Top Law Schools

RParadela wrote:

guybourdin wrote:

RParadela wrote:

guybourdin wrote:

amta wrote:

guybourdin wrote: OP NEEDS to retake. They have previously said they have a 25th gpa or thereabouts, which is like 3.4-3.55. With that GPA, USC is a reasonable goal. its crazy they won't wait. literally crazy! they're still in college, though, so they know what's best

i believe i had asked OP weather she was a k-jd or not in a previous iteration of this thread but did not receive an answer. all signs point to a retake given OP's stated goals.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... a#p9955551 says she's still in school (and getting straight As!).

The only reason she's provided for not retaking is she won't improve much.

If her dad is a BigLaw partner and can get her an SA plus will pay for the remainder of her COA at UCD, I don't think she needs to retake. That's a pretty damn good setup

she's previously said she would want to transfer to UCLA/USC, though, and has seemed shy to say she has a guaranteed job lined up (likely because she doesn't). I agree, if she 100% has her ideal job locked down that going to Davis debt-free is a great outcome. I'm pretty sure that's not the case, though.

Speaking from experience, I highly doubt she'd have any trouble working at her dads law firm if he's a partner if she went to Davis and didn't fail out.

khaleesi_k wrote:For a retake - I studied so much for the LSAT over the summer and went in to take it in September. Our school band decided to have practice at the exact same time and in a very near vicinity to the building we took the LSAT in. It was a mess. The proctors promised they would "email lsac and let them know about what happened" but I've talked to students who followed up with that and basically nothing happened.

I decided to cancel my score for that one as it was very distracting trying to read while listening to loud band music. Scheduled a retake in December, and brought ear plugs this time.

The absolute highest I've gotten on a practice test was 168. Usually I would hit around 165. I ended up getting a 164 on the actual test. I took an easy quarter in the fall and had plenty of time to study for the LSAT after the September one.

I have one retake left. I'm not convinced that I would score that much higher - if I work really hard I can maybe pull off a 168. I could definitely be wrong on this, but I'm pretty sure USC/UCLA (and especially UCB) are still not very likely with a 3.5/168, especially not with any sort of scholarship. I studied from June - Dec. I appreciate the advice to take a retake, I see the reasoning behind that, but if I'm not looking at a 170+ I'm not sure how much it will benefit me with admissions at California schools, or T14. I didn't just go into the LSAT with cold feet, I worked hard and studied a lot for that 164.

I don't need big law, I'm ok at a small firm anywhere in California.

BigZuck wrote:I'm no expert by any means but I'm guessing those connections will matter very little when it comes time to find a job. Unless your dad has some major, major clout I don't think he'll be able to get you a job there no matter what. The fact that you're thinking about relying on a achool's placement power and already thinking about trying to transfer up suggest that you know that these connections probably won't take you very far.

khaleesi_k wrote:And yes I've kind of been skirting around this. It's kind of awkward/bratty to say that I am partially using family connections for my post-grad plans but I guess it's also pretty relevant in my decision.

khaleesi_k wrote:I don't need big law, I'm ok at a small firm anywhere in California.

Deserving Porcupine wrote:Don't some (many? Most?) Biglaw firms have anti-nepotism policies? I think I've heard it mentioned before, never paid much attention because it doesn't apply to me...

khaleesi_k wrote:

RParadela wrote:

guybourdin wrote:

RParadela wrote:

guybourdin wrote:

amta wrote:

guybourdin wrote: OP NEEDS to retake. They have previously said they have a 25th gpa or thereabouts, which is like 3.4-3.55. With that GPA, USC is a reasonable goal. its crazy they won't wait. literally crazy! they're still in college, though, so they know what's best

i believe i had asked OP weather she was a k-jd or not in a previous iteration of this thread but did not receive an answer. all signs point to a retake given OP's stated goals.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... a#p9955551 says she's still in school (and getting straight As!).

The only reason she's provided for not retaking is she won't improve much.

If her dad is a BigLaw partner and can get her an SA plus will pay for the remainder of her COA at UCD, I don't think she needs to retake. That's a pretty damn good setup

she's previously said she would want to transfer to UCLA/USC, though, and has seemed shy to say she has a guaranteed job lined up (likely because she doesn't). I agree, if she 100% has her ideal job locked down that going to Davis debt-free is a great outcome. I'm pretty sure that's not the case, though.

Speaking from experience, I highly doubt she'd have any trouble working at her dads law firm if he's a partner if she went to Davis and didn't fail out.

Yes he's a partner at a biglaw firm in NorCal. No I don't think I have a guaranteed job but I'm "on their radar" (my dad's words) and I'm sure the connections would help. I've also been speaking to partners at his firm and at other firms about my law school options and they have mostly recommended Davis (although a few have said ND). None of them have suggested a retake. I don't want to be like "wooohoo nepotism" but I mean if I have those connections I'm definitely going to use whatever edge I have.

And yes I've kind of been skirting around this. It's kind of awkward/bratty to say that I am partially using family connections for my post-grad plans but I guess it's also pretty relevant in my decision.

Deserving Porcupine wrote:Don't some (many? Most?) Biglaw firms have anti-nepotism policies? I think I've heard it mentioned before, never paid much attention because it doesn't apply to me...

cavalier1138 wrote:

khaleesi_k wrote:And yes I've kind of been skirting around this. It's kind of awkward/bratty to say that I am partially using family connections for my post-grad plans but I guess it's also pretty relevant in my decision.

Doesn't quite go along with:

khaleesi_k wrote:I don't need big law, I'm ok at a small firm anywhere in California.

Which definitely doesn't go along with your plans to place in the top of your class and/or transfer to a better school. You so very clearly want to work in biglaw. Why are you so damn set against giving yourself a realistic opportunity to do that?

RParadela wrote:

Deserving Porcupine wrote:Don't some (many? Most?) Biglaw firms have anti-nepotism policies? I think I've heard it mentioned before, never paid much attention because it doesn't apply to me...

Some firms have rules against children making partner before their parents retire but I've never heard of a firm not allowing associate hiring

khaleesi_k wrote:

cavalier1138 wrote:

khaleesi_k wrote:And yes I've kind of been skirting around this. It's kind of awkward/bratty to say that I am partially using family connections for my post-grad plans but I guess it's also pretty relevant in my decision.

Doesn't quite go along with:

khaleesi_k wrote:I don't need big law, I'm ok at a small firm anywhere in California.

Which definitely doesn't go along with your plans to place in the top of your class and/or transfer to a better school. You so very clearly want to work in biglaw. Why are you so damn set against giving yourself a realistic opportunity to do that?

I'm very much ok with a small firm in California. I'd love biglaw, but if that doesn't happen I'm completely ok with working at a small firm.

I'm not very hyped on Davis because it is VERY similar to my undergrad and I want a change of pace but that doesn't seem like a good enough reason to transfer, especially if they dont offer schollys to transfers. Didn't realize that schools didn't do that. And regardless I want to try to place in the top of my class. I'm not relying on it but it would be helpful to do as well as possible. Davis also offers a scholarship for the top 10% of their class so if I managed to get that I would be going to law school almost for free. Obviously I can't rely on that happening but I'm going to work very hard to try and achieve that. If it doesn't happen, I'm ok with my options from there.

khaleesi_k wrote: I'm very much ok with a small firm in California. I'd love biglaw, but if that doesn't happen I'm completely ok with working at a small firm.

I'm not very hyped on Davis because it is VERY similar to my undergrad and I want a change of pace but that doesn't seem like a good enough reason to transfer, especially if they dont offer schollys to transfers. Didn't realize that schools didn't do that. And regardless I want to try to place in the top of my class. I'm not relying on it but it would be helpful to do as well as possible. Davis also offers a scholarship for the top 10% of their class so if I managed to get that I would be going to law school almost for free. Obviously I can't rely on that happening but I'm going to work very hard to try and achieve that. If it doesn't happen, I'm ok with my options from there.

guybourdin wrote: OP NEEDS to retake. They have previously said they have a 25th gpa or thereabouts, which is like 3.4-3.55. With that GPA, USC is a reasonable goal. its crazy they won't wait. literally crazy! they're still in college, though, so they know what's best

BigZuck wrote:I'm no expert by any means but I'm guessing those connections will matter very little when it comes time to find a job. Unless your dad has some major, major clout I don't think he'll be able to get you a job there no matter what. The fact that you're thinking about relying on a achool's placement power and already thinking about trying to transfer up suggest that you know that these connections probably won't take you very far.

Tempest818 wrote:

BigZuck wrote:I'm no expert by any means but I'm guessing those connections will matter very little when it comes time to find a job. Unless your dad has some major, major clout I don't think he'll be able to get you a job there no matter what. The fact that you're thinking about relying on a achool's placement power and already thinking about trying to transfer up suggest that you know that these connections probably won't take you very far.

How Stupid. You seem to know her dads position better than you do so maybe you can explain better here with your "probablys". She said her dad has a say at a big law firm. Why not leave it at that instead of going on a jealous rant?

khaleesi_k wrote:

Tempest818 wrote:

BigZuck wrote:I'm no expert by any means but I'm guessing those connections will matter very little when it comes time to find a job. Unless your dad has some major, major clout I don't think he'll be able to get you a job there no matter what. The fact that you're thinking about relying on a achool's placement power and already thinking about trying to transfer up suggest that you know that these connections probably won't take you very far.

How Stupid. You seem to know her dads position better than you do so maybe you can explain better here with your "probablys". She said her dad has a say at a big law firm. Why not leave it at that instead of going on a jealous rant?

stego wrote:What did you decide, OP?

khaleesi_k wrote: