Top Law Schools

I'm getting near the end of my cycle, and UCLA is one of my top choices with the $$$ they offered me. I've looked into their employment numbers and national placement and they look like they do 'alright'. I'm curious what people think of their national reputation though? Holding onto an average ranking of 15th (yes I realize the rankings are next to worthless, but they do indicate, if even indirectly, some things) I would expect that they would have somewhat of a national reputation. Are they considered prestigious at all or just an alright school from Cali? Any thoughts are appreciated.

They place solidly into CA and nowhere else. It's a regional school. If your CoA is low, and you want to remain in CA, then it's a pretty solid choice.

Are you asking how potential employers view it or lay prestige?

If the former, above response is correct.

If the latter, it doesn't matter. But yeah the 4 well known CA schools are a nationally recognizable name but won't mean anything in regards to getting a job. "Portability," in this economy, is a dangerous myth.

Don't go to UCLA

lawschooltransparency.com

Dre...are you hating on UCLA now too?

John_rizzy_rawls wrote:Are you asking how potential employers view it or lay prestige?

If the former, above response is correct.

If the latter, it doesn't matter. But yeah the 4 well known CA schools are a nationally recognizable name but won't mean anything in regards to getting a job. "Portability," in this economy, is a dangerous myth.

Yeah, more curious how potential employers view a UCLA degree nationwide. In NY or Chicago, would a UCLA degree get me any preferential treatment as opposed to a lower T1? Basically what I was wondering.

rad lulz wrote:lawschooltransparency.com

Yeah, I've researched that site extensively. But, if you had of read my post instead of just the title, you would have realized that my question couldn't be answered by just looking at employment numbers.

yodamiked wrote:

rad lulz wrote:lawschooltransparency.com

Yeah, I've researched that site extensively. But, if you had of read my post instead of just the title, you would have realized that my question couldn't be answered by just looking at employment numbers.

Sure it can:

http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school= ... b=location

I turned down a full ride from UCLA and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. My little brother is choosing a law school right now, and if he doesn't get money from a T13, I'm going to beg him not to go, if that means anything to you. UCLA affords little in the way of a safety net if you don't attain a high class rank + LR, it's certainly not nationally portable. Hell, I don't even think I'd want to take a UCLA JD up to the bay given the competition from Boalt and Stanford (and the insane selectivity). So if you want to work smallgov in LA or want to roll the dice and hope for a high class rank and LA biglaw, maybe you'll be ok. But like I said, if my little brother was in this position, I'd tell him not to go.

bruinfan10 wrote:I turned down a full ride from UCLA and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. My little brother is choosing a law school right now, and if he doesn't get money from a T13, I'm going to beg him not to go, if that means anything to you. UCLA affords little in the way of a safety net if you don't attain a high class rank + LR, it's not nationally portable, hell, I don't even think I'd want to take a UCLA JD up to the bay given the competition from Boalt and Stanford (and the insane selectivity). So if you want to work smallgov in LA or want to roll the dice and hope for a high class rank and LA biglaw, maybe you'll be ok. But like I said, if my little brother was in this position, I'd tell him not to go.

Do you mind if I ask where you chose instead? I'm not set on big law....I'd put in my time if I needed to, but I'm more interested in mid-sized firms. Not familiar with the legal market in Cali, though I hear it's rough right now.

yodamiked wrote:Do you mind if I ask where you chose instead? I'm not set on big law....I'd put in my time if I needed to, but I'm more interested in mid-sized firms. Not familiar with the legal market in Cali, though I hear it's rough right now.

I took a half-ride to Michigan instead (I negotiated all my merit-based offers up until the eleventh hour of my cycle). Better national reputation, better access to NY (the biggest legal market), good ties to SF and LA, but still a gamble. A half-ride to a T13 was the break even point of my risk calculation, and thankfully it paid off for me. You'll have to make your own determination as to your appropriate level of risk, but like I said, your options coming out of UCLA are pretty bleak. If you want LA public defender or prosecutor, maybe serious money at UCLA wouldn't be a waste of time (although with hiring freezes and, believe it or not, heavy competition from Southwestern, given that those offices don't care in the least about "prestige," that's no sure thing). I can't really speak to this "midlaw" market you seem to think exists - from what I've heard it's pretty much a myth - but others on this board are more in tune with that game. I will say this though: I don't think people at median at UCLA have the luxury of saying "oh I'll just turn to midlaw, make 80k a year, no worries that I couldn't land biglaw." The bimodal salary curve is a bitch.

Dr. Dre wrote:Don't go to UCLA

Dre's not hating on UCLA specifically. He just believes, in general, that CA is TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT and that groceries here are TTTToo expensive.

bruinfan10 wrote:I turned down a full ride from UCLA and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. My little brother is choosing a law school right now, and if he doesn't get money from a T13, I'm going to beg him not to go, if that means anything to you. UCLA affords little in the way of a safety net if you don't attain a high class rank + LR, it's certainly not nationally portable. Hell, I don't even think I'd want to take a UCLA JD up to the bay given the competition from Boalt and Stanford (and the insane selectivity). So if you want to work smallgov in LA or want to roll the dice and hope for a high class rank and LA biglaw, maybe you'll be ok. But like I said, if my little brother was in this position, I'd tell him not to go.

and this is coming from someone who is a Bruin Fan. So you know UCLA law is bad.

Obviously not much of a national reputation, but I would say better than an "alright" school. Their employment numbers don't compare to the T14, but they are much better than most schools in the country. I wouldn't attend unless you know you want to remain in CA.

Dr. Dre wrote:

bruinfan10 wrote:I turned down a full ride from UCLA and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. My little brother is choosing a law school right now, and if he doesn't get money from a T13, I'm going to beg him not to go, if that means anything to you.

and this is coming from someone who is a Bruin Fan. So you know UCLA law is bad.

Breaks my heart to say it. But the same advice applies to UT-Austin, Vandy, Georgetown, etc, so I feel a little better.

Winston1984 wrote:Obviously not much of a national reputation, but I would say better than an "alright" school. Their employment numbers don't compare to the T14, but they are much better than most schools in the country. I wouldn't attend unless you know you want to remain in CA.

+1

Are you from Cali? Do you have ties anywhere else? I can sympathize with your frustration because it's hard to tell the difference between self-selection and national portability (or lack of it) when it comes to looking at geographic placement on LST. But I think it's fair to assume that if you go to UCLA and want to go elsewhere (with or without ties), you should expect to do almost all of the legwork yourself. I doubt that their CSO can help you outside of the cali market since that's where most of the alumni are going to be. FWIW I have a mixed bag of acquaintances in LA BigLaw (family friends...older friends...etc..) and they generally told me not to go to USC or UCLA unless i was positive that I wanted to stay in Socal

UCLA is arguably a trap school too...so don't go...

froglee wrote:UCLA is arguably a trap school too...so don't go...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piVnArp9ZE0

135k off sticker is a good enough price if you are from CA and not set on big law.