Top Law Schools

Thanks for taking the time to help me out with choosing my school. I really do appreciate it!

I am considering four schools. Fortunate that parents are helping me out with housing/fees/books. I will be financing the rest through government loans. From CA, open to starting career in LA, Chicago, NY. Interested in transactional work.

GPA - 3.5x, LSAT - 163 (taken three times, took forum advice to work for a year and max out retakes)

1. Boston College ($20k/year scholarship, COA - $80.370)
2. Illinois (full tuition scholarship, COA - $0)
3. Pepperdine ($30k/year scholarship, $56,910)
4. University of San Diego (full tuition scholarship, COA - $0)

Again, really appreciate the advice. Hope y'all have a great rest of your week!

Depends what you mean on 'transactional work.' As I understand it, a lot of deal work (for example, M&A) is in BigLaw. If that's the case, you're not gonna get there with the schools you've got. Even being in a t14 school provides no guarantee of getting BigLaw, especially not in a choice market like NY or Chicago.

If you are open to mid-size more regional firms, go to the school in the region you want to practice. BC won't help you in California, and San Diego won't help you in Chicago, etc. The schools you've got on tap are all cheap enough with your scholarships (Except for BC) that you could do anything and not get significantly burned on debt - you'll just have to be comfortable likely not being the hotshot in the NY firm (doing due diligence until your eyes bleed, but whatever - preftige!)

None are great for your goals, but Illinois is the best for your goals (or at least equal with BC), and it's the cheapest.

If you attend UIUC, there is no guarantee that you will get any kind of legal work in Chicago. Would you be happy working and and living in one of the collar counties/central/southern Illinois? I doubt you would, especially at the very modest income you'd likely be drawing (although no debt helps.)

Do you have any real ties to Illinois?

To Wingtip, no, I don't have any ties to Illinois and I probably will not be happy working in other parts of Illinois other than Chicago (big fan of the city the few times I've visited)

I have yet to negotiate with BC for scholarship monies, but do any of you think that if I were to receive more from then, BC would be a viable option?

Thanks for the responses!

What do you mean by transactional work?

BigZuck wrote:What do you mean by transactional work?

I just don't have any interest in being in court

Don't go or retake again

Doesn't sound like you'd like outcomes from any of these schools

Also like IL if limited to these options (at that price and w/ a glimmer of BL upside - ~20% - that's comperable to BC).

If there is someone winning at this law school racket - it's a tenured prof at Pepperdine. I'd trade my cold northern city for Malibu any day (though Willie the Wave is straight nightmare fuel).