People interested in public interest law Forum

[Jack Smirks]

Wow thanks for the detailed response chris.

[chris0805]

Not to totally hijack this thread with a CLS v. NYU debate, but can I ask how you found the PI resources at CLS? I know for sure that I want to do PI and I am trying to decide between CLS and it's downtown neighbor. I know you cannot comment on the resources at NYU but I was hoping you could talk a little bit about your experience at CLS...you can PM me about it if you would rather do that.

I might contradict myself a little in this post. First off, I loved CLS and I felt like I got everything I wanted out of law school. I came in with very little experience, got to be involved right away in pro bono, got my first choice journal and clinic, loved my professors and got to take part in an amazing externship with a guy who could have been a huge help in getting me a job had my first choice (my current job) hadn't lined up. I also thought I got good advising from people that genuinely cared about me at the CPIL office. I'm not sure how much the advising necessarily helped, but I'm skeptical how much it can help, regardless of the student or the advisor. You need to be self-motivated and a little bit of a self-starter in PI. Still, I appreciated the supportive community/atmosphere.

All of that being true, I am aware of the complaints CLS students made this fall about the turnover at CPIL (including my favorite person, Tanya Greene, leaving) and other matters. I know most of the students who were leading the charge, and I think they have valid complaints and are right to raise a little bit of a ruckus.

I don't mean to throw any of them under the bus (and I agree with them on most all of their complaints), but I have a hard time feeling like I had anything at all to complain about. I loved it there, and I felt like it was the best possible place for me to launch a public interest career.

[LinzerTorte]

Not to totally hijack this thread with a CLS v. NYU debate, but can I ask how you found the PI resources at CLS? I know for sure that I want to do PI and I am trying to decide between CLS and it's downtown neighbor. I know you cannot comment on the resources at NYU but I was hoping you could talk a little bit about your experience at CLS...you can PM me about it if you would rather do that.

I might contradict myself a little in this post. First off, I loved CLS and I felt like I got everything I wanted out of law school. I came in with very little experience, got to be involved right away in pro bono, got my first choice journal and clinic, loved my professors and got to take part in an amazing externship with a guy who could have been a huge help in getting me a job had my first choice (my current job) hadn't lined up. I also thought I got good advising from people that genuinely cared about me at the CPIL office. I'm not sure how much the advising necessarily helped, but I'm skeptical how much it can help, regardless of the student or the advisor. You need to be self-motivated and a little bit of a self-starter in PI. Still, I appreciated the supportive community/atmosphere.

All of that being true, I am aware of the complaints CLS students made this fall about the turnover at CPIL (including my favorite person, Tanya Greene, leaving) and other matters. I know most of the students who were leading the charge, and I think they have valid complaints and are right to raise a little bit of a ruckus.

I don't mean to throw any of them under the bus (and I agree with them on most all of their complaints), but I have a hard time feeling like I had anything at all to complain about. I loved it there, and I felt like it was the best possible place for me to launch a public interest career.

Thanks for the info...I have a lot to think about...

[Blindc1rca]

high paying public interest? look up Holland & Knight's Chesterfield Smith program.

[xChiTowNx]

Just wanted to say how glad I am I found this thread. I will be bookmarking for sure.