Harvard Law vs. Stanford Law Forum

[undecided2019]

First-time poster on TLS! I've been thinking and overthinking about where I should go to law school for a long time now. I know there have been Stanford/Harvard topics in the past--and I've read some of them--but I was hoping people might have more specific guidance for me. I'd appreciate ANY helpful feedback that you might have!

Some things about me:
-I studied political science at a great university in the Southeast, but I feel as though I didn't like my college experience as much as I thought I would because it lacked the vibrant, urban setting that I was accustomed to (Quality of life is important to me). I'd like to enjoy my three years in law school.
-I was also admitted to Yale Law School and thought the school is an amazing and incredibly impressive place, but I eliminated it because I just didn't want to spend 3 years in New Haven given my alternatives. Also, I personally found the combination of the school's architecture and culture a bit stuffy.
-I am still exploring the exact field of law I want to practice
-I am originally from Southern California and I would like to work at a large law firm in Los Angeles upon graduation
-I would describe myself as ambitious, but laid back

Now some considerations about each school:
Harvard
-The school is A LOT bigger. On the one hand, this is an obvious negative. I won't be able to interrupt the professor more than a few times for clarification during a HLS lecture with 90 other students in the room. On the other hand, the bigger class size allows me to meet more people--more friendships and connections that will continue long after law school
-HLS is a great excuse to explore the Northeast and spend a few years away from CA
-I don't intend to practice law forever. I'd like to transition into a managerial role at some point--either in a business/nonprofit/government institution. I suspect Harvard is simply a better launching pad for such goals, but I'm not sure if having gone to Harvard or Stanford will make a difference at that junction in my career (likely will have been working as a lawyer for 15-20 years).
-I hate this last one, but I think its salient for most people in my position, Harvard is Harvard. That also means having access to Harvard Business School and the Kennedy School.

Stanford
-Its CA: lots of trees, great weather, west-coast culture, and close to family. I figure law school can be hard enough at times; being in Silicon Valley would make the tough times a bit easier
-Stanford is a small school where getting individual attention would be a guarantee
-Job prospects at the outset of my career might be better here since I want to practice in LA? I've been told by a few HLS students that you need median grades (3 or 4 H's to secure a good firm job your second year), whereas SLS students have told me that grades really don't matter very much at all

Its not a lot to run with, I know. Since I don't have a specific area of interest, significant other, etc., I could go either way. Stanford's $$ was pretty generous, I'm not sure how Harvard's will look. I really don't know which way I should go. Help please, and thank you!!

[curry1]

First-time poster on TLS! I've been thinking and overthinking about where I should go to law school for a long time now. I know there have been Stanford/Harvard topics in the past--and I've read some of them--but I was hoping people might have more specific guidance for me. I'd appreciate ANY helpful feedback that you might have!

Some things about me:
-I studied political science at a great university in the Southeast, but I feel as though I didn't like my college experience as much as I thought I would because it lacked the vibrant, urban setting that I was accustomed to (Quality of life is important to me). I'd like to enjoy my three years in law school.
-I was also admitted to Yale Law School and thought the school is an amazing and incredibly impressive place, but I eliminated it because I just didn't want to spend 3 years in New Haven given my alternatives. Also, I personally found the combination of the school's architecture and culture a bit stuffy.
-I am still exploring the exact field of law I want to practice
-I am originally from Southern California and I would like to work at a large law firm in Los Angeles upon graduation
-I would describe myself as ambitious, but laid back

Now some considerations about each school:
Harvard
-The school is A LOT bigger. On the one hand, this is an obvious negative. I won't be able to interrupt the professor more than a few times for clarification during a HLS lecture with 90 other students in the room. On the other hand, the bigger class size allows me to meet more people--more friendships and connections that will continue long after law school
-HLS is a great excuse to explore the Northeast and spend a few years away from CA
-I don't intend to practice law forever. I'd like to transition into a managerial role at some point--either in a business/nonprofit/government institution. I suspect Harvard is simply a better launching pad for such goals, but I'm not sure if having gone to Harvard or Stanford will make a difference at that junction in my career (likely will have been working as a lawyer for 15-20 years).
-I hate this last one, but I think its salient for most people in my position, Harvard is Harvard. That also means having access to Harvard Business School and the Kennedy School.

Stanford
-Its CA: lots of trees, great weather, west-coast culture, and close to family. I figure law school can be hard enough at times; being in Silicon Valley would make the tough times a bit easier
-Stanford is a small school where getting individual attention would be a guarantee
-Job prospects at the outset of my career might be better here since I want to practice in LA? I've been told by a few HLS students that you need median grades (3 or 4 H's to secure a good firm job your second year), whereas SLS students have told me that grades really don't matter very much at all

Its not a lot to run with, I know. Since I don't have a specific area of interest, significant other, etc., I could go either way. Stanford's $$ was pretty generous, I'm not sure how Harvard's will look. I really don't know which way I should go. Help please, and thank you!!

Y

[emkay625]

Come back when you've got more $ details.

[Mullens]

What's your full list of options? For LA biglaw, I would take a T14 full ride over all of HYS. If you're looking at only H or S, I would go to Stanford.

[L’Étranger]

These schools are effectively identical. The only thing that should matter is which offers you more money.

Agree with poster above, a full ride to any T14 likely trumps these two at sticker for the purpose of getting biglaw.

[landshoes]

Sounds like you like Harvard, go there

[landshoes]

These schools are effectively identical. The only thing that should matter is which offers you more money.

Agree with poster above, a full ride to any T14 likely trumps these two at sticker for the purpose of getting biglaw.

Stanford has substantially smaller 1L class sizes. It also has the quarter system, which is very different from the semester system.

But yeah, go to Harvard.

[curry1]

These schools are effectively identical. The only thing that should matter is which offers you more money.

Agree with poster above, a full ride to any T14 likely trumps these two at sticker for the purpose of getting biglaw.

.

[barkschool]

Yale

[pancakes3]

(Quality of life is important to me).

-I am originally from Southern California and I would like to work at a large law firm in Los Angeles upon graduation

-I don't intend to practice law forever. I'd like to transition into a managerial role at some point--either in a business/nonprofit/government institution. I suspect Harvard is simply a better launching pad for such goals, but I'm not sure if having gone to Harvard or Stanford will make a difference at that junction in my career (likely will have been working as a lawyer for 15-20 years).

-I hate this last one, but I think its salient for most people in my position, Harvard is Harvard. That also means having access to Harvard Business School and the Kennedy School.

So just go to HBS.

[abl]

You seem to be mostly weighing "soft" factors. Visit, and see which you like more. It's hard for people on this forum (few of whom have gone to Harvard or to Stanford) to tell you really how to weigh things like the feeling of going to law school in Silicon Valley vs Cambridge.

(Incidentally, isn't Stanford's business school just as good, if not better, than Harvard's? Not that it matters if you're not planning on applying to either.)

[malleus discentium]

-The school is A LOT bigger. On the one hand, this is an obvious negative. I won't be able to interrupt the professor more than a few times for clarification during a HLS lecture with 90 other students in the room.

lol

[Nebby]

The fact that you're not going to Yale is proof you're defective enough for Harvard

[undecided2019]

The fact that you're not going to Yale is proof you're defective enough for Harvard

People like you are actually the reason why I decided not to go to Yale haha. YLS is great, but I just didn't see myself enjoying it there. I was asked, "You're not seriously considering Harvard Law School?" too many times. Moreover, since I don't want to clerk or work in academia, I wasn't convinced that its qualitatively much better than the other two schools. Clerking/Academia seems to be YLS' edge; otherwise, .

[undecided2019]

These schools are effectively identical. The only thing that should matter is which offers you more money.

Agree with poster above, a full ride to any T14 likely trumps these two at sticker for the purpose of getting biglaw.

Stanford has substantially smaller 1L class sizes. It also has the quarter system, which is very different from the semester system.

But yeah, go to Harvard.

Because its Harvard? Or because it'll tangibly improve something relative to Stanford?

[Dr. Nefario]

If LA biglaw is the only goal go Stanford. If you want the HBS opportunity (not sure if they do dual degrees, they prolly do? idk I had no interest in an MBA), go Harvard.

[t-14orbust]

The fact that you're not going to Yale is proof you're defective enough for Harvard

People like you are actually the reason why I decided not to go to Yale haha. YLS is great, but I just didn't see myself enjoying it there. I was asked, "You're not seriously considering Harvard Law School?" too many times. Moreover, since I don't want to clerk or work in academia, I wasn't convinced that its qualitatively much better than the other two schools. Clerking/Academia seems to be YLS' edge; otherwise, .

YLS' edge is an ungraded first semester

[Dr. Nefario]

The fact that you're not going to Yale is proof you're defective enough for Harvard

People like you are actually the reason why I decided not to go to Yale haha. YLS is great, but I just didn't see myself enjoying it there. I was asked, "You're not seriously considering Harvard Law School?" too many times. Moreover, since I don't want to clerk or work in academia, I wasn't convinced that its qualitatively much better than the other two schools. Clerking/Academia seems to be YLS' edge; otherwise, .

YLS' edge is an ungraded first semester

Yale really is a magical place.

[jbagelboy]

The fact that you're not going to Yale is proof you're defective enough for Harvard

People like you are actually the reason why I decided not to go to Yale haha. YLS is great, but I just didn't see myself enjoying it there. I was asked, "You're not seriously considering Harvard Law School?" too many times. Moreover, since I don't want to clerk or work in academia, I wasn't convinced that its qualitatively much better than the other two schools. Clerking/Academia seems to be YLS' edge; otherwise, .

You can keep telling yourself that, but YLS is better from an employment/law perspective in basically every way. Even if you just want to work at a firm, YLS makes it easier.

They are all great schools, so obviously you aren't ruining your life going to HLS over YLS or SLS. The reasons people turn down YLS tend to be more substantive though, like more $$$ at other schools or a joint business program or Yale UG wanting to broaden the network or something.

[Dr. Nefario]

OP how are you financing school? What's the money situation look like at these three and at other t14 for you?

[dirac]

Stanford would like to brandish its best part to admitted students and the whole world, even that means it has to be in a really odd place not to disclose its dropped median several months after the national deadline (the only one in T-14).

Harvard is used to showing every aspect of its school to admitted students and the whole world. You will realize your real life is better than what you were imagining after starting your 1L.

Trust me, many straight P students at HLS get V10 jobs at NYC pretty easily (it needs to be emphasized that NY office is normally the strongest office of a law firm except a few tech firms) or even Cavath job. If you check Wachtell's attorney list, guess how many Stanford alumni are there? Less than the fingers of a hand. CA firms are gorging HLS students and your tie to CA will easily land you an excellent firm job there, whether prestigious litigation boutiques or tech-focused transactional work in V10.

Stanford does have a little bit higher clerkship percentage probably 28 percent versus 16 percent at HLS. But considering HLS is three times as big as SLS, you will know the huge difference in alumni network in the future.

If you really do not want to go to Yale, you should choose Harvard.

[landshoes]

These schools are effectively identical. The only thing that should matter is which offers you more money.

Agree with poster above, a full ride to any T14 likely trumps these two at sticker for the purpose of getting biglaw.

Stanford has substantially smaller 1L class sizes. It also has the quarter system, which is very different from the semester system.

But yeah, go to Harvard.

Because its Harvard? Or because it'll tangibly improve something relative to Stanford?

Naw, Stanford is better IMO but it's just my general feeling -- you seem to dig the whole Harvard thing and Boston is a vibrant place, so go there. Neither school is bad at all, so don't stress out about it.

[landshoes]

"even a cravath job"

sigh

[RZ5646]

The fact that you're not going to Yale is proof you're defective enough for Harvard

What's the deal with people joking about HLS like this on TLS?

[dabigchina]

You want west coast biglaw.

Go to Stanford. I can't see need based aid being all that much different for them.