Top Law Schools

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Rick Neuheisel is a horrible, horrible man. Go to UVA.

UCLA is much higher cost of living, and in state tuition is still outrageous, so UVA OOS would only cost you about $15k more over 3 years. The biglaw prospects for NYC are WAAAAY better at UVA.

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Bump

Not even close.

California is a bankrupt state with an awful economy, and UCLA, besides being 3rd best in a single state, has dropped like a stone in the rankings recently. UCLA's NLJ 250 placements are already pathetic. With the impending budget cuts/state debt defaults, expect the trend to worsen.

UVA is a perennial top 10 with close proximity to both NYC and DC. Any differences you pay to attend UVA will be negated in your first year or two of earnings.

Also, even though you would prefer LA Big Law, realize that your chances of actually getting it are tenuous at best. You'll be competing with T14's and Boalt/Stanford grads for a piece of a shrinking legal market.

Most likely, you'll be working in LA small law, if you get a job at all, so then you have to ask yourself: "Is an excellent chance of NYC Big Law worth more than a crappy chance at LA Big Law?"

niederbomb wrote:Not even close.

California is a bankrupt state with an awful economy, and UCLA, besides being 3rd best in a single state, has dropped like a stone in the rankings recently. UCLA's NLJ 250 placements are already pathetic. With the impending budget cuts/state debt defaults, expect the trend to worsen.

UVA is a perennial top 10 with close proximity to both NYC and DC. Any differences you pay to attend UVA will be negated in your first year or two of earnings.

Also, even though you would prefer LA Big Law, realize that your chances of actually getting it are tenuous at best. You'll be competing with T14's and Boalt/Stanford grads for a piece of a shrinking legal market.

Most likely, you'll be working in LA small law, if you get a job at all, so then you have to ask yourself: "Is an excellent chance of NYC Big Law worth more than a crappy chance at LA Big Law?"

Some of the concerns stated here are credited, though exaggerated. The bolded, however, is not.

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Not sure, but I think that the poster above was referring to a drop in the NLJ250 placement rankings.
How well does Virginia place in Los Angeles biglaw ?

You do realize that UVA OOS sticker is only 7k/year more expensive than UCLA, right? With the decreased COL at UVA it's going to be about the same price, give or take ~6-7k.

Kilpatrick wrote:

niederbomb wrote:Not even close.

California is a bankrupt state with an awful economy, and UCLA, besides being 3rd best in a single state, has dropped like a stone in the rankings recently. UCLA's NLJ 250 placements are already pathetic. With the impending budget cuts/state debt defaults, expect the trend to worsen.

UVA is a perennial top 10 with close proximity to both NYC and DC. Any differences you pay to attend UVA will be negated in your first year or two of earnings.

Also, even though you would prefer LA Big Law, realize that your chances of actually getting it are tenuous at best. You'll be competing with T14's and Boalt/Stanford grads for a piece of a shrinking legal market.

Most likely, you'll be working in LA small law, if you get a job at all, so then you have to ask yourself: "Is an excellent chance of NYC Big Law worth more than a crappy chance at LA Big Law?"

Dropped like a stone? When was it ever higher than 15?

Also saying UCLA is the 3rd best school in the state is kind of misleading since the top two are in Northern California which might as well be a different state. UCLA is the best school in LA and I think if that's your desired market you should go there.

You're joking right? YOU may consider Boalt and Stanford to be "like from a different state" but employers dont. If Boalt Grads are getting roughed up by biglaw LA firms how in the world do you think UCLA will fare?

To the OP, go to UVA. This isn't even close. I would say you have comparable chances at LA biglaw from both schools, but you have a MUCH better chance at biglaw around the country from UVA, UCLA is not what it used to be.

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niederbomb wrote:Not even close.

California is a bankrupt state with an awful economy, and UCLA, besides being 3rd best in a single state, has dropped like a stone in the rankings recently. UCLA's NLJ 250 placements are already pathetic. With the impending budget cuts/state debt defaults, expect the trend to worsen.

UVA is a perennial top 10 with close proximity to both NYC and DC. Any differences you pay to attend UVA will be negated in your first year or two of earnings.

Also, even though you would prefer LA Big Law, realize that your chances of actually getting it are tenuous at best. You'll be competing with T14's and Boalt/Stanford grads for a piece of a shrinking legal market.

Most likely, you'll be working in LA small law, if you get a job at all, so then you have to ask yourself: "Is an excellent chance of NYC Big Law worth more than a crappy chance at LA Big Law?"

There are a lot of UVA trolls on TLS, but this post is pretty accurate. You probably won't get LA biglaw from either school, but UVA (or any other T-14, except arguably Georgetown) gives you a much better shot at NYC biglaw.

cornellbeez wrote:
There are a lot of UVA trolls on TLS, but this post is pretty accurate. You probably won't get LA biglaw from either school, but UVA (or any other T-14, except arguably Georgetown) gives you a much better shot at NYC biglaw.

So what school other than HYS can get biglaw in LA?

CLS, U of C .

Boalt still competes for everything and Michigan actually places decent in CA.

r6_philly wrote:

cornellbeez wrote:
There are a lot of UVA trolls on TLS, but this post is pretty accurate. You probably won't get LA biglaw from either school, but UVA (or any other T-14, except arguably Georgetown) gives you a much better shot at NYC biglaw.

So what school other than HYS can get biglaw in LA?

I'm not saying you can't get biglaw in LA from a non-HYS T-14, you just need to be highly ranked. I know a fair number of people from MVP who have SF/SV/LA biglaw (including Mofo, MB, OMM, WS, etc.). They are all Californians who chose to attend law school OOS. But, I don't think top third will cut it ITE. You probably need to be top quarter from any non-HYS T-14, including Boalt.

cornellbeez wrote: I'm not saying you can't get biglaw in LA from a non-HYS T-14, you just need to be highly ranked. I know a fair number of people from MVP who have SF/SV/LA biglaw (including Mofo, MB, OMM, WS, etc.). They are all Californians who chose to attend law school OOS. But, I don't think top third will cut it ITE. You probably need to be top quarter from any non-HYS T-14, including Boalt.

Does it make any difference if I want IP only? I am interested in working in SV, and if I don't get HYS, would chosing MVP over Boalt for money be less of a stupid decision since you said Boalt is having placement issues, and also with their grading system. Or is IP completely different? I will probably solicit more opinions in 2 months or so after I get all the finaid offers, but 90k at V is all I have now, and it got me thinking especially reading this thread.

OP sorry for thread jack, I can start a new thread if you wish.

r6_philly wrote:

cornellbeez wrote: I'm not saying you can't get biglaw in LA from a non-HYS T-14, you just need to be highly ranked. I know a fair number of people from MVP who have SF/SV/LA biglaw (including Mofo, MB, OMM, WS, etc.). They are all Californians who chose to attend law school OOS. But, I don't think top third will cut it ITE. You probably need to be top quarter from any non-HYS T-14, including Boalt.

Does it make any difference if I want IP only? I am interested in working in SV, and if I don't get HYS, would chosing MVP over Boalt for money be less of a stupid decision since you said Boalt is having placement issues, and also with their grading system. Or is IP completely different? I will probably solicit more opinions in 2 months or so after I get all the finaid offers, but 90k at V is all I have now, and it got me thinking especially reading this thread.

OP sorry for thread jack, I can start a new thread if you wish.

If you are IP only, you have a lot less to worry about w/r/t grades. For IP in general, I don't think it matters as much what school you go to, because you're going to be a competitive applicant from any t-14, even with mediocre grades. I don't know too much about SV, except that it's a small market. Normally, I would say ties matter for CA, but anecdotally, my IP friend from MVP and NO ties to CA whatsoever got biglaw offers in SF and NY. I don't know a single unemployed IP T-14 person. If I were you, I'd probably just go to the cheapest school. (As for course offerings, Boalt has more IP course offerings than other T-14s except Stanford, but you will learn most of what you need to know on the job b/c law school courses are not practical.)

cornellbeez wrote:
If you are IP only, you have a lot less to worry about w/r/t grades. For IP in general, I don't think it matters as much what school you go to, because you're going to be a competitive applicant from any t-14, even with mediocre grades. I don't know too much about SV, except that it's a small market. Normally, I would say ties matter for CA, but anecdotally, my IP friend from MVP and NO ties to CA whatsoever got biglaw offers in SF and NY. I don't know a single unemployed IP T-14 person. If I were you, I'd probably just go to the cheapest school. (As for course offerings, Boalt has more IP course offerings than other T-14s except Stanford, but you will learn most of what you need to know on the job b/c law school courses are not practical.)

Thank you! You answered quite a few unasked questions for me. The course offerings at Boalt look really attractive, but if it won't matter all that much to employers then it probably isn't worth thousands. I do like the clinic they have and the journal though. I am going to negotiate and compare merit and need based offers between MVPB, do you think it's worth taking $$$ at this level over sticker at CCN? I will probably get decent need-based aid at HYS so I will def. take those if I get in. Thanks again.

r6_philly wrote:

cornellbeez wrote:
If you are IP only, you have a lot less to worry about w/r/t grades. For IP in general, I don't think it matters as much what school you go to, because you're going to be a competitive applicant from any t-14, even with mediocre grades. I don't know too much about SV, except that it's a small market. Normally, I would say ties matter for CA, but anecdotally, my IP friend from MVP and NO ties to CA whatsoever got biglaw offers in SF and NY. I don't know a single unemployed IP T-14 person. If I were you, I'd probably just go to the cheapest school. (As for course offerings, Boalt has more IP course offerings than other T-14s except Stanford, but you will learn most of what you need to know on the job b/c law school courses are not practical.)

Thank you! You answered quite a few unasked questions for me. The course offerings at Boalt look really attractive, but if it won't matter all that much to employers then it probably isn't worth thousands. I do like the clinic they have and the journal though. I am going to negotiate and compare merit and need based offers between MVPB, do you think it's worth taking $$$ at this level over sticker at CCN? I will probably get decent need-based aid at HYS so I will def. take those if I get in. Thanks again.

For IP, I would probably take the money at MVPB over CCN at sticker. It's a personal decision, but I would take HYS over everything except a full-ride to a T-14.

cornellbeez wrote:
For IP, I would probably take the money at MVPB over CCN at sticker. It's a personal decision, but I would take HYS over everything except a full-ride to a T-14.

Thanks. I should get quite a bit need-based aid at HYS, so that makes it easy over a full ride. I will head back to LOCIs and hoping now.