Notre Dame ($20k) vs. Villanova (Full Tuition) Forum

[FunkyJD]

Trying, hoping to get ND to bump up their offer. But if they don't, which shall I choose?

Priorities:
* Interested in federal clerkship, though not necessarily Article III
* Ideal job: In-house corporate counsel
* Biglaw is good to have as an option, but not the end-all for me
* Would be satisfied practicing in either Philadelphia (or Pittsburgh) or Chicago to start my career

ps - please provide reasoning along with your vote

[flcath]

ps - please provide reasoning along with your vote

I read your whole OP, but I could've stopped reading here:

* Interested in federal clerkship, though not necessarily Article III

[FunkyJD]

flcath, you mentioned in another thread that ND had a bad OCI. Can you elaborate?

[flcath]

flcath, you mentioned in another thread that ND had a bad OCI. Can you elaborate?

Well, prior to ITE they had some phenomenal (as in, like, anomalous) summers, where they basically did as well as the midwestern T14s (minus Chi) at Kirkland (which is sort of the Cravath of Chicago... ), to the point where ND-haters/T14-purists had to start making up conspiracy theories about K&E being a republican firm and favoring ND for that, etc. Also, ND has always placed pretty reliably in Jones Day, which is a case-in-point for the ND alumni network.

The K&E thing I think was always overblown--as I said before, anomalous--and JD, Jenner, DLAP, and everyone else (especially going down the vault rankings) cut SA class sizes, and, well... it hurt ND both directly and through displacement of the T14 and other T25s. I don't have data, but I spoke in person with a 2L on LR (no, he got a spot, and I don't believe stories that have ND LR people striking out) who described it in terms usually reserved for the End of Days.

OCIs weren't the big story, obv. striking out at oci >>> getting no-offered

Edit: so basically, I dunno the full extent. But an individual sent by ND to take me out to lunch and sell me on his school told me that OCIs were, I think he used the phrase "honestly not worth the emotional strain". FWIW, he personally got new offers on top of a standing offer from his 1L summer firm.

[FunkyJD]

Two Nova votes. Hmm.

Those of you voting for Nova, I'd be interested to hear your reasoning.

Also, if I were satisfied with a federal externship as opposed to a clerkship, how would that (or would that) change your vote?