CA Residency vs Legal Job for USC/UCLA? Forum

[ggnobbq]

I'm thinking about moving to CA next month with my SO to gain residency and presumably up my chances at USC/UCLA, along with simply living in CA and being somewhat worry free in a stress-free work environment - not that i'm stressed in my current position. I'm living in a mountain west state now, and have been working as a paralegal at a consumer bankruptcy firm for a bit over a year, which is nothing special. My question is:

In terms of application boosts, is working at a dick around kinda job (think waiter, pizza boy, etc) in CA, while gaining residency, a better choice than staying here and keeping my legal job? A worse choice? No affect at all? My main concern is that admission boards will frown upon me going from a legal position into a position of little to no significance in the field.

FWIW, stats are URM 165/3.5

[Big Dog]

'SC is private, so residency will mean nothing to Admissions.

UCLA won't care. btw: State residency is really easy to obtain for a grad student. Being instate a year early would save you $6k for one year.

[cyj43]

I don't think your chances will improve by moving to CA. Your chances will improve with URM status as well as increasing that LSAT score. However, those #'s you have already as a URM will put you in consideration for acceptance and at the LEAST waitlisted for both schools.

[ggnobbq]

thanks for the quick replies. So CA residency won't help, but will me going from a legal job to non-legal job hurt?

[cyj43]

Nope, not at all.

Also, apply early--it seems to be that the # of applicants will increase as already seen by the 2015-2016 cycle.

[Rigo]

Move if you and your SO want to, but I wouldn't factor law school admissions into this. It's not Texas or Virginia, where residents do in fact get a substantial bump.

Also, you should retake. Even just a few points higher, and T14 schools will be all over you.