Top Law Schools

Hello all! I've posted before but !@#$ just got complicated with scholarships from Duke and Cornell.

So I am looking to work in either public interest or government work in the northern California area in or north of San Francisco. I'd love to get the highest paying job possible, but I do not want to work biglaw hours. I am from a lower class family with no financial assistance, which worries me about assuming a lot of debt. In general I'm pretty debt averse too.

Thanks very much for your advice.

I think it would be smart to take one of the CA schools if being in CA is your goal. I wouldn't recommend going across country for Cornell or Duke unless you plan on staying in the East.

This is very relevant to my interests as well, tagged...

Thanks for your comment dakatz! Does anyone have an idea about how difficult it is getting a job in california with a degree from Cornell?

clevermoose wrote:Thanks for your comment dakatz! Does anyone have an idea about how difficult it is getting a job in California with a degree from Cornell?

There aren't many statistics to back this up, but I know from experience that I've talked to a lot of east coast law school grads, and it's pretty difficult to come back now. My friend's girlfriend tried to come back, but only found low ball offers. My ex-girlfriend even tried to get a legal assistant job with a private practice last year and the hiring attorney straight told her that she had little chance to secure the position, because he had recent law school grads applying for it. This was a $13/hr job in LA. Granted, the law grads were probably Southwestern, Whittier, or Western State grads, but it's indicative that this is a buyer's market. When you're living in a state with over 12% unemployment, and you have a huge supply of talent, you can afford to hire top shelf grads for lower pay.

I'm also in a similar situation as you. My options aren't as strong, but I am definitely concerned with California's long term economic health. This is my home and I love CA, I can't see how this state is going to dig itself out of this economic mess it's in. Businesses have been leaving this state long before the recession hit, and there are still more businesses leaving. The real winner here is Texas. They've been schwooping on CA's businesses like fiscal pimps.

http://jan.ocregister.com/2011/03/08/ar ... ing/55995/

the California kid?

or The California Kid?

think about it.

UC Davis. Walk the walk. Help the poor.

I'd take UCLA or Davis depending on the debt that you're willing to take. If you know that you want to be in CA, why leave?

Going to the east coast would provide a better job market after graduation. CA is in the shitter and getting worse.

taxnstuff wrote:Going to the east coast would provide a better job market after graduation. CA is in the shitter and getting worse.

True that! (part of my avoidance of CA at this point) OP said s/he wants to work in Norcal, which is why I asked.