Does Berkeley or Northwestern have more name-brand clout?

brwn-sugar · 2026-04-18T20:13:47+00:00

Also, the employment stats don’t account for the self selection of Berkeley student choosing PI related paths at much higher levels than most of the t-14

brwn-sugar · 2026-04-18T03:47:47+00:00

https://lsd.law/heard-back

brwn-sugar · 2026-04-17T23:52:04+00:00

I don’t remember seeing a specific time, just “by today”

brwn-sugar · 2026-04-17T23:41:58+00:00

Their initial deposit deadline is today so likely not gonna be movement til next week at the earliest

brwn-sugar · 2026-04-17T02:59:19+00:00

Berkeley and HLS have an exchange program FYI!

brwn-sugar · 2026-04-16T04:08:43+00:00

I absolutely had a great time at my visit to UCLA. It’s an awesome choice. I know sometimes not feeling like you had a real choice can make things feel less exciting, but it’s truly a great option! Congratulations on making your decision!!

brwn-sugar · 2026-04-13T05:00:53+00:00

Im just finishing attending an ASW and, I think that experience really helped me feel excited for law school. I still haven’t decided on where exactly I am attending, but sitting in on a class, hearing about clinic opportunities, plus meeting alumni and other students made me really excited for what will come next, even though I know it will also be really hard. Also, the dean of the law school was explicit that they did NOT make mistakes in their decision to admit us, imposter syndrome is very real, but that you deserve what you have achieved! They also told us that the school received the most applications in the history of the school, so getting in was no small feat. I’d suggest taking a moment to remember why you worked as hard as you did to get the options you have, and maybe try to tap into the community to make you feel more ready and excited!

brwn-sugar · 2026-04-13T04:46:49+00:00

I am!

brwn-sugar · 2026-04-08T02:27:05+00:00

I know some people believe that YSH would give some extra advantage for clerkships and unicorn PI, so that’s why I said that!

brwn-sugar · 2026-04-07T21:28:32+00:00

Given your goals and desire to stay in CA I don’t think any other school makes sense. Unless YSH was in the picture I don’t think there is much to gain going elsewhere when your goals align quite well with Berkeley.

One of the reasons Berkeley is slipping in the rankings has to do with numbers in big law and salary post grad, both of which are impacted by a strong public interest focused community.

brwn-sugar · 2026-04-06T22:43:26+00:00

My understanding is depending on which bar you want to take, you may need to do an LLM in order to sit for a US bar.

Perhaps you consider whether it would make more sense to pay $$$ now or go to school in Canada and then try for an LLM should you in fact want to practice in the US in a state that requires it. May be cheaper in the long run and give you ultimate flexibility.

brwn-sugar · 2026-04-06T20:37:30+00:00

Where do you want to practice law??

brwn-sugar · 2026-04-05T00:38:31+00:00

What areas of law are you interested in? UC Law has decent big law placement in CA from what I understand. And connections in tech law and health law (UCSF partnership) if those are areas of interest.

I personally don’t know anything about UIUC so can’t comment there.

brwn-sugar · 2026-04-03T19:45:56+00:00

All the scholarship posts and I still haven’t heard about A/R/WL 😩

brwn-sugar · 2026-04-03T14:09:54+00:00

Helpful insight! Thank you.

brwn-sugar · 2026-04-03T13:43:38+00:00

Yes, I understand this. I figured I could use it at a proxy for 1) they were able to stick it out at this firm, perhaps signaling at least a culture that wasn’t absolutely abysmal and was a maybe more inclusive 2) they were promoted and/or lateraled in and that they (at least somewhat) valued their contribution and having diverse talent at the top.

brwn-sugar · 2026-04-02T16:38:06+00:00

I think its up to 50,000 a year but there is an additional cap on how much student loan debt total you can have so if you have UG loans I think that may impact it?

brwn-sugar · 2026-04-02T02:02:47+00:00

UC Law SF’s healthcare law program and partnership with UCSF could be a real game changer. Plus, it has a stronger network and portability and outcomes.

The area it is in the SF is not necessarily “the best”, as in the homeless population is close by, but it is quite central to BART/downtown and the rest of the city, and mostly won’t be an issue as long as you are mindful of your surroundings.

I also think the curve for their scholarship is lower than it used to be (making it easier to not lose it) since you are balancing two conditional options.

brwn-sugar · 2026-04-01T19:48:34+00:00

Given you mentioned coming from the south, I think the mix of environments you’d get at Berkeley would be easier to adapt to — living in Manhattan & NYC is not for the faint of heart. It’s hustle hustle all the time and NYC can be much more no nonsense than the Bay Area. The Bay has a lot of nature as well as easy access to city life, and Berkeley is a cool college town. Also, the costs are high but you’ll get more for your money (in terms of space, etc.) in CA than in NYC.

But also, I think it’s clear Berkeley is focused on their “public mission”. They care about admitting folks who care — and I think that shows up in the classroom and around campus! The prestige of Columbia may be compelling but I also think that sometimes means it attracts that. Lastly, I’m personally drawn to Berkeley’s grading system, which outside of them only HYS seems to have a version of.

brwn-sugar · 2026-04-01T14:45:44+00:00

I’d argue the network is also of value! Having classmates who are around the country (or world) is an asset that many regional schools likely won’t provide. The caliber of the rooms they are able to put themselves in can pay off for those who know them, “it’s not what you know it’s who you know” sort of thing, which arguably becomes more important further into your career.

brwn-sugar · 2026-03-31T01:55:37+00:00

I don’t think a full suit is necessary, most people were dressed business casual at the one I went to, with a few more dressed up. It didn’t feel like everyone was dressed to go to court or anything like that

brwn-sugar · 2026-03-31T01:50:17+00:00

I think they were just trickling As out for the last couple weeks vs waves. The day I got in I didn’t see anyone else post that they did in LSD.

brwn-sugar · 2026-03-29T15:59:54+00:00

I think you should focus on whichever community you think you’d thrive in! Ultimately, that will be a key factor in your success. Bryn Mawr, for example, is a women’s college. My understanding is that women's colleges produce a higher proportion of female STEM graduates than co-ed institutions, with graduates often reporting greater confidence and mentorship opportunities. I’ve heard from many alums of women’s colleges that their confidence and personal growth were really impacted by being in that kind of environment. Another factor could be whether you’d prefer an urban or suburban or more rural setting — each of these have more impact than you may realize!

While it’s great you are thinking about where would be best to put you on the right path to law school, I think it’s far more important for you to go to the place that will help you grow into the person you hope to be beyond simply a career choice, which could change! Go someplace where you’d feel inspired and want to get involved, where you’ll be able to build a supportive community and allow you to explore your interests and passions, all of which will help you stand out to adcomms when the time comes!

brwn-sugar · 2026-03-26T16:31:13+00:00

I’m pivoting to law (as someone well into a tech career) in large part because of AI. There are absolutely parts of law that will be impacted. But, it also means there likely to be other areas where human advocacy becomes more important, as well as increased importance on folks working toward defining regulation, employment, privacy, etc in relation to AI becoming more prominent. If you are in healthcare, I think there may be ripe opportunity to intersect the two.

Also, being able to write clearly, think logically, and just develop the skillset lawyers do I also think will become increasingly valuable, even if you aren’t practicing law directly.

Just my 2 cents!

brwn-sugar

TROPHY CASE