Top Law Schools

Duke or USC

*Ended up not enrolling at USC, will reapply

It sounds like you underperformed your numbers this cycle. If you can take a year off and do something worthwhile, it might be worth reapplying.

If not, I would take USC since you're from SoCal and presumably want to practice there. That's a lot of money to pay for a school where California firms will be underrepresented at OCI.

Unless you're dead set on New York City, in which case Duke is probably a better choice.

Duke is a much stronger school. And, not only will it get you back to California (which is the most heavily represented state in our student body), but it'll play well in markets (NYC, DC) that would otherwise require top grades from USC. Seems like a pretty easy call to me, particularly when you consider USC's higher COL.

I know two Duke JDs who got SoCal BigLaw in the past two years despite having no ties at all. If you actually have them, it's kind of a no-brainer... especially considering that Duke is going to place you better absolutely everywhere else.

Median at Duke is a much better place to be. I would definitely be willing to pay $60k more for that level of flexibility.

(EDIT: Or less than that, really, given the significantly lower COL for Duke students who don't live in one of the ridiculously expensive apartment buildings catering to rich out-of-staters who think $2400/month for a two-bedroom is a sweet deal.)


P.S. Go Heels.

If you're seriously considering reapplying, ask the schools for more money and threaten to drop out if they don't pay up.

I think you can get a little more money than 36K at a T14, but probably not a lot more.

soj wrote:If you're seriously considering reapplying, ask the schools for more money and threaten to drop out if they don't pay up.

I think you can get a little more money than 36K at a T14, but probably not a lot more.

I agree with all of this. A non-URM with a 3.5? I can't see the OP getting more than 50-60k at a T14.

This being said, if you're not sure where you want to practice, Duke is TCR. USC will only let you stay in LA, and that's if you're top third. Duke makes you competitive for most major markets (NYC, Chicago, LA, etc) if you're above median.

What is TCR?

jyk316 wrote:What is TCR?

the credited response

TCR = the correct response