Top Law Schools

For California placement (ideally SF):

With 3.78/171, I'm applying to

1) Berkeley
2) Columbia
3) Chicago
4) NYU
5) Michigan
6) UCLA

Are there other schools I should apply to for CA placement? (Or has someone else already asked this on another thread?)

camelcrema wrote:For California placement (ideally SF):

With 3.78/171, I'm applying to

1) Berkeley
2) Columbia
3) Chicago
4) NYU
5) Michigan
6) UCLA

Are there other schools I should apply to for CA placement? (Or has someone else already asked this on another thread?)

Though I don't have a link, someone has almost assuredly asked this on another thread.

Add Stanford and Harvard to your list. You're too close not to take the chance. Also, USC should throw you some money with those stats. Finally, though I wouldn't rank the schools in that order as far as job prospects in California are concerned, it's a good list overall. If you want to go for almost free, and you don't get in to UCLA, Berkeley, Stanford or Harvard, add UC Hastings as well.

HTH.

That does help, thank you!

You should shoot applications at UC Davis, Hastings, and Santa Clara if you want to work in cali why not.

and UCI

.

Looks like a good list. I would add USC as your safety.

showNprove wrote:UVA has been great for placing people with CA ties into CA firms. If you have strong ties, seriously consider UVA.

I've been wondering, when people on TLS talk about "ties" are they referring to some sort of existing connection to lawyers/law firms in the region, or just a strong reason for wanting to be in the region itself?

CaliMizzou wrote:

showNprove wrote:UVA has been great for placing people with CA ties into CA firms. If you have strong ties, seriously consider UVA.

I've been wondering, when people on TLS talk about "ties" are they referring to some sort of existing connection to lawyers/law firms in the region, or just a strong reason for wanting to be in the region itself?

The latter.

BruceWayne wrote:

CaliMizzou wrote:

showNprove wrote:UVA has been great for placing people with CA ties into CA firms. If you have strong ties, seriously consider UVA.

I've been wondering, when people on TLS talk about "ties" are they referring to some sort of existing connection to lawyers/law firms in the region, or just a strong reason for wanting to be in the region itself?

The latter.

Keep in mind a strong reason is something like "I grew up there," or "My fiance has a job there," and not "The weather is fucking awesome and I love smoking pot and fucking California girlzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz."

showNprove wrote:UVA has been great for placing people with CA ties into CA firms. If you have strong ties, seriously consider UVA.

Oh god. IS THIS TRUE!? *Giddily jumps up and down*

OP,
With your numbers, you are probably a lock for UCLA, USC and Hastings with significant money from at least USC and Hastings. If you are gunning for SF, then you are set with applying to these three schools, Boalt, Stanford and the rest of T6. You'll have plenty of options if you go with that list. There is no need to consider any other Cali school not listed above because none of them will give you better prospects for SF than Hastings and the money difference probably won't be huge.

If you really want to feel safe with your choices, Michigan, Virginia and Georgetown do well in SF.

bk187 wrote:

BruceWayne wrote:

CaliMizzou wrote:

showNprove wrote:UVA has been great for placing people with CA ties into CA firms. If you have strong ties, seriously consider UVA.

I've been wondering, when people on TLS talk about "ties" are they referring to some sort of existing connection to lawyers/law firms in the region, or just a strong reason for wanting to be in the region itself?

The latter.

Keep in mind a strong reason is something like "I grew up there," or "My fiance has a job there," and not "The weather is fucking awesome and I love smoking pot and fucking California girlzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz."

huh

Time to rework ye olde UCLA/ USC essay, I see.

tranandy wrote:OP,
With your numbers, you are probably a lock for UCLA, USC and Hastings with significant money from at least USC and Hastings. If you are gunning for SF, then you are set with applying to these three schools, Boalt, Stanford and the rest of T6. You'll have plenty of options if you go with that list. There is no need to consider any other Cali school not listed above because none of them will give you better prospects for SF than Hastings and the money difference probably won't be huge.

If you really want to feel safe with your choices, Michigan, Virginia and Georgetown do well in SF.

Just a bit off topic, but isn't Hastings famous for YP? That's one school I applied to, but my numbers are similar to the OP's and I've been anticipating a rejection based on the numbers I've seen. They seem to love people in the mid-upper 160's, nothing higher or lower.

Certain schools have historically placed more people into SF biglaw. However, ITE, I think you need to be at a similar rank at whatever T-14 school you are at (excluding HYS) to get SF biglaw. (So I guess the real question is -- which schools in the T-14 have the most SF offices at OCI?) To put SF biglaw selectivity into context, I know people from my MVP who have landed SF biglaw at firms like Mofo and Paul Hastings. They are all from the Bay Area though and are top 25%-top 30% of the class. To get SF biglaw from Hastings, you probably need to be top 5/10% or higher. If you are mainly interested in landing biglaw, I think it's too risky to look outside of the t-14.

bk187 wrote:

BruceWayne wrote:

CaliMizzou wrote:

showNprove wrote:UVA has been great for placing people with CA ties into CA firms. If you have strong ties, seriously consider UVA.

I've been wondering, when people on TLS talk about "ties" are they referring to some sort of existing connection to lawyers/law firms in the region, or just a strong reason for wanting to be in the region itself?

The latter.

Keep in mind a strong reason is something like "I grew up there," or "My fiance has a job there," and not "The weather is fucking awesome and I love smoking pot and fucking California girlzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz."

Haha, yeah I figured. I grew up in Cali and am attending UVA next year. I haven't decided yet if I want to go back or try my luck in NY/DC but it's nice to know the option is open.

I am shocked by all the Hastings love in this thread.

1. Hastings will probably reject you due to YP
2. Even if they don't, you don't want to go there with these kinds of numbers. They probably won't give you more than a 1/2 scholarship, if that, and the job placement in SF (Hastings' strongest market) is pretty bad for students outside the top 5-10%.

My experience is that the SF market is flooded with T14 applicants. Not all of them make it, but they still stand a better chance than Hastings people.

<--- Hastings student

Yeah I don't know where the Hastings bandwagon got started either. SF is a super-duper crowded market that everyone and their mom wants to get into. Obviously the biglaw spots are going immediately to Stanford, HY, Boalt, and then whoever they can get from the rest of the t14. Sure, there's spots left... but you have Hastings, Santa Clara, San Francisco, and also the UCLA & USC migrant crowds fighting it up. With your numbers Hastings is a complete waste in my opinion. Just apply CCN, B, Michigan, UVA, rest of the t14 if you can afford it, UCLA, USC. Done. /thread.

You're about 25% for Columbia, 35% for Chicago, and 50% for NYU. For SF placement, I would definitely pick CCN or Berkeley over the rest of the T14 (besides HYS obviously).

im_blue wrote:You're about 25% for Columbia, 35% for Chicago, and 50% for NYU. For SF placement, I would definitely pick CCN or Berkeley over the rest of the T14 (besides HYS obviously).

Even Chicago? I thought Chicago's placement this year was TTTerrible, even in New York.

mst wrote:Yeah I don't know where the Hastings bandwagon got started either. SF is a super-duper crowded market that everyone and their mom wants to get into. Obviously the biglaw spots are going immediately to Stanford, HY, Boalt, and then whoever they can get from the rest of the t14. Sure, there's spots left... but you have Hastings, Santa Clara, San Francisco, and also the UCLA & USC migrant crowds fighting it up. With your numbers Hastings is a complete waste in my opinion. Just apply CCN, B, Michigan, UVA, rest of the t14 if you can afford it, UCLA, USC. Done. /thread.

Good advice re: applying to the t-14 and UCLA/USC.

Re: Bolded. That's not how hiring works: grades >>>> school, at least within the t-14 outside of HYS. To generalize, I would say it's the top 20% at each t-14 (excluding IP people, who get much more leeway w/r/t grades) contending for the few biglaw SAs in SF.

irishman86 wrote:

mst wrote:Yeah I don't know where the Hastings bandwagon got started either. SF is a super-duper crowded market that everyone and their mom wants to get into. Obviously the biglaw spots are going immediately to Stanford, HY, Boalt, and then whoever they can get from the rest of the t14. Sure, there's spots left... but you have Hastings, Santa Clara, San Francisco, and also the UCLA & USC migrant crowds fighting it up. With your numbers Hastings is a complete waste in my opinion. Just apply CCN, B, Michigan, UVA, rest of the t14 if you can afford it, UCLA, USC. Done. /thread.

Good advice re: applying to the t-14 and UCLA/USC.

Re: Bolded. That's not how hiring works: grades >>>> school, at least within the t-14 outside of HYS. To generalize, I would say it's the top 20% at each t-14 (excluding IP people, who get much more leeway w/r/t grades) contending for the few biglaw SAs in SF.

Exactly. If you go to a non HYS top 14 that doesn't have an especially strong rep in the region you're trying to work (like Boalt for Cali or NYU for NYC) then grades are going to be what separates you from another top 14 applicant--not US News rank within the top 14 (in addition to things like resume/we).

irishman86 wrote:

im_blue wrote:You're about 25% for Columbia, 35% for Chicago, and 50% for NYU. For SF placement, I would definitely pick CCN or Berkeley over the rest of the T14 (besides HYS obviously).

Even Chicago? I thought Chicago's placement this year was TTTerrible, even in New York.

Don't let the TLS hype fool you. The only schools that out place Chicago are HYS.

clone22 wrote:

bk187 wrote: Keep in mind a strong reason is something like "I grew up there," or "My fiance has a job there," and not "The weather is fucking awesome and I love smoking pot and fucking California girlzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz."

huh

Time to rework ye olde UCLA/ USC essay, I see.

I see no reason to rework the USC essay.

Why are people encouraging a 3.8/171 to apply to UCI, Davis, or Hastings?

im_blue wrote:would definitely pick CCN or Berkeley over the rest of the T14 (besides HYS obviously).

CCN yes. But Berkeley? MVP might be better choices, even for SF. Assuming you have SF ties.

RVP11 wrote:Why are people encouraging a 3.8/171 to apply to UCI, Davis, or Hastings?

im_blue wrote:would definitely pick CCN or Berkeley over the rest of the T14 (besides HYS obviously).

CCN yes. But Berkeley? MVP might be better choices, even for SF. Assuming you have SF ties.

I seriously doubt going to NYU is going to give you a leg up for a job in San Francisco compared to Boalt. Even with CC I doubt it.