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If I can get LR at Northwestern/Cornell/Georgetown, should I still try to transfer to Columbia (if no journal at all)? Will the answer change if Columbia is replaced by HYS?

lzt wrote:If I can get LR at Northwestern/Cornell/Georgetown, should I still try to transfer to Columbia (if no journal at all)? Will the answer change if Columbia is replaced by HYS?

No and then yes, I'd say.

Anyone who says Columbia is insane and probably still suffering from 0L / USNWR delusions.

T14 + LR >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> T6 w/ no journal. The only exception would be if you wrote on to the journal and had middling grades... at which point you would neither be likely to get IN to Columbia nor likely to succeed there, so the question is somewhat moot.

disco_barred wrote:Anyone who says Columbia is insane and probably still suffering from 0L / USNWR delusions.

T14 + LR >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> T6 w/ no journal. The only exception would be if you wrote on to the journal and had middling grades... at which point you would neither be likely to get IN to Columbia nor likely to succeed there, so the question is somewhat moot.

TITCR.

Clearly having LR at a top 14 is worth more in just about any aspect than losing it and most likely your first year grades for OCI by transferring to Columbia.

What about MVP LR vs. HYS no journal?

Herb Watchfell wrote:What about MVP LR vs. HYS no journal?

The most important factor is: why are you on LR?

If the answer is 'better than top 10% grades, graded on' then MVPBDCNG + graded LR >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> HYS no journal. The reason is that at the top of the class from a T14, all of the doors are open. Academia, clerkships - SCOTUS - you name it. Being at HYS makes the MARGIN at the top wider. But if you're at the top of your class from a lower ranked school, you've already 'passed the post' and you'd be setting your self back substantially by sacrificing time/relationships with professors, your law review membership, and all of the energy it took getting used to the first school that you will have to spend at school two.

Now, by the time you've laid down LR-worthy grades at any T-14 your short-term career potential is functionally unlimited, so transferring isn't going to realistically hurt your career. But there's basically nothing to gain, and some long term potential loss as a result of professorial connections which may have segued into plum clerkships and the like.

All of HYS allow transfers to make it onto LR (Y and S make it almost likely, from what I hear) which is good, but it's still a risk that you won't make it coupled with the risks of not getting to know / impressing profs like you could have at your original school.

If you're not on law review because of grades, you won't be able to transfer to HYS in all likelihood, so the question becomes moot

In my opinion, it would be foolish to transfer from a Top 14 law school without experiencing law review. Although making law review at any law school is impressive, working on law review & getting published is even more impressive to employers. Continuing on law review during the final year of law school as an editor is highly sought after by law firms, judges & academia.
Experience as a law review editor at any top 40 law school will open many doors of opportunity.

My post above did not directly address your questions. In answer to your inquiries, my opinion is that it is not wise to transfer to Columbia Law, Harvard, Yale or Stanford Law if on the law review at Northwestern, Cornell or Georgetown without additional compelling reasons for transferring since law school without law review is a very different & lesser educational experience.

Editors of the primary law review at any top 30 to top 40 law school will be actively recruited by major law firms familiar with that law school. An editor-in-chief of the main law review at a top 30-40 law school will receive invitations & offers unavailable to other students.