Top Law Schools

Straightforward. Which places better in the bay area?

Close call. Probably USC.

But your full ride at Hastings beckons.

shmoo597 wrote:Straightforward. Which places better in the bay area?

http://californiabar.globl.org/report.p ... 0&g=2&pp=5

surprisingly, GULC it is

General Tso wrote:

shmoo597 wrote:Straightforward. Which places better in the bay area?

http://californiabar.globl.org/report.p ... 0&g=2&pp=5

surprisingly, GULC it is

...Wow. That is an amazing website.

I don't know about this. I mean, Gtown has nearly three times the amount of students per year. I don't think this necessarily shows GULC > USC for SF

papercranes wrote:I don't know about this. I mean, Gtown has nearly three times the amount of students per year. I don't think this necessarily shows GULC > USC for SF

GULC also has about 10-12% of its students going to CA each year, while 85-90% of USC grads stay in the state (most in SoCal obviously, but I'll bet a hefty percentage to SF as well). These numbers clearly show GULC's dominance over USC in SF, IMO.

im_blue wrote:

papercranes wrote:I don't know about this. I mean, Gtown has nearly three times the amount of students per year. I don't think this necessarily shows GULC > USC for SF

GULC also has about 10-12% of its students going to CA each year, while 85-90% of USC grads stay in the state (most in SoCal obviously, but I'll bet a hefty percentage to SF as well). These numbers clearly show GULC's dominance over USC in SF, IMO.

You've just said that USC likely places a larger percentage of its graduates in San Francisco than GULC does, but you feel that GULC places better in the region? I took statistics many years ago, so someone will have to explain this logic to me.

Anonymous Loser wrote:

im_blue wrote:

papercranes wrote:I don't know about this. I mean, Gtown has nearly three times the amount of students per year. I don't think this necessarily shows GULC > USC for SF

GULC also has about 10-12% of its students going to CA each year, while 85-90% of USC grads stay in the state (most in SoCal obviously, but I'll bet a hefty percentage to SF as well). These numbers clearly show GULC's dominance over USC in SF, IMO.

You've just said that USC likely places a larger percentage of its graduates in San Francisco than GULC does, but you feel that GULC places better in the region? I took statistics many years ago, so someone will have to explain this logic to me.

Ummm...

sheer volume ≠ quality?

Anonymous Loser wrote:

im_blue wrote:

papercranes wrote:I don't know about this. I mean, Gtown has nearly three times the amount of students per year. I don't think this necessarily shows GULC > USC for SF

GULC also has about 10-12% of its students going to CA each year, while 85-90% of USC grads stay in the state (most in SoCal obviously, but I'll bet a hefty percentage to SF as well). These numbers clearly show GULC's dominance over USC in SF, IMO.

You've just said that USC likely places a larger percentage of its graduates in San Francisco than GULC does, but you feel that GULC places better in the region? I took statistics many years ago, so someone will have to explain this logic to me.

that guy's working under the assumption that since only 10% of GULC students even go to CA (around 60 students) and 90% of USC stay in CA (around 180 students)... that it's really 60 vs 180 in SF, and so GULC really shouldn't have anywhere near the same number of students as USC if USC was equally good.

Borhas wrote:that guy's working under the assumption that since only 10% of GULC students even go to CA (around 60 students) and 90% of USC stay in CA (around 180 students)... that it's really 60 vs 180 in SF, and so GULC really shouldn't have anywhere near the same number of students as USC if USC was equally good.

And of course assuming that everyone who wants to practice in CA wants to practice is SF is incorrect.

I think USC grads generally stay in SoCal, especially LA and Orange County. But without knowing how many SC or GULC students target SF, you can't say which school places better. You can only say that GULC has twice as many alumni in SF compared to SC.

That website is fun to look at (who knew that GW was one of the top-30 schools in Sacramento?) but shouldn't be relied upon detrimentally: If I just used that data, I'd be led to believe that attending unaccredited Lincoln Law School is a likelier path to a job in Sacramento than attending Stanford.

SoftBoiledLife wrote:That website is fun to look at (who knew that GW was one of the top-30 schools in Sacramento?) but shouldn't be relied upon detrimentally: If I just used that data, I'd be led to believe that attending unaccredited Lincoln Law School is a likelier path to a job in Sacramento than attending Stanford.

TLS Exile what happened?

SoftBoiledLife wrote:That website is fun to look at (who knew that GW was one of the top-30 schools in Sacramento?) but shouldn't be relied upon detrimentally: If I just used that data, I'd be led to believe that attending unaccredited Lincoln Law School is a likelier path to a job in Sacramento than attending Stanford.

That is an interesting website. I wish they had that for all cities!

GULC is national enough to get you to Cali.

SoftBoiledLife wrote:That website is fun to look at (who knew that GW was one of the top-30 schools in Sacramento?) but shouldn't be relied upon detrimentally: If I just used that data, I'd be led to believe that attending unaccredited Lincoln Law School is a likelier path to a job in Sacramento than attending Stanford.

That's a great point, but we'd probably expect that to apply in reverse to the current matchup.

If GULC had ~150 attorneys in SF and USC had ~360, we'd say "yeah, but Georgetown self selects for DC and NYC." It would be an argument for why Georgetown is equal to or better than USC despite lower numbers. But the fact that Georgetown is over double USC's number probably tells us that it's a pretty decent option for SF.

Even though USC is like ten times closer to SF, and is in the same state (so the same bar exam) Georgetown is still better represented.

do USC grads just love SoCal love so much that they dont even bother considering other areas? i am a little surprised that USC is not represented well in SF

UnclaimedGas wrote:do USC grads just love SoCal love so much that they dont even bother considering other areas? i am a little surprised that USC is not represented well in SF

Well 2 things. 1) Hastings and USC used to be peer schools (15+ years ago) so many older lawyers who wanted SF wouldn't have chosen USC. 2) LA's legal market is MUCH bigger than SF. LA is either the 2nd or 3rd largest market in terms of NLJ250 firms, whereas SF is #8 on the list.

Plus, USC is noted for the strength of its alumni network, and if most of them are in LA, there's not that much reason to leave.

General Tso wrote:

UnclaimedGas wrote:do USC grads just love SoCal love so much that they dont even bother considering other areas? i am a little surprised that USC is not represented well in SF

Well 2 things. 1) Hastings and USC used to be peer schools (15+ years ago) so many older lawyers who wanted SF wouldn't have chosen USC. 2) LA's legal market is MUCH bigger than SF. LA is either the 2nd or 3rd largest market in terms of NLJ250 firms, whereas SF is #8 on the list.

Plus, USC is noted for the strength of its alumni network, and if most of them are in LA, there's not that much reason to leave.

ic. so from reason #1, it would be fair to say that the current marketability of USC grads in SF is underestimated in those stats?

UnclaimedGas wrote:

General Tso wrote:

UnclaimedGas wrote:do USC grads just love SoCal love so much that they dont even bother considering other areas? i am a little surprised that USC is not represented well in SF

Well 2 things. 1) Hastings and USC used to be peer schools (15+ years ago) so many older lawyers who wanted SF wouldn't have chosen USC. 2) LA's legal market is MUCH bigger than SF. LA is either the 2nd or 3rd largest market in terms of NLJ250 firms, whereas SF is #8 on the list.

Plus, USC is noted for the strength of its alumni network, and if most of them are in LA, there's not that much reason to leave.

ic. so from reason #1, it would be fair to say that the current marketability of USC grads in SF is underestimated in those stats?

I'd probably say so. But if OP is looking at GULC sticker vs. USC sticker then GULC is probably still the the right choice.

General Tso wrote:

UnclaimedGas wrote:do USC grads just love SoCal love so much that they dont even bother considering other areas? i am a little surprised that USC is not represented well in SF

Well 2 things. 1) Hastings and USC used to be peer schools (15+ years ago) so many older lawyers who wanted SF wouldn't have chosen USC. 2) LA's legal market is MUCH bigger than SF. LA is either the 2nd or 3rd largest market in terms of NLJ250 firms, whereas SF is #8 on the list.

Plus, USC is noted for the strength of its alumni network, and if most of them are in LA, there's not that much reason to leave.

Is LA really the second biggest for NLJ 250? I thought NYC, DC, and Chicago were all bigger than LA?

I am pretty sure LA is bigger than Chicago but maybe not DC.

In this economy, it is probably better to go to school in california is you want to work in SF...that way you can travel more easily to interviews etc.

definitely georgetown....its difficult to accurately measure how regional a law school usc truly is....until you check out those statistics

General Tso wrote:I am pretty sure LA is bigger than Chicago but maybe not DC.

I don't think so...I'm pretty sure the 3 biggest markets are NYC, DC, and Chicago...in that order. Then LA.

Anyway, I'd go to Georgetown, although good luck getting SF biglaw ITE.

GULC is very national and will have connections at all of the NorCal firms. USC will have just as many, but it doesn't carry the cache or prestige that GULC has. I'd take the prestige over a school better known for football than academics.