Top Law Schools

We just got our grades in. Here are my stats:

T2 School
4.1 GPA (4.3 scale)
Top 5%
CALI Award in Civ Pro & Con Law
Reason for transferring: Family is all on east coast and it's where I wanna practice (my school is on the west coast)
I know at least three people from my school who have transferred to Yale (one of which transferred just last year), although realistically what are my chances looking like?

if you keep it up I imagine you'd be a lock at Columbia, and a pretty okay shot at Harvard but that's obviously a stretch for anyone from anywhere with high grades.

Wow ! What a great semester. CALI awards in Civil Pro & Con Law are impressive.

Consider applying to one or two other schools as well (Penn & NYU, for example) if you really need to be on the East Coast even though I agree that Columbia is likely to accept you.

If law review membership is a goal, then be sure to research your write-on eligibility/options at any targeted school.

Although clearly not on the East Coast, the University of Chicago may accept you based on your first semester grades alone--although I am not sure if Chicago still does this. Transferring from a tier 2 law school on the wrong coast--based on your career plans--seems like the right thing to do even if giving up substantial financial aid. But, you still need to consider the sacrifice of any merit aid & likely law review membership & outstanding prof. recommendations for clerkship placement if you leave your current school.

How successful is your current law school at placing top students in federal clerkships ?

P.S. If at UC-Hastings, then transferring is probably a wise decision. Since Pepperdine & San Diego are the only other two California tier 2 law schools, transferring is almost certainly the right course of action.

Thank you so much for the advice. Penn & NYU are also on my list as well as Georgetown. I'm not sure about clerkship placements, the school really pushes judicial externships and seems to get a lot of students placed working for judges. My goal is Biglaw and while the top students from my school land jobs with firms, I know it will be a lot easier if I go to a better school as well as a school on the coast where I'm planning to practice/take the bar. I know Georgetown has an early action program and only considers 1L grades with that so I was planning to apply there first to just see whether transferring is really in the cards for me or not, and then just cross my fingers on the other schools on the list. Harvard and Columbia are my dream choices, but I'd really be happy with any school that's a step up and on the east coast.

FYI: Goggle "University of Chicago School of Law transfer". Offers great advice/instructions for transfer students seeking Federal Judicial Clerkship positions.

Also, U. Chicago has a binding ED (early decision) transfer option, in addition to a regular non-binding transfer application process. Completed transfer applications are due by May 15, 2018.