[blindlaw] Choosing a School

[Maura Kutnyak]

James, 

May I ask, what do you consider basic accommodations?  Despite being almost finished with my masters degree, I still do not fully understand what falls under this heading. I am just now realizing that no one ever sat down and described exactly what is within the range of reasonable as far as accommodations.

I have always resisted asking for extended time. In this example, I am worried that my request for extended time would be perceived as an excuse or a way to support procrastinating. In this case I’m referring to papers and other assignments. I typically use a bit of extra time taking tests.

Sincerely,

Maura Kutnyak 
716-563-9882

> On Feb 21, 2019, at 10:14 AM, James T. Fetter via BlindLaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> A few things to consider:
> 
> 1. Ranking in certain key areas of study looks nice in marketing materials, but generally, employers don't care.
> 
> 2. What matters at the end of the day is job placement rate. Will this school position you on the market to get whatever type of job you're looking for? Big law likes high rankings; small firms tend to like more practical experience; connections never hurt, no matter what.
> 
> 3. How hard will you have to fight for basic accommodations? I wasted a ton of time in both undergrad and grad school (before law school) fighting for things that should have been automatic. In law school, by contrast, I had only one real fight about accommodations, and that was with other students on journal. I won that fight very quickly, because the administration was supportive. Do as much due diligence as you can to avoid an unaccommodating law school.
> 
> 4. You will have to be better than your sighted peers to land jobs similar to those offered to them. That's just reality. In light of that, it's never a bad idea to go to the highest ranked school in your state, though even that isn't a guarantee of anything, as I have learned the hard way.
> 
> 5. Law school will be emotionally taxing at times, so think about other aspects of your life e.g. general quality of life, proximity to family and friends who have nothing to do with law school, etc. Though part of me wishes I had shot the moon and gone to a T14, part of me is very happy I didn't, because I enabled my wife to be near her family for three years. This made her happier, which in turn made me happier.
> 
> 6. How much will you pay at both law schools? Those student loans will be sitting there looking at you, waiting to be fed, once you graduate.
> 
> At the end of the day, it's about your happiness, your quality of life, etc. If the thought of going to a particular school makes you particularly anxious, don't do it, no matter the other perceived advantages. Peace of mind is highly underrated. Good luck with your decision!
> 
>> On 2/20/2019 6:15 PM, Sanho Steele-Louchart via BlindLaw wrote:
>> Good afternoon,
>> 
>> Do you have any tips on selecting a law school? I have excellent offers to several, and two of them have particularly great reputations in my state, but one is fairly highly ranked, but would require relocating and leaving a city I love. The other is ranked right in the middle of the pack, but is extremely highly ranked in some key areas of study, and would mean staying in a place I already know I enjoy and have several preexisting friendships. What do you folks think? How do you choose between two great options? In your experience, do school rankings matter as much as the internet would have you beleive?
>> 
>> Warmth,
>> Sanho
>> 
>> 
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