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I am a European (not a native English speaker) with a "superior" GPA and 170 LSAT. Took the LSAT once and applied early in the cycle. I am 27 and a qualified lawyer in two European jurisdictions. I have two years of the European equivalent of BigLaw under my belt (much lower pay/hours a bit more humane). I was working in antitrust law, which I enjoy and would be happy to continue working in the field after graduating (geographical preference: SF>DC>>NYC). I neither have a green card nor any tangible prospects of getting one, so I would rely on big law bet and H1B visa lottery (and Trump being too busy with his Twitter account). I was waitlisted in most of the T14 and, taking into account personal preferences, my current choice boils down to Berkeley v Georgetown.

Approximate total cost for each school (financed by a combination of personal savings and cheap loans from my family):
Berkeley: $210k
GULC: $100k

Please advise.

I mean these aren't great choices looking at them, but clearly GULC of the two given the price point

grades?? wrote:I mean these aren't great choices looking at them, but clearly GULC of the two given the price point

yeah, basically this. Shouldn't spend over 100k more for B than GULC imo.

I'd go Georgetown here.

I'd also go with Georgetown, but it also depends on how much you want to work in SF. It might be hard out of GULC, but not so tough out of Berkeley. Also, as a foreign language enthusiast, hats off to you for completing the (verbally) most challenging exam in the English language world at a level much, much higher than most native speakers.

Thank you all for your feedback. Is there somebody who disagrees with the consensus? If yes, why?

Is there a reason you're applying for a JD instead of an LLM? Wouldn't that save a lot of money if you're eligible and just looking to practice in US?

GULC for $100k is the safe bet here. Berkeley is not worth $100k more than GULC.

HamlinMcgill wrote:Is there a reason you're applying for a JD instead of an LLM? Wouldn't that save a lot of money if you're eligible and just looking to practice in US?

Also curious about this.

SmokeytheBear wrote:

HamlinMcgill wrote:Is there a reason you're applying for a JD instead of an LLM? Wouldn't that save a lot of money if you're eligible and just looking to practice in US?

Also curious about this.

If OP wants a job in the US, getting a JD is probably the right move

OP, I'd go with GULC, and find yourself a spouse with a US passport asap

I've looked into LLM hiring and, in the current legal market in the US, it's close to impossible to secure BigLaw as a foreign educated lawyer. Unless you have some exceptional skills (think 4th year Magic Circle London capital markets associate) or are exceptionally well-connected, odds are against you. That said, my sample size is not huge, so I would be happy to hear more success stories.

bettergnothiseauton wrote:I've looked into LLM hiring and, in the current legal market in the US, it's close to impossible to secure BigLaw as a foreign educated lawyer. Unless you have some exceptional skills (think 4th year Magic Circle London capital markets associate) or are exceptionally well-connected, odds are against you. That said, my sample size is not huge, so I would be happy to hear more success stories.

All I have are stories of folks who decided to get a JD after getting an LLM because that's the only way to secure employment

Thank you, folks. That was helpful. Georgetown it is.