UGA Law School (Atlanta, Lawrenceville, Dallas: 2015, how much, lawyer)

[AT9]

Yes, I know UGA is in Athens, not Atlanta. But I posted this here because a) I assume there are more people posting here than in the generic Georgia forum and b) I'd probably would want to work in Atlanta afterwards.

So, what is the general perception of UGA and the law school specifically for those of you who live in the region? How do UGA grads fare in ATL? Also, is it possible to live somewhere between Athens and Atlanta and commute? My spouse would probably have more job opportunities in the ATL metro, which is why I ask. I've been accepted with a decent scholarship and I want to live in the South (or Texas), so UGA is of great interest to me!

Thanks for your input!

[Iconographer]

UGA Law does enjoy a good reputation here. What's more, youve got a built in network in Atlanta since a lot of people in a position to hire you will have been degreed from there as well.
As far as commuting, it would possible if located in eastern Gwinnett County, perhaps somewhere off the 316 corridor. Only issue there is gets VERY congested at peak traffic hours.

[CMMom]

Yes, I agree. My husband graduated from UGA Law School (albeit in 1995), and I know that it is regionally very well-regarded. As a matter of fact, he frequently tells me how much better the school is than his alma mater and mine (both big SEC schools). It is not enough, however, to convince him to root for their athletic teams (:-)). Seriously, though, I think you should go for it if you've been accepted and have scholarship money.

ETA: look at Lawrenceville as a good compromise between Athens and Atlanta. If your husband is willing, even look a little further out on Hwy. 316. The commute between Gwinnett County and Athens gets tiresome quickly.

[AnsleyPark]

Originally Posted by CMMom

Yes, I agree. My husband graduated from UGA Law School (albeit in 1995), and I know that it is regionally very well-regarded. As a matter of fact, he frequently tells me how much better the school is than his alma mater and mine (both big SEC schools). It is not enough, however, to convince him to root for their athletic teams (:-)). Seriously, though, I think you should go for it if you've been accepted and have scholarship money.

ETA: look at Lawrenceville as a good compromise between Athens and Atlanta. If your husband is willing, even look a little further out on Hwy. 316. The commute between Gwinnett County and Athens gets tiresome quickly.

I graduated from UGA Law in 1990. If you are going to practice law in this neck of the woods, your UGA diploma will get you farther than most any other law school's diploma. The law school is very good and the network is incomparable in the southeast. If you want to practice law in NYC or LA, then no. But in Atlanta, a UGA education is probably as valuable as a a Harvard education when it comes to law.

[AnsleyPark]

As for the commuting matter: law school is very collaborative. Students spend a lot of time in study groups and a lot of time in the library. I imagine that commuting would make this a challenge. I do not recall many classmates who commuted during my stint there.

[StAubin]

UGA law is very good. If you are going to be commuting then gwinnett/lawrencville would be your best bet. If you want to move closer you could look at GSU law. It has almost identical stats as UGA but lacks the reputation.

University of Georgia School of Law vs Georgia State University College of Law

Also they are building a nice new building set for 2015!

http://ga.gsu.edu/files/2013/05/laws...rawing0001.jpg

[WmMeeker]

Originally Posted by AT9

Yes, I know UGA is in Athens, not Atlanta. But I posted this here because a) I assume there are more people posting here than in the generic Georgia forum and b) I'd probably would want to work in Atlanta afterwards.

So, what is the general perception of UGA and the law school specifically for those of you who live in the region? How do UGA grads fare in ATL? Also, is it possible to live somewhere between Athens and Atlanta and commute? My spouse would probably have more job opportunities in the ATL metro, which is why I ask. I've been accepted with a decent scholarship and I want to live in the South (or Texas), so UGA is of great interest to me!

Thanks for your input!

Anybody that graduates from anything UGA obviously has a leg up on any job in Atlanta simply because UGA grads like to hire other UGA grads. Same with Tech or GSU. It is like that everywhere. A UGA degree in Dallas or Houston is not as good as a degree from U of Texas or Texas Tech because most of the people doing the hiring are from those schools. That said, it is my view that differences in law schools are way overblown. Really any ABA approved law school is about as good as any other. They all teach contracts, torts and legal writing. I have seen lawyers from state law schools chop to pieces Harvard grads in court. What you want to do is look at the big Atlanta firms and find out where the Attorneys in them went to law school. UGA is a fine law school but so are Georgia State and John Marshall.

[AnsleyPark]

Originally Posted by WmMeeker

Anybody that graduates from anything UGA obviously has a leg up on any job in Atlanta simply because UGA grads like to hire other UGA grads. Same with Tech or GSU. It is like that everywhere. A UGA degree in Dallas or Houston is not as good as a degree from U of Texas or Texas Tech because most of the people doing the hiring are from those schools. That said, it is my view that differences in law schools are way overblown. Really any ABA approved law school is about as good as any other. They all teach contracts, torts and legal writing. I have seen lawyers from state law schools chop to pieces Harvard grads in court. What you want to do is look at the big Atlanta firms and find out where the Attorneys in them went to law school. UGA is a fine law school but so are Georgia State and John Marshall.

No offense if you or a loved one attended John Marshall, but I could not in good conscience ever recommend it to any aspiring lawyer nor put it on par with UGA or Emory. GSU is fine and growing in stature, but John Marshall just doesn't have the resources, the faculty or the reputation to holds its own against other Georgia law schools, which is too bad because I think choice is good. Maybe one day they will, but I doubt it.

Our largest and middle tier firms are represented by a flight of good law schools, primarily UGA, UVA, UNC, Vandy and, to some extent, UF and Emory. We are not a very Ivy League legal market. Having served as the hiring partner for a rather large firm, I can assure you that a UGA law degree is the most respected in the state by a wide margin among Georgia's law schools.

[AT9]

Thanks to everyone for the input. I want to practice in the South in general (or Texas), so working Atlanta seems pretty ideal. Looks like I may be choosing between UGA (for relatively cheap), Vandy, and maybe Emory - just haven't heard from them yet.

Would you say UGA is a better option than Emory, assuming the price gap isn't super huge? I know Emory is generally considered more prestigious as a university in general, but UGA Law seems to have a better alumni network.

[StAubin]

Originally Posted by AT9

Thanks to everyone for the input. I want to practice in the South in general (or Texas), so working Atlanta seems pretty ideal. Looks like I may be choosing between UGA (for relatively cheap), Vandy, and maybe Emory - just haven't heard from them yet.

Would you say UGA is a better option than Emory, assuming the price gap isn't super huge? I know Emory is generally considered more prestigious as a university in general, but UGA Law seems to have a better alumni network.

Of the Schools you mentioned I would definitely recommend UGA. UGA is one of the top law schools for value. Don't put a lot of money into Emory or Vandy when you could get just as good of an education at Georgia for less.