ITT a BU 1L and a BC 1L answer questions with civility

[nukelaw]

RE: West Coast placement questions

First off, the best advice I can give you is that if you're not going to a truly national law school (T-14 minus Cornell and possibly some others), go to the best school in the market you want to end up in.

If you're on the higher end of BC's admit numbers, you probably could sneak in to a UCLA or USC, which would be a better bet for West Coast placement. If you're on the lower end, UC-Davis, and possibly even UC-Hastings, could be safer options if geography is your number one concern (and it should be among your top ones). Do not underestimate how hard it is to lateral into a different market. Unless you're at a top firm, you may not have the credentials that let you shop a name at a market distant from your own.

That said, I do think our numbers, anecdotally, have been rising on the West Coast, primarily because we're getting more students from the West Coast. These people are finding jobs in their home markets out of BC, but I don't know how much of that is because of connections back to those markets.

If you're unsure where you want to end up geographically and want the flexibility of going to any of the diverse markets you mention, the best advice I can give is to retake the LSAT under the new policy and reapply in the next cycle to the T-14. If you think you'd be happy in the Northeast, I think there are plenty of schools in the T-25 that can place you in their local market plus NYC. Choose the one with the best placement statistics in the market of your choice. In cases with similar placement numbers (i.e. - BC/BU), go with your gut/financial aid package.

[nukelaw]

how much would a typical 1br run for?

1K? 1.2k?

I won't be able to make it to the BC admitted students thing.


(thanks for your help!)

Check Craig's List and look in Brighton/Allston. Anything along Comm. Ave will have access to the Green Line of the T and put you in close proximity to most students.

I'd also look on the BC Grad Student Listings: http://www.bc.edu/offices/reslife/offcampus/listings.html

This is where I found my apartment that I've lived for the past two years. It tends to be BC alum owners trying to rent to current BC grad students.

As for finding a roommate, I think admissions sets up a bulletin board for admitted students. Some folks just found roomies that way without meeting them ahead of time.

[nukelaw]

thanks Nukelaw.. you made me fall in love with the school without even visiting it!
I am curious about BC grads going out to LA too- Are the firms that come out from the West coast Biglaw firms that require you to be at least top 30%? What about for those bottom half of the class? It seems that BC opens many many great doors for those fortunate to graduate top of the class but what about the rest majority? Very well qualified individuals come to BC but unfortunately, half the class has to graduate the bottom half of their class, a quarter of that even lower. Any hope for those people on the West coast or even in New England in general?

There's always hope, the question is how much. Most West Coast recruiting is done through off-campus fairs in LA and San Fran through the law consortium (see earlier post above). There aren't a lot of firms at them, so you're probably going to end up doing direct mailings. This is why grades matter so much. They have a vague idea what rank BC is, but probably little experience with grads from it. You need the grades to get you in the door so you can show them your stuff.

The lower you rank, the harder it is to get screening interviews. This is all a game of numbers. More firms come from Boston and NYC primarily, so that's your best shot at a Biglaw salary if you're not in the top 1/3 or so.

There are plenty of people who get great jobs in other markets AND are in the bottom half. However, they typically have something else going for them (e.g., - minority, IP, languages, undergrad alum network, personal connections, etc.). In other cases, it's dumb luck or just persistence.

[Stuje1]

nukelaw, thanks so much for your responses to my questions. Stuje1 and you have pretty much sold me on BC. Not only did I like what I read in your answers, but just the fact that you answered our multiple questions so thoroughly means that you guys are the kinds of people I'd like to have as fellow law students. I want to be a part of the BC Law crowd, it just seems like a great place to be. As lurker said, you guys are doing a great job selling the school.

I sincerely appreciate all the time that has been put into the responses....it is obvious you guys like your school, and it is all extremely helpful in this stressful decision making time.

Anytime, glad we could help!   I know I really do love it here.  I was talking with students last year who decided to come to BC, and they all are so happy with their decision to come.  One girls facebook photo album was recently entitled "BC Law: best decision I've ever made"   not even kidding.

1) Why do you say the DC market is a tough one to crack (I ask because it's a place I'd like to work after graduation). In a related matter, is it accurate to say that in order to land a good job in a place outside boston, you need to finish higher than if you wanted to stay in Boston? Meaning, is it only the top students who get offers in D.C., etc.?

Just to add to Nuke, I think another issue with DC is that (like Boston) they are pretty concerned with personal ties to the area.   I had absolutely none (just wanted to work in DC) and I think that went against me with a few places.  They want to make sure you are actually going to accept their offer and stay there for some time.

on your 2nd Q, I think it is accurate to say you need to do a little bit better to get a job in a place outside of Boston then you do inside of Boston.   I think that statement is probably true for every law school though.  It is less of a knack on our ability to place outside the city then it is saying something about our strength inside of Boston.  It is not so much "you need to do real well" to leave Boston as it is "you can do worse" and still get a job Boston.   An employer in Boston is much more likely to accept a middle of the road BC student then is an employer in Texas.   But this just makes sense for every law school (E.g. At emory, a middle of the road student is more likely to find a job in Atlanta than LA).   The schools have better connections and a better name in their home town than in a different city.  While a Boston firm may take a chance on a middle of the road BC/BU kid because they have a lot of confidence in the school or they are an alumn, it is just less likely that a firm in Texas is going to do the same when they have a top 10% student from a local tier 3 school who wants the same job.

If your question was more geared to whether one has to do better to get a job from a top firm in a different city then they would to get a job at a top firm in Boston, I think this is also true but also true of every law school (with maybe the exceptions of the very, very top schools, such as Harvard, who have a top success rate in every city).  Again, because of strong connections to the local schools, it is just easier to get a job in the top firms in the city.  No doubt, U Minn students have a much easier time getting a job at the top firms in Minn then the top firms in Boston, and USC students have an easier time (or can do worse) and still get a top job at an LA firm than they would if they tried to get a job in DC.   I think Ropes (the top firm in Boston) took something like 8-11 BC students this year.  There just isnt a top firm in another city who would take such a large # of BC students, so it just makes sense that it is thus a bit "easier" to get a job in the Boston market then outside.   Hope that all makes sense! 

how much would a typical 1br run for?

1K? 1.2k?

I would say 1 beds range from about $800-$1400.   2 beds are almost the same price though (about $1000-1600) so it makes a lot of sense to find a roommate

Okay, I'm going to reverse the question.  Everyone on LSD is always talking what happens to kids at or below the median at a school, but just for curiousity's sake, I want to know what options are available to you if you're at the top of the BC class (and don't just say something like "if you can dream it you can do it").  Do a lot of kids at the top after 1L end up transferring?  What kinds of stuff have the top kids that you've seen graduate done?

I want to know how much incentive there is for me to be a gunner.

Ha, I like your attitude!   If you do well, there is always a great clerkship opportunity (I think we have something like 6 clerking at the circuit level next year).  There are great Fed gov positions (like the DOJ honors program).  And of course there is BIGLAW.   With the exception of 2-3 firms, doing well at BC will pretty much open the door to any firm in the country (the exceptions are Wachtell, Davis Polk and Williams Connolly...these three tend to hire almost exclusively from the T-14 (or higher), though I do know they have at least interviewed BC students before).  Doing well at a great school like BC will certainly give you a ton of options! (doesn't mean you have to be a gunner though to do well  )

As for transferring, people certainly do it, but it is usually much more based on significant others then things like "prestige."   I know we had a fair # transfer last year, and I only know 2 who did it because they wanted a better named school (everyone else was for location, family, significant other, etc.).  We had 2 or 3 kids go to harvard (one turned down Yale), one to Chicago, one to Northwestern, I think a couple to NYU/Columbia and one to Penn (that I can name off the top of my head).  There are a LOT more who could transfer, but choose not to.  It doesn't make much sense to do it for any reason besides personal reasons.  If you are at the top of your class at BC, as I mentioned above, most opportunities are open to you...very little is out of your grasp.   If you are dead set at working 3000 hrs at Wachtell, then maybe transferring is the best option.   But in all seriousness,the only other reason it makes sense from a prestige perspective is if you want to be a judge or professor, in which case, having the names Harvard or Yale on your resume certainly helps.   But again, almost every door will be open to you if you are in the top of the class at BC.

Keep those Qs coming!

[lurker128]

thank you to everyone who chimed in responding to my questions....I was born and raised in the DC area, so it is nice to know that will be helpful if/when I want to find employment there!

How is Boston? Having lived in Chicago and New York (in addition to DC), I haven't always heard positive things about the city (i.e. more homogenous, segregated, yuppie) etc...Just out of curiosity, since I have hardly set foot in the place. Obviously, it's a metropolis so how bad can it be, right?

[ohhayitskk]

here's a silly question...but does bc actually make grad students pay to use the gym? ICK! and if so, what are our other options? the gym is sort of a huge part of my life...

[Stuje1]

here's a silly question...but does bc actually make grad students pay to use the gym? ICK! and if so, what are our other options? the gym is sort of a huge part of my life...

Actually discussed already in this thread (check out pg 9...assuming you have the same pg set up).   Understandably, you prob did not read every single post on this extremely long thread...it can be a lot to sort through.  The sum of it is this: Free very small/crappy gym on the law school campus or can pay a relatively small fee for the big/real gym on the main campus.

[ohhayitskk]

here's a silly question...but does bc actually make grad students pay to use the gym? ICK! and if so, what are our other options? the gym is sort of a huge part of my life...

Actually discussed already in this thread (check out pg 9...assuming you have the same pg set up).   Understandably, you prob did not read every single post on this extremely long thread...it can be a lot to sort through.  The sum of it is this: Free very small/crappy gym on the law school campus or can pay a relatively small fee for the big/real gym on the main campus.

eeek sorry yes i see it now. thanks for answering again!

[nubova]

To answer the gym question, I love that BC doesn't internalize the cost of the gym. I would hate it if they forced me to pay for a gym that I am not using. BU makes BUSL students pay for a gym whether or not they use it. I think its great that BC law students aren't forced to pay for the undergrad gym unless the student actaully wants to use it.

[nukelaw]

To answer the gym question, I love that BC doesn't internalize the cost of the gym. I would hate it if they forced me to pay for a gym that I am not using. BU makes BUSL students pay for a gym whether or not they use it. I think its great that BC law students aren't forced to pay for the undergrad gym unless the student actaully wants to use it.

This is a good point. There are other gyms in the area that you might choose to join, and others do. My wife and I joined the West Suburban YMCA in Newton Corner. There's a student rate of $50 a month, I'm not sure how the other YMCA's work out (e.g., Oak Square in Allston/Brighton). Other folks opt for the more high end Boston Sports Club (BSC). Still, others just join the running club at BCLS, lift for free at the quonsett hut on the Newton Campus, and don't pay a dime for either.