Law School

[flash9286]

Not really. I heard that the first year is the same classes for everyone no matter what specialty you want. I figure I'll take some classes and see which ones I like.

[asleepathewheel]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker


That's why I would apply to UVA. Plus, in-state tuition.

Best of both worlds, fantastic law school and home state.

[Kuciwalker]

And easy access to all the DC law firms.

[asleepathewheel]

Originally posted by flash9286
Not really. I heard that the first year is the same classes for everyone no matter what specialty you want. I figure I'll take some classes and see which ones I like.

Keeping an open mind is good.

Whatever you do, I'd recommend taking a clinic your second or third year. I took the family violence clinic at my school and traveled all around the area representing abused women and children. Not the most sexy of jobs, but it was a blast, going into a ton of small town courtrooms.

[asleepathewheel]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
And easy access to all the DC law firms.

Yep.

very fertile ground there for attorneys. certainly there you see the 150-160 starting salaries. We are considering that area down the road in 2-3 years depending on what options there are for my wife.

[Alinestra Covelia]

UVA's practically top of the list, too. (Well, if you don't count Yale and Harvard.) It's number 4 or 5, I think, in US News and World Report.

You'd have to have a good reason to NOT go there, given your situation I think

[Jon Miller]

Some people aren't interested in law?

JM

[Kuciwalker]

Well, I kind of have to apply and be accepted first, and want to go to law school.

[Darius871]

Originally posted by snoopy369
It also helps if you go to a school that is highly considered in the field you enjoy - even if Yale Law is #1, it's not #1 in every field, and there are some surprising school highly considered in each field. You can often find a school that is not hard to get into and not hard to do very well at, but due to having one or two outstanding professors in a particular field, gives you a very good education in your area of interest.

That's a great point to keep in mind. For instance while Hamline is fourth-tier generally and no employer outside Minnesota would have even heard of it, on the other hand it has the #3 ADR program in the nation (tied with Harvard). It all depends on what specialties you want to get into.

[Alinestra Covelia]

Originally posted by Jon Miller
Some people aren't interested in law?

JM

*sputters*

*outrage*

And that's an excuse HOW?!??!!?

[Kuciwalker]

Aside: your profile picture is cute

[Flubber]

hmmm

I have practiced as a lawyer since 1994 in Canada with jobs in firms in two provinces, one job with a government regulatory agency and my current role as an in-house corporate counsel--

I've seen some pretty good info in here and will try to find if there is anything I can add that would be useful-- My memories of law school are pretty hazy and of course there are Canada-US differences

[Alinestra Covelia]

Yo, so Flubber, in Canada what's the jurisdictional variation on laws?

Do you have any bodies of law that are largely uniform across the nation? Or do provinces vary a lot, etc?

I'm asking because the US seems to have mostly common law, with some variations (especially for criminal law), with one state - Louisiana - being mostly derived from French statutory law. The US generally follows one body of corporate law that was devised by Delaware, but other states occasionally breakaway and declare their own little rules, usually based on quaint issues of equity and the like.

Contract law is largely governed by the UCC, but property law is a complete crapshoot with each state wildly different.

[LordShiva]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker


Hm, seems like my high school and university are preparing me well...

Teh original reads "IIT graduate."

[DinoDoc]

So during which year do they remove your soul?