UCLA 30k/BU 45k/Fordham 60k Forum

[Guest080]

UCLA 30k
BU 45k
Fordham 60k

Those are some of the offers I'm considering. I'm from New York City and am leaning towards practicing here.

I've got an interest in Entertainment Law (I have a bit of a experience with the music industry), but I'm not sure if it's what I want to practice. Hard to know that when you haven't even started law school yet. I'm open to anything.

Anyway, these figures don't include financial aid. Still waiting on that.

The obvious issues I'm weighing are rank vs. $$$ vs. regional placement/reputation. Curious as to what the folks on this thread have to say.

aaaaaand GO!

[flyingpanda]

UCLA 30k
BU 45k
Fordham 60k

Those are some of the offers I'm considering. I'm from New York City and am leaning towards practicing here, if I choose to practice at all.

I've got an interest in Entertainment Law (I have a bit of a experience with the music industry), but I'm not sure if it's what I want to practice. Hard to know that when you haven't even started law school yet. I'm open to anything.

Anyway, these figures don't include financial aid. Still waiting on that.

The obvious issues I'm weighing are rank vs. $$$ vs. regional placement/reputation. Curious as to what the folks on this thread have to say.

aaaaaand GO!

For NY -> Fordham. For entertainment law -> UCLA. For not practicing law -> don't go to law school.

[Guest080]

UCLA 30k
BU 45k
Fordham 60k

Those are some of the offers I'm considering. I'm from New York City and am leaning towards practicing here, if I choose to practice at all.

I've got an interest in Entertainment Law (I have a bit of a experience with the music industry), but I'm not sure if it's what I want to practice. Hard to know that when you haven't even started law school yet. I'm open to anything.

Anyway, these figures don't include financial aid. Still waiting on that.

The obvious issues I'm weighing are rank vs. $$$ vs. regional placement/reputation. Curious as to what the folks on this thread have to say.

aaaaaand GO!

For NY -> Fordham. For entertainment law -> UCLA. For not practicing law -> don't go to law school.

Removed that "if I choose to practice" bit so as to avoid similar comments from other users. Wasn't really the point I was hoping to focus on.

Anyway, thanks for the advice. What's your reasoning? What if I want to practice entertainment law in NYC?

[beef wellington]

Since you say you're open to anything and entertainment law isn't known as the easiest field to get into I'd say that shouldn't factor into your decision as much as location. If you want NYC then Fordham is the easy call here.

[Guest080]

Thanks. So you're saying that, even though UCLA is 15 spots higher, I should disregard the rankings and go for the regional school if I wanna practice in NY, eh?

Does anyone know how well BU and UCLA place in Law firms in NY? Is Fordham's placement that much better than the better ranked schools? I guess I'm just looking for an explanation for why Location should be my primary concern.

Thanks again for the help!

[Jacobt]

I think it is all about networking. I am in the middle of deciding too. But most people, including practicing lawyers, tell me that Fordham is really networked in NYC. Their reputation among firms and offices here and their alumni network can open doors that UCLA cannot. I think you could get a job in NYC after going to UCLA but it will be more work and your choices may be significantly more limited. While UCLA is ranked higher I don't think there is a huge difference in the next 15 or so spots in terms of name recognition and prestige once you get out of the top 14. But if you think you want to teach, then UCLA has definitely got a leg up on Fordham... for other work I think the differences are minor. The music industry is big in both cities. You might be better using your contacts in NYC and building up a reputation then if you want to move out west you can do so with a professional reputation and contacts from your work here. But ultimately, I think you should decide where you want to study law. Your career will sort itself out and all 3 schools have sufficient name recognition to open some doors.

[ilovelawapps]

I'm in the same position as you (OP). Considering BU vs Fordham (would love UCLA but got wait listed so we'll see how that works out). I want to do entertainment law as well and live near NYC but I'm worried if I change my mind about where to practice Fordham might tie me down.

[Guest080]

I'm in the same position as you (OP). Considering BU vs Fordham (would love UCLA but got wait listed so we'll see how that works out). I want to do entertainment law as well and live near NYC but I'm worried if I change my mind about where to practice Fordham might tie me down.

Good luck with UCLA, dude.

Getting tied down seems to me less of an issue. Obviously, I'm not an attorney, so I can't speak from experience, but it seems that after your first job, very few people (if any) will care about where you went to school. You might not feel similarly. Then again, I'm not sure if you're referring to getting bogged down in changing locations immediately after law school or some point down the line.

If it's the former, then we're back to the question of whether UCLA is as well networked as Fordham in NYC and vice versa. Seems the general consensus so far is that it isn't. Feel free to chime in and correct me if I'm wrong.

[Guest080]

I think it is all about networking. I am in the middle of deciding too. But most people, including practicing lawyers, tell me that Fordham is really networked in NYC. Their reputation among firms and offices here and their alumni network can open doors that UCLA cannot. I think you could get a job in NYC after going to UCLA but it will be more work and your choices may be significantly more limited. While UCLA is ranked higher I don't think there is a huge difference in the next 15 or so spots in terms of name recognition and prestige once you get out of the top 14. But if you think you want to teach, then UCLA has definitely got a leg up on Fordham... for other work I think the differences are minor. The music industry is big in both cities. You might be better using your contacts in NYC and building up a reputation then if you want to move out west you can do so with a professional reputation and contacts from your work here. But ultimately, I think you should decide where you want to study law. Your career will sort itself out and all 3 schools have sufficient name recognition to open some doors.

Thanks again for the input, fellas (gals?).

True, Fordham does have a great reputation in NYC and is well networked. I suppose it all boils down to this: are these all regional schools or does any of these have more national appeal that the other?

[ViP]

Fordham for NYC employment. No doubt. Throw 60k on top and you have yourself a clear winner IMHO.

[Guest080]

Thanks guys! Seems like you folks are fairly certain Fordham's the way to go. Groovy.

Seems like the a bunch of folks voted for UCLA. Anyone have a reason why they would pick that over Fordham or BU (or BU over the other two)?

[timertimer61]

Thanks guys! Seems like you folks are fairly certain Fordham's the way to go. Groovy.

Seems like the a bunch of folks voted for UCLA. Anyone have a reason why they would pick that over Fordham or BU (or BU over the other two)?

for nyc, i dont see any reason why one would choose BU over fordham. Fordham all the way.

[Guest080]

Thanks guys! Seems like you folks are fairly certain Fordham's the way to go. Groovy.

Seems like the a bunch of folks voted for UCLA. Anyone have a reason why they would pick that over Fordham or BU (or BU over the other two)?

for nyc, i dont see any reason why one would choose BU over fordham. Fordham all the way.

Fair enough.

I guess you'd say the same about UCLA, then...right?

[turkishangora]

I say Fordham only if you're dead set on working in NYC. I think in today's economy, a job on the east coast from UCLA Is pretty tough. I think UCLA is better though in almost every other aspect: better faculty, overall national reputation, quality of life etc. Personally, esp. concerning a choice between major cities (LA v. NYC), I would choose the job first and location second. In other words, my impression is that UCLA is a bigger fish in its market (soCal, and Cal in general) than Fordham is up in the Northeast. Your original post says "leaning towards NYC", which I don't take as absolutely set...plus a possible interest in entertainment law (no one beats UCLA here)...I say take UCLA, an overall better school.

EDIT: I should disclaim that I'm probably going to UCLA this fall and didn't apply to Fordham. So obvious bias here.

[Guest080]

I say Fordham only if you're dead set on working in NYC. I think in today's economy, a job on the east coast from UCLA Is pretty tough. I think UCLA is better though in almost every other aspect: better faculty, overall national reputation, quality of life etc. Personally, esp. concerning a choice between major cities (LA v. NYC), I would choose the job first and location second. In other words, my impression is that UCLA is a bigger fish in its market (soCal, and Cal in general) than Fordham is up in the Northeast. Your original post says "leaning towards NYC", which I don't take as absolutely set...plus a possible interest in entertainment law (no one beats UCLA here)...I say take UCLA, an overall better school.

EDIT: I should disclaim that I'm probably going to UCLA this fall and didn't apply to Fordham. So obvious bias here.

Fair enough. I plan heading out there to check it out. I might fall in love with it, so who knows. That's more or less why I left open the possibility of not staying in NYC. I've been here my whole life and all that fun stuff, so I think I'd need a compelling reason to leave.

As far as jobs go, UCLA and Fordham seem to be more or less in the same boat percentage-wise with the NLJ Top 250. I mean +/- 5 percentage points isn't THAT big of a deal...is it?

[Mattalones]

I am in a similar boat (dinged from UCLA ... I guess they will only give me so many degrees )

Anyway, my love for UCLA aside, if jobs are you main concern, Fordham places both a bigger percentage and a MUCH bigger number (b/c of class size) into big law jobs than does UCLA. The market in LA isn't anywhere near as big as it is in NYC. If getting a job is your main thing, then Fordham it is. If you are trying to get into the entertainment thing, then you'll have to go to UCLA, kick ass there, netwrok your ass off, and try to get a job at CAA (they tend to take USC kids more too).

I am just saying this having lived in LA for a long time and having known quite a few people get into law from UCLA and USC, as well as Loyola and Pepperdine. Also, you could end up in a mid-sized firm in Santa Monica, right near the beach if you went to UCLA. That would be an awesome way to fail at your goals ... Think about that too. So Cal is F'n beautiful and I wish I didn't have to leave to LS, but I do.