Top Law Schools

Born and raised in So Cal and would prefer to come back. Budgeting 60k for living at all 3 schools so total COA is:

UCLA:
111K

USC:
120K

GULC:
160K+

Obvious this doesn't look good for Gtown. I would like to clerk (Fed ideally) after school and them big law.

3.4/172/MA URM

What say TLS?

I think UCLA makes sense. The price is reasonable given your goals.

One thing though. With any of these schools clerking is very unlikely. Biglaw is also unlikely at any of these schools - though you've certainly got a shot. Make sure you're comfortable with plan B. (and if plan B is big fed, midlaw, ACLU, etc. then make sure you're comfortable with plan C).

Call USC/UCLA for more money, I bet at least one will up you quite a bit.

Nomo wrote:
One thing though. With any of these schools clerking is very unlikely. Biglaw is also unlikely at any of these schools - though you've certainly got a shot.

I saw that both USC and UCLA hover around 8% for clerkships but I couldn't tell anything about federal ones. And big law chances don't seem as slim as you indicate. Am I missing something? Thanks for the input!

As URM your chances are probably a lot higher if that's what you really want.

christam wrote:

Nomo wrote:
One thing though. With any of these schools clerking is very unlikely. Biglaw is also unlikely at any of these schools - though you've certainly got a shot.

I saw that both USC and UCLA hover around 8% for clerkships but I couldn't tell anything about federal ones. And big law chances don't seem as slim as you indicate. Am I missing something? Thanks for the input!

Not calling them slim. Just unlikely. As in you're more likely not to get biglaw at UCLA than you are to get biglaw.