Berkeley Law vs Michigan Law

Michigan

Where do you want to practice? Or, to put it another way, do you think a Berkeley grad is more likely to hire a Michigan grad than someone who went to the alma mater? Do you think there are more Berkeley grads in Detroit or in San Fran? Even coming out of the top 15 schools, location does make a difference, especially in the incredibly tight legal market in much of the country.

I'm not sure where I would want to live yet. I think I like the idea of going to Berkeley more than Michigan, but I want to be flexible in being able to go anywhere after graduation.

Michigan.

Berkeley.

Sorry fellows, but V gets the nod hands down. Very well respected in the business.

Michigan is playing for an NCAA title tonight. I'd say that gives them an edge.

dffsfds wrote:

Berkeley Law vs Michigan Law vs Vanderbilt Law

Where should I go? Discuss

Fantastic schools. From what I understand, Vandy is the most expensive; however, if you got into Michigan, then I'd imagine that you would receive some money from a school like Vandy. Did you bother applying to UVA? I know nothing about the legal market outside of the SE, Florida in particular. If you want Biglaw in the SE though, then UVA, Vandy or Duke (or top of your class at a school like UF, UNC, or Wake) would be solid. Congrats.

But yeah, go on TLS or someplace better to get advice on this kind of stuff. There are better places online where you can ask this question.

Unless you are dying to practice in the south and possibly even still then you should pick Michigan or Cal over Vandy. Maybe Vandy if you got a much larger scholarship there than at either of the other two.

No law school if you want to be employed upon graduation. My spouse is an attorney at a firm on the West Coast and they have two Harvard law grads working as contractors. If Harvard law grads are having a hard time getting full time work, I'd be cautious about entering the field. Obviously you'll have a better chance of getting a good job out of one of the law schools that you mention than a second or third tier school, but I'd really research your prospects and what it means to be attorney in today's climate before going the legal route.

http://articles.latimes.com/2013/apr/01/local/la-me-law-grads-20130402

http://www.salon.com/2013/04/06/law_school_is_a_sham/

No, son. You discuss.

Seriously, don't go to law school unless its free.

Unless you are at the very top of your class (even at MI or Berkeley) you will run into geographical limitations. Think hard about where you want to live, West, Midwest, or South.

Don't assume you're smarter than most of the incoming class. Everyone is smart and law school is hard. Try to limit the amount of debt you take on - that should be your number one concern, even though you have been accepted to decent schools (rank matters less than you think unless you're at Yale, Harvard, or Stanford) it will still be an uphill battle to land a great job.

If you want to work on the west coast, go to Cal. If you want to work in the midwest or east coast, go to Michigan.