Berkeley-Harvard Exchange Program Forum

[Anonymous User]

Berkeley-Harvard Exchange Program
HLS: http://hls.harvard.edu/dept/dos/berkele ... e-program/
Berkeley: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/academics/ ... -programs/

Berkeley 2L, high grades, not enough graded units for Coif if I attend Harvard for 3L (even though I loaded up on units during 1L and 2L). 1L summer firm job, 2L summer splitting firms, 100% offer rate minus Wachtell from OCI (i.e., landed Cravath and on, landed all SV/SF firms as well, such as Fenwick, Cooley, etc.). Interested in HLS because also interested in loading up on HBS classes, doing case comps with MBA students, etc.

The Question: How much does Order of the Coif matter for employment after your first full-time gig? Should one stay at Berkeley and gun for Coif, or experience HLS for a year and get good grades?

[Anonymous User]

i was in a similar position academically, ended up staying at boalt and coasting 3L. i don't think coif is really a differentiator for anything besides perhaps academia. frankly, if you had good enough grades to get high distinction 1L and 2L, your grades aren't really going to hold you back from anything other than academia + tippy-top clerkships.

[Anonymous User]

I'd also be curious if anyone has experience going the other way (HLS to Cal).

[duck]

if you don't unlock the coif achievement there's no way to get it again. you can always go to harvard business school in 10 yrs.

[Anonymous User]

I'm pretty sure my T14 school doesn't have an Order of the Coif so I've only seen it from browsing attorney profiles. Is it really that much of a differentiator, since prospective employers can see your class rank anyway which should be even more informative? I don't think they would care that you took your credits at Harvard instead of Berkeley.

ETA: Now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever seen a class rank/numeric GPA either, but there are other ways to signal your rank in the class.

[Anonymous User]

i was in a similar position academically, ended up staying at boalt and coasting 3L. i don't think coif is really a differentiator for anything besides perhaps academia. frankly, if you had good enough grades to get high distinction 1L and 2L, your grades aren't really going to hold you back from anything other than academia + tippy-top clerkships.

Did you get Coif?

I have some AmJur awards and I feel like those signal achievement just as much as Coif would. Is that a reasonable assumption to make?

[Anonymous User]

does Coif really matter on the grand scheme? are you gunning to be on SCOTUS or something one day?

[A. Nony Mouse]

i was in a similar position academically, ended up staying at boalt and coasting 3L. i don't think coif is really a differentiator for anything besides perhaps academia. frankly, if you had good enough grades to get high distinction 1L and 2L, your grades aren't really going to hold you back from anything other than academia + tippy-top clerkships.

Did you get Coif?

I have some AmJur awards and I feel like those signal achievement just as much as Coif would. Is that a reasonable assumption to make?

I don't think so. I see Order of the Coif on a lot of firm bios, but not so much AmJur awards; I don't think that many schools still give AmJur awards (some schools give Cali awards, some don't really give any recognition for the top grade). Don't get me wrong, they're lovely to have on your resume, but to the extent anyone cares about Coif, I don't think other awards are the same.

[Anonymous User]

Berkeley-Harvard Exchange Program
HLS: http://hls.harvard.edu/dept/dos/berkele ... e-program/
Berkeley: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/academics/ ... -programs/

Berkeley 2L, high grades, not enough graded units for Coif if I attend Harvard for 3L (even though I loaded up on units during 1L and 2L). 1L summer firm job, 2L summer splitting firms, 100% offer rate minus Wachtell from OCI (i.e., landed Cravath and on, landed all SV/SF firms as well, such as Fenwick, Cooley, etc.). Interested in HLS because also interested in loading up on HBS classes, doing case comps with MBA students, etc.

The Question: How much does Order of the Coif matter for employment after your first full-time gig? Should one stay at Berkeley and gun for Coif, or experience HLS for a year and get good grades?

HBS is a good resume builder if you actually go there. I don't think a client, and by virtue of that your firm will give a shit about you attending there. The goal of Business school at that level is to network (i take this advice from my family members who are HBS/Sloan/Ross alums - so take it as you will from an anonymous internet floating head). So you need to ask yourself what your objective is. I'm looking at HBS, but as a graduating law student who has only 2.5 years of pre-law work experience in IBanking/consulting plus 2 years at my startup. Even with that, it's currently in my best interest to take more time to drill down my career path and goals before going to B-School. If i/you want to pivot careers, go to HBS (or a comp school) with that objective in mind. Or, if i want to strengthen my network, go to HBS (or comp school) with that goal in mind. You don't go to Business school to learn about finance and marketing, etc - coursera is for that.

[Anonymous User]

Berkeley-Harvard Exchange Program
HLS: http://hls.harvard.edu/dept/dos/berkele ... e-program/
Berkeley: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/academics/ ... -programs/

Berkeley 2L, high grades, not enough graded units for Coif if I attend Harvard for 3L (even though I loaded up on units during 1L and 2L). 1L summer firm job, 2L summer splitting firms, 100% offer rate minus Wachtell from OCI (i.e., landed Cravath and on, landed all SV/SF firms as well, such as Fenwick, Cooley, etc.). Interested in HLS because also interested in loading up on HBS classes, doing case comps with MBA students, etc.

The Question: How much does Order of the Coif matter for employment after your first full-time gig? Should one stay at Berkeley and gun for Coif, or experience HLS for a year and get good grades?

HBS is a good resume builder if you actually go there. I don't think a client, and by virtue of that your firm will give a shit about you attending there. The goal of Business school at that level is to network (i take this advice from my family members who are HBS/Sloan/Ross alums - so take it as you will from an anonymous internet floating head). So you need to ask yourself what your objective is. I'm looking at HBS, but as a graduating law student who has only 2.5 years of pre-law work experience in IBanking/consulting plus 2 years at my startup. Even with that, it's currently in my best interest to take more time to drill down my career path and goals before going to B-School. If i/you want to pivot careers, go to HBS (or a comp school) with that objective in mind. Or, if i want to strengthen my network, go to HBS (or comp school) with that goal in mind. You don't go to Business school to learn about finance and marketing, etc - coursera is for that.

I definitely agree with what you're saying about HBS and MBAs in general.

BUT I am interested in experiencing a new law school environment, and also, in loading up on HBS classes because I think I would learn some interesting things. I would not consider this experience taking a few HBS classes as a substitute for a full-fledged MBA (and the MBA experience, network, etc.). Ideally I would want to be able to pivot my career, somewhere down the line, without having to do an MBA.

[jbagelboy]

Berkeley-Harvard Exchange Program
HLS: http://hls.harvard.edu/dept/dos/berkele ... e-program/
Berkeley: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/academics/ ... -programs/

Berkeley 2L, high grades, not enough graded units for Coif if I attend Harvard for 3L (even though I loaded up on units during 1L and 2L). 1L summer firm job, 2L summer splitting firms, 100% offer rate minus Wachtell from OCI (i.e., landed Cravath and on, landed all SV/SF firms as well, such as Fenwick, Cooley, etc.). Interested in HLS because also interested in loading up on HBS classes, doing case comps with MBA students, etc.

The Question: How much does Order of the Coif matter for employment after your first full-time gig? Should one stay at Berkeley and gun for Coif, or experience HLS for a year and get good grades?

HBS is a good resume builder if you actually go there. I don't think a client, and by virtue of that your firm will give a shit about you attending there. The goal of Business school at that level is to network (i take this advice from my family members who are HBS/Sloan/Ross alums - so take it as you will from an anonymous internet floating head). So you need to ask yourself what your objective is. I'm looking at HBS, but as a graduating law student who has only 2.5 years of pre-law work experience in IBanking/consulting plus 2 years at my startup. Even with that, it's currently in my best interest to take more time to drill down my career path and goals before going to B-School. If i/you want to pivot careers, go to HBS (or a comp school) with that objective in mind. Or, if i want to strengthen my network, go to HBS (or comp school) with that goal in mind. You don't go to Business school to learn about finance and marketing, etc - coursera is for that.

I definitely agree with what you're saying about HBS and MBAs in general.

BUT I am interested in experiencing a new law school environment, and also, in loading up on HBS classes because I think I would learn some interesting things. I would not consider this experience taking a few HBS classes as a substitute for a full-fledged MBA (and the MBA experience, network, etc.). Ideally I would want to be able to pivot my career, somewhere down the line, without having to do an MBA.

Can you not take classes at Berkeley's business school?

I don't understand this desire to take business school classes in this way

[robotrick]

Can you not take classes at Berkeley's business school?

I don't understand this desire to take business school classes in this way

Agree with this. What's the value add of moving across the country to cross-register for a couple classes at a B-school?

[Anonymous User]

Can you not take classes at Berkeley's business school?

I don't understand this desire to take business school classes in this way

Agree with this. What's the value add of moving across the country to cross-register for a couple classes at a B-school?

I am interested in experiencing a new law school environment.

[Anonymous User]

Don't do it.

(1) HLS is a "new law school environment" but not one that is all sunshine and roses.

(2) Your friendships from law school are probably an asset that you're undervaluing right now, and one from which you divest if you spend your third year in Cambridge.

(3) Your degree will still say "Berkeley" whether you trek across the country or no. No firm/client will later read the HLS exchange as a "Berkeley++" If anything, your grades telegraph that meaning.

(4) You want to be in SF/SV? Use the year to network, take on internships or part-time gigs.

[robotrick]

Can you not take classes at Berkeley's business school?

I don't understand this desire to take business school classes in this way

Agree with this. What's the value add of moving across the country to cross-register for a couple classes at a B-school?

I am interested in experiencing a new law school environment.

But you keep talking about the B school and not the law school...