Top Law Schools

Hi all,

I'm currently deciding between UCLA and USC Gould by Friday. I have money from both schools, but it's a non-factor; the debt load is even after three years. In many respects I prefer UCLA, but I'm trying to get a sense of whether USC's alumni network is all it's cracked up to be. Specifically, what does being a Trojan *really* mean for getting big law or entertainment law jobs here in LA? On the other side, is UCLA's network underrated by comparison? Personal anecdotes or stories of friends are very welcome.

In case anyone is tempted to give the hyperbolic "those schools suck, go somewhere else after retaking the test" response , I'm happy with these choices which make great sense given my prior entertainment work experience, career aims, and geographical focus. (Plus, they're, ya know, really good schools.) My work experience/connections will give me a bit of a leg up, but I need to try to cover all my bases in this job market before deciding.

Thanks in advance for any input, even if in your experience it's splitting hairs to place one above the other.

Each school's biglaw placement, which is equal, says it all. The "Trojan Network" is not really a thing (at least for law students), and UCLA does not have an underrated alumni network. Though you'll find exceptions, generally, alums from either school don't go out of their way to recruit. Get above median grades and you'll have a reasonable shot at a job in CA. Get top 1/3 at either school and you have a good chance at LA biglaw.

If cost is equal, and you like UCLA more, go there.

Disclaimer: Current USC Law Student.

SemiReverseSplinter wrote:Each school's biglaw placement, which is equal, says it all. The "Trojan Network" is not really a thing (at least for law students), and UCLA does not have an underrated alumni network. Though you'll find exceptions, generally, alums from either school don't go out of their way to recruit. Get above median grades and you'll have a reasonable shot at a job in CA. Get top 1/3 at either school and you have a good chance at LA biglaw.

If cost is equal, and you like UCLA more, go there.

Disclaimer: Current USC Law Student.

The USC alums I spoke with who deal with hiring mentioned looking at USC students before others. I'd assume this is the same for UCLA and other schools, though. I also heard it's a better network for later in your career, not necessarily for the first job.

Fellow former-entertainment industry minion that considered both schools: all else being equal, I'd still pick UCLA, even more so if you preferred it. The biggest difference I found between the two was the pervasive biglaw or bust mentality from USC, whereas UCLA seemed more balanced in terms of PI-interested students and those who wanted biglaw. I just got a weird vibe from the smaller class size at USC that seemed hellbent on getting a particular outcome that's basically only open to a third of the class. UCLA's biglaw numbers might be similar, but I got the sense at least 10% of the class (if not more) didn't want biglaw and didn't gun for it. I'm at GULC where we have a similar demographic, and it's honestly refreshing to have classmates you're not competing against (besides for grades).

tl;dr both are good, but you won't go wrong picking UCLA

current 2L at USC who got a biglaw summer associate position through OCI.

from what i've gathered, the schools are basically comparable when it comes to biglaw. there isn't a huge difference, and law firms where i interviewed mentioned that some years they get a lot of USC students, some years they get a lot from UCLA. there might be a slight preference for downtown firms to hire from USC and century city firms to hire from UCLA, but it's really almost insignificant. a lot of those things come down to personalities of the applicants, from what i've seen and experienced. everyone i know who doesn't have a job has a fairly glaring reason. they're awkward, they wore something unprofessional, they weren't on top of applications and probably would have been hired if they applied early. i'd say go where you like the best. you're not going to see a huge hiring difference one way or another.

the one thing i have noticed is our class is pretty close and everyone is genuinely friendly with each other. this UCLA class seems to be competitive - everyone is more like frenemies. i can totally see how reaching out to someone from my class down the line would be an opinion if i was interested in moving to another firm.