- PowerScore Staff
- Posts: 9010
- Joined: Feb 02, 2011
- Fri Apr 03, 2020 10:00 am
#74628
Below is some advice from Powercore CEO Dave Killoran in response to a question by accepted law student Barry.
Barry: "Hi Dave
I am from Ohio, and not sure exactly what type of law I’d like to practice, but think I’m interested in clerkship or Biglaw, preferably in DC or NYC, and have the following offers:
BC – full tuition
George Mason – full tuition
Vanderbilt – $45k scholarship per year
UVA – $10k scholarship per year
I will likely have some family contribution, so the pure economics are likely less important than they otherwise would be, but are still meaningful.
I am attracted to UVA in the flexibility it provides for strong job outcomes in numerous disciplines and geographic locations, but am struggling with the cost differential. I have studied the LST data – UVA seems significantly stronger, especially for placement in DC.
How would you rank these offers if: (1) wanted to practice in Boston, or (2) wanted to practice in NY or DC? Thanks so much!"
Dave Killoran: "Hey Barry,
Thanks for the message! I tend to think of things in job position outcomes, and if you are truly focused on biglaw or the more elusive clerkship, UVA is tough to beat. On name/results alone, it simply ranks above the other schools. Of course, that comes with a hefty price, and that’s where the problem is as you already pointed out.
As far as the four offers, to me the BC offer cancels/overrrides the George Mason offer, so it’s down to three schools for me: BC, Vandy, UVA.
Geographically, since you’ve seen the LST data you have a sense of what happens. If it’s just about being in a certain location that’s one thing, but if it’s about a certain location AND a specific type of job, then the outcomes change. For example, we can see that BC places around 65% of grads in Massachusetts. UVA and Vandy are far less, so much so that Boston/Mass doesn’t even show up in the top spots their grads land. So it looks like BC has a huge Boston advantage, right? Not necessarily. UVA grads tend to go into high-profile jobs in DC and NY, and don’t focus as much on Boston. So, if they were to go hard at Boston, they’d be a bit unusual which would stand out. In Boston, there are tons of BC grads which is both a great network but also one flooded with people bearing the same credentials as you. You can use the network to get a job but you might not get the type of job you seek. So be careful in how you interpret the stats
With the above in mind, it’s about what type of job you want after. If clerkships are your thing (and federal ones are the big deal), it’s UVA by almost a double margin over Vandy. If it’s biglaw, it’s UVA and then to a lesser extent Vandy. If it’s not as important to hit those two spots (or a professorship), then it’s BC. Location is less important here since you may change you mind; the name of the school you graduate from is the card that opens doors in the legal field, so first you should really look at where you want to be as far as a job position, then go from there.
I hope that helps, and please let me know what you decide!"
Barry: "Hi Dave
I am from Ohio, and not sure exactly what type of law I’d like to practice, but think I’m interested in clerkship or Biglaw, preferably in DC or NYC, and have the following offers:
BC – full tuition
George Mason – full tuition
Vanderbilt – $45k scholarship per year
UVA – $10k scholarship per year
I will likely have some family contribution, so the pure economics are likely less important than they otherwise would be, but are still meaningful.
I am attracted to UVA in the flexibility it provides for strong job outcomes in numerous disciplines and geographic locations, but am struggling with the cost differential. I have studied the LST data – UVA seems significantly stronger, especially for placement in DC.
How would you rank these offers if: (1) wanted to practice in Boston, or (2) wanted to practice in NY or DC? Thanks so much!"
Dave Killoran: "Hey Barry,
Thanks for the message! I tend to think of things in job position outcomes, and if you are truly focused on biglaw or the more elusive clerkship, UVA is tough to beat. On name/results alone, it simply ranks above the other schools. Of course, that comes with a hefty price, and that’s where the problem is as you already pointed out.
As far as the four offers, to me the BC offer cancels/overrrides the George Mason offer, so it’s down to three schools for me: BC, Vandy, UVA.
Geographically, since you’ve seen the LST data you have a sense of what happens. If it’s just about being in a certain location that’s one thing, but if it’s about a certain location AND a specific type of job, then the outcomes change. For example, we can see that BC places around 65% of grads in Massachusetts. UVA and Vandy are far less, so much so that Boston/Mass doesn’t even show up in the top spots their grads land. So it looks like BC has a huge Boston advantage, right? Not necessarily. UVA grads tend to go into high-profile jobs in DC and NY, and don’t focus as much on Boston. So, if they were to go hard at Boston, they’d be a bit unusual which would stand out. In Boston, there are tons of BC grads which is both a great network but also one flooded with people bearing the same credentials as you. You can use the network to get a job but you might not get the type of job you seek. So be careful in how you interpret the stats
With the above in mind, it’s about what type of job you want after. If clerkships are your thing (and federal ones are the big deal), it’s UVA by almost a double margin over Vandy. If it’s biglaw, it’s UVA and then to a lesser extent Vandy. If it’s not as important to hit those two spots (or a professorship), then it’s BC. Location is less important here since you may change you mind; the name of the school you graduate from is the card that opens doors in the legal field, so first you should really look at where you want to be as far as a job position, then go from there.
I hope that helps, and please let me know what you decide!"