Where to go to law school if aiming to work in L.A.?

[sparrrkk_]

Hi,

So, I’ve heard that a law school’s location makes it easier to get a job in that certain region. However, I’ve also heard that if the school’s ranking is high enough, the school’s location doesn’t matter as much. I’m aiming to work as a lawyer in Los Angeles. Would it be better for me to potentially attend USC, UCLA or UC Berkeley (stay in-state) rather then a higher-ranked East Coast law school?

Thanks so much!

[Dave Killoran]

Hi,

So, I’ve heard that a law school’s location makes it easier to get a job in that certain region. However, I’ve also heard that if the school’s ranking is high enough, the school’s location doesn’t matter as much. I’m aiming to work as a lawyer in Los Angeles. Would it be better for me to potentially attend USC, UCLA or UC Berkeley (stay in-state) rather then a higher-ranked East Coast law school?

Thanks so much!

Hi Sparrkk,

You've mostly got it right: national schools allow you to work anywhere, regional schools have better power in their region. The question then becomes, what qualifies as a "national" school. Certainly schools in the T14 qualify, and then it gets less predictable as you work down the rankings ladder.

Because UCLA is currently ranked 15th, the comparison you make is a tough one, and isn't one where I'd say it's all about location. Is Virginia better than UCLA for working in LA? It's close enough that to me it comes down to other factors like which school you like better and how much debt do you take on at each school. The comparison: https://www.lstreports.com/compare/ucla/uva/

It's really outside the T20 or so where the national pull drops way off, so this is where regional influence becomes a much bigger issue. T14s have much less of a problem there.

I often write about this topic, and you might find the comments here interesting: https://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/schola ... ey-and-run (there's a podcast on it too! Episode 5). The comments in that blog—and there are dozens and dozens—all revolve around these types of decisions.

Thanks!