Boston U vs. CA schools (UC Hastings, Loyola, Pepperdine) Forum

[xmnmroxx]

I am very interested in specializing in patent or intellectual property law (B.S. in engineering) but I am having trouble deciding between local schools or schools that specialize in IP (Boston is #8 in the nation for IP). I have lived in Los Angeles all my life, went to UCLA, and plan to return to LA to practice law. Does anyone know what the job prospects might be if I go away for school (Boston U or UC Hastings) versus going to lower ranked local schools (Pepperdine/Loyola) that don't excel in IP/patent law fields? I have decent scholarships from all 4 schools (see poll) so the finances aren't the variable in question. I am just trying to decide between going to a better school far away or staying local and networking at a lower ranked school. Any suggestions?

And which would you guys recommend between the Loyola and Pepperdine?

[rad lulz]

.

[JD Janitor]

BU is your best option, though it's not a particularly good one because it's waaay too damn expensive and also I'm guessing you want to practice in CA and not a lot of CA firms are gonna be recruiting from BU. IP is pretty in demand, but still, damn.

rad lulz,

I see you positing in many different threads. Curious as to your background/age/contacts. Where do you get the majority of your information? Is it from reading? Personal experience? This is a serious question.

[rad lulz]

.

[xmnmroxx]

JD Janitor: Do you have anything to add toward the topic of the thread? I'm really looking for advice!

[romothesavior]

BU is your best option, though it's not a particularly good one because it's waaay too damn expensive and also I'm guessing you want to practice in CA and not a lot of CA firms are gonna be recruiting from BU. IP is pretty in demand, but still, damn.

Agree with this. BU is your best choice, but at 150k+? Yikes. Not liking that one bit.

[clintone88]

What kind of engineering? They have drastically different job outlooks that would determine where you can go. I would think Boston is really only better than the other schools if you are a bio engineer. But if that is the case, your BS is basically useless since they all require phd, and you shouldn't really rely on doing patent work I don't think. Also, that is only the case because of big pharma having a heavy presence in the northeast, so if you plan not to stay there I don't think BU would really help. Hastings would be best for electrical/software because of SV hiring for IP. Again that doesn't really help if you plan to go to LA though. I would think with electrical/software you would be able to get a job in LA or San Diego from Loyola/Pepperdine probably. A lot of the boutiques I've talked to care minimally about the rank of your school and SoCal has a pretty big tech industry.

If something like civil engineering, just become an engineer in my opinion.

[xmnmroxx]

My B.S. is in chemical engineering but I have done a decent amount of research in biomaterials/biomolecular engineering.

[tlsposter]

Hastings if you want to work in CA. BU if you want to work in Boston.

[20160810]

How is Davis not on this list? Strike all the T2s immediately. I picked Davis over BU because I wanted to work in NorCal, but as a 0L I didn't know about ties and what they meant. Even though they're peer schools, BU is definitely a little better than UCD/H, and had I known then what I know now I would have gone there.

[tlsposter]

True, but don't go to BU if you have your heart set on Cali.

[20160810]

True, but don't go to BU if you have your heart set on Cali.

Dude I have ties to an insular CA market and would have had an easier time getting a jerb there with the same grades at BU than I did at Davis.

With no ties your advice is credited.

[xmnmroxx]

I am actually still waiting to hear from USC and UC Davis. I would take USC at sticker if I got in, but I don't know about davis.

Pepperdine is 49th, loyola 51st. Are those really considered T2s? I know some people go by 25, others by 50.

[de5igual]

True, but don't go to BU if you have your heart set on Cali.

Dude I have ties to an insular CA market and would have had an easier time getting a jerb there with the same grades at BU than I did at Davis.

With no ties your advice is credited.

Kinda surprised that BU has that much street cred in Cali.

[xmnmroxx]

update: waitlisted at USC, but it would be my #1. any suggestions for LOCI? I plan to visit and get a few letters of rec. but I don't have anyone significant left to write me a letter.

[splitbrain]

I am actually still waiting to hear from USC and UC Davis. I would take USC at sticker if I got in, but I don't know about davis.

Pepperdine is 49th, loyola 51st. Are those really considered T2s? I know some people go by 25, others by 50.

They're peers. Pep can be considered a T1 now, I guess, but it doesn't make a difference at that level in terms of jerb results for their graduates.

[fogcue2]

How good are you at networking. If you are honestly good (and don't just think your good) then BU could be a great option. I was in a similar position (even WL at USC, which I would have had to consider had I gotten off though over 200K for 3 yrs is a little scary). I had to decide between an out of region T-30 (with a 40% discount) vs. a few SoCal lower T1's or 2's (none offering full rides). I took the T-30 and have had to work a lot harder, but landed a pretty nice 1L gig and feel like I've st myself as good as I could have hoped both with contacts and grades to make a return as a 2L (assuming I repeat the grades this semester).

But, I have classmates also from CA, that blew off looking for a 1L summer job until January and who didn't get the grades who are still looking...

You don't have full control of the grades, but if you do go out of region start networking in July and August before you leave and don't stop....

[NoleinNY]

I am actually still waiting to hear from USC and UC Davis. I would take USC at sticker if I got in, but I don't know about davis.

Pepperdine is 49th, loyola 51st. Are those really considered T2s? I know some people go by 25, others by 50.

They're peers. Pep can be considered a T1 now, I guess, but it doesn't make a difference at that level in terms of jerb results for their graduates.

If Hastings, Davis, Loyola, and Pepperdine's numbers from 2010 are any indication, they're all about the same, give or take 5 percentage points.

[xmnmroxx]

I am not amazing at networking, I'd say a little better than average. And I know a few people in law/politics but nobody very major or influential.

[xmnmroxx]

Just an update, Pepperdine increased schools to 30K/yr and dropped requirement to top 50% to renew.

[de5igual]

Just an update, Pepperdine increased schools to 30K/yr and dropped requirement to top 50% to renew.

that's still a shitty stipulation.

[xmnmroxx]

yeah I know, all the schools except Loyola and Pepperdine just say "good academic standing".

[xmnmroxx]

another update: got into UC Davis, don't know about the money yet. it's ranked higher than Hastings by 15 spots (29 vs. 44) but do you guys think lawyers consider it to be better than Hastings? It's just moved up in recent years.

[romothesavior]

another update: got into UC Davis, don't know about the money yet. it's ranked higher than Hastings by 15 spots (29 vs. 44) but do you guys think lawyers consider it to be better than Hastings? It's just moved up in recent years.

You are putting waaaaay too much stock in the rankings. They are peer schools that are regional. Lawyers don't care about USNWR like prospective students do. Their placement is almost identical:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub ... Bd3c&gid=5

And as you can see from that data (or at least I hope you can see), neither school is worth anywhere close to sticker.

[20160810]

another update: got into UC Davis, don't know about the money yet. it's ranked higher than Hastings by 15 spots (29 vs. 44) but do you guys think lawyers consider it to be better than Hastings? It's just moved up in recent years.

You are putting waaaaay too much stock in the rankings. They are peer schools that are regional. Lawyers don't care about USNWR like prospective students do. Their placement is almost identical:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub ... Bd3c&gid=5

And as you can see from that data (or at least I hope you can see), neither school is worth anywhere close to sticker.

I like to give my friends at UCH shit about the rankings, but basically TITCR. Firms use the same cutoffs. If you really don't care though go to Davis because your COL will be 50% less, which adds up huge.