Syracuse vs Southwestern

[The Ven]

Trying to decide between Syracuse and Southwestern (los angeles) I live in socal and eventually want to work there. I know that Syracuse is ranked higher. No money from either school.  I'm thinking southwestern but any thoughts would be helpful.

[Al]

Basically when you are out of the top 20, the rule is to go to law school in the market you want to practice in. BUT. in your case, the school in L.A. is not really affiliated with any major university, that might really hurt you. Lots of these "Devry institute" type "universities" in California are the subject of lots of criticism and jokes. I mean, if your only program is law, your not really a university. Now I know its ABA accredited but still, there is a stigma in california against these types of 1 program schools and it will attach to you as a graduate. 

In that case I would pick Syracuse Law which has a real university attached to it. Considering that recruiters will probably look to over ten other law schools in California for recruits before they get to Southwestern, I bet your chances of coming from higher ranked school like Syracuse, especially if you are from L.A. ,are better. Especially if you get a syracuse basketball fan.

[asugirliegirl]

Go with Southwestern over Syracuse. Syracuse doesn't have such an amazing reputation that you'll have a better shot at a socal job after graduation.  It's better to stay in the region you want to work (unless you get into Harvard or Yale).  Also, by staying in socal you'll be able to develop legal contacts in LA and intern at firms and government agencies during the school year (2L, 3L).

[Infinite0]

You better be able to get through the winters of western New York, which could be quite a shock coming from southern California.  It gets dark at about 4, it's cold, and then there's the lake effect snow.  I say stay where you are and network. 

[bdc]

There is a bunch of us from socal going to Syracuse and although the cold will be rough, Syracuse has a lot of cali students.  They say cali is the number one area outside the region that Syracuse attracts.  I would say that bc of this, it is not as difficult as one might think to work in cali after grad.

[Candide!]

oh my god MAY DAY MAY DAY!

your opportunities for souther california employment are no less than 1000 times better if you go to southwestern. it is HONESTLY well respected in LA. Syracuse grads have a hard time getting employed in NYC. the thought of trying to get a job in LA from Syracuse makes me want to laugh. aint gonna happen for months after graduation unless you are editor of syracuse law review.

please PLEASE before you let these bafoons make this decision for you contact Southwestern or better yet some LA lawyers and ask them what they think.

this whole "it has an undegrad campus attatched to it so it must be better" thing is insane.

UC Hastings seems to be doing fine without one, and the majority of fourth tier schools have undergraduate institutions, and it isnt helping them out any....

i gaurantee you the only people that care about UG campus affiliation is 0Ls on this board, NOT LA partners at firms. they know the potential quality of a Southwestern education.

[bdc]

as far as quality of education, im sure its the same for all aba schools.  and yes those on this board are just speculating including Candide.  go visit each school and attend the one that you feel like.  If you arent concerned with the attrition rate a southwestern then enjoy bc there has to be a bottom 20%.  Its not impossible to work outside the region that you went to law school, it just requires more work on your part. The attachment to an undergrad gives you more options as far as joint degrees and specialties.  Calling people bafoons and insane shows the lack of content in an argument and should be taken even less into consideration.

[bruin]

go to Southwestern!

Syracuse may be higher in the rankings, but not by enough to give it an advantage over Southwestern in the SoCal market. The attached UG argument really doesn't hold much weight; what amtters is the law school. Southwestern has a decent reputation in LA, not outstanding, but solid. It's considered the #4 (with Pepperdine) law school in one of the biggest legal markets in the country; assuming you do well there, you will get a job at/after graduation in market, which I can't say for Syracuse-LA.

[loulielawyer]

I was considering Syracuse and I was really impressed by the campus and the faculty at the law school.  During my tour the lady from the admissions office mentioned to me that a large portion of the out of state students come from California and there are many job opportunities in Cali for these students.  She even mentioned that firms often fly the students out to California for interviews.  I am not from California and never expressed interest in working there so I know that the information was legit and not a sales tool to get me to pick the school.

I don't know anything about Southwestern but I can completely understand the appeal to staying close to your home and also studying law and forming professional connections in the state you plan to practice in.

I guess I am not helping you choose one over the other with this information but I think you should make the choice that fits you better personally because either school will provide you with a path to a successful career in California.

It is great to get the decision behind you and to start looking forward to this next step in life.  Good Luck!

[Candide!]

as far as quality of education, im sure its the same for all aba schools.  and yes those on this board are just speculating including Candide.  go visit each school and attend the one that you feel like.  If you arent concerned with the attrition rate a southwestern then enjoy bc there has to be a bottom 20%.  Its not impossible to work outside the region that you went to law school, it just requires more work on your part. The attachment to an undergrad gives you more options as far as joint degrees and specialties.  Calling people bafoons and insane shows the lack of content in an argument and should be taken even less into consideration.

how can the attatchment to an undergrad give you opportunities for a joint degree? we already have our bachelors?

professionals that i have talked to about this subject time and time and time again have stressed to me that if you are not chosing among the tippy top of national school, it is a very smart choice to chose the school that is in the part of the world you want to practice in. you will have the opportunity to learn more state law, get summer work, and ultimatly interview with the people you want to work for. you are adding undue stress to your life to travel across the country for school.

and there is no real added prestige to a school ranked 95 over a school not ranked, because there is no "prestige" of any relevance associated to a school ranked in the bottom half. i am not saying that this makes syracuse a bad school, i am just saying there is, at that point, no "name brand recognition" of any value over an ABA SoCal school.

quick, without looking at USNews, tell me which school would be better for working in San Francisco- Marquette University in Wisconsin, or University of San Francisco?


now go check out the rankings....this is a replication of the question you are asking on this board. but i am sure you would never have known Marquette was ranked higher (this year at least) over USF. well neither would employers.