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Brooklyn Law School

Introduction

Brooklyn Law School (or BLS for short) is one of many different law schools that feed into the NYC market. Just a step below contenders like Columbia, NYU, and Fordham, Brooklyn nonetheless enjoys a higher ranking and better placement than some of its other peers (St. John’s, Hofstra, NYLS, etc.). However, that being said, students should be aware of the school’s high tuition and strict scholarship requirements. With an estimate for full-time students of $66,335 per year for tuition, living expenses, etc., those who fail to maintain their scholarships can quickly fall into considerable debt. Thus, students should be prepared to study hard and use all of the resources that BLS has to offer if they want to get the most out of their degrees.

Admissions

Tuition and Fees

As mentioned above, tuition can get pricy at BLS. The school’s website lists full-time and part-time tuition and fees at $43,990 and $33,074 per year, respectively. Add onto that the price of books, housing, etc. and you get a grand total of $66,335 per year for full-time students and $55,319 per year for part-time students.

To help combat this debt, the school offers many different scholarships and need-based grants. In their last ABA data, BLS reported that 66% (or 987/1,496) students received some kind of grant-based aid. More full-time students (77.4%) received aid than part-time students (22.3%). Of those who were lucky enough to receive aid, 63.7% received less than half tuition, 27.8% received half to full tuition, 1.9% received full tuition, and 6.6% received full tuition plus an additional stipend. The median grant amount was $14,880 for full-time students and $9,375 for part-time students.

However, it is important to note that maintaining your scholarship is very difficult indeed. The following chart details the most recent data (the end of the spring 2009 semester) concerning the scholarship requirements for BLS:

It is clear from these numbers that a good portion of those students that receive scholarships do not keep them in their entirety. Indeed, 27% of students who receive scholarships receive no aid after their first year. The school’s “upper 40%” requirement is very stringent, so students should study hard to make sure that they maintain most or all of their scholarship money. One current 1L writes, “I happened to have done really well so far, so I didn’t lose any, but I do think the scholarship requirements are a bit stiff. However, they are in line with those of similar schools like Cardozo.”

As a side note, applying to Brooklyn Law School is completely free (apart from the $12 reporting fee that LSAC charges).

The Numbers

As with most law schools, the LSAT and undergraduate GPA (or UGPA) requirements for admission continue to climb. The chart given below details the different numbers for the entering class of 2009:

In addition, the following chart shows the different acceptance rates for the same class:

As can be seen from the above, even though the acceptance rate for part-time students was considerably lower, the admission requirements for these students were slightly lower than full-time students. It should be noted that students can only apply for either full-time or part-time on their applications; however, if a student is rejected for the full-time program, they will automatically be considered for the part-time program. In addition, students can transfer between part-time and full-time while they are enrolled; the school’s website writes, “…there are some restrictions on this and there are important financial considerations as well. In all such cases, approval from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs is required.”

As another side note, BLS “attaches most weight to the highest [LSAT] score, rather than the average score” and doesn’t care about a single cancelled LSAT. The school also suggests sending in your application as soon as possible, even if you don’t have a functional LSAT score yet. They write: “If you are registered to take a future LSAT it is in your best interest to submit your application as soon as possible so that it will be on file here, ready for review, when your score report arrives.” And, of course, if you want them to postpone looking at your file until a later LSAT score comes in, make sure to tell them in your application, via e-mail, or via writing to the admissions office.

Many applicants are concerned with having “pass/fail classes” on their transcripts. The school’s website explains how they view these courses:

The Committee assesses whether such courses were required or optional, how many were taken, and in which subjects. You should ensure that any narratives or course evaluations, if available, are included with your LSDAS report. Where the entire record is pass-fail, a careful review of the faculty narratives provided by your college is an integral part of our assessment of your qualifications for admission.

Personal Statements

Brooklyn’s requirements for applicants’ personal statements are very similar to most schools. BLS asks that students write a one to three page essay that “gives [them] an opportunity to learn more about you.” They further explain:

We are not looking for a narrative restatement of factual information presented elsewhere in your application, resume, or academic transcripts. Instead, we are seeking to get a better sense of you as a person: your values, your strengths and special talents, your concerns about serious issues, your intellectual interests, your career aspirations, and decisions or experiences that impacted your life significantly. In short, we are interested in what drives you, and how that drive will define you as a law student and as a future member of the legal profession.

If you’re looking for specific ideas to write about, the school has some suggestions:

• A presentation of the personal strengths that you would bring to Brooklyn Law and to the practice of law
• A description of what you propose to do professionally after graduation from law school (if you choose to write on this topic, it might be useful to identify aspects of your experience, knowledge and education that evidence interest or promise in the selected areas)
• A discussion of any special circumstances or events or distinctive aspects of your background, not fully explained elsewhere, which you believe are essential to an understanding of what lies behind the written record of who you are.

In addition, students can also submit an optional essay of one to two pages on one of the following topics:

• Why are you seeking admission to Brooklyn Law School? What is there about our school that you feel might best serve your particular interests and needs?
• What are your one or two most substantial accomplishments, and why do you view them as such?
• Present your thoughts about a course, academic project, book, or cultural experience that has especially enriched your education.
• Describe an obstacle, challenge or setback in your life. How did you overcome it? What, if anything, would you do differently if confronted with this situation again?
• How would your background and perspectives contribute to the diversity of our entering class?

Finally, it is important to address any significant problems in your academic record with a short addendum. The school’s website explains:

Do not, on the other hand, use the [personal statement] to explain a low LSAT score, or poor grades. Such explanations should be provided, if at all, in a brief addendum, keeping the Personal Statement focused and positive, providing the Admissions Committee with affirmative reasons to consider your candidacy favorably.

Make sure that your excuse is a legitimate one if you are attempting to explain away a poor LSAT score or UGPA. For instance, a history of poor standardized testing (with proof of prior SAT scores, etc.) or a family illness are good reasons to write an addendum; claiming that you didn’t get enough sleep before the LSAT is not.

If you’re interested in improving your personal statement or even just looking for ideas to write about, Ken DeLeon, the creator of Top-Law-Schools.com, wrote a fantastic guide to personal statements which can be found here for free: http://www.top-law-schools.com/guide-to-personal-statements.html.

When to Apply

Luckily for candidates, Brooklyn Law offers a binding Early Decision (or ED) option for applicants. Under the ED guidelines, applicants must submit their complete applications by December 1^st, and they will find out their admissions decision by late December. It is important to note, however, that applying ED does not increase your chances of admission, according to the school. They write that “the standards and selectivity are the same for Early Decision and regular deadline applicants.” To read a TLS article about making this decision, click here.

If you decide to apply regular decision (or RD), then you should still apply as early as possible. The school has three different tiers in terms of its applications. They first judge applications that are submitted by February 1^st (Category I), then applications that are submitted by April 1^st (Category II), then finally those that are submitted by August 15^th (Category III). As the application cycle continues, more spots are filled up, so admissions standards become more rigorous. The school says as much on their page; they write, “Admission requirements for [Category II] are typically higher than the requirements for Category I.” They repeat a similar sentiment for Category III, writing that it is generally more competitive than Categories I and II.

Letters of Recommendation

BLS requires that applicants submit at least two (but no more than three) initial letters of recommendation. The school’s website continues:

Brooklyn Law School requires that at least two (2) faculty evaluations be submitted as part of the application. If you have graduated and been out of school for several years or more, you can request an evaluation from an employer or other individual who knows your intellectual abilities. Please bear in mind, however, that we are primarily interested in an evaluator's judgment about your potential for academic success in law school. In such cases, the Law School expects candidates to recognize how valuable such references are to the Admissions Committee in its assessment of the intellectual contribution a candidate will make in the classroom. You should, therefore, urge non-faculty writers to focus on your intellectual ability and problem-solving skills.

This confirms the general mentality that academic letters are the most useful ones for law school admissions. The school recommends using the LSAC Letter of Recommendation service to send your letters in, but it will accept them from the applicant / from the letter writers as well. If you have “new, significant information” to offer and want to send the school additional letters of recommendation after you apply, then you can send them the letters directly. As a side note, the school claims that letters of recommendation can make a significant difference in the admissions process. They write:

While Letters of Evaluation generally do not turn a denial into an acceptance, they could advance a presumptive waiting list candidate to the admitted level, or bump up a very close denial to the waiting list with some reasonable chance of later admission.

To get some additional advice on obtaining letters of recommendation, click here.

Waitlisted?

If you end up on the waitlist, you should be prepared for a long wait. The school writes, “We try to make decisions as rapidly as possible, but if you are wait-listed you should keep in mind that some candidates do not receive a final decision until late in the summer.” The school also has the following list of recommendations if you get waitlisted to improve your chances of being admitted:

You should read carefully the "Special Information and Recommendations for Wait-listed Candidates" included with your decision letter. You should consider the value of updating your file with later LSAT scores and grades or writing one of our optional essays, if appropriate. An additional letter of evaluation could also be beneficial. Of course, if you decide to enroll elsewhere, be sure to let us know (an e-mail will suffice) so that we can remove you from our Waiting List.

Read more about the review process for applications here.

Transfer Students

There are a number of students that transfer in and out of Brooklyn Law each year. In the school’s last ABA report, it is noted that 27 students transferred out and 20 students transferred in. The school speaks at length about the different facets of joining Brooklyn Law as a transfer student:

Brooklyn Law School will consider transfer applications from candidates at other law schools as soon as their fall grades are released. This means that for transfer applicants who apply by January for August entry, we may be in a position to offer acceptance as early as February, instead of waiting until mid-summer for that decision. Of course, enrollment in fall will remain subject to proof of commensurate academic performance during the spring term and continued good standing at the prior law school.

Typically, the most consideration is given to transfer applicants who offer numeric and other credentials that would have been competitive for admission to the class they seek to join and who currently maintain a cumulative weighted grade point average of approximately 3.00 (B) or better at the other law school.

In addition, students who obtain permission from their Dean’s office can attend up to two semesters at Brooklyn Law as visiting students.

Law School Culture

If you’re looking for an exciting location to spend your three years at law school, then BLS is a great choice. Located in the neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights, the school allows students to take advantage of “the best of urban activity and small-town amenities.” The school’s website continues:

Every New Yorker knows that Brooklyn is happening. It's a nonstop hive of activity: Music and film festivals, flea markets, vintage shops, world-class performance venues, nightlife, art exhibits and galleries, jazz clubs, beautiful parks that host al fresco concerts, and ongoing neighborhood events in every section of this pulsating borough.

If you’d like to get a better taste of what’s in store for you, then check out BLS’s website, which has a listing of different events and tourist destinations that you can visit.

Add to all of this a fabulous culinary scene, and you have a stimulating three years ahead of you. Whether you want to dine-in and take advantage of the numerous grocery stores and delis or eat out at one of the many different ethnically diverse restaurants, Brooklyn has it all when it comes to food. If you’re too busy to leave campus and need to grab a meal, then you can take advantage of BLS’s dining hall. Open from 8:00 AM to 8:30 PM on most weekdays, the cafeteria offers plenty of great food and a “mezzanine area” where students can relax and study as well. One current 1L raves, “Yes, people are always using the dining hall, as they have plenty of freshly prepared food at reasonable prices.”

In terms of housing, the school has affordable nearby apartments for students. One student emphasizes what a great deal these are, writing:

I DO recommend campus housing-it is beautiful and reasonably priced, especially for this area, which is really expensive. People do live in lower Manhattan (Village, Financial District, etc), or even midtown, which are 10-20 min commutes. This could be more reasonable than campus housing when adding roommates. Also, Park Slope/Cobble Hill areas are also close and really nice, and can be cheaper with roommates. The new apartment building, Feil Hall, is over 20 stories and has beautiful furnished apartments.

Another current 1L writes that:

Most 1L's live on campus, and the few who don’t live nearby in the areas of Brooklyn or lower Manhattan. Only a select few like me commute from farther out. Upperclassmen don’t get guaranteed housing, although I think many still stay in nearby areas. Those who do live in housing love it - Feil is beautiful. It is more expensive since it comes furnished, but there are other buildings.

The school guarantees housing for incoming students that submit their housing applications by May 1^st, so you should be able to land affordable housing easily. The school’s website conveniently lists information for all their ten different student residences as well as contact information for real estate agencies in the area. Click HYPERLINK "http://www.brooklaw.edu/CityCampus/Housing/Housing%20Overview.aspx" here to find out more.

Parking shouldn’t be a big deal for most students, as the public transportation system in Brooklyn (and in NYC in general) is fantastic. However, if you have to drive, then you should be able to find a parking spot near campus. There are several parking garages that students can use, and students can find parking on an “hourly, daily, or monthly basis.”

Finally, on the subject of safety, the school is quick to say that Brooklyn Heights is a “densely populated neighborhood” that is “safe to walk around during the day and night.” The school continues, “There is 24-7 security at the main Law School building at 250 Joralemon Street and One Boerum Place. Our largest student residence, Feil Hall, is also supported with 24-hour security.” To further enhance safety, you need to have your Brooklyn ID card handy in order to enter these buildings.

The Student Body

Luckily for applicants, BLS makes available a plethora of information about its student body. The following chart details the makeup of the entering class of 2009:

In addition, students of all ages come to Brooklyn Law. The following chart details the age breakdown for the entering class of 2009:

So, regardless of your age, you should be able to find a place at BLS. One current 1L emphasizes that students tend to be friendly and social: “Peers are pretty friendly. There are some gunners, especially around finals time, but overall, everyone hangs out with each other and goes out to bars after class. The diversity here is pretty solid - there is a strong LGBT presence and ethnicities are pretty well represented.” Another student writes:

As far as the student body goes, it is what you make of it. Those that live in Feil Hall will obviously be more in tune to what’s going on campus. To be honest, I wasn’t that involved in BLS’s social life; I kind of already had a network of friends and family. However, I will say that when I did go to bar crawls and other events near the school, I had a great time. Because of all of the nightlife in and around campus (e.g., Smith St. and Court St.), I think that one of the best aspects of the school is when the student body gets together for events.

In terms of the student body as far as competition in the classroom, I can’t say that I ever felt it was too cutthroat.

When asked about whether part-time students are welcomed, one student wrote, “I don’t think they are shunned, but since their classes are at night, we don’t know them as well. However, that would apply to most people out of my section too.” So you might have to make an extra effort to get to know your classmates in the full-time sections if you’re a part-time student.

Facilities

Students seem satisfied with the different facilities at BLS. One current 1L writes:

The facilities are pretty solid - the library is amazing with its nooks and spaces. There are a nice number of study rooms for groups, but those get filled pretty quickly during finals time. They do implement time limits and impose reservation requirements so everyone gets a turn. There is wireless throughout the building; occasionally it does spazz out, but they have a back up one that you can switch to that works fine.

The library has a number of different blogs where students can keep up to date on the latest developments at Brooklyn Law. For instance, the school’s Brooklaw Library Blog keeps students up to date on the library’s latest acquisitions, workshops, etc. In addition, students can keep up with the latest scholarship of the BLS faculty with the BLS Library Blog. With easily accessible wireless and plenty of study space for students, the BLS library is certainly a welcome addition to the law school.

In terms of other buildings on campus, one current 1L writes that “The classrooms are nice and well air conditioned!” Those who are looking to keep up their exercise routine in law school will have to find a commercial gym to use, as BLS does not have one for students. One 1L suggests, “There are no recreational facilities, but there are I think 5 gyms within a few blocks, and most offer a variety of student discounts, some as cheap as $40 a month.”

Extracurriculars

As with most other law schools, there are plenty of opportunities for BLS students to get involved on campus. For instance, students can take part in the Art Law Association (ALA), the Eastern European Law Students Association (EELSA), and even the Yoga Club. One current student writes:

A lot of students participate in activities, and there are new clubs starting all the time. I am in the Intellectual Property Law Association and the Brooklyn Real Estate Society, and a very popular one seems to be the International Law Society. I have enjoyed my time in the clubs (since they always serve free pizza), but during 1L there is not that much time. That being said, some of my classmates have found time to get involved and even start up their own clubs.

To learn more about the different extracurricular activities at Brooklyn, click here.

Journals

There are four different law journals that students can participate in while students at Brooklyn. They include the Brooklyn Law Review, the Brooklyn Journal of International Law, the Journal of Law and Policy, and the Brooklyn Journal of Corporate, Financial & Commercial Law.

Jay Brady, law journal coordinator at BLS, writes:

All four student journals at Brooklyn Law School select new members based on writing ability and academic achievement. Each journal selects members using two different criteria for evaluation: the Membership Competition submissions and grades received during the first year of law school. Each journal also requires that its members be in the top 75% of their class.

The Brooklyn Law Review is the flagship journal of Brooklyn Law School. With 75 different volumes (one a year), the Brooklyn Law Review has been around for a long time. One current 1L thinks that, while getting accepted to any journal requires being in top 20% of your class, the “cut off for Law Review seems to be about top 10% or even higher.” Jay Brady confirms this analysis, writing that, “There is greater competition for membership on Law Review than on the other journals.” Recent editions of the journal have examined issues in areas as varied as tobacco-related decisions in public health law, tribal law, and the reform of the presentation of forensic DNA evidence in criminal trials. Ten of the more recent editions of the journal can be found on the school’s website, located here.

The Brooklyn Journal of International Law is another popular journal at Brooklyn Law School. While not quite as long-lived as the Law Review, the BJIL’s history spans 35 different volumes of work. Recent editions have addressed global corporate governance, comparative constitutional law, and international norms for insurance regulation. The journal also hosts the Andrew P. Vance Memorial Writing Competition, where current law students at any law school who are interested in “careers in customs and international trade law” can submit papers. Winning papers have a shot of getting into the journal as well as $1,000 in prize money (second place gets $500).

The Journal of Law and Policy has been around for 16 volumes and exists to “promote the debate of law related issues and public policy.” Recent issues have tackled military tribunals, trickle-down housing, and sex offenders and residence restrictions. Finally, for those looking to take part in something new, the Brooklyn Journal of Corporate, Financial & Commercial Law was only founded in 2005. The journal’s mission is to publish articles “specializing in corporate, financial and commercial law subjects, including securities and bankruptcy law.” The journal also hosts an annual symposium “devoted to a business-related topic.”

Academics

As is standard practice, first-year students at Brooklyn Law School enroll in a required set of foundational courses such as Contracts, Property, and Legal Writing. For second and third-year students, up to 240 elective courses are available in 18 concentration areas, with the vast majority of these courses seating less than 25 students. For instance, students can take courses in Business Organizations Law, Health Law, Immigration Law, etc. To see a full listing of the different concentration areas and courses available at BLS, click here.

The school attempts to ease the law school transition for 1Ls through its Academic Success Program, which provides them with access to a summer-start program as well as support workshops throughout the year. The seven week two-credit Summer Legal Process Course “introduces students to case reading and briefing Appellate Court opinions, case law development, and to the basics of legal writing.” This course is invitation-only and is only offered to a small selection of students. Some categories of students often invited include those who have been out of school for ten years or more, those who have learning or physical disabilities, those for whom English is a second language, and those who are minorities. The course is not required (it’s strictly voluntary), and classes are taught at night so as to not interfere with students’ work schedules. The school also offers a legal writing refinement program as well as workshops on grammar, study skills, exam skills, etc.

Joint Degrees

Brooklyn Law School gives students five different joint degree options. They include master degrees in Business Administration with Baruch College of CUNY, City and Regional Planning with Pratt Institute, Library and Information Science with Pratt Institute, Political Science with Brooklyn College of CUNY, and Urban Planning with Hunter College of CUNY. To find out more about each of these opportunities, click the links given above.

Study Abroad

There are numerous study abroad opportunities available for BLS students. The school has semester-long exchange programs with Bucerius Law School in Hamburg, Germany; the University of Essex in Colchester, England; the University College Cork in Cork, Ireland; and the University of Hong Kong in Hong Kong, China. Students who attend Bucerius Law School get a full serving of German law, and audit courses taught in German if they are proficient in the language. All of these programs will teach students a great deal about international law, so if that is an area you are interested in, then you will feel right at home at any of these four locations.

The school also offers two different summer abroad programs for students in Bologna, Italy and Beijing, China. By attending the University of Bologna or China’s University of International Business and Economics (or UIBE), students can get firsthand experience with international law. The Beijing program lasts for two weeks, and students can choose between two weeks and three weeks for the Bologna program. To find out more about these programs, click here.

Public Interest

Many students at Brooklyn Law School are interested in public interest careers. One 1L remarked, “A lot of students want to work for NGOs or government offices, or services such as legal aid.” There are various non-profit student organizations on campus that support this claim. For instance, one could join the Brooklyn Law Students for the Public Interest (or BLSPI); this organization is dedicated to raising fellowship funds for students interested in public interest work. Another option is the Suspension Representation Project (or SRP), where students work to uphold the educational rights of NYC public school students. For a full listing of different public interest organizations on campus, click here.

The school is also dedicated to funding students who are interested in public interest through its Sparer Public Interest Law Fellowship. Each year, a select number of entering students as well as students in their first and second years at BLS are given the opportunity to become Sparer fellows. The staple of this program is its paid summer internship for a public interest organization in the United States or abroad. Students receive a $5,000 stipend and get the opportunity to work with groups like the Children Defense Fund, the National Writers Union, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and many others. With over 20 different professors and instructors involved in the Sparer Fellowship program, students can be assured that they will get expert guidance in shaping their public interest careers. For a more complete listing of the many organizations that previous Sparer fellows have worked with, click here.

Students who pursue the public interest path at BLS will have plenty of courses to choose from. Classes like climate change, immigration law, and human rights span a large variety of different areas, so whatever your public niche is, you’ll probably be able to find an advisor and course load that coincides with your vision.

Many prospective students who are considering public interest careers are concerned about the quality of the LRAP (or Loan Repayment Assistance Program) at potential schools. BLS’s program is not top notch, but it does offer some sort of relief to public interest graduates. The school offers up to $7,000 per year for up to five years for “qualified graduates.” Requirements include a minimum debt, income limitations, and employment at a non-profit employer. To find out more, click here.

Clinics

Brooklyn Law’s clinical program is one of its greatest strengths. Students rave about the school’s clinical and externship opportunities; one writes, “The school’s biggest positive would be its location/connection with relation to all the legal opportunities in Downtown Brooklyn and lower Manhattan. Two large federal courthouses are steps away, plus two state courthouses, state court of appeals, and District Attorney's offices.” As can be expected, most students take advantage of the school’s location. One student writes, “After 1L, many students participate in clinics through the school. Some examples include the safe harbor, criminal, and habeas clinics. Students also take advantage of externships through Brooklyn or Manhattan DAs and a wide variety of non profits in the area.” These connections with employers in the area can lead to finding a job in the area, as one 3L explains: “The opportunity to participate in clinics at BLS let me put such experiences on my resume as handling full trials and arguing appeals in federal court - the latter (not OCI, and not career services) led to a job offer at an employer I’m very happy with.”

With 11 full-time faculty and 20 adjunct faculty involved in the program, Brooklyn students will have guidance from many different perspectives. For instance, Stacy Caplow, director of the Clinical Education Program, has worked diligently to create legal clinics and to assist refugee centers internationally. She is also the co-director of the Safe Harbor Project, a clinic where “students work in teams to represent individuals in a range of cases affecting their status and entitlements in the United States.” Jonathan Askin, another full-time faculty member, teaches the BLIP (Brooklyn Law Incubator & Policy) Clinic and Advanced BLIP Clinic. Steeped in intellectual property law and new technologies, the BLIP Clinic lets “students work with clients to guide them through transactional, litigation, policy and other advocacy projects and interact and strategize with members of the entrepreneurial, technology and financial communities.” To read more about other clinic opportunities at BLS, click here.

Centers

Brooklyn Law School has three different centers on campus that investigate legal issues and promote cutting-edge research. While the level of participation differs drastically student by student (one 1L says, “I have no clue what the centers do”), the centers play an important part in shaping the intellectual life at the university. The centers include the Dennis J. Block Center for the Study of International Business Law, the Center for Health, Science & Public Policy, and the Center for Law, Language & Cognition.

The Dennis J. Block Center for the Study of International Business Law is an asset to the BLS community in several ways. It hosts many different programs and events related to international business law throughout the year, co-sponsors a conference with the Brooklyn Journal of International Law, and has 26 different faculty involved in the Steering Committee of the center. Perhaps most important to students, the center has an international business fellowship program. The program is selective and only a handful of students are eligible each year. For the class of 2010, 11 students were selected; for the class of 2011, 10 students were selected; for the class of 2012, only two students were selected. Each student is assigned an advisor that “tracks the student's academic progress, offers advice on employment opportunities, and monitors his or her research project.” It should be noted that, much like many of BLS’s other scholarships, maintaining the full scholarship requires staying in the top 40% of your class. The scholarship is also only $8,900 yearly for full-time students and $6,675 yearly for part-time students. To learn more about applying, click here.

The Center for Health, Science & Public Policy is another important establishment of Brooklyn Law. The center is one of the primary forces behind health law education at BLS: it hosts events and symposia, hands-on externships for students, and has nine different full-time faculty associated with its mission. The health law curriculum at BLS is varied, with “broad legal topics such as Administrative Law and Products Liability to more specialized courses like Mental Health Law.” Recent externship placements include the ACLU Reproductive Rights Project, the Medicare Rights Center, and the Center for HIV Law and Policy.

Finally, the Center for Law, Language & Cognition adds to the intellectual vitality at the law school in a number of different ways. The center is focused on “exploring how developments in the cognitive sciences – including psychology, neuroscience and linguistics – have dramatic implications for the law at both theoretical and practical levels.” It hosts “prominent scholars and specialists from around the world” and allows them to “share their research and engage in discussion and debate.” The symposia and lectures that have occurred at the center have led to notable publications in the Brooklyn Law Review and the Journal of Public Policy. The center also provides research grants for BLS professors, and invites visiting fellows to work with faculty on different projects. This gives BLS students the chance to interact with promising scholars that are dealing with important research. With nine different full-time faculty associated with the center, the school continues to break ground in this exciting interdisciplinary field.

Professors

With 68 different full-time professors teaching virtually every type of law imaginable, the school is proud of its academic program. One student writes about the quality of professors:

I think the quality of the professors leans between ok and inspirational. They are highly accessible outside of class, and pretty engaging inside of it. Almost all of them make use of the Socratic Method, but many do allow a "pass" or will not overly grill you. They seem to have a thorough grasp on the material.

The same student said that he was “pretty satisfied” with his academic experience at BLS, and feels like he has “learned a lot.” Faculty at BLS make substantial contributions in the study of Business Law, Intellectual Property Law, Constitutional Law, and many other areas. To see a full listing of professors and their specialties at BLS, click here.

Employment

Brooklyn Law’s employment statistics seem slightly more reliable than some of its peers’. The school reported a nine-month employment rate of 91.3% for the Class of 2009, with the following distribution of jobs:

With BLS’s strict scholarship requirements, there is a good possibility that students will be left with considerable debt after graduating. The best way of combating this debt is usually through joining a larger firm for a few years. However, what is the probability that a BLS alum will get a job at one of these firms? First, let’s look at the rough salary distribution based on firm size. These salary ranges were collected from 71% of graduates working in private practice from the Class of 2008:

With only 54.5% of those 91.3% that reported their employment status working in law firms (or 49.8% of the total graduating class, assuming that those who didn’t report their employment status aren’t working at law firms), job prospects already look potentially dire. Next, let’s look at the distribution of graduates by firm size for the Class of 2009:

At first, 47% for the highest bracket (101+) seems quite promising. However, one must keep in mind that this is 47% of the previously mentioned 54.5% that actually find firm jobs. If you combine these two percentages, this comes out to be only 25.6%, and if you assume that the 8.7% that didn’t report their jobs didn’t find firm work on this highly prestigious level, this number drops to 23.4%. Supplement this with the fact that job prospects are worse now than they were for the Class of 2009, and your options as a median BLS graduate don’t look too promising. Students should be prepared to place near the top of their class if they want a chance at a job that will help them pay back their debts in a timely manner. Jobs in the other sectors of the industry aren’t much better:

For a full listing of recent job placements, click here.

So what do current students think about their job prospects? One writes that the competition for jobs is the worst aspect of Brooklyn Law School: “The largest negative would be the stiff competition of the New York legal market for jobs, and BLS’s place in that pack.” The same student continues:

In light of the current economy, BLS is suffering, but so is every other school. I think Brooklyn's placement is in line with those of similarly ranked schools. According to past BLS graduates I have spoken to, in good years, the placement was much better. Right now, its placement in NYC could be better, and hopefully the school will continue to aggressively market itself and woo employers. I don’t know many people that leave the NY area, but the ones who do usually stay in the northeast.

Like many other schools, Brooklyn Law School has a competent Career Center that can help students with their job search. One current student writes, “My career counselor was helpful in both editing my resume and my cover letter and giving me tips on applying for summer internships.” If your resume is lacking, the school suggests doing “small pro bono projects” during your first year to beef it up.

Conclusion

Brooklyn Law School is a competent school in a lot of ways. Professors care about and interact with their students, there are plenty of organizations to join on campus, and the school is situated in a beautiful and exciting part of New York City. However, that being said, tuition is pricy, and the school’s scholarship requirements are overly strict. As detailed above, job prospects, especially in these trying times, aren’t great, and students should hope to place in the top 20% of their class if they want a shot at a great-paying job. Overall, the school is a better deal than some of its peers, but if you’re not in love with NYC, a strong regional school might be a better option for many applicants.

Contact Information:

Admissions Office
250 Joralemon Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
718.780.7906
http://www.brooklaw.edu/Admissions.aspx
admitq@brooklaw.edu

Quick Reference:

U.S. News ranking: 67^th
Application fee: Free
Entering class size: full-time 406, part-time 90 (2009)
Median LSAT: Full-time 163, Part-time 159 (2009)
Median undergraduate GPA: Full-time 3.47, Part-time 3.41 (2009)
Yearly tuition: full-time: $43,990, part-time: $33,074 (2009-2010)
Median private sector first-year salary: $107,500 (Class of 2007, 70% reporting)