Top Law Schools

Long time lurker here, first time poster.

Curent 1L at T2 in the 70's. Finished first semester in at least top 5%, probably closer to top 3%. I've looked on yahoo transfer groups, but its hard to find many people with similar stats from a similar ranking transfering up. How high up do you think I can transfer if (huge if) I can finish with similar numbers next semester?

Also, one school I've in love with since high school is ND (also I visited and the new law school is awesome), just wondering if people think it would be really stupid to transfer there over a T14. What do you think my employment chances would be at as a ND transfer comming from a T2 w/ top 5% vs T14 w/ top 5% from T2.

Thanks for all the help!

Hon. Art Vandelay wrote:How high up do you think I can transfer if (huge if) I can finish with similar numbers next semester?

Everywhere is possible (perhaps excluding Y). Realistically, I think you would get one of CCN.

Hon. Art Vandelay wrote: Also, one school I've in love with since high school is ND (also I visited and the new law school is awesome), just wondering if people think it would be really stupid to transfer there over a T14. What do you think my employment chances would be at as a ND transfer comming from a T2 w/ top 5% vs T14 w/ top 5% from T2.

Yes, this would be stupid since you will pay full tuition at ND. ND places about 25-30% in the NLJ 250 while NW and Chi are each about 55-60%. So, for roughly the same price (I would guess tuition at Chi and NW is slightly higher) you:
(1) double your chance of landing a decent firm job;
(2) get access to a larger and more diverse OCI;
(3) get significantly better clerkship opportunities;
(4) get a degree with more prestige and mobility.

You could make an argument for ND if the only T14 you get is GULC and you want to practice in the midwest. But, assuming your current school is already in your desired market, I would just stay at that point.

apply to Uchicago ED. Also apply to GULC ED. I don't think GULC is binding early... at least it wasn't when I applied.

you want to lock something up and not take a risk of doing poorly second semester. There was a kid in my class who was top 2-5% 1st semester who didn't apply anywhere and fell all the way to the top 15-20% after 2nd semester.

concurrent fork wrote:

Hon. Art Vandelay wrote:How high up do you think I can transfer if (huge if) I can finish with similar numbers next semester?

Everywhere is possible (perhaps excluding Y). Realistically, I think you would get one of CCN.

Hon. Art Vandelay wrote: Also, one school I've in love with since high school is ND (also I visited and the new law school is awesome), just wondering if people think it would be really stupid to transfer there over a T14. What do you think my employment chances would be at as a ND transfer comming from a T2 w/ top 5% vs T14 w/ top 5% from T2.

Yes, this would be stupid since you will pay full tuition at ND. ND places about 25-30% in the NLJ 250 while NW and Chi are each about 55-60%. So, for roughly the same price (I would guess tuition at Chi and NW is slightly higher) you:
(1) double your chance of landing a decent firm job;
(2) get access to a larger and more diverse OCI;
(3) get significantly better clerkship opportunities;
(4) get a degree with more prestige and mobility.

You could make an argument for ND if the only T14 you get is GULC and you want to practice in the midwest. But, assuming your current school is already in your desired market, I would just stay at that point.

H and S would probably require you to be in the top 1 or 2 students at a T2. Columbia is more like top 2%

Harvard doesn't restrict Tier Two transfers to top few students. Other posters reported success from Tier Two law schools in top 5%-10%. OP's top 3% should receive fair consideration.

CanadianWolf wrote:Harvard doesn't restrict Tier Two transfers to top few students. Other posters reported success from Tier Two law schools in top 5%-10%. OP's top 3% should receive fair consideration.

Maybe. I haven't scoured the results, but when I transferred, that was my recollection. I could be wrong.

A quick search of only a few data points, here, though, indicates the results are bleak.
http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... d&start=50

Which posters are you referring to?