UCLA or USC

[TDPookie1]

pookie you dont need a backup plan

Aww, thanks lexy! 

[Regal_Muse]

Hmm, I'm going to be a senior this fall at USC. Let me tell you that the area isn't that bad. USC's campus is actually a lot safer than UCLA. Because of the neighborhood, there are more DPS officers and police patrolling the surrounding communinities. As for which is the better school, it all depends on what kind of law you are interested in. USC is not ranked that far behind UCLA. I believe this year USC was 18 or 19th in the rankings, while UCLA is 15. (Someone please correct me if I'm wrong) If you want to go into academia or some kind of public service law, UCLA has a few amazing programs. If you are interested in Corporate, than definetly go to USC. They have one of the best corproate law programs in the country. Also USC has an amazing alumni network. I'm nto even in law school and I managed to get an internship at a law firm because of USC. Also usc has more money to give to their law students versus UCLA which is going to be the victim of severe budget cuts. Regardless, you can't go wrong with either school. Good luck!

[TDPookie1]

Only because you invited the correction...

UCLA is 16th, and USC is 18th.  It's small enough that you really shouldn't be deciding based on those rankings.  As regal muse said you should consider what kind of law you're interested in, and all the other factors that make a difference in your decisions.

[Regal_Muse]

Thanks! I wasn't sure myself!

[calvin]

i don't know if you have allergies or anything like that, but i do and downtown la seems to make them even worse at times.  west la is definitely a lot better for people with allergies, i think - the nice ocean breeze, etc.  i know, i know, it's probably silly to consider allergies in light of everything else about each school, but i figured it couldn't hurt to mention it.

[ProSeBeatzU]

I would strongly recommend a short visit to L.A. I believe your choice would be immediate and clear; UCLA.

I am a non-trad and have a different, although purely anecdotal perspective. I have worked alongside (and for) many USC grads. In L.A., an individual can't swing a dead surfer without hitting one. I would heavily discount the claims of USC's awesome alumni "network". It has reached urban myth status.

In any environment in which USC students/grads believe a cause/effect relationship exists because of their skull & bones-like network, you will also find plenty of non-USC individuals - maybe even some people from UCLA.

PSBU

[lexylit]

 

<appreciating image of swinging a dead surfer and hitting lawyers>

[nlyang]

If you haven't already, you should definitely visit both schools.  There's a huge gap between these two locations in the same "city".

People have mentioned the differences in location already, but it's really worth seeing in person.  UCLA' beautiful campus sits in Westwood with Bel Air to the North, West LA to the South, Beverly Hills to the east and Santa Monica to the west.  In many people's eyes, it's an IDEAL location.
USC sits in South Central Los Angeles.  And while the campus is probably safe at night due to heightened security, most of us would be very scared to walk anywhere outside a 3 block radius of the campus.

I think the reason location keeps coming up is because both schools are comparable in terms of rankings and reputation.  It's all the "extras" that tip the scale.

[egg]

Tiny derail: Can anyone here speak to how well these two schools place in the San Francisco market? The USNews data are not more specific than the state level, and I am sure that it is theoretically possible to place very well in CA and very poorly in SF. Anybody have any insight?

[Ginatio]

use the search feature on http://www.nalpdirectory.com to find out how many firms in the Bay Area recruit at each school.

you can also use the MartindaleHubbell search feature to find out how many attorneys from each school practice in the Bay area.

not too definitive, but it'll give u an idea.

Can anyone here speak to how well these schools place in the San Francisco market? The USNews data are not more specific than the state level, and I am sure that it is theoretically possible to place very well in CA and very poorly in SF. Anybody have any insight?