Top Law Schools

What does everyone think? I am trying to decide between these three schools. I really want to go to UCHastings; however, it is lower ranked and everyone says to go to the best school you can get in. Although, I ultimately want to practice in San Francisco (or California at least), so I feel like the alumni network for UCHastings would help tremendously. Thoughts?

All things equal, if you want San Fran, take UC Hastings.

andi20 wrote:What does everyone think? I am trying to decide between these three schools. I really want to go to UCHastings; however, it is lower ranked and everyone says to go to the best school you can get in. Although, I ultimately want to practice in San Francisco (or California at least), so I feel like the alumni network for UCHastings would help tremendously. Thoughts?

Will all due respect, you would have to be out of your mind to choose either ND or Wash U (both great schools) over Hastings if you want to work in San Francisco. I have heard of Wash U students having great difficulty finding jobs in LA (and consequently transferring to California schools before graduating), so I would also say Hastings is the best choice for employment throughout California.

Thanks for the advice...I agree with you, and I think I will ultimately choose Hastings. Some people still just say I'm crazy for not going to the better ranked school, but Hastings has a great reputation anyway.

andi20 wrote:Thanks for the advice...I agree with you, and I think I will ultimately choose Hastings. Some people still just say I'm crazy for not going to the better ranked school, but Hastings has a great reputation anyway.

As people have been saying more and more these days, if it's not a T14 (or maybe even T10), just go regional (assuming we're not talking about T3/T4 schools).

Hastings has a fantastic reputation throughout California. If you didn't know where you wanted to live or work, I would say choose the highest ranked school.

I had pretty similar options last year... and ended up at Davis. But given the three schools you mentioned, I'd go with Hastings in a heartbeat.

I've read some of the posts about Hastings v Davis, but how did you decide on Davis? Does it really matter between those two schools which one someone goes to?

andi20 wrote:What does everyone think? I am trying to decide between these three schools. I really want to go to UCHastings; however, it is lower ranked and everyone says to go to the best school you can get in. Although, I ultimately want to practice in San Francisco (or California at least), so I feel like the alumni network for UCHastings would help tremendously. Thoughts?

I went to Hastings and transferred to T15. If your goal is biglaw don't go to Hastings. No offense to Hastings but your odds are much better from Top 25 schools like ND and WUSTL, even in California. If you must be in SF after graduation then Hastings' alumni network may help for small firms but your grades still have to be good (there are 400 Hastings graduates each year so they are a dime a dozen in the Bay Area).

Is Davis an option? Davis will give you a better quality of life than Hastings with equal career prospects.

Go to Hastings for San Francisco (especially in light of your "admiration" for the school). Consider ND if you really like the Irish, have a thing for South Bend, and would like a little bit more mobility. Forget about WUSTL!

predetermined wrote:

arnoldg wrote:I went to Hastings and transferred to T15. If your goal is biglaw don't go to Hastings. No offense to Hastings but your odds are much better from Top 25 schools like ND and WUSTL, even in California.

Seriously? How'd you determine that ND and WUSTL place better than Hastings in CA, or SF in particular?

When deciding whether to transfer, I consulted CA employers (mostly SF) and it was clear T20 or so schools > Hastings, unless top ~10% at Hastings with law review.

Anecdotally I know people with CA ties from ND and WUSTL with CA biglaw and mediocre grades. Mediocre grades from Hastings is in trouble especially in this economy.

Don't get me wrong. Top ~10% at Hastings with law review can routinely beat Boalt for jobs but there's no guarantee you'll be top ~10%. It was *not* easy to get As at Hastings.

Visit the Hastings campus first be before you make your decision. It's in our dear Tenderloin here in SF, so just make sure it's a campus you can spend three years at.

I love the professors and library at Hastings, and all the lawyers that work at my firm either went to Boalt, Stanford or Hastings, (none at the other schools you mentioned); however,I really just don't want to spend three more years in the tenderloin area.

Blasphemy probably to everyone else here who went there, but I've worked by there for three years this January, and I just don't want to be around all the poverty and drugs anymore, it's heartbreaking. UW is so gorgeous, I'd much rather just go there. Just me though.

If you want a truly urban environment go there though. The school is very open about it which I like, They don't apologize for it, and see it as a way for future lawyers to see the real state of the world. You can only see a homeless person by the school steal someone backpack or laptop, or beg for change and have a cart full of porn and whiskey bottles so many times before you loose your sense of purpose.

Xnegd wrote:Visit the Hastings campus first be before you make your decision. It's in our dear Tenderloin here in SF, so just make sure it's a campus you can spend three years at.

I love the professors and library at Hastings, and all the lawyers that work at my firm either went to Boalt, Stanford or Hastings, (none at the other schools you mentioned); however,I really just don't want to spend three more years in the tenderloin area.

Blasphemy probably to everyone else here who went there, but I've worked by there for three years this January, and I just don't want to be around all the poverty and drugs anymore, it's heartbreaking. UW is so gorgeous, I'd much rather just go there. Just me though.

If you want a truly urban environment go there though. The school is very open about it which I like, They don't apologize for it, and see it as a way for future lawyers to see the real state of the world. You can only see a homeless person by the school steal someone backpack or laptop, or beg for change and have a cart full of porn and whiskey bottles so many times before you loose your since of self.

+1

andi20 wrote:I've read some of the posts about Hastings v Davis, but how did you decide on Davis? Does it really matter between those two schools which one someone goes to?

I don't want to derail your thread too much, but the bottom line is that in terms of employment opportunities, ranking, prestige, etc. (all the "TLS stuff") Davis and Hastings are identical. I picked UCD because I really liked the town of Davis, cost of living is a little lower, and I like the feel of being part of a campus. There are also good reasons to pick Hastings (SF is one of the coolest cities on the planet, even if UCH is in a crappy area). But the choice should come down to your personal preference.