<p>Going to a law school you like can be worth more money. It’s partly a function of your own attitudes toward debt.</p>
<p>You say that you eventually want to return to California. Do you mean immediately after law school?</p>
<p>Both Columbia and Berkeley enjoy recruiting from law firms across the country. The difference is that all major New York firms recruit at Columbia, and all major California firms recruit at Berkeley. Not all major New York firms recruit at Berkeley, and not all major California firms recruit at Columbia. </p>
<p>If your grades are less than stellar in law school, and you’re looking beyond BigLaw for your first job, the next tier of firms is much more likely to recruit at law schools in relatively close proximity to the firm’s offices.</p>
<p>If you want to practice in New York for a while, and then move back to California, that would give an edge to Columbia.</p>