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I'm currently choosing between UCLA (sticker) and Fordham (10k merit/year). I am on the "priority waitlist" at GULC (sticker) and was held at Columbia. Any advice?

If I got into Columbia, I'd go there. If I got into GULC, I think it would take the place of UCLA in my decision on whether to attend the T14 school or T30 fordham with the small scholarship.

I want to practice in NY or DC (I'm from NY). I am passionate about civil liberties (freedom of speech, expression, Internet rights). I would love to work for the ACLU. I would jump at the opportunity to clerk. I would also go biglaw for a few years to help pay debt if I could break in. I spent a year on scholarship in China studying Mandarin (I'm at an intermediate level and will continue to improve), so international commercial law with a specialization in Chinese companies would be my thing. Both politics, government law (State Dept, congressional policy aide, etc- again, the China thing) and academia down the road are appealing ideas but I'm not dead set on any those options. I figure academia would require the prestige. So would select areas of government.

I'm more wary of going to UCLA vs. Fordham because I want to end up in the Northeast. But unfortunately, unless I hear back from GULC by the week's end, that seems to be the choice. Lots of people saying go to the best school I can go to. Lots of people saying good regional school with a bit of money is superior. Thoughts?

I should also mention I am held at Northwestern and wait list at Duke. GW and Michigan haven't gotten back to me.

I don't know about other schools, but I think in terms of costs, UCLA & Fordham should be considered as potentially equal. I mean, the cost of living in NY is a complete killer. My aunt lived there for a bit but ended up moving out in matter of months 'cause the rent's ridiculously expensive.

With that being said, I'd say Georgetown (unless you hear from Columbia) 'cause you want NY & DC

Steved wrote:I am passionate about civil liberties (freedom of speech, expression, Internet rights). I would love to work for the ACLU. I would jump at the opportunity to clerk. I would also go biglaw for a few years to help pay debt if I could break in.

I give any of this happening a 5% chance from Fordham.

Steved wrote:I should also mention I am held at Northwestern and wait list at Duke. GW and Michigan haven't gotten back to me.

Have you really not hear back from Michigan yet? And I thought michigan waitlisted everyone left yesterday. Anyhow, since your situation is a bit complicated, my advice will consider all the what-ifs.

1. If you get into any of the T14, go there.
2. If you get into all or more than one of the T14s, I say attend the school you prefer. My list of preference is Col> Duke>Northwestern>GULC.
3. If you couldn't get into any of the T14, think hard about Fordham, as it gives you some money and you want to practice in NY.

MidlawMyth wrote:

Steved wrote:I am passionate about civil liberties (freedom of speech, expression, Internet rights). I would love to work for the ACLU. I would jump at the opportunity to clerk. I would also go biglaw for a few years to help pay debt if I could break in.

I give any of this happening a 5% chance from Fordham.

what other stats can you pull out of your ass?


obviously take the #s with a grain of salt, but...http://law.fordham.edu/career-planning/17281.htm

jeremysen wrote:

MidlawMyth wrote:

Steved wrote:I am passionate about civil liberties (freedom of speech, expression, Internet rights). I would love to work for the ACLU. I would jump at the opportunity to clerk. I would also go biglaw for a few years to help pay debt if I could break in.

I give any of this happening a 5% chance from Fordham.

what other stats can you pull out of your ass?


obviously take the #s with a grain of salt, but...http://law.fordham.edu/career-planning/17281.htm

Whoa, median salary $160K, looks legit.

MidlawMyth wrote:

jeremysen wrote:

MidlawMyth wrote:

Steved wrote:I am passionate about civil liberties (freedom of speech, expression, Internet rights). I would love to work for the ACLU. I would jump at the opportunity to clerk. I would also go biglaw for a few years to help pay debt if I could break in.

I give any of this happening a 5% chance from Fordham.

what other stats can you pull out of your ass?


obviously take the #s with a grain of salt, but...http://law.fordham.edu/career-planning/17281.htm

Whoa, median salary $160K, looks legit.

not even gona be sarcastic here: 5% chance is bullshit

jeremysen wrote:not even gona be sarcastic here: 5% chance is bullshit

5% for ACLU gig might be legit. From what I hear (I am a 0L, but I did stay at a holiday inn express last night) these prestigious PI gigs are hard to get no matter where you go to school, but they're especially hard to get from outside the T14.

5% for biglaw is a bit harsh.

tea_drinker wrote:
1. If you get into any of the T14, go there.
2. If you get into all or more than one of the T14s, I say attend the school you prefer. My list of preference is Col> Duke>Northwestern>GULC.
3. If you couldn't get into any of the T14, think hard about Fordham, as it gives you some money and you want to practice in NY.

u seem to draw a big distintion bw the t14s and ucla. ucla is 15 and i believe was tied with gulc last yr. does the 1 spot difference make such an impact as to warrant seriously considering fordham over ucla (but not gulc)? or is it the geographical diff that u have most in mind here? i concur w ur first and second points but fodham deposit is due in 6 days and unless the t14s accept me before then my choice for a potentially burned deposit is ucla or ford.

as for the 5% debate i dont think ford has strong employment numbers for pi. so the number might not be far off. but yah i agree 5% for biglaw is indeed harsh for a nyc school like ford

Steved wrote:

tea_drinker wrote:
1. If you get into any of the T14, go there.
2. If you get into all or more than one of the T14s, I say attend the school you prefer. My list of preference is Col> Duke>Northwestern>GULC.
3. If you couldn't get into any of the T14, think hard about Fordham, as it gives you some money and you want to practice in NY.

u seem to draw a big distintion bw the t14s and ucla. ucla is 15 and i believe was tied with gulc last yr. does the 1 spot difference make such an impact as to warrant seriously considering fordham over ucla (but not gulc)? or is it the geographical diff that u have most in mind here? i concur w ur first and second points but fodham deposit is due in 6 days and unless the t14s accept me before then my choice for a potentially burned deposit is ucla or ford.

as for the 5% debate i dont think ford has strong employment numbers for pi. so the number might not be far off. but yah i agree 5% for biglaw is indeed harsh for a nyc school like ford

UCLA was 15 last year, one spot below GULC and tied with UT Austin. This year, UT and Gtown are tied at 14, and UCLA is 16.

You seem to have some very interesting and ambitious plans. If you do well enough at the schools you've gotten into, UCLA/Fordham, anything's possible, I'd think. But since you want to practice in NY or DC, I'd go to a school in or near NY or DC, and possibly even reapply if need be. As much as I like UCLA, I doubt it'd be substantially better than Fordham or other higher ranked east coast schools for what you want to do.

If you want NY, Columbia and Fordham are your best bets. If Fordham is too low ranked for you (it's a really good school btw, in terms of job placement in NYC especially), then you would probably be ok with GULC or George Washington, both of which have good reach in NYC.

Avoid UCLA IMO unless you want to be in LA.