Top Law Schools

Hi,

These are the two schools I'm considering. My major goal is not to wind up in a firm. I am interested in public interest law, certain aspects of international law, and human rights law. UCLA has offered me awards equating to just under the cost of in-state tuition, which obviously I'd try to get after year one. From Virginia, nada. At this time my preference would be to work on the east coast, which is closer to home, but i could see myself potentially falling in love with and settling in Cali.

My biggest question is, how significant is that eight-rank differential? Is it worth the 130,000+ debt differential I would accumulate? Will going to school in Cali pigeon-hole me, and make it too challenging to break in on the east coast? And, perhaps most crucially, is there really a significant difference in the quality of the legal education I will get at these two schools, or am I essentially paying this huge sum of money just to be in the club?

Thank you in advance for any help; deadline is approaching and I am losing sleep here.

If you want to work on the East Coast, then Virginia is the clear choice.

CanadianWolf wrote:If you want to work on the East Coast, then Virginia is the clear choice.

While that's true, I feel like the OP may be facing too much debt for UVA ($210K+, if I'm right). That's pretty steep, especially if the OP misses the big law train during OCI.

UCLA is a solid choice for West Coast placement.

JChamberlain wrote: My biggest question is, how significant is that eight-rank differential? Is it worth the 130,000+ debt differential I would accumulate?

The ranking differential isn't the key point, really. It's that the T14 have national reach (more as you go up the rankings), and even the schools immediately outside of it are far more regionally restricted, unless you finish very high in the class.

Which is the better choice is tough to say. Sticker at UVA is frightening. But UVA will give you better employment options, especially if you want to be on the east coast, and their LRAP could make the debt a little less terrifying.

Will going to school in Cali pigeon-hole me, and make it too challenging to break in on the east coast?

It will make it much tougher than would be the case with UVA.

And, perhaps most crucially, is there really a significant difference in the quality of the legal education I will get at these two schools, or am I essentially paying this huge sum of money just to be in the club?

No to the first question, and yes to the second.

CanadianWolf wrote:UCLA is a solid choice for West Coast placement.

More specifically, Southern California placement (LA being the biggest market).

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Thank you all for your advice. I'd like to respond to one or two things.

moneybagsphd wrote:f you truly would not be happy with firm work (which I think is silly, but whatever),

I don't think I would be. I don't want to work 80 hours a week slaving away for something I may have absolutely no personal investment in. A direct quote from a close friend of mine, who graduated a couple years ago from HLS: "Everyone of my friends from school who works in a firm is depressed. And not just normal depressed, like everyone's depressed. Clinically depressed."

moneybagsphd wrote: you need to sit out and build some solid PI credentials working at PI orgs while hoping the economy improves.

I do appreciate your blunt honesty. However, I am already 29. If I am going to do this thing, I want to do it now.


If there are any currently practicing PI / Government attorneys out there, I would love to hear how you got there, and your thoughts on this mess.