Posts: 522
From: baltimore, MD USA
Registered: Sep 2003

posted August 01, 2005 06:45 PM         

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I am going to go to law school. Exactly which law school, I am not sure yet. Took the LSATs in Feb, did very well (thankyouverymuch ), but missed most of the deadlines for this Fall, so am aiming for either the Spring, or Fall 2006.
So anyway, Ave Maria, this new school in Michigan, offered me a full ride for this Fall. A huge ego boost, I must admit. HOWEVER, they are as of yet unranked (they will, I believe, be recieving their full accreditation this month)
I think I am going to take a trip down there to check this place out next week. I can't decide if I should say yes to them or not!!! They are hardcore Catholic apparently, which is a turn off, but they are reportedly pretty touch academically, which is a turn on. What's a girl to say?

Any of you knowflakes in the MIchigan region, have you heard of Ave Maria?

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Posts: 1399
From:
Registered: Jul 2003

posted August 01, 2005 09:43 PM         

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Check out the school. Who knows you may end up liking it there! A friend of mine just accepted a position at a school she never thought twice about. She went down to the school, met the professors, and other staff and observed the whole learning atmosphere...and she liked it and decided that school was it. I also find that new schools are willing to venture out and use innovative means to educate their students, and keep them at the top of the field and get them thinking about the future...or at least they give their professors more freedom, and thus their students as well. But you have to check it out for yourself and ask around. I've never heard of the school...I'm in Canada

If you are concerned about the rank of the school, and you think this may affect your chances of landing a job after you're done with them, then maybe hold out for year or so, and apply again to other schools next year. You can always take something else up in the mean time.

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Posts: 622
From: Rochester Hills, MI USA
Registered: May 2004

posted August 02, 2005 09:07 AM         

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Just so happens I have a message in to a lawyer friend of mine. I will ask. He may be out of town, i left that message last week. If i hear anything i will post back.

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Posts: 622
From: Rochester Hills, MI USA
Registered: May 2004

posted August 02, 2005 10:17 AM         

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I did get my call back just now. I asked him. He did not know of the school. He said that there are two or three sig. law schools in michigan but he had not heard of that one.
I don't know what that means to you. Hope it helped.

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Posts: 522
From: baltimore, MD USA
Registered: Sep 2003

posted August 02, 2005 11:54 AM         

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Hey, DayDreamer and Thirteen. Thank you so much for the replies and asking your lawyer friend about the school! I think maybe I will like it once I see it... who knows. See, here's the thing: Ave Maria only gets its full accreditation this month (so it's not even on the charts yet, I guess). It has a lot of backing from like, big name justices, etc., but it's difficult to tell which way it's going to go. Oh my god! I sound like such an academic snob!! But that's not how I mean it, I promise!! It's just that, well, ok, I know I can get into a lot of first tier schools, probably with money... I mean, not Harvard or Yale or anything, but if I'm looking at top 40's or top 30's and public, I'm in pretty good shape. It's the full ride that's got me all twisted up- should I take it and hope that Ave Maria ends up in the top 100 in next year's rankings, or should I just say no? gahh!! And THEN, today I got a call back from my job interview telling me I have the job, which is GREAT, but now I can;t decide if I should work for a year or look at law school.

So, everything is working out great in my life, but that just makes it harder. How ironic! *insert ironic grin here*

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Posts: 622
From: Rochester Hills, MI USA
Registered: May 2004

posted August 02, 2005 02:15 PM         

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You can always work. Take the full ride. Just my opinion. That school is in Ann Arbor Michigan. That is a very reputable area here. U of M is there and a lot of people know the area and it has a very very good reputation.

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Posts: 522
From: baltimore, MD USA
Registered: Sep 2003

posted August 03, 2005 02:31 PM         

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I totally get what you say thirteen. That's what I was telling myself, but ultimately,... gahh! A decision has been made at long last, but I don't know if it's the right one. I mean, I don't see what else I could have done, but I guess it's too late to do anything else now.
I decided to defer my admission for a year, because I was going to take it, but I couldn't find any housing, and I couldn't book a ticket to Michigan before the 24th, and orientation started on the 22nd, and it was all just going to be one big hectic mess if I went. That and I only have about $2000 in the bank, and no federal aid since I didn't fill out a FAFSA thingy for this year. They were wonderfully nice about it and said if I wanted to lock in the scholarship, I should send them a non-refundable deposit by the 29th... I think I'm going to do it.
I also accepted the job offer today. it's in this big global investment company, and they're going to send me up to NYC for training for either 2 or 3 months, they have yet to tell me which. The pay is not that great, but I think the experience will be good.
I feel better now that I have made a concrete decision, but I feel a bit sad that I won't be starting law school this fall. Like you said, thirteen, we can work any time... it's going to be difficult to go to law school as a fifty-year old though (in 30 years' time, but still!!) I hope I made the right choice with the deferral. Oh well, nothing I can do about it now.

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Posts: 22915
From: Columbus, GA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted August 04, 2005 08:52 AM         

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"There is no use trying," said Alice; "one can't believe impossible things." "I dare say you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." Lewis Carroll

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Posts: 622
From: Rochester Hills, MI USA
Registered: May 2004

posted August 04, 2005 10:09 AM         

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Well you did what you needed to do. It sounds all good and the deferral makes good sense. You seem as if you have thought it all through and im sure it will work out well. The job sounds awesome. I am one who did not go to college. Although my work experiences have been good I wish I had done it. Not to compete in society but to learn......And if i knew then what I know now i would get a law degree. Thats why Im pushing you in that direction. That is my bias. I wish you the best of luck in the job and school next year.

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Posts: 522
From: baltimore, MD USA
Registered: Sep 2003

posted August 04, 2005 11:06 AM         

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Thank you so much, thirteen!
I was sitting here, thinking about whether I should even continue with getting a JD because if I was going to work, maybe I should just work for a few years and then see, and I popped onto LL and read your post. What you say really strikes home with me- You said that 'if you knew then what you know now, you would get a law degree' really resonates with how I feel. I honestly can't imagine doing anything else in my life, whether I am working as a corporate attorney or an environmental advocacy attorney, I just feel that I can't do anything but involve myself in the process, you know? If you are biased towards law school because of a desire to learn, I'm right there with you! (hehe) That's why it's sort of tearing me up a little that I am going to be taking a break for a year. I told myself yesterday that it was only a year... maybe even only six months, because I am applying to Cardozo in NYC for the Spring semester (they have a wonderful intellectual property program) so if I get in there, that's where I'm headed.
Thirteen, even if you haven't pursued a college degree yet, it's never too late to start! You can totally work it in part-time into your schedule- a lot of my friends did that, working full time and then taking evening classes, and they said it wasn't too bad. And then GO TO LAW SCHOOL!!! If that is your dream, go for it because it is absolutely feasible and it WILL happen! One day, maybe we will be exchanging posts on here about how our practices are going! =)

Forgive me for sounding sappy, but it just lifted my spirits so tremendously to read your words, thirteen. They made me feel supported and encouraged, and that means more than I can convey in mere words.

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Posts: 622
From: Rochester Hills, MI USA
Registered: May 2004

posted August 04, 2005 02:42 PM         

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Well now I feel good too! I have taken some college classes at a local business school and although I enjoyed them it is not something that I dream of doing now. I have a lot of lawyer friends due to my work and I really seem to resonate with the law. My dream today is to get my ( simple but necessary, invention to market)this is my current education. And... i just read a book about doing it and it talks about protection of property ( i.e.. intellectual property.. as you mentioned ) so i find it interesting that you just said that!! Ok im rambling now. I send you all the best and stay on track because someday i might need a patent lawyer and you can refer me...

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