I know that LA has a two top 15 schools sitting there and a bunch of smaller fish. Does USD have a good reputation amongst LA firms??? I'm a LA native considering going to USD and upon graduation jumping back into the LA market...thoughts?

It's my understanding that USD really doesn't have any reach whatsoever beyond SD.

what's your reference for this?

I went to undergrad in SD and I'm applying for jobs in various CA markets and that's just the impression I get from checking out L.A. and S.D. firm websites. I'm sure data would back this up (especially ITE), but I'm too lazy to look for it.

FTFY

Seriously though, don't go. $230k for a 50/50 shot at a 35k job?

35k job?

http://www.sandiego.edu/law/careers/stu ... t_data.php

not even 25th percentile makes that low...

The only problem is that the data is fake.

OP look at lawschooltransparency.com

You can not rely on the data schools report. Two judges have ruled that caveat emptor applies to going to law school. While that standard may not hold up on appeal or in California, it means you have to do your own research. School deans are lying liars who lie. I am not sure if I trust any of them to not lie. Your whole financial future is at stake here. If you take on that much debt you need to know that you can get a job that will allow you to pay it back. That is unlikely from USD.

If you don't believe me, look at the site law school transparency. Look at the blog by Prof Campos called inside the law school scam. Read above the law stories on how law schools lie.

How about common sense? USD isn't a name brand school and it's not highly ranked. What would make CA employers want to hire you over the droves of graduates from Standford, Boalt, USC, UCLA, etc?

Or, you could look at the figures. You have less than a 50% chance that you'll work as a lawyer after graduation.

Stanford* or Stan-FURD, as some like to call it.

This seems to be the case, however, with all of the CA law schools following just after USC, which I believe is around about 63%, and UCLA, around 61%.

Sad story.

OP please do your own research. Do not trust school reported data on salaries. Bottom quartile makes more than 35k? No chance considering less than half of ALL graduates got jobs as lawyers:

http://www.lawschooltransparency.com/clearinghouse/?school=sandiego&class=2011

Please take this seriously and do your homework. You are unlikely to get ANY lawyering job from USD, let alone a job in LA, which is flooded with students with far better credentials. Good luck.