University of Akron Law School

[SquareBetterThanAll]

Originally Posted by Aville239

I would not be investing in a JD at this time, especially not one from a third tier school 1000 miles from home.

It's tough to be a lawyer right now, that's for sure. I've come in contact with a few people who got "parking fees" to sit until next year in hopes their firms need them then as opposed to now.

Of course, a lot of people who have JDs don't practice - a lot go into HR, for instance. Not that the general job market is any better.

UA Law School is rated fairly well, particularly for the kind of school it is. In the grand scheme of things I'd say UA overall is second tier, but that's just my opinion.

Two Magazines Rank UA Law School Among Best Values in U.S. Akron, Ohio, March 18, 2004 — The University of Akron's School of Law again has been cited as offering one of the best values for juris doctor programs in the nation.

Both National Jurist magazine and Prelaw magazine gave UA's law program an “excellent value” rating of 2.7 on a 3.0-point scale — recognizing it as one of the two top public school programs in the United States.

That's a few years old but top two for public schools in the country is pretty good. So, if someone was looking for a relatively affordable yet still substantial law education, it's not a bad choice.

And if I recall the original post, upstate NY is more like 200 miles.

[Aville239]

Originally Posted by SquareBetterThanAll

It's tough to be a lawyer right now, that's for sure. I've come in contact with a few people who got "parking fees" to sit until next year in hopes their firms need them then as opposed to now.

Of course, a lot of people who have JDs don't practice - a lot go into HR, for instance. Not that the general job market is any better.

UA Law School is rated fairly well, particularly for the kind of school it is. In the grand scheme of things I'd say UA overall is second tier, but that's just my opinion.

That's a few years old but top two for public schools in the country is pretty good. So, if someone was looking for a relatively affordable yet still substantial law education, it's not a bad choice.

And if I recall the original post, upstate NY is more like 200 miles.

Having a JD on your resume is actually a hindrance if you are not practicing law. Employers will wonder why you want to work in another field if you can make tons of money as a lawyer (HA!). Don't get a JD unless you intend to practice. Anything else is a waste of time & money.


I might go with your argument about “value” if the OP wants to practice with a small firm or local government agency in the Akron area. You might be able to make contacts with local firms and agencies. The thing is, “value” cuts two ways—what you pay and the value of the degree you get when you graduate. Outside of Akron and maybe Ohio, the Akron JD is not going to be a respected commodity.


The bottom line is this: Akron charges $30,850 a year for out of state students. If you are a NY State resident you can go to Buffalo for $16,000 a year. Going to Akron makes no financial sense. You are going to be $100,000 in debt with a degree that few outside of the Akron area will respect.

[SquareBetterThanAll]

Originally Posted by Aville239

Having a JD on your resume is actually a hindrance if you are not practicing law. Employers will wonder why you want to work in another field if you can make tons of money as a lawyer (HA!). Don't get a JD unless you intend to practice. Anything else is a waste of time & money.

I'll dispute the employer quote. I mention HR as I'm a little familiar, and a JD is considered helpful to have the knowledge to deal with legal issues like ERISA, Sarbanes-Oxley, etc. depending on the position. That's also part of idea behind the joint MBA-JD degree programs now offered (i.e. at UA)

The bottom line is this: Akron charges $30,850 a year for out of state students. If you are a NY State resident you can go to Buffalo for $16,000 a year. Going to Akron makes no financial sense. You are going to be $100,000 in debt with a degree that few outside of the Akron area will respect.

Can't argue with that scenario.

[Aville239]

Originally Posted by SquareBetterThanAll

I'll dispute the employer quote. I mention HR as I'm a little familiar, and a JD is considered helpful to have the knowledge to deal with legal issues like ERISA, Sarbanes-Oxley, etc. depending on the position. That's also part of idea behind the joint MBA-JD degree programs now offered (i.e. at UA)

I was speaking from personal experience. Go to any of the law job boards and you’ll see tons of similar stories. Most people end up removing the JD from their resumes when applying for non-legal positions.

A joint degree program won’t help you get a legal job. People in the legal profession don’t care if you have 100 years of experience or training in some other field, all that counts is legal experience. Furthermore, you can’t get anything in business with a JD/MBA that you couldn’t get with an MBA alone (again speaking from experience).

[chorvathjr]

Originally Posted by whitmeyer
Really? I guess it was because of my "limited" experiences that they instituted a new security force on campus, specifically intended to escort students around when it was dark (per their request). Seems like a lot of people must have had several "limited" experiences for them to create an entire security force to walk students 100 yards to their car after dusk. They created this unit because of a HUGE wave of crime that hit campus and campus housing.

I was on the U of A campus patrol back in 1985, so it has been around for a while. We mainly just were a prescence on the school grounds and escorted people to their cars after night classes. I really don't recall a major crime wave in the mid 80's. Just a little peace of mind for the folks walking to their cars. We also had radios to give the "real" security and police a heads up to things that didn't look right. My wife is currently pre-law at KSU and looking at Akron for Law School. Several local law officials, judges, and professors have spoken highly of Akron's law school. She will probably go there.