Wanting to work in the Bay Area Forum

[Zamya]

Hi everyone. So, I know I won't be able to get into Boalt or Stanford and have narrowed down my choice list to between Santa Clara University and UC Davis. If I wanted to work in the bay area, which would give me greater job prospects?

UCD's rank is way higher (~60 places) and has been steadily increasing for the past 3 years but from talking with other professionals, no one seems to know about UCD. Also, being a private school, I've heard that SCU's alumni network is very strong. And I'm not trying to be full of myself or anything, but I feel like it would be easier to have a higher class rank at SCU than at Davis. With scholarship from SCU, the prices are roughly the same. I want to work in IP law or tax law; I know getting into a big law firm would be tough regardless, but which would give me a better chance at a mid to large size firm?

[ndirish2010]

Wait a second, you're asking if you should go to Davis or the TTT that is Santa Clara for the SAME PRICE? Why is this even a question?

[jonas]

You should go to Davis, which is a stronger school by any measure.

Also, don't assume you'll be able to get better grades at Santa Clara than at Davis. Never a safe bet.

[Kronk]

Hi everyone. So, I know I won't be able to get into Boalt or Stanford and have narrowed down my choice list to between Santa Clara University and UC Davis. If I wanted to work in the bay area, which would give me greater job prospects?

UCD's rank is way higher (~60 places) and has been steadily increasing for the past 3 years but from talking with other professionals, no one seems to know about UCD. Also, being a private school, I've heard that SCU's alumni network is very strong. And I'm not trying to be full of myself or anything, but I feel like it would be easier to have a higher class rank at SCU than at Davis. With scholarship from SCU, the prices are roughly the same. I want to work in IP law or tax law; I know getting into a big law firm would be tough regardless, but which would give me a better chance at a mid to large size firm?

I imagine it would be far less easy than you think.

[bilbobaggins]

Santa Clara is pretty well respected in the area.

[Zamya]

Okay. So, I thought SCU might be slightly easier, but guess not. Anyway, I should have said this in my original post, but can you state if you're from the area if you're responding? I know rank is really important and Davis is massively better than SCU in terms of rank, but it's odd that not that many lawyers I talk to know about Davis's rank.

[bk1]

Let's ignore rank and instead focus on the fact that only about 1/4 of SCU's graduating class actually gets full time jobs as lawyers (source: --LinkRemoved--).

You should hands down go to UC Davis at the same price. Heck, I probably wouldn't even recommending going to SCU on a full tuition scholarship.

Santa Clara is pretty well respected in the area.

Oh come on.

[bilbobaggins]

Let's ignore rank and instead focus on the fact that only about 1/4 of SCU's graduating class actually gets full time jobs as lawyers (source: --LinkRemoved--).

You should hands down go to UC Davis at the same price. Heck, I probably wouldn't even recommending going to SCU on a full tuition scholarship.

Santa Clara is pretty well respected in the area.

Oh come on.

As someone who works in the area, I have found this to be true. Then again, I know extremely talented GG grads. School rank often doesn't equate to skill as a trial attorney.

[071816]

Santa Clara is pretty well respected in the area.

This is actually true, but I still say Davis and it isn't even close.

[bk1]

As someone who works in the area, I have found this to be true. Then again, I know extremely talented GG grads. School rank often doesn't equate to skill as a trial attorney.

I know some successful GGU grads as well (I also know a handful of SCU PTers who ended up never working a a day in a legal job after graduating and just went back to their old careers). It doesn't make those GGU grads the norm and it doesn't mean that just because a school is "respected" that that means jackshit in terms of whether someone should go there when the reality of the hiring situation says the proper response to going to SCU is "lolno."

At best your post was quite misleading, at worst you were basically trolling.

[Zamya]

Santa Clara is pretty well respected in the area.

This is actually true, but I still say Davis and it isn't even close.

Thanks everyone for the responses. You have confirmed my initial sentiment; while SCU is "respected" in the area, it doesn't make it better than Davis. Thank you.

[Kronk]

100% go to Davis. Unless you're paying sticker, in which case I would strongly consider waiting to see if the economy turns upwards in the next year or two before sinking 200k into a law degree.

I am responding from the Bay Area. I think that Santa Clara's reputation definitely isn't bad here. But the UC system is highly respected and in my opinion it isn't even close. Not to mention Bay Area jobs are A.) scarce, and B.) in high demand because of both the amount of schools in the area and the desirability of those jobs from people in and out of CA.

[bilbobaggins]

As someone who works in the area, I have found this to be true. Then again, I know extremely talented GG grads. School rank often doesn't equate to skill as a trial attorney.

I know some successful GGU grads as well (I also know a handful of SCU PTers who ended up never working a a day in a legal job after graduating and just went back to their old careers). It doesn't make those GGU grads the norm and it doesn't mean that just because a school is "respected" that that means jackshit in terms of whether someone should go there when the reality of the hiring situation says the proper response to going to SCU is "lolno."

At best your post was quite misleading, at worst you were basically trolling.

Read what I wrote and then read what you're responding to because they're two different conversations. I didn't say where the OP should go, but what I did say was that SCU is respected in the area. The appropriate way to respond would be like Kronk did. Instead of getting upset at the argument you think I'm making, instead focus on what I said and then what you think the OP should do.

[bk1]

Read what I wrote and then read what you're responding to because they're two different conversations. I didn't say where the OP should go, but what I did say was that SCU is respected in the area. The appropriate way to respond would be like Kronk did. Instead of getting upset at the argument you think I'm making, instead focus on what I said and then what you think the OP should do.

I'm not upset. I'm just saying it makes no sense not to provide OP with more information that is very relevant to the discussion.

For example, with the attorneys I work for and others I've spoken to, SCU is about as well respected as other T2 schools in crowded areas (for that matter UCD/UCH are about as well respected as other T1 schools in crowded areas). The problem with that is it paints SCU (and USF) in a similar light to schools like Cardozo, Brooklyn, Loyola Marymount, etc when the outcomes at SCU/USF are far worse than their respective peers in other markets. That's a Bay Area problem, not a reputation problem. But it is relevant to the discussion and just saying SCU is respected leaves out a whole lot of pertinent info. And the reason I say it is misleading is because people often assume that respected school = decent job prospects which isn't true in the case of SCU.

[sharklasers]

I knew a respected grad from Cooley.

He graduated about thirty years ago.

He's a partner now.

And, to be honest, we still made fun of him behind his back.

HTH.

[SchopenhauerFTW]

Thanks everyone for the responses. You have confirmed my initial sentiment; while SCU is "respected" in the area, it doesn't make it better than Davis. Thank you.

Solid.

[Norwood]

Go to Hastings

[SchopenhauerFTW]

Go to Hastings

This is also credited.

[Mick Haller]

SCU is way overpriced and its alumni network does not extend beyond San Jose/Silicon Valley. Keep in mind that most of the good legal jobs in that area are in patents, and to be competitive in that field you need to go to a better school than SCU.

Davis is much better. If SCU offered a 3/4 scholarship, then I'd consider it.