FIU Law School- reputation? (Miami: fit in, unemployed, transferring to)

[TriMT7]

Originally Posted by SR-71

That's an overblown stereotype. All the Harvard grads I know are more humble than almost any UM grad you'll find. At least Harvard merits an inflated view of self-worth.

Stereotypes reinforced every day by attendees and admirers, unfortunately.


Harvard "itself" merits an inflated view of self-worth. It's attendees do not always. Being rich or connected enough to attend does not. Nor does simply doing well on standardized tests or being "diverse." I have a friend whose brother attended Harvard for undergrad, pulled an 'A' average, and STILL was denied admission to Harvard medical. I am willing to gamble at least SOME of those that WERE admitted did NOT have the same credentials.

He since went on and into neurosurgery at the University of Florida to be closer to family.

[SR-71]

Originally Posted by TriMT7

Stereotypes reinforced every day by attendees and admirers, unfortunately.


Harvard "itself" merits an inflated view of self-worth. It's attendees do not always. Being rich or connected enough to attend does not. Nor does simply doing well on standardized tests or being "diverse." I have a friend whose brother attended Harvard for undergrad, pulled an 'A' average, and STILL was denied admission to Harvard medical. I am willing to gamble at least SOME of those that WERE admitted did NOT have the same credentials.

He since went on and into neurosurgery at the University of Florida to be closer to family.

I can't argue with you. However, what you describe can and does happen in just about every University worth mentioning, including UM.

[SR-71]

Originally Posted by JD_or_BUST

molsz001, I've been seriously looking at FIU CoL and despite the negative rhetoric and banter, I've been very impressed. My 3.3 ugpa (3.67 major) and 160 lsat should get me into most of the schools in the Southeast, but I look at FIU as my top choice (to the chagrin of some). Are my academic credentials enough to warrant an in-state scholarship? I'd appreciate any insight you could offer. I can think of few things cooler than graduating from a less-well-known state school that will, someday, be top ranked in FL.

I know your question wasn't directed at me, but your grades and LSAT are definitely good enough for at least a partial scholarship to any school in Florida.

[JD_or_BUST]

Thanks for the input. Where do you go?

[lalasil]

Is anyone there beginning the preparation to enter FIU Law in 2009 Fall? LSAT, etc
I am looking for bilingual partners to share preparation time and materials.

[1908WAGY]

Originally Posted by kevinkagy

There will always be haters, it's okay. UM is a great school and so is FIU. FIU continues to get more and more competitive and has enlarged its range of academic programs. In the end, having good universities benefits Miami, our education and our economy and that's what matters most in my books.

Whenever someone has a difference of opinion, why is it construed as hate? I just moved from SF and the persons observations are correct. South Florida is not a good place to be if you are not Hispanic (Cuban in particular) or in a rich powerful social clique.

As far as FIU goes, it is a LOCALLY recognized school. I was once a recruiter for a VERY PRESTIGIOUS university in NYC and did not hear of FIU until I moved to Broward County... I'm happy that it's making strides in the right direction, but let's call it what it is....

If you have an opportunity to attend UF or UM, do it. Don't be the guinea pig. Sorry...also I think FSU has a LS as well. Good luck.

[1908WAGY]

Originally Posted by Momma_bear

Law school is law school. All lawyers have to pass the same bar exam. I would place quite a bit of emphasis on how many of a particular school's candidates pass the bar exam. THAT is important.

My husband went to a 4th tier school in NY, passed the bar exam in NY, and FL and is a very successful attorney in his own practice. There is no reason to put so much emphasis on the law school. Each candidate should focus on whether the law school will meet all of their needs. Students should focus on the accessibility of faculty, social considerations, and whether the student can integrate the law school's program into their entire life.

That's great for your husband, but the rankings have more credence than you are giving them. That's just the way it is...

[1908WAGY]

Originally Posted by Cityseed

Really? Can you substantiate where those would say "NSU is not even worth it for b-school?" NSU is accredited by the IACBE. I'll agree, however, that it is pretty easy to gain admission. Regionally, NSU's MBA program is taken about as seriously as FIU's, which is considered good, not top tier. However, I'm not sure how that would play out nationally for either school. I had a friend who did her MBA at FIU while I did mine at NSU. The courses were VERY similar...almost as if shadowed by each other. Even the cost of tuition is similar. I attended FIU for my undergrad degree and I must say that you get waaaay better service at NSU. My 2 cents...

What the hayle is the IACBE? Never heard of it...AACSB yes...oh boy!

[BrodyFSU]

Tallahassee is in the "panhandle". Ewwwww. I bet your cultural learnings at FSU are eating at Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. FIU's law school will continue to swap for first place with FSU's for the forseeable future. I think Miami would be a better environment to study law, simply because of the size of the metro area and the availability for internships and jobs during and after law school. How many law firms are there in Tallahassee? 2? 3?

I too would not go to FSU for law school, but you clearly have never been to Tallahassee because if you had you would know that there's got to be about 100 law firms in the city. It is the capital of the state so the opportunities in Tallahassee are definitely abundant. I know your main point is whether you'd see a better cultural environment in Miami. After living in both places, Tallahassee and Miami, I can safely say that I would rather go to FIU, but it really depends on what you want to study. Tallahassee is a great place and you should set up an orientation with the school to find out more about it, that is, if you don't already have your mind made up.

[Frank the Tank]

Originally Posted by 1908WAGY

That's great for your husband, but the rankings have more credence than you are giving them. That's just the way it is...

As an attorney that graduated 5 years ago, this statement may not be fair but it's definitely true. I'm not privy to the specifics of the Miami legal market, but I would absolutely recommend anyone that wants to maximize his or her opportunities to go to the best law school possible being a complete realist. I went to a 2nd-tier law school in Chicago with a solid local reputation in a much larger legal market compared to Miami and got great grades (made Law Review and Moot Court), and even then, the range of opportunities available were much more limited compared to average students from 1st-tier law schools. I have a great job that I love, but it took a lot more work (and some luck) to get into that position. Many of my other law school classmates were not anywhere near as fortunate even while putting forth an incredible amount of effort.

Also, I've worked in a large law firm, a Big Four consulting firm, and a large corporate legal department, so I'm aware of what those types of places are looking for in terms of hiring people. School reputation is one of the most significant factors of whether a person can even get in the door for an initial interview and is almost entirely based on the U.S. News rankings (or at least there is an extremely high correlation).

However, there is not a single firm out there that gives a crap about which school has the highest bar passage rate in a particular state (they may care if a school has a very LOW bar passage rate) - if a law school pushes that statistic over other academic factors, that is actually a negative red flag from my experience in how law firms and legal departments hire people. Please note that more nationally known law schools will place graduates all over the country, so they often have a lower number of people taking the bar exam in those schools' home states (and the academic curricula usually don't include state-specific courses, unlike more regional law schools). This can explain why some regional law schools might show higher bar passage rates that nationally-known law schools that are right next door. The fact of the matter is that the practicing attorneys understand this situation and, as a result, don't care about this statistic.

Finally, no prospective law student should ever make the mistake of going to a lower-ranked law school in the belief that he or she can get straight As and make law review automatically. First-year grades (which are really the only grades that matter when it comes to getting jobs at law firms that pay you the best salaries coming out of school, since you interview the fall of second year based on those grades for a summer associate position that follow your second year, which essentially is required to get a full-time job at those types of places thereafter) are determined at almost every law school by a mandatory curve, which means that only a handful of people will get As, most people will get Bs and Cs, and then a handful of people will get Ds. Thus, unlike college, you can't just expect to get great grades in law school based on working harder or studying longer because your grade also depends upon how well your classmates are doing, as well.

The issue is compounded by the fact that if you go to a lower-ranked school, your GPA becomes even more important factor in getting jobs, which as I have just described is something that you can't necessarily control.

I can go on and on about this - I know that a lot of people want to hear the romanticized "American dream" story that you'll get a great job no matter which school that you go to if you work hard, but I'm telling you (the OP) as an practicing attorney that the field of law is one of the places that is wedded to reputation and connections more than any almost other. If there is such a wide gulf between UM and FIU in the rankings (and that's certainly the case when it comes to the U.S. News), then you cannot ignore it. The hiring partners at laws firms are guaranteed to know exactly where all of those schools stand in the U.S. News rankings (whether or not you think that it's fair). IT MATTERS A LOT in hiring, especially in an economy where law firms are getting hundreds of applications for every position that's open. Someone said earlier to "not be a guinea pig" and I agree with that statement completely.