Top Law Schools

GRAVEDIG!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think people are mostly turned off because it's an evangelical school.

biv0ns wrote:People think that if they're liberal they need to be surrounded by like-minded croonies? That and this site usually has a "Anything below T14 sucks dick" kind of bias

<----- THIS


I'm applying to both USC and UCLA and if by chance I get rejected from both of them, I'd happily attend Pepperdine at less than sticker. I went to a conservative UG and it's not the end of the world unlike some thoughts here. My sister attends Pepperdine undergrad and says that even though the professors are "conservative," it's the most liberal version of conservative she's seen and we live in Texas. Flame all you want, but I think being negative just to be negative is unnecessary.

biv0ns wrote:People think that if they're liberal they need to be surrounded by like-minded croonies? That and this site usually has a "Anything below T14 sucks dick" kind of bias

I'm going with choice (b).

I hear it has a gorgeous campus!


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williamsmatt wrote:I hear it has a gorgeous campus!

I've heard Malibu has a weird smell though...anyone verify?

.

biv0ns wrote:

williamsmatt wrote:I hear it has a gorgeous campus!

I've heard Malibu has a weird smell though...anyone verify?

Like the ocean maybe...

jgulia45 wrote:

biv0ns wrote:People think that if they're liberal they need to be surrounded by like-minded croonies? That and this site usually has a "Anything below T14 sucks dick" kind of bias

<----- THIS


I'm applying to both USC and UCLA and if by chance I get rejected from both of them, I'd happily attend Pepperdine at less than sticker. I went to a conservative UG and it's not the end of the world unlike some thoughts here. My sister attends Pepperdine undergrad and says that even though the professors are "conservative," it's the most liberal version of conservative she's seen and we live in Texas. Flame all you want, but I think being negative just to be negative is unnecessary.

I think this might vary based on individual perspectives of what constitutes conservativism, but for the most part I agree with you. On the other hand, and speaking from my own perspective, any undergraduate school that still requires compulsory attendance of religious worship is a little too much of a sixteenth century anachronism in my book.

The law school, apart from Ken Star and certain faculty, probably doesn't have quite the same uptight feel or imposition of religious doctrine (I would imagine it's largely a self-selecting religious conservativism more than a compulsory one), so no argument there. But the UG is certainly not for me, and you'd be hard pressed to say it isn't "conservative" or "religious."

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All of that aside, Pepperdine is an absolutely beautiful campus and, if you're certain you want LA, it's surely possible to get a decent job from there if you do well. I have no idea what the percentile cutoff would be for big firm work, however.

I'm interested in Pepperdine. From what I've read about it, its right of center without being a bubble school, which is what I'm looking for. I'm strongly conservative but I'd rather not live in a bubble where opposing viewpoints never come up.

School? wrote:I'm confused as to why people here seem to be so down on Pepperdine. Obviously its not as good as UCLA or USC, but for someone in that range, it seems to be a decent school. Any reason for the hate other than Ken Starr?

If you have a decent/ low shot at UCLA and USC you will likely get BANK from Pepp. If your above their medians you'll likely get a full-ride or close to it w/ the requirement of being in the top 1/3 at the end of your 1L and 2L to keep it. The law school (and university as a whole, is freakin rich so the schollys are great).

I gambled picking a lower ranked Pepp ($$$$) over hastings and W/M because I firmly believe it will continue to rise until it hits that invisible wall ceiling somewhere around T30, I figure hop on board now, get no debt, work hard to be around top 10%, and as an alumni my degree value will keep growing. Its a gamble but I think it will pay off in the long run. The Law School's current 5-yr plan is modeled after (YHS), aka cut student enrollment to 600, demolish outdated buildings w/ world class facilities, and the 1% plan (ask 100% of alumni to donate at least 1% of their income), and pay for the best faculty and speakers money can buy. Go smaller but more elite basically. This strategy is in contrast to Loyola who uses a very large student body to flood the job market and build a large local alumni network.

Whatever you think about Ken Starr, he donates the money he makes in speaking engagements back to the school to spend on big time visitors (supreme court justices whatever), and literally every quantifiable measure of the school has improved each year for the last 5 years since he took over. I honestly don't know much about him, but he gets results, and that's all I need to know. I don't mean to get on a soapbox but as OP noted, a lot of TLS users flame the school non stop, sometimes rightly but often unfairly.

arhmcpo wrote:The Law School's current 5-yr plan is modeled after (YHS), aka cut student enrollment to 600, demolish outdated buildings w/ world class facilities.

That may be the YS model. It is not the H model.

Does Pepperdine really fund that much?

I'm about at their medians, and I'd considering them if they gave me enough funding. I don't really like LA, but I'm committed to staying in CA and trying to find schools where I can get out with little debt and good job prospects.

Great Satchmo wrote:Does Pepperdine really fund that much?

I'm about at their medians, and I'd considering them if they gave me enough funding. I don't really like LA, but I'm committed to staying in CA and trying to find schools where I can get out with little debt and good job prospects.

If you don't like LA, don't go to Pepperdine. It will really limit you to the region, just like UCLA unfortunately would too.

some of the worst ppl I knew in high school went to pepperdine.

irishman86 wrote:

Great Satchmo wrote:Does Pepperdine really fund that much?

I'm about at their medians, and I'd considering them if they gave me enough funding. I don't really like LA, but I'm committed to staying in CA and trying to find schools where I can get out with little debt and good job prospects.

If you don't like LA, don't go to Pepperdine. It will really limit you to the region, just like UCLA unfortunately would too.

I grew up in San Diego and was not a fan.

I went to UG in North Bay area, lived on the Peninsula, and now live in San Francisco. I love the Bay Area and want to remain.

However, to appease my family, as well as broaden options that I could conceivably deal with, I think I'm going to apply to USD. May as well add in Pepperdine and and Loyola-Maramount?

I'm looking for schools in CA that have good enough placement and that I may get enough scholarship money to reduce the constraints on jobs I'll have to take. I realize now, even if I were to get into Hastings, for example, that the debt load of full tuition would force me into only the best paying jobs I could find. That's not what I want out of law.

echoi wrote:some of the worst ppl I knew in high school went to pepperdine.

Clearly evidence that the school should be condemned.

irishman86 wrote:

Great Satchmo wrote:Does Pepperdine really fund that much?

I'm about at their medians, and I'd considering them if they gave me enough funding. I don't really like LA, but I'm committed to staying in CA and trying to find schools where I can get out with little debt and good job prospects.

If you don't like LA, don't go to Pepperdine. It will really limit you to the region, just like UCLA unfortunately would too.

Going to UCLA isn't going to hurt you for CA employment.

SR1313 wrote:

echoi wrote:some of the worst ppl I knew in high school went to pepperdine.

Clearly evidence that the school should be condemned.

+1

echoi wrote:some of the worst ppl I knew in high school went to pepperdine.

You = FAIL.

irishman86 wrote:

Great Satchmo wrote:Does Pepperdine really fund that much?

I'm about at their medians, and I'd considering them if they gave me enough funding. I don't really like LA, but I'm committed to staying in CA and trying to find schools where I can get out with little debt and good job prospects.

If you don't like LA, don't go to Pepperdine. It will really limit you to the region, just like UCLA unfortunately would too.

If you want to work in CA - going to UCLA would never be a bad idea IMO.

I forget what its called but there's that law school tracker where you can see where alumni work and I think top 3 for Pepperdine is LA, OC, SD so you should investigate further if your anti LA. I certainly think that a Pepp degree has better mobility outside LA than Loyola LA which focuses on flooding the LA market, if your choosing btw those 2.

if youre looking at pepperdine, you might as well look at Loyola

Similarly ranked, Loyola is in decent-good area of LA and you won't have to drive out Kanan to the 101 or take the 10 out of the always terribly congested Santa Monica

If you get $$$ to Pepperdine, you would likely get almost as much to Loyola

My grandparents live in Malibu so I know the area really well. Yes, its really beautiful but those who live there pay a heavy toll in sitting in traffic to go work in LA every day.

SR1313 wrote:

echoi wrote:some of the worst ppl I knew in high school went to pepperdine.

Clearly evidence that the school should be condemned.

cause that was a serious answer to OP's question....

I tend to be biased against any university that advertises itself as a "Christian University," nothing against Pepperdine really in particular.

arhmcpo wrote:

School? wrote:I'm confused as to why people here seem to be so down on Pepperdine. Obviously its not as good as UCLA or USC, but for someone in that range, it seems to be a decent school. Any reason for the hate other than Ken Starr?

If you have a decent/ low shot at UCLA and USC you will likely get BANK from Pepp. If your above their medians you'll likely get a full-ride or close to it w/ the requirement of being in the top 1/3 at the end of your 1L and 2L to keep it. The law school (and university as a whole, is freakin rich so the schollys are great).

I gambled picking a lower ranked Pepp ($$$$) over hastings and W/M because I firmly believe it will continue to rise until it hits that invisible wall ceiling somewhere around T30, I figure hop on board now, get no debt, work hard to be around top 10%, and as an alumni my degree value will keep growing. Its a gamble but I think it will pay off in the long run. The Law School's current 5-yr plan is modeled after (YHS), aka cut student enrollment to 600, demolish outdated buildings w/ world class facilities, and the 1% plan (ask 100% of alumni to donate at least 1% of their income), and pay for the best faculty and speakers money can buy. Go smaller but more elite basically. This strategy is in contrast to Loyola who uses a very large student body to flood the job market and build a large local alumni network.

Whatever you think about Ken Starr, he donates the money he makes in speaking engagements back to the school to spend on big time visitors (supreme court justices whatever), and literally every quantifiable measure of the school has improved each year for the last 5 years since he took over. I honestly don't know much about him, but he gets results, and that's all I need to know. I don't mean to get on a soapbox but as OP noted, a lot of TLS users flame the school non stop, sometimes rightly but often unfairly.

I had been considering the same strategy. What are your thoughts now the Starr has flown the coop? He's done a great job vaulting the school's rep and rank. Will it now plateau, continue to climb, or return to a level more comparable with Loyola LA? Whether or not one agrees with Ken Starr's religion and politics, it seems obvious his presence has been a strong benefit in terms of the schools reputation and its ability to attract top-notch guest speakers. I shared your exact sentiment of taking the $$ and jumping on for the ride up the eventual ratings climb...

James Bond wrote:GRAVEDIG!!!!!!!!!!!!

you realize you were quoted multiple times, right