Yes. Generally, a T14 outside of region [x] will give you a better chance of being hired in region [x] than whatever the top regional school in region [x] -- especially if you have ties to that region. There are potentially a few exceptions to this (Texas for Texas as opposed to Georgetown for Texas, for example), but you can suss them out when you're actually in the position to decide between schools.HxAxDxExS wrote:So basically if I get into T14 school(s), go to them or consider going somewhere else over a T14 school if I prefer the market more for that specific college, respectively? Also I have the same preferences as you do, and Thank you.abl wrote:First, I don't understand why you'd transfer from UNLV. You're clearly doing well there, you presumably like it, and you're not talking about transferring to a better school.
Second, it's not the case that someone in the top 25% at UC Davis (tied for 31 in USNews) will be equally as competitive for an Atlanta job as someone in the top 25% at UGA (tied for 31 in USNews). This will continue to not be true even if you have strong Atlanta ties. Local firms almost always prefer local schools. Maybe even more importantly, local firms will almost always interview at local firms. Having a firm interviewing at your school is a huge advantage. Sure, you might be able to get a job via resume drop or an email, but your chances will be far greater if the hiring pipeline is already there. Ties matter a lot--especially if you're trying to break into a more insular market, or are trying to break into a region into which your law school typically does not feed--but ties are not the only factor in hiring.
Third, there are real differences between regional markets. You've mentioned the Bay Area. Because so many folks want to live in the Bay Area, and because Stanford and Berkeley are there, going to UCDavis is going to provide less of a leg up for getting a job in SF than going to UGA will be for Atlanta. But don't take this to mean you should go to the regional law school that serves the smallest and most insular market. There's also obviously some balancing here: there tend to be far more legal jobs in big cities than in small cities, so going to a rural school that dominates its local market isn't necessarily an advantage over going somewhere like Fordham that doesn't. I'm sure that there are some regional schools that hit more of a sweet spot here than others -- e.g., they dominate their local market, which has a fairly robust legal landscape. My instinct is that cities with one or more elite law schools (like SF/Chicago/NY) or cities that are particularly desirable to grads from elsewhere (like SF/Chicago/NY/DC/LA) are going to be harder to break into from a regional school even if it's in that region. If you can't get into Stanford or Berkeley, and are ambivalent about where you'd like to practice, I'd probably preference a top regional school in a non-SF region in which you have ties over somewhere like UC-Davis (assuming roughly similar (~10-15 spots) USNews ranks). That said, if I were you, I wouldn't treat a legal career in SF as equivalent to a legal career in Atlanta--but that's purely personal preference.
Now, of course, the above advice doesn't take into account debt, which obviously should also be an important part of your decision. How much more debt you should go into in order to go to a higher ranked school is something that has probably been discussed on this board more than anything else -- but once again, that's a question you should be considering after you have specific scholarship numbers.
With a 4.0 GPA, there's no practical ceiling for you for where you could get admitted. If you score above a 175, for example, you're probably going to get into Harvard, Yale, or Stanford, and will almost certainly get into one of CCN. And, there's a fairly noticeable difference even within the T14 in terms of employment opportunities--especially when it comes to desirable jobs in competitive markets like the Bay Area. So my big advice to you right now is to study your butt off for the LSAT. The difference between you getting a 155, 165, and 175 might only be a few months of studying, but the likely impact on your career will be substantial.
I see it as such a blessing you can even be handed the dream of law school to you. If there was no debt to be accumulated (No loans) I would find a way to come up with the sticker price full! No matter what, I would do anything it takes. I would save, I would get help from family, I would do it all, and I can still do these things when I am getting loans 
