[GFKjunior]

Exactly, I know a Columbia law grad who works in NYC. His firm hires nothing but Harvard, Columbia, and Yale grads.

He said that it's not because a Berkeley or Texas grad isn't just as good it's because they have a certain culture and in case one of the new hires messes up a case no one wants to be the partner who gave that "public school kid" a chance and lost the firm a lot of money and prestige.

[rayiner]

Law is also a pretty insular and regionalistic field. E.g. at one of the most selective firms in the country (Susman Godfrey in Texas), a UT Austin grad has a much better chance than a Columbia grad. They think UT = Harvard down there.

It's all very strange. In most fields such blatant regionalistic favoritism isn't so encouraged.

[btilly]

In most fields the rules do not vary so much by state and to a lesser extent a small collection of states. But in law your state law matters, and even on federal law the precedents can vary according to which circuit you are in.