Emory Law Offered Me a Very Good Scholarship (Atlanta, Oxford: lawyer, job market)

[LRadams7474]

Currently I am considering accepting admission to either the University of Houston Law Center or Emory Law in Atlanta. I am originally from Memphis, TN and went to undergrad at Ole Miss. However, I am not a SUPER REBEL fan like many at Ole Miss; I just want a quality education and great job opportunities after school. I want to hear from students, lawyers, or professionals in Houston or Atlanta on the job prospects between the two and their reputation in and outside of the cities where they are located. As for cost, I received in-state tuition and a $45,000 scholarship at Houston and a $105,000 scholarship at Emory. That leaves me having to take out about the same to cover the rest of tuition for each school($15,000 a year each). Living expenses would be about the same. And I can see myself beginning my legal career in either Atlanta or Houston(similar climates, cost of living, bad traffic, etc). Any help, advice, or guidance would be greatly appreciated. It can be broad or specific--just whatever you feel like sharing or feel that may be important to a potential student of law in these two cities. If it matters, I am black; but I am definitely cultured and get along with anybody. I just want to be in a place that will give me a good education and job prospects, be in a place that I can afford, and be in a place that I can enjoy the last 3 years of my non-career-working life. Thanks for all comments.

P.S. PLEASE DON'T TURN THIS INTO A BATTLE OF THE CITIES WITHOUT FACTS(though the battle rants are quite amusing). I don't mind contrasting the two and telling me the differences, but please don't just be ranting about how one is better than the other without supporting facts.

P.S.S. You all can rant on which city has more beautiful women. Though it definitely wont be a deciding factor, I wouldn't mind knowing since I AM still young! lol

[atlyoungin]

You're in a good position. I think Emory has more national prominence than U of H so (assuming you do well in your classes) you would be marketable in Atlanta, Houston and other cities. Probably makes more sense to figure out what kind of law (corporate, oil & gas, litigation) you think you'll want to practice and make a decision based on that. However, it's perfectly fine if you do not have a clue what you want to do.

The legal job market in Houston (judging from my colleagues) is probably a little stronger than Atlanta, but there's a good chance you're doing energy work. Not bad, but boring for my tastes. The people I know that went to Emory and did well got good jobs in ATL, NY, DC, Chicago. Just make sure you kill it academically.

City-wise, I like ATL and Houston equally. As a black man, you'll have plenty of options in both and will be able to have fun. Much better options than Memphis or Oxford (I've been to both).

As an attorney (I'm from Atlanta, practiced corporate law there for a few years) I generally advise people to not go to law school if they have to take on massive debt loads. $45K of debt is manageable though. You're in a good situation. Visit both schools and try to get a feel for where you feel more comfortable. I think Emory may have more of an East coast feel (a lot of students from DC and NY, in addition to southerners), while Houston may be a little more local.

Feel free to ask any other questions, but admittedly, while I spend some time in Houston, I'm not as knowledgeable as I am about Atlanta.

[LovelySummer]

Lawyer here. Since the debt will be the same, go to the higher-ranked, more nationally-known as between the two of them. Look at US News rankings.

Sorry but that is the simple truth. It really does not matter what city the school is in. What matters is your short-term opportunities for internships and your long-term opportunities for jobs. Alot of that will depend on the school you are attending/graduate from and your graduating gpa. Period. Atlanta vs. Houston is not the point at all. If the school is good enough you can easily get a job in either.

[LRadams7474]

Originally Posted by LovelySummer

Lawyer here. Since the debt will be the same, go to the higher-ranked, more nationally-known as between the two of them. Look at US News rankings.

Sorry but that is the simple truth. It really does not matter what city the school is in. What matters is your short-term opportunities for internships and your long-term opportunities for jobs. Alot of that will depend on the school you are attending/graduate from and your graduating gpa. Period. Atlanta vs. Houston is not the point at all. If the school is good enough you can easily get a job in either.

Thank you for this. A while back I came upon several sites arguing that rankings meant nothing. But as I've done more and more research and spoken with more and more lawyers, I am seeing their importance as far as opportunity goes. Nothing is guaranteed but higher schools provide more opportunities and networks. It's a sad reality I'm having to slowly accept.

[taurus2000]

I have no real input, just wanted to say congratulations on the scholarships! And good luck with
your choice...although from the looks of things it seems like you've been making the right ones along the way.

Ps...look to see if you can get statistics on job placement rate of graduates and incorporate that info into your decision making. Guess it had a little input after all. Best of luck!

[atlantagreg30127]

Cross posting is not permitted (see TOS) - this topic has been created in multiple rooms.