Top Law Schools

Hello all,

What would you recommend: UCI at 75% scholarship or UCLA at 40%? Would love to hear input from current students or alumni from both schools.

What is the general consensus on trajectory for UCI now that it has been ranked for two years vs. UCLA?
Do you think UCI will continue to rise despite the news that the Dean will be stepping down as Dean in a couple of years?
Does UCI have good/better BigLaw placement in Newport Beach firm locations?

Any input would be great.

Thanks!

Well, UCI placed about 10% of their class in biglaw last year, while UCLA placed about a third of theirs.

But without more information (all the stuff requested up at the top, total COA, LSAT/GPA, etc.), the only real feedback that I'd provide is to not go to a school based on their "trajectory". Their trajectory is meaningless when you're one of the people who still gets screwed over by being in a "building year". Pick a school based on their actual employment opportunities, not on their projected ones.

LSAT around 25th percentile for UCLA, and around 75th percentile GPA. Strong softs. Would like to attend this year rather than wait a cycle and need to stay in SoCal for family reasons. Spouse will cover most of COL expenses so likely won't take out loans for that, but will take out loans for tuition. Would like to practice in SoCal. Would like to shoot for BigLaw but if it doesn't work out, am okay with small law in a smaller SoCal town (outside of LA). Open to different types of law.

cavalier1138 wrote:Well, UCI placed about 10% of their class in biglaw last year, while UCLA placed about a third of theirs.

But without more information (all the stuff requested up at the top, total COA, LSAT/GPA, etc.), the only real feedback that I'd provide is to not go to a school based on their "trajectory". Their trajectory is meaningless when you're one of the people who still gets screwed over by being in a "building year". Pick a school based on their actual employment opportunities, not on their projected ones.

That number doesn't include the BigLaw people who are going to a clerkship first. And almost 95% of those with clerkships are going to BL afterwards.

To answer your question OP, UCI will give you an advantage in Newport Beach/Orange County area. However, if you already have ties to the area, then UCLA will work just fine.

UCLA

If you are getting very little scholarship at UCLA then UCI is the way to go.

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What's your total cost of attendance for UCLA?

UCI.

75th GPA is like a 3.86. 25th LSAT is a 162. Think you can get it up 8 points? You'd be looking at better money than that from T14 (Berkeley seems like it would be good for you).

Law.3.2016 wrote:LSAT around 25th percentile for UCLA, and around 75th percentile GPA. Strong softs. Would like to attend this year rather than wait a cycle and need to stay in SoCal for family reasons. Spouse will cover most of COL expenses so likely won't take out loans for that, but will take out loans for tuition. Would like to practice in SoCal. Would like to shoot for BigLaw but if it doesn't work out, am okay with small law in a smaller SoCal town (outside of LA). Open to different types of law.

thank you for sharing

gclub

If you want to clerk then UCI --> they kick ass at clerkship placement.

For biglaw, there's a surprisingly strong OC market and UCI cleans up, when you factor in Clerk + Biglaw + self-selection, at least a quarter of the kids there who want it get it.

Plus, all of my friends at UCI law love it -- I'm rather envious of their camaraderie.

TFALAWL wrote:If you want to clerk then UCI --> they kick ass at clerkship placement.

For biglaw, there's a surprisingly strong OC market and UCI cleans up, when you factor in Clerk + Biglaw + self-selection, at least a quarter of the kids there who want it get it.

Plus, all of my friends at UCI law love it -- I'm rather envious of their camaraderie.

I feel like we need to see a few years of this placement after they go to 200+ per class before crowning UCI.

UCLA

TFALAWL wrote: For biglaw, there's a surprisingly strong OC market and UCI cleans up

I don't know that "cleans up" is fair. UCLA also does extremely well in the OC market (there were least a couple UCLA students at each of the top OC biglaw firms last summer, more than UCI), while also giving you access to the larger LA market (where UCI doesn't do as well).

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