Quote:
Originally posted by lawskirt
I'm deciding between going to Temple, in Philly, with a half-scholarship or George Washington with $9000 a year in grants. I'm most interested in IP (not patent), government, or appellate work. I have no idea where I want to be when I graduate (either NY, Philly or DC) but know I don't want to spend the entirety of my life in Philly. I'm also going to be 31 when I graduate and don't know if I'll want to marry myself to BigLaw.
What are my monthly loan payments going to be like with either choice? And if I go to GW, is it possible to find jobs outside of BigLaw that'll pay the bills? How do jobs with the government pay? Or can I get to DC with a Temple degree?
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THere are tons of non biglaw jobs in DC and they are competitive to get. Dont know how things will be in three years but the economcy has made govt work look like a nice safe harbor. Nonbiglaw is probably a tougher road to hoe in NYC given the COL there as well as the fact that public sector work is scarcer esp in IP. I dont know squat about Philly except that its a stop on the train between NYC and DC and I never wanted to get off there.
As for schools, I can safely say that I have met one Temple grad in my life and he taught my LSAT class in Manhattan. I have met plenty to GW people. Your job prospects, esp in DC, are much stronger with the GW degree IMHO. However, I can understand about wanting to save on the cash. A half ride at Temple is worth probably 12 to 14k??? Given that differential, you are talking nine to eighteen thou difference plus interest. I dont think that is enough of an incentive to take the risk of going to a regional school in a region you prob dont want to live in. You can defer loans forever also (the public ones anyway).
Good luck.
