you will be stuck in CA forever probably, but that is a good thing, if you want your kid to stay in CA. CA is big, bold beautiful and diverse.
yes the odds of passing the bar are low statsistically, but that’s not a function of the school itself, it’s a function of who is going to the school.
Look– if you took the UC Hastings freshman class, put them on a bus, and sent them to this school, the bar pass rate would probably be very very close to what UC hastings’ pass rate is.
Theerstwhile hastings’ law first years could work p/t as a security guard, study nights, and maybe even have a higher pass rate, since at this “lesser” school they would actually be studying the actual subject matter on the bar exam, not waste time with “multiculturalism and the law” …or as I wasted time, with “ERISA law” and “mental health law”….
And have ZERO DEBT when it’s over…
it’s common for “lower” schools to focus on the meat and potatoes subjects (criminal procedure, evidence, wills and trusts, etc.) on the bar, while elite schools ignore the subject matter on the bar and study random shit. just to show how smart they are, they say their students will learn all the bar crap in the two month bar review course before the exam…whcih of course the goddamn STUDENT pays for… and never even take HALF the subjects ont he bar exam.
that was my experience…
am I right, JWIZZLE? of course im right, at least on this bar review bar prep bullshit. BARBRI was a few grand back in the 90’s. i just checked the website a few moments ago and saw it is $4135 today.
GOOD LORD, LAW STUDENTS OF AMERICA…is this a scam or what?
So if you know in your heart you are going to do whatever it takes to pass the bar, as I knew for an absolute certainty when i began law school, then you will pass, IF you have the mental horsepower (which i’d say is a 90% percentile on the LSAT and above–at least that puts it in the very good bet category).
the thing is, people with a 90% plus LSAt view themselves as “too smart” to go to this school.
but maybe they’re not as smart as they think.
look, I did substantially higher than a 90% plus LSAt score and went to a top 20 law school. But if I had it to do over again? no way. i’d go to ca southern–also keep in mind with my application, i’d probably get a free ride at this school too…
I disagree with you that p/t 7,000 school is the “same”as 11k full time, since many people can pull together 7k p/t per yearand pay as you go, but when you start to get much higher, you start accruing interest bearing debt.
for my own kid, I am absolutely certain if he went to this school, and wanted to pass the bar exam, he would pass the bar exam, if he wanted it…[/quote]
I don’t disagree with you on several of these points. These schools low passage rate are most likely a function of the student body. Your smart son could go someplace like that and pass the bar if he wanted to. He may or may not waste time studying “useless” subjects, although that is partially up to him (I took most of the so-called “bar” classes in law school and didn’t have any interest in “multiculturalism and the law” type classes). It is possible to work part time while in law school, regardless of where you go – I know, I did it my 2nd and 3rd years to decrease my debt load. My grades were actually better when I worked p/t. I didn’t make nearly enough to actually pay for tuition, but I did take home enough to cover a lot of my living expenses.
As far as teaching and Barbri, most people will end up paying for Barbri regardless of where they go to law school – there is so much to remember that most people need the refresher. Barbri IS a total racket. It is also an “investment” – learning the test so that you won’t have to take it over and over again (which, at $614-750 per, depending on whether you use a laptop, can add up fast if you need multiple attempts).
Look, I don’t disagree that most law schools are way overpriced. And some of the analysis changes when you are talking about someone out of undergrad vs. a 2nd career adult. If you are looking at a 2nd career as an adult, something like California Southern might work out. For someone young, I lean the opposite direction as you – rather than look someplace super inexpensive, where they can avoid debt, I want the debt to pencil out financially. I want them to be employable. I don’t want them to be like one of my co-workers, who was 2nd in her class at Thomas Jefferson and has complex lit work and community recognition for her accomplishments (and who is very good looking, statistically increasing her likelihood of getting a job), but who absolutely cannot get an interview anywhere else because people can’t look past the name of her law school. And, as much as I hate to imagine my kids moving away from me, I think it’s a little selfish to try to limit their opportunities geographically by encouraging a local non-accredited school.
Basically, if my kids couldn’t or didn’t get into a T14 law school where they have a very good chance of getting a good paying job that can comfortably service the debt/pay it off at an accelerated rate (and make valuable connections that will help them throughout their career), I would tell them they should reconsider law school.
