UC Davis $$ or UCLA Sticker Forum

[tovkwls]

I was wondering which school would be a better choice?
I know it's pretty late, but for the life of me I can't seem to decide. I'm not sure where I want to practice (or what I want to do), all I'm concerned with right now is surviving school first.

Davis is giving me a solid amount of money - ($1x/year) while I would have to pay full sticker at UCLA.

I'm assuming cost of living in Davis is much lower than UCLA too. Is the difference in ranking/prestige/etc enough to justify the cost?

[ozarkhack]

Off the top, as somebody about to pay sticker at Davis, I'd say UCLA would be worth it.

EDIT: Misread.

[Geat27]

This depends very much on your objectives. You can get a very good education at Davis. But employers sensitive to prestige will prefer UCLA students. If you want to find a job in a large law firm, consider UCLA. If you want to join a small firm, work in state or local government, or make your own way, Davis is probably the best choice. Besides being a less expensive place to live (and it will be), Davis is a nice small city with friendly people and good quality of life.

[tovkwls]

Thanks for all the input everyone. The poll suggests it's a no-brainer, I suppose. I don't have any family members/friends that work in the legal field so I don't have any idea what to expect from the type of field I want to go into.

Are there any other factors I should be considering, or should the decision really be that simple?

[General Tso]

I'd take UCLA as long as your debt isn't too high. How much debt are you looking at? Are you thinking of private sector or public interest work?

[Xnegd]

Well, you have a lot of variable factors here, i.e. you don't know what and where you want to practice. That's two super improtant questions.

I'm from the UCLA area, and I went to Davis for a bit. LA is expensive, but it has a great Name factor. I'm not much a fan of it though, the I-5 is killer, and the pollution sucks.

Davis, is a small quiet town, and has a strong neighboring conservative edge that was a bit much to graple for me. I loved the surrounding agriculture though, and would spend my free time sneaking nito ranches and petting people's horses. Plus it's close to Napa, and that speaks for itself.

All in all, I'd probably still go to UCLA, because T20 is T20....

[eth3n]

Even at 50k off Davis's sticker you are going to making a huge investment to attend Davis. Davis is a great school, I go there and love it. I would take UCLA all other things being equal (ignoring the debate about more subtle issues and focusing just on debt v. actual ability to pay it off past graduation).

[Danteshek]

UCLA if you love critical race studies. Also, UCLA if you want to pretend like you will do good, but then only do well.

[Xnegd]

UCLA if you love critical race studies. Also, UCLA if you want to pretend like you will do good, but then only do well.

Isn't well > good?

[Mr. Matlock]

UCLA if you love critical race studies. Also, UCLA if you want to pretend like you will do good, but then only do well.

Isn't well > good?

I can't imagine it matters.

OP, here is the recent NLJ 250 data:

http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/PubArticleNL ... hbxlogin=1

UCLA places over twice as many (percentage) students in major firms. I think its pretty easy to assume your access to clerking and higher end boutique firms would be greater out of UCLA as well.

[20160810]

$1X,000 just isn't enough to justify picking UCD IMO. If Davis was throwing $20,000+ at you, I'd say take it, but in this instance I think UCLA is the smart pick unless you're 100% sure you want to do something like public defense work that would necessitate keeping your debtload as low as possible.

That said, Davis is a pretty sweet place, so feel free to PM if you do decide to head this way.

[NewLobo]

$1X,000 just isn't enough to justify picking UCD IMO.

This.

[ogurty]

UCLA if you love critical race studies. Also, UCLA if you want to pretend like you will do good, but then only do well.

Isn't well > good?

It's wordplay...you'll pretend you will do good (for society), but then only do well (for yourself.)

I rolled my eyes in real life.

OP, I'd pick UCLA.

[tovkwls]

Well, you have a lot of variable factors here, i.e. you don't know what and where you want to practice. That's two super improtant questions.

I'm from the UCLA area, and I went to Davis for a bit. LA is expensive, but it has a great Name factor. I'm not much a fan of it though, the I-5 is killer, and the pollution sucks.

Davis, is a small quiet town, and has a strong neighboring conservative edge that was a bit much to graple for me. I loved the surrounding agriculture though, and would spend my free time sneaking nito ranches and petting people's horses. Plus it's close to Napa, and that speaks for itself.

All in all, I'd probably still go to UCLA, because T20 is T20....

I think the ^^ Bolded is one of the most badass things I've ever read on the internet.

I know I made it difficult on myself by not more thoroughly looking into the type of law I want to do, but I figure I'll find out what I'm good at after the first year.

As for location, I've only lived in Northern California, besides a brief stint in Socal for undergrad. I don't really have a preference because I've never lived in an area I disliked, if that makes any sense? I don't travel a lot.

Thanks again for the help, everyone. Again, I don't have very many friends versed in how law school works, so it's good to have a resource like TLS.

[motiontodismiss]

Even as someone who hates LA and everything about it and has a similar level of contempt for the UC system, I'm voting for UCLA.

[Xnegd]

lol, thanks but I'm the least bad ass person alive. All I did is walk around and when I saw a ranch I'd merely walk in with a pack of apples and spend time with the horses. People thought I was a substitute ranch hand and left me alone. I even got bit once by one little shit and still have the scar on my pinky..I'm lucky it's still there lol.