Should I go to a non-aba law school?

Songbyrd JPA âœ¡ Jewish Lawyer

Do you want to be a first rate attorney, from a first rate school? ABA. You can't graduate from a non ABA school and take the bar anywhere by California. Go to UCLA, or Hastings. They are not that pricey. Good luck.

Mary L

If you go to a law school which is not accredited by the ABA you cannot sit for the bar exam in any state except California. Further, even if you become licensed in California you cannot become licensed in any other state by reciprocity or by examination. On the other hand, if you attend a law school which is accredited by the ABA you can sit for the bar exam in any state and can later become licensed in many other states by reciprocity. Although law school debt can seem overwhelming, it can be handled and is well worth it in the long run.

Rono

Your education is an investment. And credentials play a good role in a JD after graduating. My recommendation is to make the investment and attend the ABA approved schools.

Filet O' Fish

with your lsat and gpa you should be able to get into some schools that are both accredited and willing to give you a scholarship

Meg

Go to an ABA accredited law school.

Right now, it seems like you are looking at the very top and the very bottom of the spectrum and ignoring everything in the middle...

I guess it may be too late if you are going to law school next year...but if you look at T3 and T4 state schools, with your GPA and LSAT, I am sure you would be offered some full-ride scholarships. (My LSAT was lower than yours, and I got them at two different schools.) That way you could go to a fully accredited school, receive a better education and have a more solid chance of passing the Bar.

I know a lot of scholarship deadlines have already passed, but Thomas Cooley Law in Michigan guarantees acceptance and scholarship at a certain level, and I know you would qualify if you are interested. It is not the most stellar school out there, but it IS accredited.

When it comes down to it, I think some debt is acceptable as a means of getting you where you want in life...but that is ultimately your choice to make.

Good luck with whatever you choose!! :]

daaaave

With your scores there are a TON of schools that are ABA approved that would give you a full ride scholarship (Cooley for one). Any ABA approved school will be better to go to because as the other posters indicate you can't take the bar anywhere but CA with a non ABA degree.

You should really look into some more schools. Those are some great scores and many mid level schools would be happy to give you a free education if you enrolled.

Rod Johnson

That's a great LSAT score.

I go to a non-ABA school because I have to work full time and they provide classes at night, and I couldn't be happier. A lot of the lawyers in the large metro area I work in went to school where I did, and there's not much of a stigma attached to it. Some Harvard and Vanderbilt grads snub their noses, but they're still drenched in school debt 10 years after they graduate, too.

stephen doxakis

I graduated from a non-ABA school and was admitted to the Bar in 1988. I was able to make a good living. However, an ABA school will get you better job offers and usually you can start out working for a firm and make good money. Being a non-ABA graduate limits you to where you can practice. If I could do it over, I would have attended an ABA school...you have a better opportunity to get hired by big named companies. A non-ABA lawyer has to fend for himself. I was a trial lawyer and usually prevailed against most of the ABA lawyers I came against in court. Unfortunately, most ABA lawyers will snub you and treat you like you are 2nd class even though they know that you took the same test and followed the same rules as they did to get admitted to the Bar. Also, most states will not let you practice if you are not a ABA graduate. When I first decided to go to law school I had a wife, two small daughters and a full ime job. It was a rough go but I made it. Since I never had any intention of ever living in another state, I could care about the ABA and I still feel that way. In my opinion, the ABA is nothing more than a Gentleman's Cattle Club who limits their members through arrogrance and ignorance. What will make you a good lawyer is you. If you properly prepare yourself you will do well. Good luck and hang in there and never lose sight of your goal. Stephen

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