Top Law Schools

Wanted to get some opinions...

I ultimately want to work in California. BU is ranked higher but does Hastings' location make it a wiser choice?

Thanks!

You would be retarded to go to BU if you want to work in Cali.

Edit: Although BU is a great school, it is mostly regional and BU really isn't ranked that much higher than Hastings.

TTTennis wrote:You would be retarded to go to BU if you want to work in Cali.

Edit: Although BU is a great school, it is mostly regional and BU really isn't ranked that much higher than Hastings.

Listen to this man.

so, i will have a tough time getting a job in CA with a degree from a top 20 school?

elle wrote:so, i will have a tough time getting a job in CA with a degree from a top 20 school?

Yes. Unless you graduate near the top of your class, you are going to have a hard time transferring to Cali. Even graduating near the top of your class it will be somewhat difficult to land a job in Cali. I'm not saying it is impossible by any means, and I'm not saying it hasn't been done, but it will be a lot more difficult than if you went to school in Cali. Everyone raves about the T-14 because they are nationally portable degrees and you can (more likely than non t-14 schools) get jobs that make the ls investment actually worth it. Once you get outside those 14 you are looking at more regional degrees. While BU's reach may expand beyond the immediate surrounding states, it certainly doesn't have enough prestige to easily reach Cali.

TTTennis wrote:

elle wrote:so, i will have a tough time getting a job in CA with a degree from a top 20 school?

Yes. Unless you graduate near the top of your class, you are going to have a hard time transferring to Cali. Even graduating near the top of your class it will be somewhat difficult to land a job in Cali. I'm not saying it is impossible by any means, and I'm not saying it hasn't been done, but it will be a lot more difficult than if you went to school in Cali. Everyone raves about the T-14 because they are nationally portable degrees and you can (more likely than non t-14 schools) get jobs that make the ls investment actually worth it. Once you get outside those 14 you are looking at more regional degrees. While BU's reach may expand beyond the immediate surrounding states, it certainly doesn't have enough prestige to easily reach Cali.

thank you for your response...lots to consider

to my suprise, BU has excellent placement stats in LA.

Cupidity wrote:to my suprise, BU has excellent placement stats in LA.

where did you find this info? are you going to BU next year?

Yes I am, and it was in the BU v. Fordham thread. Someone cited stats with a link, something like 15% of BU grads work in california. i'd have never guessed it though.

did you go to the ASD?

Cupidity wrote:Yes I am, and it was in the BU v. paradise thread. Someone cited stats with a link, something like 15% of BU grads work in california. i'd have never guessed it though.

did you go to the ASD?

no, unfortunately, i am living in paris at the moment and couldn't go
i am wondering if it is hard to get placement in CA from BU or if BU students just want to work regionally.

The impression that I got, was that BU grads have a decent range of motion. Having a law school nearly 70 years old produces a massive and diverse alumni network, their career services is insane as well.

Besides, if you do well at boston, Cali isn't out of the question, if you do well at Hastings, you are still stuck in Cali for the most part

Cupidity wrote:Besides, if you do well at boston, Cali isn't out of the question, if you do well at Hastings, you are still stuck in Cali for the most part

But if you do crappy at BU is cali out of the question? If you do crappy at Hastings you are definitely stuck in Cali...but, you want to work in Cali anyway.

something else to consider is that most law schools will focus mostly on the law for the state its located in...so if you go to bu you'll learn MA law...which might make taking the cali bar exam a bit harder. just something else to keep in mind.

It would seem that Hastings and BU are well known enough that your app for a job isn't going to get pushed off the desk.

From what I hear talking to students and alumni, networking is a big part of finding a job. With that in mind, it's going to be harder to network with the other side of the country. If BU has a bunch of OCI firms from CA that come out, that's one thing (but still, OCI doesn't land jobs for most graduates it seems).

If you want California, go to Hastings (and I'm a WL there and would love to go, so I have a vested interest in your taking BU )

Soft Boiled Life, one of the most well respected posters here last cycle chose Hastings over BU. If you check out some of his posts you can see how his thought process worked out.

Mostly it boiled down to him not having any desire to work anywhere but Sacremento.



edit: actually, he chose Davis over BU, but still, his reasoning should have a lot of parallels with your situation. I have a feeling he also got into Hastings. Also, SBL is still active, mostly in the lounge; you could direct some questions his way and get him to weigh in.

those who can't get into BU eventually wind up at UC Hastings.

There is just something sexy about the idea of a "Law Tower"

TTTennis wrote:

elle wrote:so, i will have a tough time getting a job in CA with a degree from a top 20 school?

Yes. Unless you graduate near the top of your class, you are going to have a hard time transferring to Cali. Even graduating near the top of your class it will be somewhat difficult to land a job in Cali. I'm not saying it is impossible by any means, and I'm not saying it hasn't been done, but it will be a lot more difficult than if you went to school in Cali. Everyone raves about the T-14 because they are nationally portable degrees and you can (more likely than non t-14 schools) get jobs that make the ls investment actually worth it. Once you get outside those 14 you are looking at more regional degrees. While BU's reach may expand beyond the immediate surrounding states, it certainly doesn't have enough prestige to easily reach Cali.

TTTennis is T1 in terms of common sense. He knows what he is talking about.

There are sooooooooooooo many law schools in every region of Cali and Californians are sooooooooooooooooo myopic that they think anything in Cali is better than almost anything almost anywhere else. It's a state full of self involved, deluded egotists who would consider Santa Clara to be better than Illinois and you couldn't convince them otherwise. Am I generalizing? Yeah, but I'm also right. So yeah, Hastings has to be your choice because of the arrogant stupidity of self loving Californians.

Cupidity wrote:There is just something sexy about the idea of a "Law Tower"

Have you actually seen the Law Tower?

californians definitely do love california. weather can't be beat. i adore boston but life is easier in cali

Do Hastings. Don't put the pressure on yourself to have to do really well at BU to practice where you want.