Wash U v. Fordham v. Cardozo$$$ Forum

[ucbexp]

Could really use some help here. With about a month to go, like most of us, my decision has come down to potential debt vs. realistic job prospects. Since undergrad, I've worked as a professional musician and am hoping to continue in entertainment and media. Hence, a strong IP program is important, which all three seem to have. I've worked extensively in NY and have a decent contact base in the music business, though nothing is of course guaranteed. All things equal, Fordham is probably at the top of my list because of the location and great NYC placement but they were a little stingy with their offer. Six figure debt scares me, but then again so does unemployment. Should I take the money and run at Cardozo? or head out to the mid west and hope to work my way back east?

[fakemoney]

Hoping to continue in entertainment and media = stay in NYC in my opinion. Hate to say it, but if I were in your shoes I'd bite the bullet and go to Fordham -- unless you have such good personal connections that you don't need to rely on the law school for placement. Then I'd take the $$$ at Cardozo.

[Rock Chalk]

.

[dpk711]

If you want NYC biglaw then Fordham.

[ucbexp]

Hoping to continue in entertainment and media = stay in NYC in my opinion. Hate to say it, but if I were in your shoes I'd bite the bullet and go to Fordham -- unless you have such good personal connections that you don't need to rely on the law school for placement. Then I'd take the $$$ at Cardozo.

+1, although I'd add that such a niche area is an unlikely beginning to a career - from what I've heard you'll probably have to build a reputation in IP before doing any significant entertainment work. I understand the difficulty of your position though, 22k is more than a little stingy. But again, if you want NYC biglaw, which it seems you do, there isn't much comparison here.

This is why Wash U kinda stays in the running. Networking from St. Louis won't be the easiest thing, but if I'm gonna have to put in a couple years anyway, its not like my job prospects are awful there. Certainly better than Cardozo even for NY. $7500 a year from Fordham is basically only gonna be enough to cover the interest on my loans each year when you factor in COL in NYC. I'd basically be going at sticker.

[fakemoney]

That's a great insight about IP/entertainment work and it certainly establishes why WUSTL might remain in the running. Personally, though, if I were really embedded or interested in the NY music/media scene, I wouldn't want to be geographically exiled from it for three years while attending law school in St. Louis. Is the challenge of networking from St. Louis and/or whatever hardship being geographically separated from NY might pose worth saving 40K in tuition + maybe an extra 15-20K in COL over three years?


^Sounds like an LSAT writing sample prompt.

[Rock Chalk]

.

[FiveSermon]

Lol @ thinking you have a reasonable chance at going back to NYC from WashU