Top Law Schools

Thoughts? I am about 50% sure I want to go home to Seattle after lawl school to work. I think I'd like to do biglaw for a bit before moving to a boutique firm/looking to start my own long-term. I need big-name mobility in case I don't go back, but I also want to maximize my chances of breaking into the tight legal market that is Seattle. Perhaps this is way to specific of a query, but I'd really, really like any input : )

Thanks : )

IF you want to start your own firm, Harvard.

Harvard's lay prestige means a lot as a competitive advantage when competing against other firms for clients.

edit: never mind

sayan wrote:IF you want to start your own firm, Harvard.

Harvard's lay prestige means a lot as a competitive advantage when competing against other firms for clients.

Disagree, not on the West Coast. Go to Stanford. Pretty much everything is equal for you except QoL, which is definitely higher at Stanford than Harvard.

BenJ wrote:

sayan wrote:IF you want to start your own firm, Harvard.

Harvard's lay prestige means a lot as a competitive advantage when competing against other firms for clients.

Disagree, not on the West Coast. Go to Stanford. Pretty much everything is equal for you except QoL, which is definitely higher at Stanford than Harvard.

Yeah, that seems to be the way it's shaking out. I have friends at both. I know annoying people at both. I like CA weather more, but I want a change of scenery and social scene (Stanford UG); smaller class sizes (generally) mean better employment prospects, but HLS's alumni network and name balance that out; Stanford has a better LRAP, but I'm not interested in PI and LIPP protects people working in the private sector...etc.

I have to visit, though other thoughts are welcome.

Go Cardinal. Don't go to the dark side. I think we've had this discussion before but what year were you? PM me if you want.

thesealocust wrote:Given the criteria you listed, there will be no difference between the two.

yeah sounds like you have a strong connection there already so it doesn't matter which one you go to.

I don't think people on TLS like to notion that it doesn't matter...but really it doesn't

Congratulations on your cycle, pretty awesome that it's not all about numbers

Go visit both and see which one you like more, I don't think there is much of a difference between the two.

@Laker: Thanks! I am pretty thrilled, to say the least, and it's heartening to know schools that are known for numbers (HLS, Columbia) still reserve some spots for us rabble : b

@legends: ya, I've talked to current students and alums at both schools. Each of them tells me to go to their own school lol. I'll certainly go in to the admit weekends undecided, but with the knowledge that I can't "go wrong."

@crackberry: Haha, I will always be a Cardinal--I tend to think that undergrad helps define the person, professional school helps define the career; whether or not that's defensible...lol. This isn't to say Stanford can't set my career off well, but I think I'll always be a west coast boy. Also, PM'ed.

Not sure about firm placement or anything like that (I'm assuming they would both be awesome in that regards), but generally the old Seattle "moss backs" would look more highly on a Stanford degree than a Harvard one. Seattle's not necessarily the most open city in the world for outsiders and the best west coast degree possible should give you a bit more cred.

ccs224 wrote:Not sure about firm placement or anything like that (I'm assuming they would both be awesome in that regards), but generally the old Seattle "moss backs" would look more highly on a Stanford degree than a Harvard one. Seattle's not necessarily the most open city in the world for outsiders and the best west coast degree possible should give you a bit more cred.

OP said they wanted to go home to Seattle. I think that many partners would look slightly more favorably on a Stanford degree, however the storyline of "local kid goes to Harvard Law School and comes back" would probably be equally appealing.

OP, I believe it comes down to which one "feels" better. You can't go wrong either way as far as career options are concerned.

insidethetwenty wrote:

ccs224 wrote:Not sure about firm placement or anything like that (I'm assuming they would both be awesome in that regards), but generally the old Seattle "moss backs" would look more highly on a Stanford degree than a Harvard one. Seattle's not necessarily the most open city in the world for outsiders and the best west coast degree possible should give you a bit more cred.

OP said they wanted to go home to Seattle. I think that many partners would look slightly more favorably on a Stanford degree, however the storyline of "local kid goes to Harvard Law School and comes back" would probably be equally appealing.

OP, I believe it comes down to which one "feels" better. You can't go wrong either way as far as career options are concerned.

Indeed. I have about as strong of ties to the area as one can get, given I grew up there, my family is there and almost all of my best friends are.

ConMan345 wrote:

insidethetwenty wrote:

ccs224 wrote:Not sure about firm placement or anything like that (I'm assuming they would both be awesome in that regards), but generally the old Seattle "moss backs" would look more highly on a Stanford degree than a Harvard one. Seattle's not necessarily the most open city in the world for outsiders and the best west coast degree possible should give you a bit more cred.

OP said they wanted to go home to Seattle. I think that many partners would look slightly more favorably on a Stanford degree, however the storyline of "local kid goes to Harvard Law School and comes back" would probably be equally appealing.

OP, I believe it comes down to which one "feels" better. You can't go wrong either way as far as career options are concerned.

Indeed. I have about as strong of ties to the area as one can get, given I grew up there, my family is there and almost all of my best friends are.

Yep, I believe you have the "ties-to-the-area" thing pretty well in the bag. I seriously doubt some Seattle BigLaw partner, sitting on his balcony overlooking the Puget Sound, is going to puff his pipe and say "Hmmm, we can't take this homegrown kid. He's been at Harvard. Should've gone to Stanford..."