Top Law Schools

Hey guys!

I recently got into UC Hastings and Pepperdine and I'm trying to figure out my best option. I'm from Los Angeles but not sure whether I will end up practicing in LA or SF (but more likely LA). Also, which is better for biglaw prospects?

Any thoughts appreciated!

what school are you from? what's your rank at your old school? neither are that great for biglaw unless you're in the top ranks of your new school, or have something special about you (ie, masters in EE and going into IP law).

Hastings has a great name throughout Cali, but if ur sure about LA then Pepperdine connections might be better. If ur not sure then i would say hastings.

thanks for the replies everyone. I'm transferring from Southwestern in LA; class rank is 20% and they only offered 13K.

UPDATE!

Been bumped up to top 10% at southwestern because of all the transfers out (i guess i was on the boarder of 20% and 10%). Also, got admitted to Loyola LA yesterday. Thoughts?

Loyola LA.

Honestly, I'd stay at Southwestern if you have a big scholarship. Hastings' and Pepperdine's placement rates are only about 10% better than Southwestern according to Law School Transparency. USNWR does not mean a thing for any California school that is not Berkeley, Stanford, UCLA or USC.

chances for biglaw are not good out of Hastings at present. top 10% or bust.

most recent scholarship offer is 18 k per year. doesn't sound enough to justify a third tier school. i think its between loyola and hastings at this point.

calgirl27 wrote: Also, which is better for biglaw prospects?

Don't hope for biglaw from either of these.

You NEED to check out the Hastings employment stats.

drmguy wrote:You NEED to check out the Hastings employment stats.

lolwut

Lawquacious wrote:

drmguy wrote:You NEED to check out the Hastings employment stats.

lolwut

Pretty sure he means check them out because they're so shitty

ilovesf wrote:

Lawquacious wrote:

drmguy wrote:You NEED to check out the Hastings employment stats.

lolwut

Pretty sure he means check them out because they're so shitty

This

Edit: When I compiled the data Hastings was one of the holy shit schools.

i just re-checked the stats...it seems like 10-14% reported big law jobs from hastings. sure, its low compared to the 50% from harvard, but I'm under the impression that you need to be in the top 10% at any school ranked below T14 to get a big law job anyways.

calgirl27 wrote:i just re-checked the stats...it seems like 10-14% reported big law jobs from hastings. sure, its low compared to the 50% from harvard, but I'm under the impression that you need to be in the top 10% at any school ranked below T14 to get a big law job anyways.

it's not any better than loyola or southwestern or pepperdine, so i guess it doesn't really matter in the end. just follow the money. if you choose Hastings, I'm a 2L and I'll be happy to answer any questions you have about moving here.

drmguy wrote:

ilovesf wrote:

Lawquacious wrote:

drmguy wrote:You NEED to check out the Hastings employment stats.

lolwut

Pretty sure he means check them out because they're so shitty

This

Edit: When I compiled the data Hastings was one of the holy shit schools.

I think it is partly due to the extremely large class size. I mean 400 people is fucking huge. I hope reducing the class size helps with the employment prospects of the future students.

ilovesf wrote: I think it is partly due to the extremely large class size. I mean 400 people is fucking huge. I hope reducing the class size helps with the employment prospects of the future students.

I completely agree with this.

calgirl27 wrote:i just re-checked the stats...it seems like 10-14% reported big law jobs from hastings. sure, its low compared to the 50% from harvard, but I'm under the impression that you need to be in the top 10% at any school ranked below T14 to get a big law job anyways.

PLEASE don't only look at biglaw stats. The underemployed stats were scary.

Well, I was top 15% at Hastings, got nothing at OCI, and have nothing lined up now that I've graduated. So, sure maybe 10 or 20% of people are really satisfied with their outcome. Doesn't make the school a good gamble at $50-60k annual cost of attendance.

Don't kid yourself and think just because you were top 10% at Southwestern means you are gonna kill it at Hastings either. There are a lot of really smart, ambitious people at that school. Almost half the class went to Berkeley for undergrad, lots more from Stanford, various other UCs.

^ How many interviews/CB's did you get from OCI?

Transferring to pepperdine is trading AIDS for chlamydia.

...

Mal Reynolds wrote:Transferring to pepperdine is trading AIDS for chlamydia.

Yeah, well that presents a pretty good argument for transferring bro.

Mal Reynolds wrote:Transferring to pepperdine is trading AIDS for christian chlamydia.

FTFY

Lawquacious wrote:

Mal Reynolds wrote:Transferring to pepperdine is trading AIDS for chlamydia.

Yeah, well that presents a pretty good argument for transferring bro.

Logic must not be your bag twat waffle. The point is that youre still in a terrible spot.

Mal Reynolds wrote:

Lawquacious wrote:

Mal Reynolds wrote:Transferring to pepperdine is trading AIDS for chlamydia.

Yeah, well that presents a pretty good argument for transferring bro.

Logic must not be your bag twat waffle. The point is that youre still in a terrible spot.

I don't think there's a need for name-calling, and I don't appreciate it.

I could see if you meant to suggest that OP drop out that your analogy could logically represent that conclusion, but that wasn't being discussed as an option. So given only two options (stay or transfer) your analogy logically represents that transferring is the right choice. But yeah, I got it that you are basically saying that you think OP is screwed with only those options.