have law programs, one public, one private.  Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth and the University of Houston are two more private law programs.

Jeff B.

[Dannyboy]

Would have been nice, and I did apply.  I got rejected unfortunately.

Bummer, man.  Sorry to hear that.  After that, I got nothin.

[Ryan in Maine]

Just throwing it out there: Portland, ME.

This is the website for the local law school: http://mainelaw.maine.edu/

You'll very likely find employment in Maine when all is said and done. Not sure about how that will place you within the country though.

[De Selby]

The undergrad campus is in Evanston.  The law school is next to the med school in Chicago.  I'm not going to college again.  I'm going to law school. 

Go to Washington if you're stuck regional.  VA is fine, right across the water, and you can do things there that you can't do anywhere else.

[Kyle]

University of Houston

[.Cheese.]

So far I have 3 choices really.

U Colorado Boulder
U Minnesota Twin Cities
American University

I got into all the Florida schools, and my alma mater even threw a near-full-scholarship bone my way.... but I'm set on getting out of Florida.

It's time for a change for me.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

au is a decent school  not bad area of sodom on the potomac.   i like colorado to live but law students aren't supposed to live.  you'd like georgetown too i think i worked there a while.  funny place  they have a legal clinic  wanna do good and save the world  i went to em with a case of a large company engaging in union busting  exploiting the poor and downtrodden  kids were all excited about it, great case.  till they found out that the company was their food service contractor.  they apparently sign an agreement to leave their school alone.
working at law schools is fun!
the most conservative law school in the dc area  anyone take a guess?

[.Cheese.]

haven't a clue.  I know it's not American.  I doubt it's GW.  Howard?