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I am interested in getting a federal clerkship and hopefully pursuing academia in the future. Currently at a T30 school at roughly 5% in the class, with a full ride. My school places about 7-10% in federal clerskships, but I am considering transferring to MVPB. Would making this jump, meaning a roughly ~100k increase in cost of attendance, be worth it to have a shot at more prestigious clerkships and a better chance at academic fellowships/jobs in the future?

I have at least one strong rec (from an LRW class) and a few other profs from doctrinal classes at my current school who I think would be willing to go to bat for me if I stayed. I doubt these recommendations would come through if I transferred, and I am worried about starting over. On the other hand, my school produces very, very few academics and MVPB at least produce some, though obviously far fewer than the absolute top schools. If I can't do academia, I would like to work in a good labor-side law firm or federal government.

(for the record, I have also applied to HYS and Chicago, and will very likely go if accepted to any of those schools. But I am expecting MVPB to be my only options).

Anonymous User wrote: be worth it to have a shot at more prestigious clerkships and a better chance at academic fellowships/jobs in the future?

What better shot? You mean your 10% chance of making top 10% at MVPB to get ANY clerkship?
Just stay put and profit.

I would guess that top 10% at MVPB is likely to land more prestigious clerkships than top 10% at a T30. Am I wrong about that? And it's also my impression that, the more prestigious the clerkship, the better the job prospects in academia and federal government.

Anonymous User wrote: (for the record, I have also applied to HYS and Chicago, and will very likely go if accepted to any of those schools. But I am expecting MVPB to be my only options).

egregious anti-CCN trolling. the fuq?

anyway, stay put. they place 7-10%. You're top 5%. my math tells me that atleast you're in the right range.

why is that trolling?

Anonymous User wrote:why is that trolling?

why did you not apply to all of CCN when you are super-competitive for them? It's not like their clerkship/ academia is worse than ALL OF MVPB

That's fair. I may still apply to columbia and NYU.

I just went through and started counting associates/partners at the two best union-side law firms that I am aware of. i tallied 26 attorneys who went to T14 schools (all but one went to a T10 school) vs. 2 attorneys who went to non-T14 schools. I don't love the odds of landing one of those jobs from a T30.

Anonymous User wrote:That's fair. I may still apply to columbia and NYU.

I just went through and started counting associates/partners at the two best union-side law firms that I am aware of. i tallied 26 attorneys who went to T14 schools (all but one went to a T10 school) vs. 2 attorneys who went to non-T14 schools. I don't love the odds of landing one of those jobs from a T30.

im so confused. i thought you wanted clerkship -> academia.

if you want that kind of firm shit, go to CN with the strongest ties to NYC or to HYS (strong ties everywhere).

you're right you prob wont get that from a t-30. but you prob dont get that right out of law school anyways. you do have to do biglaw firm, i imagine. and for THAT, you can stay put.

Anonymous User wrote: If I can't do academia, I would like to work in a good labor-side law firm or federal government.

I understand that academia is a long shot from any of my options, so I am also considering other careers I would want to pursue if academia doesn't work out.

It's riskier, but yes, you have the potential for increasing your chances of snagging a clerkship or teaching. Either way, you'll need to get good grades and find a few professors who are willing to go to bat for you. If transferring means you'll land in the top 40% of your class instead of finishing in the top 1% of your class, then you're probably better off staying where you are. Law review is another consideration, although it's probably secondary to your grades and your relationships with your professors. That being said, if you are pretty confident that you can keep your ranking in your class even if you transfer, and increasing your chances of clerking/academia are worth 100K to you, then yes, by all means transfer.

I would also say going to YHS (or Chi) is probably more important for academia than a clerkship.

thanks for the replies.

For my goals (which do not really include biglaw) should I still be throwing in applications to NYU and CLS also? I've already gotten into berkeley, and would much rather go there based on location, culture, and personal reasons than either Columbia or NYU. Thoughts on whether, compared to Berkeley, either of those schools would offer substantially better non-biglaw opportunities?

Recommendations are important for federal clerkships. Stay put if you want to clerk; transfer if you want biglaw or access to a different market. Consider reposting after all of your transfer decisions are in.

CanadianWolf wrote:Recommendations are important for federal clerkships. Stay put if you want to clerk; transfer if you want biglaw or access to a different market. Consider reposting after all of your transfer decisions are in.

The odds are high that somebody who is in the top 5% of their class at a T-30 and has a full scholarship will end up with the same kind of entry-level job if he/she transfers to a T-14. The difference will be that in the latter case the person will pay an extra $110,000-$120,000 to get a law degree.