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I haven't made up my mind yet which legal career I want to do. Debating between biglaw and academia. I'm thinking about settling down in the west coast, maybe the bay area, but not discounting New York of course.

Which school among Columbia, Berkeley, Cornell, and Northwestern would be best for each career choice?

Thanks for the advice.

If you want to be in the Bay Area: Berkeley.

If you want the best chance at big law or academia: Columbia.

I was in your shoes 3 years ago. I went to Columbia. My OCI/EIP interviews occurred in the summer of 2008 before things completely melted down. I found it to be very very difficult to get big law in bay area with my grades (I was just under median my 1L year) but had 7 offers in NY at the V30 range.

I tried interviewing with every single bay area law firm that came to Columbia. I ended up getting an offer in New York.

I know things are now much much tougher.

PM me if you have more questions. I also went to Berkeley for undergrad so I have some knowledge of the campus and school generally.

Columbia...doing A LOT better ITE.

I want to be able to narrow down my choices, so would it be safe to say that Columbia and Berkeley are the better options than Cornell or Northwestern, regardless of whether I'm doing biglaw or academia, and whether I'm on the east or west coast?

I don't think you can go wrong with columbia. That'd be my choice career-wise.

Def Columbia. Boalt is the number 2 school in a tiny market pre-ITE and now completely collapsed ITE market. And the CA RE market still hasn't found its bottom.

acharyainc wrote:I don't think you can go wrong with columbia. That'd be my choice career-wise.

It places significantly better in big law ITE than any of the others. If you are paying sticker at all four, it'd be a really poor choice to go anywhere but CLS.

Columbia. If not, then Berkeley

Desert Fox wrote:

acharyainc wrote:I don't think you can go wrong with columbia. That'd be my choice career-wise.

It places significantly better in big law ITE than any of the others. If you are paying sticker at all four, it'd be a really poor choice to go anywhere but CLS.

TCR. And by significantly better we mean 67% at Columbia versus 30% at the rest.

Definitely agree with the above posts. I say Berkeley if you are certain you want west coast but ITE Columbia will give you, by far, the best options for academia or biglaw.

olanderp wrote:

Desert Fox wrote:

acharyainc wrote:I don't think you can go wrong with columbia. That'd be my choice career-wise.

It places significantly better in big law ITE than any of the others. If you are paying sticker at all four, it'd be a really poor choice to go anywhere but CLS.

TCR. And by significantly better we mean 67% at Columbia versus 30% at the rest.

Source?