Top Law Schools

Hey guys,

I really need your help on this one. I currently go to a T25 law school, where I made law review and have a decent scholarship. I just found out that I was accepted to a T14 (not T10). If I choose to attend, I will be able to fully participate in OCI and the law review competition in the fall, but obviously there is no guarantee I will get on law review again.

Can anyone think of reasons for/against transferring? Will I be at a disadvantage for OCI? Votes to stay or to go?

Thank you in advance for any thoughts/suggestions!

Is the school you're at right now in a region where you would like to practice?

urban8 wrote:Hey guys,

I really need your help on this one. I currently go to a T25 law school, where I made law review and have a decent scholarship. I just found out that I was accepted to a T14 (not T10).

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My advice is transfer.

grobbelski wrote:My advice is transfer.

and mine is to stay - keep the money and law review

Do you want to work in the area your current school is in? Yes - stay; No - get outta there.

transplantedbuckeye wrote:

grobbelski wrote:My advice is transfer.

and mine is to stay - keep the money and law review

Agreed.

wiscohopeful wrote:Do you want to work in the area your current school is in? Yes - stay; No - get outta there.

This is, upon reflection, more credited than my flat transfer earlier.

My current law school is not in my preferred city. The T14 school is not in my top choice city either, but much closer and more firms recruit there.

So essentially does:

T25 + law review + scholarship outweigh T14 in more preferred location + chance of law review? or not?

I have been emailing recruiting departments of law firms with my transfer situation (top 10% and law review at current school falling fast from the top 100 and potential transfer to t14 school) and the only consistent advice I have been given is that with the economy in the dumps (though recovering), the only real assurance of securing a permanent job is through OCI's as firms hire almost exclusively out of their summer internship class. That being said, you should transfer to a school where OCI's are still strong for the area you want to work (the transfer in your case) and hope to secure a summer associate position. I do not have any idea how that relates to non law firm jobs though...take it for what it's worth. GL with the decision when it comes.

wiscohopeful wrote:I have been emailing recruiting departments of law firms with my transfer situation (top 10% and law review at current school falling fast from the top 100 and potential transfer to t14 school) and the only consistent advice I have been given is that with the economy in the dumps (though recovering), the only real assurance of securing a permanent job is through OCI's as firms hire almost exclusively out of their summer internship class. That being said, you should transfer to a school where OCI's are still strong for the area you want to work (the transfer in your case) and hope to secure a summer associate position. I do not have any idea how that relates to non law firm jobs though...take it for what it's worth. GL with the decision when it comes.

Thanks for responding - I actually have another post that includes a poll (called Stay or Go?). That is my main concern as well and that was the advice of the professor I talked with today. I am doing research on OCI statistics, but it's hard to know whether T25 + law review will beat out T14 without law review in terms of jobs - neither are in my top choice city, which is NYC and barring a miracle acceptance from Columbia or NYU, I have no idea what to do at this point!

It would be helpful to know the two law schools under consideration. If you have been accepted to either Duke or Northwestern, then transferring may greatly enhance your job prospects. Since you specified "top 25", & not "top 20" law school, as your present location, then you are probably at Illinois, BU, Emory, Minnesota or Notre Dame in which case Duke, Northwestern, Cornell & Georgetown are worth the move, in my opinion, if you want to practice in NYC.

urban8 wrote: So essentially does:

T25 + law review + scholarship outweigh T14 in more preferred location + chance of law review? or not?

Yes.




And no.








Also, yes.

urban8 wrote:

wiscohopeful wrote:I have been emailing recruiting departments of law firms with my transfer situation (top 10% and law review at current school falling fast from the top 100 and potential transfer to t14 school) and the only consistent advice I have been given is that with the economy in the dumps (though recovering), the only real assurance of securing a permanent job is through OCI's as firms hire almost exclusively out of their summer internship class. That being said, you should transfer to a school where OCI's are still strong for the area you want to work (the transfer in your case) and hope to secure a summer associate position. I do not have any idea how that relates to non law firm jobs though...take it for what it's worth. GL with the decision when it comes.

Thanks for responding - I actually have another post that includes a poll (called Stay or Go?). That is my main concern as well and that was the advice of the professor I talked with today. I am doing research on OCI statistics, but it's hard to know whether T25 + law review will beat out T14 without law review in terms of jobs - neither are in my top choice city, which is NYC and barring a miracle acceptance from Columbia or NYU, I have no idea what to do at this point!

This is kind of difficult to answer considering we don't know the T-14 and your T-25. There's a reasonable difference between Emory & GWU in placement, and the same goes for NW & GULC.

If it were me, and my options were T25 LR+$$ vs. GULC, I'd stay. If it were T25 LR+$$ vs. NW or Duke, I'd probably go, especially if it were NW.

Let's review:

Upon graduation from your current school (Notre Dame...maybe IUIC), you will have worse job prospects in an area that you do not want to live.

Upon graduation from the transfer school (Cornell...maybe Duke), you will have better job prospects much closer to the area you want to live.

Tough choice.

NU_Jet55 wrote:Let's review:

Upon graduation from your current school (Notre Dame...maybe IUIC), you will have worse job prospects in an area that you do not want to live.

Upon graduation from the transfer school (Cornell...maybe Duke), you will have better job prospects much closer to the area you want to live.

Tough choice.

That's definitely true for two equal students, but is it true for a student with law review at the lower ranked school in terms of OCI for a big firm in NYC (neither of the schools are in that city)?

urban8 wrote:

NU_Jet55 wrote:Let's review:

Upon graduation from your current school (Notre Dame...maybe IUIC), you will have worse job prospects in an area that you do not want to live.

Upon graduation from the transfer school (Cornell...maybe Duke), you will have better job prospects much closer to the area you want to live.

Tough choice.

That's definitely true for two equal students, but is it true for a student with law review at the lower ranked school in terms of OCI for a big firm in NYC (neither of the schools are in that city)?

It depends on a lot of things. Will you maintaing your gpa at your current school? What type of work are you looking for? Where are you looking for it? What type of connections do you have?, etc.

Based on the vague hypothetical you've provided, it's difficult to provide anything but vague advice. At the very least, name the schools.