Top Law Schools

Hey I'm struggling to decide between a full scholarship to ucla and a 35k yearly (out of 53k -though possible tuition increases) scholarship to UVA. Obviously, I need to decide partly on personal fit/feel but any input as to which is the best value offer would be appreciated.

I'm interested in biglaw, clerking/becoming a judge, or the near impossible goal of becoming a law professor. My original intent was to go to the bay area, but didn't get into stanford and presently don't have a scholarship offer to berkeley. I'm open to living/working anywhere so long as it's not the northeast (I also didn't apply to any of those schools). I don't have any other major offers other than one from duke at 27k ish a yr. which I'm negotiating. I would be financing everything myself although I do have parents who could help if everything turned out badly after graduation. The cost of attendance then over 3yrs would be about 60k at ucla and 118k at virginia. I got a 3.98 gpa and a 169 lsat ( i did retake the test once). Thanks for helping.

Also I went to UCLA undergrad. I grew up in LA and my parents are here. Not too many connections in law though. My sister is really my only legal connection. She works in the bay area

For most goals UVA is going to be worth more than ~45k at UCLA.

You've stated nothing about your goals though.

Also, surely 105k at UVA means you have more options than these two right?

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

I added some more info up top

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

I would do everything in that thread if you want good advice.

Isn't Berk usually pretty good about matching scholarship offers? Have you negotiated with them?

Berkeley doesn't have Virginia or UCLA on its matching list. Not having uva kinda surprised me. They do have duke though. Thanks again. I think I added some more useful info this is my first time using this site

Gooner91 wrote:Isn't Berk usually pretty good about matching scholarship offers? Have you negotiated with them?

Really? I always thought they were one of the stingiest. They don't acknowledge some schools' offers and they have the tendency to look at a Cornell full ride (for example) and then offer like 75K.

Maybe I'm off base though.

BigZuck wrote:

Gooner91 wrote:Isn't Berk usually pretty good about matching scholarship offers? Have you negotiated with them?

Really? I always thought they were one of the stingiest. They don't acknowledge some schools' offers and they have the tendency to look at a Cornell full ride (for example) and then offer like 75K.

Maybe I'm off base though.

Maybe you are right. I thought I read they are generous in matching offers but maybe I am wrong. Might be worth for OP to look into further.

Gooner91 wrote:

BigZuck wrote:

Gooner91 wrote:Isn't Berk usually pretty good about matching scholarship offers? Have you negotiated with them?

Really? I always thought they were one of the stingiest. They don't acknowledge some schools' offers and they have the tendency to look at a Cornell full ride (for example) and then offer like 75K.

Maybe I'm off base though.

Maybe you are right. I thought I read they are generous in matching offers but maybe I am wrong. Might be worth for OP to look into further.

Going off what Big Zuck said in another thread, I don't think Berkeley acknowledges UVA even has a law school. I would still probably mention it, just in case they will match.

Winston1984 wrote:

Gooner91 wrote:

BigZuck wrote:

Gooner91 wrote:Isn't Berk usually pretty good about matching scholarship offers? Have you negotiated with them?

Really? I always thought they were one of the stingiest. They don't acknowledge some schools' offers and they have the tendency to look at a Cornell full ride (for example) and then offer like 75K.

Maybe I'm off base though.

Maybe you are right. I thought I read they are generous in matching offers but maybe I am wrong. Might be worth for OP to look into further.

Going off what Big Zuck said in another thread, I don't think Berkeley acknowledges UVA even has a law school. I would still probably mention it, just in case they will match.

Berkeley listed UVA 2 cycles ago iirc. No idea why they no longer do.

I don't know if DC counts as northeast. But that's a pretty good price for UVA. And you could always look toward heading to DC if CA doesn't work out.

I don't know what your plans are this summer, or what exactly your sister does. But you should try and get her to put you in touch with as many bay area lawyers as possible. Take them to lunch and set up informational interviews about their jobs, the legal market in the bay area, heading back west from an east coast school, etc. Start hustling and build your network. Then bid DC, and send emails back west when OCI comes around.

I'm just a lowly 0L, but I have similar plans this summer for my home market and I'm hoping it works out.

mjr.don wrote:I don't know if DC counts as northeast. But that's a pretty good price for UVA. And you could always look toward heading to DC if CA doesn't work out.

I don't know what your plans are this summer, or what exactly your sister does. But you should try and get her to put you in touch with as many bay area lawyers as possible. Take them to lunch and set up informational interviews about their jobs, the legal market in the bay area, heading back west from an east coast school, etc. Start hustling and build your network. Then bid DC, and send emails back west when OCI comes around.

I'm just a lowly 0L, but I have similar plans this summer for my home market and I'm hoping it works out.

I don't like this plan. If he/she can't get CA its probably because grades. Therefore, he/she won't have the grades to get DC either. If there's any backup market it's NYC, not DC.

Would you rather work biglaw in NYC or small law in LA? Answering that should answer the Which school? question, but understand that your goals sound pretty far from small law. You can always start in NYC and work your way west, but if you miss biglaw from UCLA, as most people do, you almost certainly won't get it later.

Tiago Splitter wrote:Would you rather work biglaw in NYC or small law in LA? Answering that should answer the Which school? question, but understand that your goals sound pretty far from small law. You can always start in NYC and work your way west, but if you miss biglaw from UCLA, as most people do, you almost certainly won't get it later.

I agree with this. If you are good with NYC big law then UVA.

People at median get SoCal biglaw at UVA. It's not frequent (because most Californians don't come here) but that shouldn't make you think it's not easy. If you have ties, SoCal will be open to you at UVA.

daleearnhardt123 wrote:People at median get SoCal biglaw at UVA. It's not frequent (because most Californians don't come here) but that shouldn't make you think it's not easy. If you have ties, SoCal will be open to you at UVA.

Yeah okay...

It's going to be tough getting California biglaw out of either of these schools. I'd probably still go to UVA, keeping in mind that odds are you won't get California biglaw

I would be open to NYC. Just want to say a quick thank you to everyone for all your help.

daleearnhardt123 wrote:People at median get SoCal biglaw at HARVARD/YALE/STANFORD. It's not frequent (because most Californians don't come here) but that shouldn't make you think it's not easy. If you have ties, SoCal will be open to you .

Fixed it for you.