Best schools for trial lawyer Forum

[brooklynpatriot1]

What schools would you guys recommend for someone who is interested in doing litigation. I have a 3.6 GPA out of SUNY Geneseo (and one year at the London School of Economics) and roughly a 167 LSAT (haven't taken it yet). I'm also looking to try and stay close to New York which is why I have Fordham so high,

Here is my list so far, any thoughts?

1. Cornell
2. Fordham
3. Georgetown
4. Boston College
5. Boston University
6. William and Mary
7. Notre Dame
8. Wash U in St. Louis
9. Brooklyn College
10. UCON
11. American

Thanks

[redsox]

Well, I don't really know enough to even begin to try to answer your question...but what did you think of the London School of Economics? I'm jealous. I almost went to BC as an undergrad because they have a study abroad option there that I was really interested in, but I didn't.

[Esc]

You have no idea what your chances are until you take the LSAT. Even if your guess of 167 is fairly accurate, you could get a 171 and be in at most/all of these schools, or get a 163 and be in only in the bottom half.

That being said, a 167 LSAT with that GPA = Out at Cornell/GULC, WL at BU, In everywhere else.

[zettsscores40]

Well in no particular order:

Yale
Harvard
Stanford
Columbia
Chicago
NYU
UCB
Michigan
Virginia
UPenn
Northwestern
Cornell
Duke
Georgetown
UCLA
Texas
Vandy
USC

And so forth.

[ihatelaw]

im curious what you mean by trial lawyer....like appellate litigation or like a prosecutor or what? either way, it doesnt matter. despite trial advocacy rankings and such, your best bet is to get into the best school that you can. law school wont teach you to be a 'trial lawyer,' thats more of an on the job sort of thing. a number of schools have trial advocacy programs and many have moot court, but that shouldnt really effect your decision as to where you want to attend since most firms/government/etc care more about your schools ranking then they do about any trial advocacy program.

[Landau]

What schools would you guys recommend for someone who is interested in doing litigation. I have a 3.6 GPA out of SUNY Geneseo (and one year at the London School of Economics) and roughly a 167 LSAT (haven't taken it yet). I'm also looking to try and stay close to New York which is why I have Fordham so high,

Here is my list so far, any thoughts?

1. Cornell
2. Fordham
3. Georgetown
4. Boston College
5. Boston University
6. William and Mary
7. Notre Dame
8. Wash U in St. Louis
9. Brooklyn College
10. UCON
11. American



While it is always preferable to attend a t14, Temple could be a good option for you if you score in the low 160s. It has a well respected program in trial advocacy.

Thanks

[zettsscores40]

The best trial lawyer in the country is widely considered to be Geoffrey Fieger, he is also a slime-ball, but that's beside the point. He went to Detroit College of Law.

Gerry Spence went to Wyoming.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerry_Spence

Point is if all you want to do is sue the shit out of people be damn good at it and hope you get some high profile cases.

[Landau]

The best trial lawyer in the country is widely considered to be Geoffrey Fieger, he is also a slime-ball, but that's beside the point. He went to Detroit College of Law.

Gerry Spence went to Wyoming.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerry_Spence

Point is if all you want to do is sue the shit out of people be damn good at it and hope you get some high profile cases.

Very true. Not only this, but Mark Shapiro and Johnny Cochrane of OJ Simpson's "Dream team" were Loyola graduates (as was Mark Geragos). John Edwards won a number of high profile personal injury suits as a UNC grad. It just goes to show that the skill set for trial law is not always directly applicable to 170+ LSAT scores.

[brooklynpatriot1]

Thanks for your help guys, I'll keep looking into it.



"Well, I don't really know enough to even begin to try to answer your question...but what did you think of the London School of Economics? I'm jealous. I almost went to BC as an undergrad because they have a study abroad option there that I was really interested in, but I didn't."
-Redsox

LSE was a very different experience. It's compeltely independent study with 100% of your grades being decided by your finals. The teaching quality isn't great but it's a good learning environment where students interact in a strong academic setting. Tons of work, atleast for me.

[SplitterPride]

Why do you want to be a trial lawyer?

[brooklynpatriot1]

Why do you want to be a trial lawyer?

I love public speaking and debate. I did mooting at the London School of Economics which was a lot of fun. Even the preparation was enjoyable. I'm highly competitive and I think it would be one of my strengths. I don't know for sure if I want to do it. However, since I have no idea what kind of law I want to do, trial advocacy and clinic programs are an important attribute for any potential law school for me.

[wreckem]

As others have said, go to the best school you can get into. Even then a lot of the top trial lawyers went to crappier schools.

[wreckem]

The best trial lawyer in the country is widely considered to be Geoffrey Fieger, he is also a slime-ball, but that's beside the point. He went to Detroit College of Law.

Gerry Spence went to Wyoming.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerry_Spence

Point is if all you want to do is sue the shit out of people be damn good at it and hope you get some high profile cases.

Very true. Not only this, but Mark Shapiro and Johnny Cochrane of OJ Simpson's "Dream team" were Loyola graduates (as was Mark Geragos). John Edwards won a number of high profile personal injury suits as a UNC grad. It just goes to show that the skill set for trial law is not always directly applicable to 170+ LSAT scores.

Barring that, find a way to file your lawsuits in Beaumont, TX or other jurisidctions like it.

[EntertainMeLaw]

Why do you want to be a trial lawyer?

I love public speaking and debate. I did mooting at the London School of Economics which was a lot of fun. Even the preparation was enjoyable. I'm highly competitive and I think it would be one of my strengths. I don't know for sure if I want to do it. However, since I have no idea what kind of law I want to do, trial advocacy and clinic programs are an important attribute for any potential law school for me.

William and Mary has the most technologically advanced courtroom setting in the world. Also, their moot court program is very very good (the individual moot court National competition in New Orleans crowned a the champion from WM the past two years.)

[brooklynpatriot1]

Thanks, I'll make sure to check that out.

[18488]

If you want to do plaintiff's trial work, then you should try to get to know some highly respected, ethical plaintiff's trial lawyers, and make a good impression on them. Try to get a couple of them to mentor you. Impress them with your ability to think. One of the main ways these lawyers get cases is by referrals from each other. If you develop a relationship with them, you increase your chances of getting referred to. Obviously, going to a name-recognition school is helpful in building a reputation--it's part of the first impression someone has of you; it also probably affects client confidence if they know nothing else about you. But don't expect precise number rankings in USNWR to have a really significant impact.

[stavand]

I've heard temple is really good for litigation and trial work also... I don't know what their LSAT/GPA numbers are.

[James Bond]

I've heard temple is really good for litigation and trial work also... I don't know what their LSAT/GPA numbers are.

probably because of all of the local crime

[Advocate]

I've heard temple is really good for litigation and trial work also... I don't know what their LSAT/GPA numbers are.

Yeah Temple has been one of the top trial advocacy programs for a decade. You might even be able to get a full ride if you can really score 167 (considering your excellent undergrad).

[cbreault]

You don't learn how to be a trial lawyer in school. Learn how to be a trial lawyer trying cases in court (take it from the son of a trial lawyer).

That said, go to the best law school possible.