Loyola, Southwestern, Cal Western opinions??

[P. Pius]

So I'm looking at Loyola, Southwestern, and Cal Western as possible options to apply to for Fall 08.  Although UCLA or USC might be better options if I'm looking at practicing in California, I don't quite have the grades or LSAT scores to get in to those schools.

Does anyone have any opinion or thoughts on Loyola, Southwestern, or Cal Western??  Would you rank one of them above the others??  etc...

Just an fyi, I'm not positive on what area of law I want to persue at this point...but entertainment law does intrigue me.

[number34]

Of those 3, Loyola is by FAR the best option. Back in the day, when the legal profession was strictly, or at least much more so, regional, Loyola was the go-to option for many So Cal lawyers, and so it still enjoys a good reputation, locally. (For one thing, because you're going to find a lot of partners and judges who went there.) People who finish in the top 10% at Loyola have all the So Cal biglaw options as the run-of-the-mill grad from SC/UCLA. No matter what type of law, definitely Loyola over Southwestern and Cal Western.

[wiimote]

Oh my. Unless you get a full scholarship, you would be a fool to allow yourself to be ripped off by these terrible schools.

Edit: Let me find a good Loyola 2L thread for you.
http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2007/12/06/the-lawyer-bride-who-sued-her-florist-shes-back/#comments
Read the comments, and don't think SW or CW are any different.

[motorolalawyer]

for entertainment, probabaly

1. Loyola 2. Southwestern (a close 1st) 3. Cal Western

[P. Pius]

Any reason why Cal Western is seemingly the last pick for everyone?  If I put aside thoughts of going into entertainment law...don't you think Cal Western would be an ideal choice?  I'd say it's argueably the second best school in San Diego.  If I recall correctly, job prospects for somewhere around the top 25 - 30% of the class are pretty good.

But who knows, I may be off on that guess.

[Tegoyan]

If you don't have the numbers for UCLA or USC, why are you totally skipping USD? You don't think you can get in there either?

From what I've read, California Western doesn't have the strong and spread out alumni base that Loyola has and as someone else said, Loyola has a better reputation for whatever reason. It IS the second best school in San Diego, but the legal market there is relatively small and there are already so many good law schools in California. However, my research has turned up very positive things about the school itself, and the communication that I've had with them has been the best I've had with any law school so far. With the right money, I would not be opposed to going to this school at all.

I think you should apply to all 3 and, honestly, go with the one that gives you the most money. They are all ranked pretty low in an overcrowded market. I think the best thing would be to graduate with the least amount of debt as possible and hustle for the job you want.

P.S. Are you applying straight out of undergrad?

[P. Pius]

If you don't have the numbers for UCLA or USC, why are you totally skipping USD? You don't think you can get in there either?

From what I've read, California Western doesn't have the strong and spread out alumni base that Loyola has and as someone else said, Loyola has a better reputation for whatever reason. It IS the second best school in San Diego, but the legal market there is relatively small and there are already so many good law schools in California. However, my research has turned up very positive things about the school itself, and the communication that I've had with them has been the best I've had with any law school so far. With the right money, I would not be opposed to going to this school at all.

I think you should apply to all 3 and, honestly, go with the one that gives you the most money. They are all ranked pretty low in an overcrowded market. I think the best thing would be to graduate with the least amount of debt as possible and hustle for the job you want.

P.S. Are you applying straight out of undergrad?

I had looked at USD before and was pretty close to the bottom 25%'s for LSAT and GPA.  However, I retook the LSAT in December and with the classes I've taken this semester, I should raise my GPA (not by a lot, but enough to make me more competitive)

I'll have to give them another look and see if I stand a better chance now.  As far as my situation, yes I am going to law school straight after completing my undergrad in May.

[Domthelaw]

If you're concerned about getting into USD you should be just as if not more concerned about getting into Loyola.

[Roman815]

I had looked at USD before and was pretty close to the bottom 25%'s for LSAT and GPA.  However, I retook the LSAT in December and with the classes I've taken this semester, I should raise my GPA (not by a lot, but enough to make me more competitive)

I'll have to give them another look and see if I stand a better chance now.  As far as my situation, yes I am going to law school straight after completing my undergrad in May.

I was in your shoes last year since my GPA was below the 25% and my LSAT was exactly at the 25%. Good thing I applied to USD anyways because I got in (I'm not a URM) with a $16,000 yearly scholarship and now I'm a 1L here. So write a great personal statement and don't give up hope!

[LetsDoThis]

Why isn't Pepperdine an option?