<p>Is it a smart move to go to law school in a state in which you do not plan to live in? Like i want to live in California and I plan on applying to some law schools there, but I want to apply to some eastcoast schools as well, NYU and Harvard. Is this wise or should i just stick to one state?</p>
<p>Well, you have very little to lose by applying...</p>
<p>If you're sure that you want to live in California, simply make sure you cover your bases can apply to a good mix of California schools, in addition to other schools you "want to apply to." </p>
<p>Re-visit this question once you have heard back from the schools.</p>
<p>If it's NYU and Harvard, then don't worry about it. But don't go out of state for a low-ranked school.</p>
<p>I'm definitely still early on in the learning process myself, so take this with a grain of salt...</p>
<p>I've been looking through a Princeton Review book for information and each school lists states for which it prepares students for the BAR. Some schools only prepare for their own states, while others have a wide range. I don't remember any specifics off-hand, but I think I'm in a pretty similar situation to yourself (likely to live in CA, but looking at East Coast schools such as those you mentioned) and I know that a fair number of schools prepare for both CA and NY BARs.</p>
<p>Law schools don't prepare you for state bar exams at all.</p>
<p>Well, then I've misinterpreted the info. I'm home right now and the book is back in my dorm room, so I can't look it up or quote exactly, but each school provides something along the lines of "State for BAR Exam" followed by the state in which the school is located and sometimes by a few other states.</p>
<p>If someone has a better explanation of what that might mean, please let me know.</p>
<p>I have no idea what book you're talking about, but I can still be almost certain that it's talking about the school's bar passage rates in the states most popular with its graduates.</p>
<p>I feel like a broken record on this one. </p>
<p>Look in the back of USNews & World Reports, grad school edition. It will tell you the percentages of students from each school who end up working in the different regions of the country. </p>
<p>Now, for the other parts:
1. Your own history will play a role. NYU is an awesome school; however, if you've never been to California, grew up in Connecticut and went to school in DC, you're never going to convince a Cali employer that you really want to be there. </p>
<ol>
<li><p>Go to nalpdirectory.com and run a search. You can find how many California law firms interview on campus at different schools (Browse employer info; select "CA" for firms; and select whatever school for OCI.) Those numbers will tell you a lot. While it is certainly possible to get a job with employers who don't interview on-campus, it's a hell of a lot easier to get a job with employers who have a relationship with the school - and when you don't have to travel for screening interviews.</p></li>
<li><p>Alumni networks can mean a lot. Find out how many alums are in the geographic areas that you're considering and who also work in the practice you want. If you want antitrust in Pasedena, figure out how many NYU alums do antitrust in Southern Cal. Compare with other schools.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>ariesathena has a good point. I am a California resident, and although I am not in law school, I plan to be in the future. I am a member of the American Bar Association, the Federalist Society, and also several localized bar groups. The majority (I can provide statistics if neccesary) of lawyers practicing in Southern California are graduates of:</p>
<p>Western Law School.
Loyola Law School /LA.
Southwestern
USC
UCLA
Pepperdine</p>
<p>you get the point. From my experience the legal network out here is a goold ole boys network (not that I have anyhting against that hehe). If you plan on living in California its best to study law in California and while in law school do as much networking as possible. Depending on what kind of law you wish to practice, you never know who you will run into in court. Ok enough ranting on my part hehe good luck!</p>
<p>There are many states though that don't have near as many law schools as CA, NY, etc. My thought, being from AZ (two law schools in the whole state), was that studying at a higher ranked law school would help set me apart from the 80 plus percent of law grads from ASU and U of A. I guess the question is if the school's reputation outways the loss of networking.</p>
<p>If you plan on lizing in AZ, I would reccomend a California Law school with a good ranking. UCLA,UCB,USC,Pepperdine. These are well respected in AZ, and alot of CA grads are making their way east to NV and AZ. As far as networking is concerned, because of the close proximity, you will not have a problem.</p>
<p>I agree in part with Ariesathena.</p>
<p>Law firm recruiters, especially partners from a large or prominent local or regional firm, want to know how interested a candidate is in the living in the local area. Unless things have changed much in recent years, law firms are still very local in focus, and that includes New York City. NYC firms recruit, to the exclusion of nearly every other school, at the so called 'national schools.' Therefore, the local area for NYC and Wall Street firms are the top schools nationally; typically the Ivy League and few others.</p>
<p>For the rest of the country, being an elite or national law school graduate does not necessarily give you a leg up for a job. The local schools, typically the public institutions, have the advantage. In fact, JD graduates from out-of-the region at times really get the shaft. Legal communities known for rampant provincialism are Seattle, Philadelphia and the southern states (ESPECIALLY VIRGINIA). Northerners applying to 'old boy' Atlanta law firms are not enthusiastically welcomed, so only those with stealar academic credentials need apply. A Washington & Lee Law School alum I know, who was Law Review, accepted a summer judicial clerkship in Seattle on a lark, as he had never before visited the Pacific Northwest. Of course, he absolutely enjoyed Seattle and became determined to return after graduation.</p>
<p>Well, despite being law review and the clerkship, he got exactly one offer. And the firm (not terribly prominent) seriously low-balled him. They would have never done that to a U of Washington alum. On the other hand, some of the large Seattle firms hire many graduates from Seattle U (formerly U of Puget Sound Law) in addition to the U of W and U of Oregon.</p>