UCI vs UCD vs ND Forum

[khaleesi_k]

So I have asked these questions like a million times but my decision is coming up this week and I want to ask once more and put the full info on my goals / connections out there because I still feel completely confused as to where I should go.

Ideally I would like to work in Southern California in the private sector.

My dad is a lawyer at a big firm in NorCal and because of this I have some solid connections up there, I have a clerkship at a private firm lined up for my 1L summer no matter where I decide to go. My dad is pushing Davis because his opinion is that while UCI has been doing well a lot of older lawyers hiring at firms don't even realize that UCI has a law school, while Davis already has a solid enough reputation in California, and it will be more helpful for me to go to a school that the people hiring me would recognize instead of one they might not have heard of. He also says that it will be easier to find a job in the LA/OC area after spending a few years at a good firm in NorCal, and we actually have family friends who are lawyers from big firms who go to Davis to conduct OCIs, which would be helpful for me. I'm concerned about the rankings drop but he says as long as the ranking is in the same area then it wont really affect job prospects, as lawyers aren't constantly checking US news to see how each school is doing. Davis is also going to pay for 75% of my tuition.

The familial connections definitely make Davis sound like a strong choice for me, while I would prefer to work in SoCal it makes sense that I would probably have an easier time getting hired at a better job from Davis (at least from what my dad says - I don't know how true this is and would like another opinion.) He's also asked for advice from other lawyers in the bay and they basically have all said Davis is the best option (one guy said Notre Dame).

So I **think** that is enough to rule out UCI, but I have seen some people put UCI > Davis, and I would like to hear more on that if anyone shares that opinion. My concern during ASW was that they seemed to put a huge emphasis on public interest. I'd love to be involved in public during law school but ultimately want to work private.


Then there's ND, which is a more prestigious school out in the midwest but I've never been to the midwest and have no idea if I would like living there. I'm waiting to speak to a counselor from there about what job prospects in California are like. I've seen that a lot of people from California who go to ND end up back here, and I'm sure my familial connections would help, but I don't know if that's still kind of risky. I've lived in California my entire life and went to a public undergrad and would love to go to a private school across the country for a change of pace, but I'm worried about getting stuck in Chicago/Cincinnati/Detroit. I have never been to any of these cities.

UCI and ND aren't offering me as much money as Davis is but both are offering enough that I would be able to graduate without debt.

Sorry for the massive post. I have to decide on Wednesday and am very overwhelmed/confused. I want to go with my dad's advice but I have no idea if he's over-hyping Davis. I am also considering going to any of said schools and if i do well enough to try and transfer into UCLA/USC/Berkeley etc.

[amta]

is your dad paying for your legal education? can your dad guarantee a job after you graduate?

[BigZuck]

What are your career goals? All that and you never said what you actually want to do with a law degree. Once you have that nailed down things should start to come into focus.

[loslakers]

What are your career goals? All that and you never said what you actually want to do with a law degree. Once you have that nailed down things should start to come into focus.

her previous posts say that she wants biglaw in CA

[UVA2B]

Wait, you already have a Biglaw job locked up for 1L summer, regardless of school? Can your dad actually guarantee that? That will matter a ton here.

[cavalier1138]

I have a clerkship at a private firm lined up for my 1L summer no matter where I decide to go.

Yeah, what does this mean? Is this a guaranteed 1L SA in biglaw? Or is this just some random private firm that your dad was able to recommend you for?

[trebekismyhero]

This seems to be one of those rare occasions where a boomer is giving you the correct advice. Most importantly, we actually need to know your goals. But the fact that you said UCI and ND are not giving you much money means they will be way too expensive...unless your dad is paying the whole thing.

UCD at 75% scholarship probably isn't terrible. If you want a big law job and you're not guaranteed one, then you should really retake the LSAT for the t13. If you would be fine starting off at a small law firm in NorCal then go with UCD.

[AJordan]

If there is someone in your life who can open the doors to where you want to go, it benefits you, absent better options, to please that person. Go to Davis and make use of the connections. Speaking as someone probably 10+ years older, you really don't want to be carrying uncertainty and debt into your 30s.

[amta]

>keeps making threads asking the same question
>refuses to listen to retake advice
>fails to answer pertinent questions that may justify attending one of said schools
>still ignores retake advice despite data
>????
>profit crushed by debt

[guynourmin]

>keeps making threads asking the same question
>refuses to listen to retake advice
>crushed by debt

yes, but

I would be able to graduate without debt.

[amta]

>keeps making threads asking the same question
>refuses to listen to retake advice
>crushed by debt

yes, but

I would be able to graduate without debt.

how how how how how how how how how how

[guynourmin]

>keeps making threads asking the same question
>refuses to listen to retake advice
>crushed by debt

yes, but

I would be able to graduate without debt.

how how how how how how how how how how

she said they aren't offering as much as davis, but still something, and then her savings and maybe some family contribution?

[amta]

>keeps making threads asking the same question
>refuses to listen to retake advice
>crushed by debt

yes, but

I would be able to graduate without debt.

how how how how how how how how how how

she said they aren't offering as much as davis, but still something, and then her savings and maybe some family contribution?

i have to know guy, otherwise i cannot give accurate and trustworthy advice. how can i be sure that i want to tell OP to retake.

[guynourmin]

>keeps making threads asking the same question
>refuses to listen to retake advice
>crushed by debt

yes, but

I would be able to graduate without debt.

how how how how how how how how how how

she said they aren't offering as much as davis, but still something, and then her savings and maybe some family contribution?

i have to know guy, otherwise i cannot give accurate and trustworthy advice. how can i be sure that i want to tell OP to retake.

OP NEEDS to retake. They have previously said they have a 25th gpa or thereabouts, which is like 3.4-3.55. With that GPA, USC is a reasonable goal. its crazy they won't wait. literally crazy! they're still in college, though, so they know what's best

[amta]

OP NEEDS to retake. They have previously said they have a 25th gpa or thereabouts, which is like 3.4-3.55. With that GPA, USC is a reasonable goal. its crazy they won't wait. literally crazy! they're still in college, though, so they know what's best

i believe i had asked OP weather she was a k-jd or not in a previous iteration of this thread but did not receive an answer. all signs point to a retake given OP's stated goals.

[guynourmin]

OP NEEDS to retake. They have previously said they have a 25th gpa or thereabouts, which is like 3.4-3.55. With that GPA, USC is a reasonable goal. its crazy they won't wait. literally crazy! they're still in college, though, so they know what's best

i believe i had asked OP weather she was a k-jd or not in a previous iteration of this thread but did not receive an answer. all signs point to a retake given OP's stated goals.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... a#p9955551 says she's still in school (and getting straight As!).

The only reason she's provided for not retaking is she won't improve much.

[amta]

OP NEEDS to retake. They have previously said they have a 25th gpa or thereabouts, which is like 3.4-3.55. With that GPA, USC is a reasonable goal. its crazy they won't wait. literally crazy! they're still in college, though, so they know what's best

i believe i had asked OP weather she was a k-jd or not in a previous iteration of this thread but did not receive an answer. all signs point to a retake given OP's stated goals.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... a#p9955551 says she's still in school (and getting straight As!).

The only reason she's provided for not retaking is she won't improve much.

pishy caca

[khaleesi_k]

>keeps making threads asking the same question
>refuses to listen to retake advice
>crushed by debt

yes, but

I would be able to graduate without debt.

how how how how how how how how how how

she said they aren't offering as much as davis, but still something, and then her savings and maybe some family contribution?

^ yes

[amta]

^ yes

can your father guarantee you a job after graduation?

[RParadela]

OP NEEDS to retake. They have previously said they have a 25th gpa or thereabouts, which is like 3.4-3.55. With that GPA, USC is a reasonable goal. its crazy they won't wait. literally crazy! they're still in college, though, so they know what's best

i believe i had asked OP weather she was a k-jd or not in a previous iteration of this thread but did not receive an answer. all signs point to a retake given OP's stated goals.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... a#p9955551 says she's still in school (and getting straight As!).

The only reason she's provided for not retaking is she won't improve much.

If her dad is a BigLaw partner and can get her an SA plus will pay for the remainder of her COA at UCD, I don't think she needs to retake. That's a pretty damn good setup

[amta]

OP NEEDS to retake. They have previously said they have a 25th gpa or thereabouts, which is like 3.4-3.55. With that GPA, USC is a reasonable goal. its crazy they won't wait. literally crazy! they're still in college, though, so they know what's best

i believe i had asked OP weather she was a k-jd or not in a previous iteration of this thread but did not receive an answer. all signs point to a retake given OP's stated goals.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... a#p9955551 says she's still in school (and getting straight As!).

The only reason she's provided for not retaking is she won't improve much.

If her dad is a BigLaw partner and can get her an SA plus will pay for the remainder of her COA at UCD, I don't think she needs to retake. That's a pretty damn good setup

jury is still out on this one.

eta: but lowkey agree.

[guynourmin]

OP NEEDS to retake. They have previously said they have a 25th gpa or thereabouts, which is like 3.4-3.55. With that GPA, USC is a reasonable goal. its crazy they won't wait. literally crazy! they're still in college, though, so they know what's best

i believe i had asked OP weather she was a k-jd or not in a previous iteration of this thread but did not receive an answer. all signs point to a retake given OP's stated goals.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... a#p9955551 says she's still in school (and getting straight As!).

The only reason she's provided for not retaking is she won't improve much.

If her dad is a BigLaw partner and can get her an SA plus will pay for the remainder of her COA at UCD, I don't think she needs to retake. That's a pretty damn good setup

she's previously said she would want to transfer to UCLA/USC, though, and has seemed shy to say she has a guaranteed job lined up (likely because she doesn't). I agree, if she 100% has her ideal job locked down that going to Davis debt-free is a great outcome. I'm pretty sure that's not the case, though.

[RParadela]

OP NEEDS to retake. They have previously said they have a 25th gpa or thereabouts, which is like 3.4-3.55. With that GPA, USC is a reasonable goal. its crazy they won't wait. literally crazy! they're still in college, though, so they know what's best

i believe i had asked OP weather she was a k-jd or not in a previous iteration of this thread but did not receive an answer. all signs point to a retake given OP's stated goals.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... a#p9955551 says she's still in school (and getting straight As!).

The only reason she's provided for not retaking is she won't improve much.

If her dad is a BigLaw partner and can get her an SA plus will pay for the remainder of her COA at UCD, I don't think she needs to retake. That's a pretty damn good setup

she's previously said she would want to transfer to UCLA/USC, though, and has seemed shy to say she has a guaranteed job lined up (likely because she doesn't). I agree, if she 100% has her ideal job locked down that going to Davis debt-free is a great outcome. I'm pretty sure that's not the case, though.

Speaking from experience, I highly doubt she'd have any trouble working at her dads law firm if he's a partner if she went to Davis and didn't fail out.

[guynourmin]

OP NEEDS to retake. They have previously said they have a 25th gpa or thereabouts, which is like 3.4-3.55. With that GPA, USC is a reasonable goal. its crazy they won't wait. literally crazy! they're still in college, though, so they know what's best

i believe i had asked OP weather she was a k-jd or not in a previous iteration of this thread but did not receive an answer. all signs point to a retake given OP's stated goals.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... a#p9955551 says she's still in school (and getting straight As!).

The only reason she's provided for not retaking is she won't improve much.

If her dad is a BigLaw partner and can get her an SA plus will pay for the remainder of her COA at UCD, I don't think she needs to retake. That's a pretty damn good setup

she's previously said she would want to transfer to UCLA/USC, though, and has seemed shy to say she has a guaranteed job lined up (likely because she doesn't). I agree, if she 100% has her ideal job locked down that going to Davis debt-free is a great outcome. I'm pretty sure that's not the case, though.

Speaking from experience, I highly doubt she'd have any trouble working at her dads law firm if he's a partner if she went to Davis and didn't fail out.

tbf to my assumptions, she has never said he's a partner, nor has she said its biglaw (just "big firm", which to many people, a 70 atty office is big!), nor has she said he can even swing her an SA (just that she has her 1L locked down at A firm, not necessarily his). I'm assuming low here because I don't think we've been given a good reason to assume otherwise.

[khaleesi_k]

For a retake - I studied so much for the LSAT over the summer and went in to take it in September. Our school band decided to have practice at the exact same time and in a very near vicinity to the building we took the LSAT in. It was a mess. The proctors promised they would "email lsac and let them know about what happened" but I've talked to students who followed up with that and basically nothing happened.

I decided to cancel my score for that one as it was very distracting trying to read while listening to loud band music. Scheduled a retake in December, and brought ear plugs this time.

The absolute highest I've gotten on a practice test was 168. Usually I would hit around 165. I ended up getting a 164 on the actual test. I took an easy quarter in the fall and had plenty of time to study for the LSAT after the September one.

I have one retake left. I'm not convinced that I would score that much higher - if I work really hard I can maybe pull off a 168. I could definitely be wrong on this, but I'm pretty sure USC/UCLA (and especially UCB) are still not very likely with a 3.5/168, especially not with any sort of scholarship. I studied from June - Dec. I appreciate the advice to take a retake, I see the reasoning behind that, but if I'm not looking at a 170+ I'm not sure how much it will benefit me with admissions at California schools, or T14. I didn't just go into the LSAT with cold feet, I worked hard and studied a lot for that 164.

I don't need big law, I'm ok at a small firm anywhere in California.