Transfer help needed Forum

[Lawschoolgeniusguy]

Hello- I'm creating this post to see if anyone has experience transferring from a very low ranked school? I am top 10 percent although I realize TJ doesn't have the ranking- it's still a great education. My ability is strong regardless of prestige and I'm hoping to parlay that strong ability to a transfer. Lrap is not what I thought it would be and with potential debt I'm needing big law. Obviously the numbers don't look good here as they would even at a Golden Gate type school for instance. I just need to get anywhere with a shot at big law- I'm top 10 percent so if I can get in it's a good shot for me. Typically people try to transfer into t14? But this is just a smaller transfer- also what about transferring after the initial transfer? Sort of the "climbing the ladder" approach? I haven't seen any resources on this- thanks.

[SomewhatLearnedHand]

I know someone who went from Tuoro (also unranked) into the T13 this year. I'm imagining he mustve been top 5 people in his class though. To put it bluntly, you're going to have a hell of a time landing big law after doing 1L at TJ. Additionally, you can only transfer once, right after 1L- there is no school hopping like you suggested.

edit: think I may have taken the troll bait here hook, line, and sinker...

[Lawschoolgeniusguy]

Thanks- I was hoping big law recruiters would focus more on achievement and charisma during interviews. Unfortunately I might just be in a horrible position to be honest. I had no idea what I was doing I went to law school thinking lrap was magic but now after being on the path to 350k plus after three years not working I'm panicking. My only out is big law or a tax bomb in ten years.

[sparkytrainer]

Thanks- I was hoping big law recruiters would focus more on achievement and charisma during interviews. Unfortunately I might just be in a horrible position to be honest. I had no idea what I was doing I went to law school thinking lrap was magic but now after being on the path to 350k plus after three years not working I'm panicking. My only out is big law or a tax bomb in ten years.

Or drop out now. That is probably your best option. You dont need to keep digging the financial hole.

[Lawschoolgeniusguy]

Dropping out yes- very helpful- nothing like telling a person to commit financial suicide

[sparkytrainer]

Dropping out yes- very helpful- nothing like telling a person to commit financial suicide

Its committing financial suicide by continuing for two more years. You can mitigate and cut your losses now. But go ahead, you sound like a reasonable, rational person.

[Lawschoolgeniusguy]

The only way I can pay back the already large amount I've borrowed is to get big Law- my chances of paying back nearly 6 figures of debt without big law is zero so even if big law chances are 5 percent it's at least higher than zero. I'm just applying to every transfer school I can though with my son story since obviously because I don't go to Harvard I must be irrational right? Welcome to tls ego- typical.

[SomewhatLearnedHand]

The only way I can pay back the already large amount I've borrowed is to get big Law- my chances of paying back nearly 6 figures of debt without big law is zero so even if big law chances are 5 percent it's at least higher than zero. I'm just applying to every transfer school I can though with my son story since obviously because I don't go to Harvard I must be irrational right? Welcome to tls ego- typical.

How do you have 6 figures in debt after one year of law school? If you racked that all up from undergrad, perhaps law school wasn't a great decision in the first place, especially considering its at TJ. Most people here, like Sparky, don't really mean to be offensive, but there are certain situations where you can objectively say that poor decisions were made.

[Npret]

The only way I can pay back the already large amount I've borrowed is to get big Law- my chances of paying back nearly 6 figures of debt without big law is zero so even if big law chances are 5 percent it's at least higher than zero. I'm just applying to every transfer school I can though with my son story since obviously because I don't go to Harvard I must be irrational right? Welcome to tls ego- typical.

The chances of you getting biglaw are so low I can’t even estimate them. Firms will look at your 1L school. I don’t know about transferring, all you can do is try.
I agree it’s better to drop out now rather than end up with more debt and no job.
I’m sorry this happened to you. Thomas Jefferson is a failing law school and should have been closed a decade ago.
That they have the nerve to charge their students so much actually makes me angry.
It’s just wealth transferance from the government to the school using a student as the pass through.

I would have told you and your classmates not to go, if you can’t improve your school, you need to drop out.

[Lawschoolgeniusguy]

Coa is about 73000- I had that upped a little from transportation and a computer. Honestly I was just excited about law school and you really only have to click a button to get 30 something thousand dollars deposited into your bank account. I was balling and I can still ball but I'm seeing horror stories and panicking. I'm not completely stupid- just got caught up in thinking I'll just kill it as a lawyer and be good. At least I realized now. Honestly Europe/Russia isn't looking too bad as an escape hatch- I speak French.

[Npret]

Coa is about 73000- I had that upped a little from transportation and a computer. Honestly I was just excited about law school and you really only have to click a button to get 30 something thousand dollars deposited into your bank account. I was balling and I can still ball but I'm seeing horror stories and panicking. I'm not completely stupid- just got caught up in thinking I'll just kill it as a lawyer and be good. At least I realized now. Honestly Europe/Russia isn't looking too bad as an escape hatch- I speak French.

I hope you are a troll.
If not, good luck. Just get out of that school. Maybe you have family that can help you get a work visa in another country doing something, I know nothing about that.

[totesTheGoat]

Coa is about 73000- I had that upped a little from transportation and a computer. Honestly I was just excited about law school and you really only have to click a button to get 30 something thousand dollars deposited into your bank account. I was balling and I can still ball but I'm seeing horror stories and panicking. I'm not completely stupid- just got caught up in thinking I'll just kill it as a lawyer and be good. At least I realized now. Honestly Europe/Russia isn't looking too bad as an escape hatch- I speak French.

Big law or bust is a really terrible situation to be in, especially when you're not at a T1. Sorry that your prior poor decision making is catching up with you. I think the best thing you could do is go talk with your financial aid folks at your school and lay down an ultimatum. Either 85% tuition reduction through scholarship/grant/whatever, or you're walking. Then follow through. Similarly, take a frugal eye to any potential transfer opportunities. You can dig out from $75k or so of loans, but graduating a quarter million in student debt is untenable, even with a biglaw salary. Graduating with that much debt and almost no path to a biglaw salary is insane. Transfer to a better school with a big scholarship or drop out, you can't afford to keep paying so much for law school.