Top Law Schools

Stats: 3.7, 164

Just got into Pepperdine with $40,000 per year with the stipulation I stay in the top half of my class. This would add up to 120,000.

I applied to USC ED but got deferred to the regular admissions pile. If I do end up getting in, I'm assuming it would be with very little to no scholarship. Obviously I had made the decision that USC was worth a full ride but now the decision would no longer be binding so I'd get to consider it.

My goal is to be an entertainment/sports lawyer (yes, I understand it's contracts). I also understand I wouldn't be representing clients anytime soon. Goal is to work with the in house at an entertainment company first (abc, HBO, etc.)

Let me know what you think

Retake.

uschopeful7 wrote:Stats: 3.7, 164

Just got into Pepperdine with $40,000 per year with the stipulation I stay in the top half of my class. This would add up to 120,000.

I applied to USC ED but got deferred to the regular admissions pile. If I do end up getting in, I'm assuming it would be with very little to no scholarship. Obviously I had made the decision that USC was worth a full ride but now the decision would no longer be binding so I'd get to consider it.

My goal is to be an entertainment/sports lawyer (yes, I understand it's contracts). I also understand I wouldn't be representing clients anytime soon. Goal is to work with the in house at an entertainment company first (abc, HBO, etc.)

Let me know what you think

ehh. Those jobs are limited in an even already limited market. But, with your GPA, retake and get into Boalt, get $$$ from USC. Pepperdine shouldn't be an option for you with that GPA if you wanna stay in Cali

You probably won't be accepted by USC so you will choosing from Pepp money and elsewhere. Retake.

Dude you have to retake. Like 4 or 5 more questions would get you 6 figures at USC. I negotiated them up to a full ride with a 168 (though my GPA was good). The jobs you're looking for are super-scarce, and you CANNOT go a quarter of a million in debt chasing them. Don't do it.

MikeJD wrote:You probably won't be accepted by USC so you will choosing from Pepp money and elsewhere. Retake.

If I retake in Feb will that mess up my apps for this year? What's the lowest score you think would for sure get me into USC? 166?

uschopeful7 wrote:What's the lowest score you think would for sure get me into USC?

their lsat median is 167, so a 168+ would put you above both medians. above both medians = as "for sure" as it gets.

listen to everybody and retake.

uschopeful7 wrote:

MikeJD wrote:You probably won't be accepted by USC so you will choosing from Pepp money and elsewhere. Retake.

If I retake in Feb will that mess up my apps for this year? What's the lowest score you think would for sure get me into USC? 166?

You won't be punished for doing worse, if that's what you're asking. You will be rewarded if you do better, though spots will be more scarce then. Retake until you get 6-figures at USC. Otherwise don't go there. It costs too much money for a 164 to attend.

Usually I am not so quick to agree with people shouting retake for anything under a 165, but you really should... You'd be making a huge mistake to attend either school with your money options. Pepperdine is less than a coin flip shot at getting ANY LEGAL employment. And you're chasing a very highly competitive job. USC wouldn't be a good choice unless you got substantial money. If you change your mind and broaden your career goals, then I'd choose Pepperdine and transfer up. With your scholly, you wouldn't accumulate too much debt in one year and can always drop out if you fall below median after your first year.

your goals will likely require big law or at the very least big law credentials. retake for t14 or for cheaper and better options

congratulations on the scholarship

you mentioned your desire to work in house at an entertainment company, such as hbo
that's a lofty goal; what would it take to get a job there?

well, one place to start is to do a little research on the people working in-house at hbo
we can find this information on martindale: http://www.martindale.com/Time-Warner-I ... people.htm

there's one thing you'll quickly notice reading through the profiles of lawyers in-house at hbo: most of them went to top schools
in fact, out of 36 listed employees, 29 of them went to top schools in the U.S.


a common way to get in-house is to start by working in a large firm
this might explain why top schools are disproportionately represented among the ranks at hbo

how likely is it to get a position in a large firm at pepperdine?
according to lawschooltransparency, 12.2% of the class of 2013 received such a position or a federal clerkship
now those aren't great odds
if in-house is your goal, i do not recommend going to pepperdine

on the other hand, did you know that the fully debt-financed cost of attendance at usc is $304,270 at repayment?
that's a serious amount of debt, especially considering that elite outcomes are no guarantee, even at a school like USC
from your post, it sounds like you're conscious of cost
that's very wise, many students would blindly jump into sticker debt, but it sounds like you're thinking in the long-term

with your 3.7 gpa, you could get significant scholarship money at usc, or other top schools, with a retake
it may not be the answer you want to hear, but it's the right choice
it will help you get into a school that gives you a decent shot of achieving your in-house goals, at a cost that won't put you at a grave risk of decades-long indebtedness

I wonder if people who are gunning for Ari Gold's job know what school he went to.

pancakes3 wrote:I wonder if people who are gunning for Ari Gold's job know what school he went to.

UMich JD/MBA

You have a better chance of getting big law out of Charlotte Law School, than you do getting Ari Gold's job out Pepperdine.

The usual caveats apply (i.e. don't assume you'll get top 15% because you got a scholarship). But remember that even if you get biglaw, you probably will not get "entertainment/sports" law. That 12.3% of the class at Pepperdine isn't picking where they want to work. They are taking whatever firm will give them an offer because most biglaw firms give very few offers to Pepperdine students. It may be a firm that doesn't have a single network or studio client, or it may be 2% of their workflow and be mostly handled by a partner and a single midlevel associate. If you don't see yourself liking corporate law work, with the industry as an added bonus, then don't go to law school. Taking on such huge debt to pursue such a niche career specialty, assuming you don't have prior WE, is silly.

Pepperdine

.

DaRascal wrote:Pepperdine

Ignore the troll.

Statistically you have the same chance at achieving your goal from both usc and Pepperdine and even half the t-14 - 0%. So it really doesn't matter what you do. I guess that means go the cheapest route so you aren't bummed when you don't get any of those jobs. When you actually want to be a lawyer come back to the board.

i have nearly the same stats and situation as the op, you guys have got me seriously considering a feb retake...

navko wrote:i have nearly the same stats and situation as the op, you guys have got me seriously considering a feb retake...

consider it even harder, and then actually do it.

ballcaps wrote:

navko wrote:i have nearly the same stats and situation as the op, you guys have got me seriously considering a feb retake...

consider it even harder, and then actually do it.

+1 with the gpa you guys have T-13 at half price is a real possibility with the right LSAT score.

You're probably screwed if you don't retake