Top Law Schools

Some good advice would be appreciated. I am a rising 2L at Georgetown with BAD grades (bottom 15% of the class). I definitely want to practice law in Los Angeles and have received an offer of admissions from USC Law. Should I transfer to USC (a transfer would allow me to wipe out my 1L grades from GTown and essentially start over) or stay at Georgetown, bite the bullet and try to get my grades up? Essentially, is it better to be at USC with a potentially better GPA or higher ranked and nationally known Georgetown with presumably a mediocre GPA (after I bust my butt for two years getting my GPA up)? Thoughts?

I wouldn't do it solely for the grade swipe because you'll be interviewing with those grades until around end of January and beginning of February which will affect what you can do next summer. So, I'd evaluate whether you look better as a GULC bottom 15%er applying from GULC wanting to come to LA, I assume low you just put lower 50% for your rank which looks better than bottom15%, or as a transfer coming in as a bottom 15%er, see^^. All of that assumed that LA is where you want to be. Assuming you want LA, I'm leaning towards USC. Even if you can't get the best of the best firms there, you should be able to get something and maybe work your way up.

Last note: This will obviously only matter until you get grades from USC, but one of my thoughts is that people might think you ran from the challenge at GULC. Idk how accurate that is, but it's something to keep in mind.

Thanks for the good advice. I am definitely going to be in LA after graduation. My family is out there and my mother is in remission, so that's the main reason why I decided to seek a transfer--to be closer to family. I am currently doing OCI at GULC so, regardless of whether I stay or go, my 1L grades are out there and are probably affecting my 2016 summer plans already. Firms have been asking for transcripts so there's no way to hide how bad my grades are (I'm not foolish enough to put my GPA on my resume or any language that indicates where I stand in class ranking, e.g. bottom 50%, etc.)

I've received a few call backs (two) from OCI at GULC--does anyone know how transferring to a lower ranked school may affect my call backs that I got from GULC?

If I were you I'd stay at GULC and mass mail firms in SoCal.

Since there are compelling family reasons & since you want to live & work in SoCal after graduation, transferring is a reasonable option. Nevertheless, GULC's job placement stats are superior to USC's numbers.

Do you think that being closer to family will reduce any anxieties & help your law school performance ? What are your career goals ? Will you live at home ? Giving up any financial aid grants from GULC ?

Why not be a visiting student at USC?

You should stay at GULC; employers will see your 1L transcript with all of your grades. Transferring will not help you remove any stigma with respect to you grades at OCI. If anything, it might make employers notice your transcript more. I just transferred and because my transcript was from a different school, everyone scrutinized it much more carefully; some even took notice of it simply because it was different. Most employers at least did a double-take followed by some verbal remark: "hmmm, interesting. So you transferred; tell me about that."

Transferring only clears your grades with the school. So if you want to graduate with honors; you'll have a clean slate at USC. Just remember to read USC's policy on grades to see if a transfer can qualify.

In regards to this thread, but also my position: why such a push for OCI? I see it often (I have been contemplating a transfer as well), but have never understood why so much of an investment is made into OCI. Do most students see OCI as the holy grail? Is OCI the best recruiting tool? It is for big or bigger firm? Are those looking to OCI, as their "one and only," students who are young and without solid resumes and connections?

I ask because I apply/network all the time. While what I want and need may differ, I am trying to understand this whole holy grail of OCI.

As far as the USC transfer......that is tough. I am not at a tier 1 school (tier 4), but have an opinion. If you want to be with your family then go! Do the transfer, do not look back, be with them throughout this tough time, and enjoy life. But, that is me. Family and life is more important than school.

This was a weird necro - the time has well passed for OP to make a decision. Also your question is in no way related to op's situation. Moving on:

OCI is literally the only way you get hired into big law firms. If you don't do it after 1L year and land a summer associate position your chances at getting a Biglaw job are incredibly remote, even coming from a top school. Connections and experience don't insulate people from the standard Biglaw hiring process, it only makes them slightly more likely to succeed within it.

From your other posts, it doesn't look like Biglaw life is where you're headed so OCI wouldn't matter as much for you.

Capitol_Idea wrote:This was a weird necro - the time has well passed for OP to make a decision. Also your question is in no way related to op's situation. Moving on:

OCI is literally the only way you get hired into big law firms. If you don't do it after 1L year and land a summer associate position your chances at getting a Biglaw job are incredibly remote, even coming from a top school. Connections and experience don't insulate people from the standard Biglaw hiring process, it only makes them slightly more likely to succeed within it.

From your other posts, it doesn't look like Biglaw life is where you're headed so OCI wouldn't matter as much for you.

Thanks. I have a few friends and classmates who landed big firm jobs for their 1L summer, and all were asked to come back. Biglaw is not for me as you stated. Thanks for the feedback.