Top Law Schools

Hey, this is my first time posting on this site and I could use some advise in choosing which law school to attend. Previously, I had been set on UC Hastings but just got accepted off the waitlist at UIUC. I rather people not focus their advise too much on which one is cheaper (I have a significant amount in savings, and family is covering the rest and are flexible on repayment).

I am much more concerned with the employment outcomes. Granted, I know both are dismal by the standards of this site but these are my options nonetheless, and deferring a year to retake is not an option. California as a final destination would be preferred but finding my best chance at gainful employment is my primary concern. Honestly, if UIUCs figures off of LST are likely to hold up until I make it to OCI this would be a simple decision for me. However, with their slide in ranking and student quality I am concerned that their employment figures are bound to suffer, especially in big law.

Ideally I would like to find employment in Biglaw but I am aware my chances of this at both schools are slim and I would be content with a smaller firm/gov job. Thank you for taking the time to read this over and I appreciate any and all advice.

why isn't a retake an option?

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=206299

You need to do all this first. All of it.

COA: Not really relevant in my situation as I described above.

Geographic presence: As I mentioned I would prefer California but attending the superior school (in regards to employment outcome) takes precedence. My father is a partner and rotates between Chicago, NYC, and LA offices so I have connections in all the above areas.

I have taken the LSAT three times and that's why I said retaking is not an option.

Preferred Career: Biglaw is best case scenario but I would be happy with a small firm/gov job

XxEnderxX wrote:COA: Not really relevant in my situation as I described above.

Geographic presence: As I mentioned I would prefer California but attending the superior school (in regards to employment outcome) takes precedence. My father is a partner and rotates between Chicago, NYC, and LA offices so I have connections in all the above areas.

I have taken the LSAT three times and that's why I said retaking is not an option.

Preferred Career: Biglaw is best case scenario but I would be happy with a small firm/gov job

Retake if you want a chance at big law.

If you just want a JD and its for freesies then pick your preferred poison. YOLO.

If you have to pay anything substantial yourself and you refuse to retake then don't go to law school.

If money isn't an issue then you should take that money and enjoy yourself for the next of couple years while you study for a retake.

Retake and COA aside, this boils entirely down to where you want to work. These schools service very different geographic markets. I would personally go to UIllinois since I know hastings blows mad dick and is regarded poorly even in CA, whereas Im not quite as certain about champagne (its viewed better regionally tho).

jbagelboy wrote:Retake and COA aside, this boils entirely down to where you want to work. These schools service very different geographic markets. I would personally go to UIllinois since I know hastings blows mad dick and is regarded poorly even in CA, whereas Im not quite as certain about champagne (its viewed better regionally tho).

Problem with wanting to work is that you probably won't get the chance to if you go to Hastings.

AM I RIGHT DO YOU SEE WHAT I DID THERE!?!

Seriously though OP, don't go to Hastings if you want to be a lawyer and don't go to UIUC if all your actual ties are in CA (which it sounds like they are). Unless you can cop DAT NEPOTISM, in which case go wherever you prefer.

There doesn't seem to be a good reason for not retaking besides you not wanting to. Both are terrible values, especially for someone that wants big law. Look up the OCI threads for these schools for last year if you don't believe me.

Unless daddy can guarantee you a job when you graduate, you need to not attend and retake the LSAT, because:

XxEnderxX wrote:I have taken the LSAT three times and that's why I said retaking is not an option.

We both know that's not true, and

XxEnderxX wrote:Preferred Career: Biglaw is best case scenario but I would be happy with a small firm/gov job

Because those jobs are super easy to get, right?

I don't know much about UIUC, but I know UCHastings very well, and you will get an excellent legal education there (my daughter just graduated). It ranks in the top 15 nationally in peer reviews (by other law schools) and professionals (by lawyers and Judges), and has great programs in many "cutting edge" areas of the law (entrepreneurial, work life, bio-life, tech, etc); it is also is strong in most traditional fields, as the faculty is highly regarded, and has easy access to top adjunct professors (San Francisco practitioners).

If you want to work where you attend law school, you have to understand that San Francisco is probably the most crowded\popular legal market in the US. There are lots of jobs for UCH grads in other parts of California, in the rest of the US, and also overseas, particularly Asia and Europe. However, nearly all (90% plus) UCH grads want to stay in SF, and this has had a substantial and negative impact on its USNWR rankings...many grads would rather work in non-legal jobs than leave San Francisco.

So if you don't intend to stay in SF after you graduate, then UCH would be a very good choice for you, given its national reputation. If on the other hand, you want to practice where UIUC is located (Champagne?), that could be helpful in getting a job there, and your classmates could be a good source of job and client referrals.

Plastir wrote:I don't know much about UIUC, but I know UCHastings very well, and you will get an excellent legal education there (my daughter just graduated). It ranks in the top 15 nationally in peer reviews (by other law schools) and professionals (by lawyers and Judges), and has great programs in many "cutting edge" areas of the law (entrepreneurial, work life, bio-life, tech, etc); it is also is strong in most traditional fields, as the faculty is highly regarded, and has easy access to top adjunct professors (San Francisco practitioners).

If you want to work where you attend law school, you have to understand that San Francisco is probably the most crowded\popular legal market in the US. There are lots of jobs for UCH grads in other parts of California, in the rest of the US, and also overseas, particularly Asia and Europe. However, nearly all (90% plus) UCH grads want to stay in SF, and this has had a substantial and negative impact on its USNWR rankings...many grads would rather work in non-legal jobs than leave San Francisco.

So if you don't intend to stay in SF after you graduate, then UCH would be a very good choice for you, given its national reputation. If on the other hand, you want to practice where UIUC is located (Champagne?), that could be helpful in getting a job there, and your classmates could be a good source of job and client referrals.

Oh look, a Boomer giving bad advice based on the legal market from 20 years ago.

North wrote:

Plastir wrote:I don't know much about UIUC, but I know UCHastings very well, and you will get an excellent legal education there (my daughter just graduated). It ranks in the top 15 nationally in peer reviews (by other law schools) and professionals (by lawyers and Judges), and has great programs in many "cutting edge" areas of the law (entrepreneurial, work life, bio-life, tech, etc); it is also is strong in most traditional fields, as the faculty is highly regarded, and has easy access to top adjunct professors (San Francisco practitioners).

If you want to work where you attend law school, you have to understand that San Francisco is probably the most crowded\popular legal market in the US. There are lots of jobs for UCH grads in other parts of California, in the rest of the US, and also overseas, particularly Asia and Europe. However, nearly all (90% plus) UCH grads want to stay in SF, and this has had a substantial and negative impact on its USNWR rankings...many grads would rather work in non-legal jobs than leave San Francisco.

So if you don't intend to stay in SF after you graduate, then UCH would be a very good choice for you, given its national reputation. If on the other hand, you want to practice where UIUC is located (Champagne?), that could be helpful in getting a job there, and your classmates could be a good source of job and client referrals.

Oh look, a Boomer giving bad advice based on the legal market from 20 years ago.

Hastings stats are bad because people would rather be unemployed with massive debt than leave San Francisco? No one could possibly believe this is true. I doubt that even admissions would try to spread this garbage about employment.

Plastir wrote:I don't know much about UIUC, but I know UCHastings very well, and you will get an excellent legal education there (my daughter just graduated). It ranks in the top 15 nationally in peer reviews (by other law schools) and professionals (by lawyers and Judges), and has great programs in many "cutting edge" areas of the law (entrepreneurial, work life, bio-life, tech, etc); it is also is strong in most traditional fields, as the faculty is highly regarded, and has easy access to top adjunct professors (San Francisco practitioners).

If you want to work where you attend law school, you have to understand that San Francisco is probably the most crowded\popular legal market in the US. There are lots of jobs for UCH grads in other parts of California, in the rest of the US, and also overseas, particularly Asia and Europe. However, nearly all (90% plus) UCH grads want to stay in SF, and this has had a substantial and negative impact on its USNWR rankings...many grads would rather work in non-legal jobs than leave San Francisco.

So if you don't intend to stay in SF after you graduate, then UCH would be a very good choice for you, given its national reputation. If on the other hand, you want to practice where UIUC is located (Champagne?), that could be helpful in getting a job there, and your classmates could be a good source of job and client referrals.

This post is bad and you should feel bad

i can only speak in regards to hastings: biglaw from hastings is attainable is you are top 10%; you also may have a shot at up to top 15%. besides that, biglaw is not happening.

Plastir wrote:I don't know much about UIUC, but I know UCHastings very well, and you will get an excellent legal education there (my daughter just graduated). It ranks in the top 15 nationally in peer reviews (by other law schools) and professionals (by lawyers and Judges), and has great programs in many "cutting edge" areas of the law (entrepreneurial, work life, bio-life, tech, etc); it is also is strong in most traditional fields, as the faculty is highly regarded, and has easy access to top adjunct professors (San Francisco practitioners).

If you want to work where you attend law school, you have to understand that San Francisco is probably the most crowded\popular legal market in the US. There are lots of jobs for UCH grads in other parts of California, in the rest of the US, and also overseas, particularly Asia and Europe. However, nearly all (90% plus) UCH grads want to stay in SF, and this has had a substantial and negative impact on its USNWR rankings...many grads would rather work in non-legal jobs than leave San Francisco.

So if you don't intend to stay in SF after you graduate, then UCH would be a very good choice for you, given its national reputation. If on the other hand, you want to practice where UIUC is located (Champagne?), that could be helpful in getting a job there, and your classmates could be a good source of job and client referrals.

Nice try, Dean of Hastings.

Plastir wrote:I don't know much about UIUC, but I know UCHastings very well, and you will get an excellent legal education there (my daughter just graduated). It ranks in the top 15 nationally in peer reviews (by other law schools) and professionals (by lawyers and Judges), and has great programs in many "cutting edge" areas of the law (entrepreneurial, work life, bio-life, tech, etc); it is also is strong in most traditional fields, as the faculty is highly regarded, and has easy access to top adjunct professors (San Francisco practitioners).

If you want to work where you attend law school, you have to understand that San Francisco is probably the most crowded\popular legal market in the US. There are lots of jobs for UCH grads in other parts of California, in the rest of the US, and also overseas, particularly Asia and Europe. However, nearly all (90% plus) UCH grads want to stay in SF, and this has had a substantial and negative impact on its USNWR rankings...many grads would rather work in non-legal jobs than leave San Francisco.

So if you don't intend to stay in SF after you graduate, then UCH would be a very good choice for you, given its national reputation. If on the other hand, you want to practice where UIUC is located (Champagne?), that could be helpful in getting a job there, and your classmates could be a good source of job and client referrals.

Nice post history

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 6#p6360246

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 7#p5901457

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 7#p5898367

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 4#p5556664

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3#p5543513

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 9#p5521659

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3#p5495603

ImNoScar wrote:There doesn't seem to be a good reason for not retaking besides you not wanting to. Both are terrible values, especially for someone that wants big law. Look up the OCI threads for these schools for last year if you don't believe me.

I'm not sure if this is very good advice. If they have already taken it 3 times another time is unlikely to change the score. Shockingly, not everyone needs to go to a T14. Check the OCI threads from last year. Almost everyone from Hastings tended to do how their numbers indicated. Almost everyone that got high grades got firm jobs or transferred out (http://top-law-schools.com/forums/viewt ... 3&t=190293).

I'm not saying going to Hastings is a good financial decision. Paying $200,000 for a 10% chance at biglaw is not a good idea. That doesn't mean going to a less expensive law school would be a bad decision. It depends on OP's desire to be a lawyer.

Lasers wrote:i can only speak in regards to hastings: biglaw from hastings is attainable is you are top 10%; you also may have a shot at up to top 15%. besides that, biglaw is not happening.

Plastir wrote:I don't know much about UIUC, but I know UCHastings very well, and you will get an excellent legal education there (my daughter just graduated). It ranks in the top 15 nationally in peer reviews (by other law schools) and professionals (by lawyers and Judges), and has great programs in many "cutting edge" areas of the law (entrepreneurial, work life, bio-life, tech, etc); it is also is strong in most traditional fields, as the faculty is highly regarded, and has easy access to top adjunct professors (San Francisco practitioners).

If you want to work where you attend law school, you have to understand that San Francisco is probably the most crowded\popular legal market in the US. There are lots of jobs for UCH grads in other parts of California, in the rest of the US, and also overseas, particularly Asia and Europe. However, nearly all (90% plus) UCH grads want to stay in SF, and this has had a substantial and negative impact on its USNWR rankings...many grads would rather work in non-legal jobs than leave San Francisco.

So if you don't intend to stay in SF after you graduate, then UCH would be a very good choice for you, given its national reputation. If on the other hand, you want to practice where UIUC is located (Champagne?), that could be helpful in getting a job there, and your classmates could be a good source of job and client referrals.

Still peddling this same ridiculous garbage, you pathetic shill? UCH doesn't have a national reputation. And the claim that loads of UCH grads carrying around $250K+ in non-dischargeable debt -- growing at 7.5%+ annually -- are going to accept non-legal work or unemployment (over 20% of the entire class of 2012 listed themselves as "unemployed - seeking" nine months after graduating) in one of the most expensive cities on earth over taking a lucrative legal job elsewhere is too obscenely stupid for words. You're going to have to find a better pitch, shill, because no one here will be dumb enough to believe that nonsense.

Dont go to UC-H. UC-H's job prospects blow. There are TTTs that place a substantially higher % of grads into long-term, full-time legal jobs.

UC-H wrote:•46.3% of graduates were known to be employed in long-term, full-time legal jobs.
•59.8% graduates were employed in long-term jobs.
•57.8% graduates were employed in full-time jobs.

http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school= ... show=chars

Preach, Ti.

Jimbo_Jones wrote:

Plastir wrote:I don't know much about UIUC, but I know UCHastings very well, and you will get an excellent legal education there (my daughter just graduated). It ranks in the top 15 nationally in peer reviews (by other law schools) and professionals (by lawyers and Judges), and has great programs in many "cutting edge" areas of the law (entrepreneurial, work life, bio-life, tech, etc); it is also is strong in most traditional fields, as the faculty is highly regarded, and has easy access to top adjunct professors (San Francisco practitioners).

If you want to work where you attend law school, you have to understand that San Francisco is probably the most crowded\popular legal market in the US. There are lots of jobs for UCH grads in other parts of California, in the rest of the US, and also overseas, particularly Asia and Europe. However, nearly all (90% plus) UCH grads want to stay in SF, and this has had a substantial and negative impact on its USNWR rankings...many grads would rather work in non-legal jobs than leave San Francisco.

So if you don't intend to stay in SF after you graduate, then UCH would be a very good choice for you, given its national reputation. If on the other hand, you want to practice where UIUC is located (Champagne?), that could be helpful in getting a job there, and your classmates could be a good source of job and client referrals.

Nice post history

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 6#p6360246

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 7#p5901457

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 7#p5898367

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 4#p5556664

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3#p5543513

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 9#p5521659

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3#p5495603

AHAHA. This is really sad.

Jimbo_Jones wrote:

Plastir wrote:I don't know much about UIUC, but I know UCHastings very well, and you will get an excellent legal education there (my daughter just graduated). It ranks in the top 15 nationally in peer reviews (by other law schools) and professionals (by lawyers and Judges), and has great programs in many "cutting edge" areas of the law (entrepreneurial, work life, bio-life, tech, etc); it is also is strong in most traditional fields, as the faculty is highly regarded, and has easy access to top adjunct professors (San Francisco practitioners).

If you want to work where you attend law school, you have to understand that San Francisco is probably the most crowded\popular legal market in the US. There are lots of jobs for UCH grads in other parts of California, in the rest of the US, and also overseas, particularly Asia and Europe. However, nearly all (90% plus) UCH grads want to stay in SF, and this has had a substantial and negative impact on its USNWR rankings...many grads would rather work in non-legal jobs than leave San Francisco.

So if you don't intend to stay in SF after you graduate, then UCH would be a very good choice for you, given its national reputation. If on the other hand, you want to practice where UIUC is located (Champagne?), that could be helpful in getting a job there, and your classmates could be a good source of job and client referrals.

Nice post history

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 6#p6360246

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 7#p5901457

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 7#p5898367

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 4#p5556664

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3#p5543513

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 9#p5521659

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3#p5495603

Oh man, Hastings made a dummy account on TLS? That is absolutely precious.

Isnt it a ban-able offense to proselytize on Choosing threads as an adcom representative?

Plastir wrote:I don't know much about UIUC, but I know UCHastings very well, and you will get an excellent legal education there (my daughter just graduated). It ranks in the top 15 nationally in peer reviews (by other law schools) and professionals (by lawyers and Judges), and has great programs in many "cutting edge" areas of the law (entrepreneurial, work life, bio-life, tech, etc); it is also is strong in most traditional fields, as the faculty is highly regarded, and has easy access to top adjunct professors (San Francisco practitioners).

If you want to work where you attend law school, you have to understand that San Francisco is probably the most crowded\popular legal market in the US. There are lots of jobs for UCH grads in other parts of California, in the rest of the US, and also overseas, particularly Asia and Europe. However, nearly all (90% plus) UCH grads want to stay in SF, and this has had a substantial and negative impact on its USNWR rankings...many grads would rather work in non-legal jobs than leave San Francisco.

So if you don't intend to stay in SF after you graduate, then UCH would be a very good choice for you, given its national reputation. If on the other hand, you want to practice where UIUC is located (Champagne?), that could be helpful in getting a job there, and your classmates could be a good source of job and client referrals.

This reads like the stimulus to a really easy LR passage.

To OP and anyone else who might see this, if it isn't already obvious, disregard Plastir's post entirely.