Which Law School? Stay Close to Home in Austin or Be Adventurous and Go to California?

Abstract

A prospective law student, Allison Gerringer, faced a decision between attending an excellent law school at the University of Texas Austin (UTA), located in her home town, or a less prestigious program at Santa Clara University (SCU) in a geographic area she found appealing. This short case asks students to analyze the influence of heuristics and biases on decision-making. Specifically, students apply rational and nonrational decision-making when selecting a graduate program. The case is most appropriate for a decision-making module in organizational behavior, with implications on career planning at the undergraduate level. An epilogue is included with Allison’s real-world decision.