UC Hastings or USD ? Forum

[law04]

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[TheSpanishMain]

For Big law neither is remotely a good idea

[Mullens]

How can you look at this and think either is even a remotely good idea? Neither has any sort of national reputation other than "I bet the weather is nice there."

You'd be better off retaking the LSAT and going to a school that actually gives you a reasonable chance at your goals.

[Ti Malice]

Given that I want to get into Big Law and want to end up in So Cal, do you think I would be better off attending USD or Hastings?

You'd be better off retaking the LSAT and skipping the financial suicide part. Law school exams are much more difficult and less predictable than the LSAT. Disabuse yourself of the idea that you can score in the 65th percentile on the LSAT but reasonably feel confident that you'll finish 90th percentile or better in your class after 1L. That's extremely dangerous self-deception.

For $300K of debt at the start of repayment, Hastings offers you barely more than a 40% of landing a real legal job of any kind. Forget BigLaw. If you're not in the top 10-15% (and odds are very strong that you won't be), you're screwed. If you're lucky enough to work as a lawyer at all out of Hastings, odds are it won't be in a big firm.

For $265K of debt at repayment, USD offers you a coin flip's chance at landing a real lawyering job. Again, not a BigLaw job, but a real legal job of any kind. You'll need to finish in the top 10% to have a shot at working for a big firm.

Study up, retake the LSAT, and then go somewhere with vastly better employment outcomes and on a large no-stips scholarship. Or ignore the wealth of good advice you can get on this forum and make an objectively horrible, life-altering decision. I recommend the former.


Edit: typo

[Mal Reynolds]

Given that I want to get into Big Law and want to end up in So Cal, do you think I would be better off attending USD or Hastings?

Your goals and available schools are incompatible. They don't place people into biglaw.

[SFSpartan]

Given that I want to get into Big Law and want to end up in So Cal, do you think I would be better off attending USD or Hastings?

Disabuse yourself of the idea that you can score in the 65th percentile on the LSAT but reasonably feel confident that you'll finish 90th percentile or better in your class after 1L. That's extremely dangerous self-deception.

Edit: typo

Coming from the perspective of a Hastings student, all of the above advice is credited, especially the part that I quoted. The notion that you can study your way to the top 10% is the worst kind of special snowflake syndrome, and a lot of people in my 1L class ended up very disappointed when they tried it and ended up outside the Top 10%.

If you are biglaw or bust, neither of these schools are great places to be. If you want more info on Hastings, feel free to pm me. You should also pm hiima3L, who can help give your decision a bit of perspective.

[BigZuck]

I don't mean to pile on but how did you decide "I want big law" and then decide "I'll choose between Hastings and USD?" How are those two thoughts compatible in your mind? I'm genuinely curious.

[rad lulz]

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[rickgrimes69]

obvious troll is obvious

[lawschoolyayyy]

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Why do people delete their posts like this? Man up! With that said, neither. You're not cut out to be a lawyer if you can't stand by your words.

[ManoftheHour]

I wouldn't go to either even if they were free

They are that bad

[MikeJD]

retake LSAt..