<p>I will be an undergraduate with junior standing this Fall and am beggining preparation for the LSAT around then. I plan to take it for the first time in February 2011 or June 2011 at the latest. I want to do it early so I can make improvements if I do not perform as well as I hoped at take it again.</p>
<p>I am looking for a law school that is not very competitive yet still well-respected enough to get me a job after law school. I have my heart set on Santa Clara University as my first choice school and only school I’ll be willing to break the bank to attend. I’m also looking at UC Berkley, UC Davis, John F Kennedy University, and pretty much any law school in the UC system as fallback options.</p>
<p>I would prefer a public or budget friendly private school located in Northern California (preferably in the Bay Area).</p>
<p>A cheap, not very competitive law school that will afford you decent employment opportunities after graduation simply doesn’t exist. Do some research. As a general rule, even top tier law schools that fall outside the “top 14” law schools have limited geographic reach. If you’re really intent on practicing in California/the Bay area, then this is less of a problem for you. Nevertheless, the lower-ranked your school, the more difficult it will be for you to find decent jobs. That lower ranking will mean, ironically enough, an even fiercer competitive environment, as only the top students will have strong employment prospects. Attending a public UC law school will certainly be a plus because of the tuition discount, but it’s not as dramatic a discount as the undergraduate system. Berkeley will still run you over $25K a year, for instance, and that doesn’t include living expenses.</p>
<p>Haha, hate to break it to you but UC Berkeley’s Law School is extremely exclusive and difficult to get into. They’re ranked 6th in the nation and accept students with an average 3.7-3.9 GPA and 165+ on the LSATS</p>