What to Know if You're Considering Out of State Law School

Some students prefer a smaller school. The smaller community and welcoming faculty can make students feel at home and more at ease in their first year of law school.

If you will be attending a PUBLIC law school, you notice how much cheaper it is to pay in-state tuition. Check to see how easy (or difficult) it is for you to establish residency. Maybe it is beneficial for you to move down earlier, or start later.

Can you picture yourself living in this state AFTER you graduate? While you are not required to live in any state, there are some things that are EASIER to do when you do stay, most importantly: getting a job & taking the bar exam.
Why is getting a job EASIER? Firms want to make sure you are staying there for the long run. Firms don’t want you to move around between jobs, states, etc. If the firm invests its time and money in you, they want you there for the long run. Further, during your time in law school, you are usually interning, externing and working in judicial clerkships in this state. In doing this, you are creating references, contacts and networking. All of these lead to better prospects in state.
Why is taking the bar exam EASIER? Usually in law school you are learning the state laws that pertain to the state. This advice is different if you are taking a UBE (Uniform Bar Exam) where you only need to learn federal law. When taking a state bar with state specific essays or questions, learning them in law school makes it easier to apply them on the exam.

If you are coming from out of state, especially farther away, it can be difficult for you to secure employment even if you are going to law school in that state. Why? This touches on the above issue – firms think you are going back home. If you have no ties to a state/area, the employer is going to wonder if you like the area or are just there for law school and how long you are staying. You have one strike against you but this does not mean that you won’t get hired!

You need to look at the schools you will compete against for jobs when looking at any particular area. Take a look at the law school rankings – if you are in the top schools, location probably doesn’t matter as much for job prospects. However, if you are not, make sure you are working your hardest to be at the top of your class in your school.

This seems minor but some areas are SO MUCH more expensive than others. Coming out of law school may not mean a six-figure job for most students. You want to take out the smallest amount of loans or pay the smallest amount out of pocket for living. If you are used to living in a small town in Texas and move to Washington DC, the cost of living clearly increases. You are not going to have a lot of time to work a job and you definitely want to focus on your studies.