Opinions on California-Hastings, San Francisco living

[lawxcrunner]

I'm considering attending Hastings next fall, but I don't know much about the school or the area other than their website information.

Is the area as bad as everyone says?
What is the quality of education?
Is the degree worth the tuition (39k out of state) and debt?
How mobile nationally is a Hastings degree?

[blupblup]

"Is the area as bad as everyone says?"

No. Honestly, I think it's a great location -- it may be in the Tenderloin, but it's also in the heart of the city.

I can't really speak much to the second question. Whether the degree is worth the tuition depends on your other options/ how serious you are about law school. It also depends on where you want to practice immediately after law school. Hastings reputation is mostly local, I imagine, so it'd be great if you want to stay in San Francisco/ the bay area.

There are other threads about Hastings that offer more insight.

[futurelawstudent2011]

There is no reason why you would need to live near the Hastings campus (read: in the Tenderloin) to attend... SF is my favorite city, and there are plenty of great neighborhoods in the city that are not too far away from Hastings (Mission, Castro, Nob Hill, Marina, North Beach, etc). The good thing is, the public transportation in the city is, for the most part, great. If you live anywhere near a MUNI streetcar or major bus line stop, you'll be fine.. the TL can get kind of creepy at night, but the school is very close to the Civic Center MUNI station, and even walking around the TL at night is not bad if you are with other ppl.

I think Hastings has the highest reputation in SF and the Bay Area. The firm where I work (international firm) has several Hastings grads in its SF and Silicon Valley offices.

[reese07]

I think Hastings has the highest reputation in SF and the Bay Area. The firm where I work (international firm) has several Hastings grads in its SF and Silicon Valley offices.

Hastings has a great local rep, but I think its a bit of a stretch to say it has a better rep than Boalt and it is absurd to say  it has a better local rep than Stanford

I'm pretty sure she meant it has a good reputation in the bay specifically, as in it's a great regional school. Don't worry, everyone is aware that Stanford is better.

[Astro]

I think Hastings has the highest reputation in SF and the Bay Area. The firm where I work (international firm) has several Hastings grads in its SF and Silicon Valley offices.

Hastings has a great local rep, but I think its a bit of a stretch to say it has a better rep than Boalt and it is absurd to say  it has a better local rep than Stanford

I'm pretty sure she meant it has a good reputation in the bay specifically, as in it's a great regional school. Don't worry, everyone is aware that Stanford is better.

Agreed.  It was poorly phrased, but I think it was supposed to read, "Hastings' rep is higher in its local area than anywhere else."

For the record, Hastings has a HUGE alumni network, and it's pretty tight.  It's a great regional school, but its reach weakens outside of northern California.  You're still looking okay in SoCal, but I wouldn't count on anywhere else.

[futurelawstudent2011]

I think Hastings has the highest reputation in SF and the Bay Area. The firm where I work (international firm) has several Hastings grads in its SF and Silicon Valley offices.

Hastings has a great local rep, but I think its a bit of a stretch to say it has a better rep than Boalt and it is absurd to say  it has a better local rep than Stanford

I'm pretty sure she meant it has a good reputation in the bay specifically, as in it's a great regional school. Don't worry, everyone is aware that Stanford is better.

Agreed.  It was poorly phrased, but I think it was supposed to read, "Hastings' rep is higher in its local area than anywhere else."

For the record, Hastings has a HUGE alumni network, and it's pretty tight.  It's a great regional school, but its reach weakens outside of northern California.  You're still looking okay in SoCal, but I wouldn't count on anywhere else.

Apologies for my bad, lack-of-sleep-induced grammar. I of course meant that Hastings' reputation/prestige is best received in SF and the Bay Area as opposed to it being a particularly national school.

Saasen, btw, have you come close to deciding on a school? I definitely urge you to check Stanford out.. I went there for undergrad and had a great experience being on the campus and close to (but not in) SF.