Pepperdine??

[bruingal82]

I got into Pepperdine with a good scholarship and Im really considering going there. Obviously the area surrounding it is gorgeous, but I got a really good feel from the Dean and the other faculty members that I met when I went to the open house.  BUT...I also got into Loyola (LA) and I'm having a hard time making my decision.  I know Loyola is ranked higher, but being in downtown LA (and yes, I know I don't have to live there -- which I wouldn't do anyway) doesn't sound appealing to me.  It it is a depressing campus, cold, dark and dreary.  Would I be making a huge mistake if I went to Pepperdine??

[LizA]

No. I'm going to Pepperdine. Loyola doesn't appeal to me as much for the same reason...I don't like the location and the idea having to deal with traffic to commute there everyday. But loyola is higher ranked and a little more respected although pepperdine is gaining ground now as well. Maybe you shoul visit both campuses again and then make your final decision.

[AaronRCheng]

I think it depends on what you want to do.  If you're interested in Trial Advocacy, then Loyola is definitely the place to go.  If your intention is BigLaw or Entertainment Law, then you are again, probably best off at Loyola.  You'll find FAR more Loyola grads working in BigLaw than Pepperdine - a major reason is because Loyola has had much more time to establish its network of alum in prestigious firms and entertainment outlets.

The main things that I found appealing at Pepperdine are

1.) Much more relaxed atmosphere.  Its more like "lets get down to business and learn the law" as opposed to "lets get down to business and see who can place in the top 10%"

2.) Secluded campus with nice surroundings.  Easier to focus with fewer distractions of Los Angeles nightlife.

3.) Dean Starr.  This guy has some serious pull in the industry and he will be taking the school to new levels.


Cheers


I, myself, will likely be attending Pepperdine unless Loyola takes me off of their waitlist.  Having attended USC undergrand, being in the heart of Downtown LA is more comfortable to me and I would actually prefer living in that area as opposed to Malibu/Santa Monica/Calabassas

[Skeptic]

go with pepperdine because others, not necessarily myself, are dieing to go to loyola and are still waiting for a decision...pepperdine is a good school no doubt

[ivywhore]

conservative

[ADM]

You got a really good feel from Ken Starr?

[bruingal82]

go with pepperdine because others, not necessarily myself, are dieing to go to loyola and are still waiting for a decision...pepperdine is a good school no doubt

 

i love this, "i prefer loyola so i think u should go elsewhere" mentality

Yeah...haha.

Anyway -- I might want to do Entertainment Law, but I'm also thinking about DA work.  Both schools have programs that help with the DA's Office, but does anyone know if either school has an edge? 

Also, does Loyola's location really have anything to do with what jobs students get after?  Why couldn't Pepperdine students just as easily get jobs in Downtown LA?  I'm sure there are externships through Pepperdine that are also in LA.

And yeah, Ken Starr was very nice to me, and he spoke privately with me about the school.  I also spoke with the other Dean, and he wa very nice as well.  Much nicer than Loyola..they could care less about their students (or at least it seems that way).

[tms31078]

No. I'm going to Pepperdine. Loyola doesn't appeal to me as much for the same reason...I don't like the location and the idea having to deal with traffic to commute there everyday. But loyola is higher ranked and a little more respected although pepperdine is gaining ground now as well. Maybe you shoul visit both campuses again and then make your final decision.

gaining ground, pepperdine fell big time in the 06 rankings. however, regardless of rankings loyola is respected much more in the southern CA legal community than pepperdine.

[IvanTrbl]

I was basically faced with this decision and, after speaking with a bunch of lawyers from CA, promptly withdrew from Pepperdine (even though Loyola meant going for an extra year).  For entertainment and corporate law, Loyola DOMINATES pepperdine. 

Want proof?  Check out: http://www.nalpdirectory.com/dledir_search_quick.asp Select "Law Firm" in the Employer Type field and enter in Los Angeles, CA in the city/state fields.  A bunch of law firms will come up and, if you browse through their descriptive hotlinks, you'll notice that just about ALL of them hold on-campus interviews at Loyola and hardly ANY of them do so at Pepperdine.  Also, if you visit the particular home sites of these law firms, you will notice that MUCH more of their attorneys have graduated from Loyola than Pepperdine. 

[AaronRCheng]

sad, but true.

DAMMIT, LOYOLA take me off your waitlist!