Top Law Schools

I am from San Diego and would eventually like to practice there. UCLA has given me $40000 a year, and I would be paying in state tuition, for a total tuition of approximately $5500 a year. USC has given me $40000 a year, so total tuition would be about $15000 a year. Duke has given me $22500 a year, and Penn has not given me anything. Tuition at Duke would be about $30000 a year, and tuition at Penn is about $55000 a year. Assuming cost of living is the same everywhere, because the variance of that would be much less than these tuition differences, which of these is the best choice if my goal is to be hired by a large firm in Southern California. Are Penn and Duke worth that much more than UCLA, is Penn worth $25000 a year more than Duke is, especially in southern California?

Duke despite their underwhelming performance against Mercer today is TCR - enjoy the Triangle!

How do you feel about NYC? If you're CA or bust, I'd lean towards UCLA, but Duke would give you more a safety net grades-wise if you were willing to bid NYC.

eliminate penn.

DUKE or UCLA at this point with a slight nod to UCLA.

Nelson wrote:How do you feel about NYC? If you're CA or bust, I'd lean towards UCLA, but Duke would give you more a safety net grades-wise if you were willing to bid NYC.

I would really like to stay in california

Nelson wrote:How do you feel about NYC? If you're CA or bust, I'd lean towards UCLA, but Duke would give you more a safety net grades-wise if you were willing to bid NYC.

What about Duke in this situation makes it the best choice?

richard17 wrote:

Nelson wrote:How do you feel about NYC? If you're CA or bust, I'd lean towards UCLA, but Duke would give you more a safety net grades-wise if you were willing to bid NYC.

What about Duke in this situation makes it the best choice?

Duke just gives you a lot more flexibility if you end up at median after 1L, a reasonable assumption. However, that advantage would primarily be in NYC, not in CA. If you only want to work in CA, I don't know why you are considering leaving, just go UCLA (unless Berkeley becomes an option).

I think the advice of eliminating Penn is wise. So it comes down to UCLA vs. Duke. If you want biglaw, Duke. If you are happy with a smaller firm in California, $40,000 at UCLA is pretty nice (not to say that a $22,000 at Duke aint nice).

Also the COL is not the same everywhere and would be worth incorporating. It would be helpful if we knew total COA. Try this: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=225195

negotiate your $$ up with UCLA; attend and profit.

Alternatively, negotiate more from Duke (if you don't like basketball).

.

Also, is UCLA clearly better than USC? UCLA would cost $10000 less for me. Should I definitely eliminate USC?

richard17 wrote:Also, is UCLA clearly better than USC? UCLA would cost $10000 less for me. Should I definitely eliminate USC?

$10,000 a year ( which would be $30,000) or $10,000 total? If its the former, then I would eliminate it, if its the latter, then not necessarily.