Law school conundrum? - for lawyers/law students?

I am having a hard time making a decision about law school. I am currently a PhD student at UCLA, finishing my PhD this year, planning to go to law school in the fall. I want to be a patent attorney. I applied to 8 schools and was accepted to all 8, but have narrowed it down to 4: Stanford, Berkeley, Harvard and Yale (I know, I have all the luck...or maybe it was the never ending hours of LSAT prep, anyways....). I was leaning towards Berkeley due to the fact it is still quality and less expensive, but I hear a lot people say I should pick between the other three. If I would, I would most likely pick Stanford since my husband lives in San Jose. I already have about 200k in loans from undergrad. Luckily, I went to grad school for free. What do you think? Berkeley or Stanford/Yale/Harvard? Any known for being better for IP law?

Actually, isn't Harvard ranked #3?

Stanford.

It is one of the most prestigious and it holds a lot of weight in California. There will be a strong link between you and the alumni in silicon valley and you will likley meet a lot of cool startup ceo's while you go to school who would be great clients.

Harvard, Hands Down! Aharvard Law degree will let you write your own ticket to any place on this planet!! Look at the stats. No place at anytime has a more presitigious back ground then Harvard, a Harvard Degree will even open the political arena for you, ask the Kennedys.
Good Luck!

To be honest, I don't think it ultimately matters which school you choose. People have a tendency to overestimate the importance of a decision like this - I think that going to any of those schools will be fulfilling for you and open many doors. Maybe do some additional research about which school offers the most specialized training in becoming a patent attorney.

Do NOT worry about specialized training. You will learn how to be a patent attorney by being on the job. There is no other way. I agree with the other answers about Harvard though. It is hypercompetitive but the name will enable you to do what you want. As long as you won't mind the atmosphere of Harvard, go for it. Also, you may change your mind about what kind of law you are going to want to practice (Ph D or not), so go for the school that will allow you to do everything.

Another consideration.... Where do you want to live? Going to law school close to your preferred destination is always a plus. Employers are going to have to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars on you before you become profitable for them and they want to know that you are staying put. The easiest way to do this is being semi-local already.

It's definitely not as prestigious, but Santa Clara University has one of the best IP programs of the law schools mostly due to its proximity to the Silicon Valley. I imagine that going to Harvard & Yale will just be added fluff (not to mention the extra $$ for the loans). Boalt Hall would probably have a good program since it's so close to the San Jose area, but definitely give Santa Clara a look. I imagine that your PhD and law degrees will speak for themselves, but it really depends on what your long-term career goals are.

All of those schools are great, congrats on getting accepted to these elite schools. I wouldn't get too hung up on rankings because as a group these are the best law schools in the country. If you want to stay in CA go to Stanford, trust me it will help to have the support of a loved one while you go through law school.

It is better that you choose Stanford, which is located between San Francisco and San Jose in the heart of Silicon Valley. Stanford University is recognized as one of the world's leading research and teaching institutions.