NYU 1L Taking Questions Forum

[Detrox]

What kind of things do NYU students do their 1L summer? Is finding something to do difficult? What ate your options?

Everything. 1L summers are pretty much standard everywhere. A few get firm SA's, some get government work, some do PI, some RA for professors, some do I-Law stuff, some intern for a judge, some do a mix of the above. With the exception for SA'ing for a firm it's not difficult to land a job that you want to do, although some will obviously require more effort than others (working for Brennan Center may be harder to land then working in some random legal aid office, RAing for "prestigious" professors will be harder than working for "a" professor). You will be flooded with info on what you need to do to land a job and to get funding etc. etc. throughout your time as a 1L.

[chasgoose]

When will incoming 1Ls find out our schedule? During the summer or not until orientation? Thanks!

Technically not until orientation, but if you stay here you will find out sooner. There are ways...

Care to elaborate??

Sometime in early August, your courses will appear on your Albert page (this is on home.nyu.edu). After a long list of numbers there will be .00?. Whatever number 1-5 appears in that will be your section number. Most likely someone will have already broken down the sections in the NYU 2015 group (an easy way to differentiate at least a little is if you have Torts or Crim first semester). If not just go search 1L classes and figure out which course numbers match your courses. You can either check Albert obsessively starting around the end of July, or wait until someone posts in the NYU 2015 group here or on the NYU 2015 facebook group (and someone will almost instantaneously after you get access).

[jim-green]

One major reason I am trying to choose Berkeley over NYU is the living convenience. I have a spouse and 3-year-old. For NYU, I think we'd have to get an apartment in Brooklyn and then commute to campus, right? Or would we be able to get a 1-bedroom apartment for $1700 closer to campus? My reasons to choose Cal are as follows. Would you let me know if you agree with these? (I am an engineer looking to do patent law)

NYU over Cal
-------------------
1. NYU is rank 6, while Cal is 7. While this difference is small, NYU has never been lower than 6, while Cal has never been higher than 7. So NYU is probably widely recognized as academically superior.
2. While Berkeley may rank #1 in IP, NYU is #5, so not far behind in terms of IP classes, publications, etc. I have talked to 2 NYU IP profs and they are top-notch.
3. My sister lives in NYC and relatives in Phila.
4. NYU places 45% of class into biglaw, while Cal places 39% into biglaw

Cal over NYU
-------------------
1. Berkeley is known to be better (rank 1) in IP
2. Bay area may be *slightly* better than NYC for patent law.
3. My wife probably has better prospects in the bay area than in NYC for biotech jobs. In NYC, she would probably have to commute to NJ to work.
4. In NYC, we'd probably have to live in an apartment in Brooklyn and commute to school. Probably more inconvenient than Berkeley.
5. Going in-house to the many tech companies in the Bay area may be easier than in NYC, from where we'd probably have to move all over again.
6. I don't think I am cut out for a NYC biglaw firm but could work at a boutique in the bay area.

[Detrox]

One major reason I am trying to choose Berkeley over NYU is the living convenience. I have a spouse and 3-year-old. For NYU, I think we'd have to get an apartment in Brooklyn and then commute to campus, right? Or would we be able to get a 1-bedroom apartment for $1700 closer to campus? My reasons to choose Cal are as follows. Would you let me know if you agree with these? (I am an engineer looking to do patent law)

NYU over Cal
-------------------
1. NYU is rank 6, while Cal is 7. While this difference is small, NYU has never been lower than 6, while Cal has never been higher than 7. So NYU is probably widely recognized as academically superior.
2. While Berkeley may rank #1 in IP, NYU is #5, so not far behind in terms of IP classes, publications, etc. I have talked to 2 NYU IP profs and they are top-notch.
3. My sister lives in NYC and relatives in Phila.
4. NYU places 45% of class into biglaw, while Cal places 39% into biglaw

Cal over NYU
-------------------
1. Berkeley is known to be better (rank 1) in IP
2. Bay area may be *slightly* better than NYC for patent law.
3. My wife probably has better prospects in the bay area than in NYC for biotech jobs. In NYC, she would probably have to commute to NJ to work.
4. In NYC, we'd probably have to live in an apartment in Brooklyn and commute to school. Probably more inconvenient than Berkeley.
5. Going in-house to the many tech companies in the Bay area may be easier than in NYC, from where we'd probably have to move all over again.
6. I don't think I am cut out for a NYC biglaw firm but could work at a boutique in the bay area.

While I'm unsure about many of the factors you listed, I think your instincts here are right. Choosing Boalt over NYU based on family convenience and other personal reasons for the choice seems right in your case. No one here is going to be able to justify your choice for you, the only other thing I'd recommend considering is any scholarship money either of the schools may be giving you. Seeing as how you didn't list it, I'm assuming both schools are at sticker which is another reason to pick Boalt due to cheaper COA. Anyway, you'll most likely have success in getting IP law at either school so best of luck to you!

[birdlaw117]

While I'm unsure about many of the factors you listed, I think your instincts here are right. Choosing Boalt over NYU based on family convenience and other personal reasons for the choice seems right in your case. No one here is going to be able to justify your choice for you, the only other thing I'd recommend considering is any scholarship money either of the schools may be giving you. Seeing as how you didn't list it, I'm assuming both schools are at sticker which is another reason to pick Boalt due to cheaper COA. Anyway, you'll most likely have success in getting IP law at either school so best of luck to you!

I agree with all of this. And I would probably say that the Bay Area is definitively better than NYC for patent stuff. I guess it depends on the specific type of patent stuff.

Trying to find a place near NYU for 1700 for you and your family won't be easy. It's certainly possible, but not easy. There are definitely students here with young kids and babies, but I feel like it would be really tough if you also have a medium sized commute.

Best of luck and if you have any other questions I'd be happy to help!

[jim-green]

Trying to find a place near NYU for 1700 for you and your family won't be easy. It's certainly possible, but not easy. There are definitely students here with young kids and babies, but I feel like it would be really tough if you also have a medium sized commute. Best of luck and if you have any other questions I'd be happy to help!

Birdlaw, thanks, you've been really helpful to me and Detrox, you too. Can you point me to the NYU Law page on tuition and living cost? I can't seem to find the numbers for one year. I found a web page on costs per credit but do not know how to add them up.

For Boalt, it is listed on their webpage as follows.
http://www.law.berkeley.edu/6943.htm

Has anyone on TLS compiled a table of tuition and living expenses across the T14?

[ssteiner]

Trying to find a place near NYU for 1700 for you and your family won't be easy. It's certainly possible, but not easy. There are definitely students here with young kids and babies, but I feel like it would be really tough if you also have a medium sized commute. Best of luck and if you have any other questions I'd be happy to help!

Birdlaw, thanks, you've been really helpful to me and Detrox, you too. Can you point me to the NYU Law page on tuition and living cost? I can't seem to find the numbers for one year. I found a web page on costs per credit but do not know how to add them up.

For Boalt, it is listed on their webpage as follows.
http://www.law.berkeley.edu/6943.htm

Has anyone on TLS compiled a table of tuition and living expenses across the T14?

http://www.law.nyu.edu/financialaid/bud ... /index.htm

[jim-green]

Seeing as how you didn't list it, I'm assuming both schools are at sticker which is another reason to pick Boalt due to cheaper COA. Anyway, you'll most likely have success in getting IP law at either school so best of luck to you!

From the NYU expenses list that ssteiner provided (thanks), it looks like Boalt is $5K a year more expensive than NYU.

[Detrox]

Seeing as how you didn't list it, I'm assuming both schools are at sticker which is another reason to pick Boalt due to cheaper COA. Anyway, you'll most likely have success in getting IP law at either school so best of luck to you!

From the NYU expenses list that ssteiner provided (thanks), it looks like Boalt is $5K a year more expensive than NYU.

I didn't do any calculations myself, and that may be true, but you'll have to keep in mind the general comparative cost of living expenses of living in New York vs. living in San Francisco. If the math adds up to make NYU cheaper in the end, then it's definitely something to consider in its favor rather than in its detriment and I was in error. In any case, my advice stands, consider all this information as relevant to your decision and just make the best choice you can with the info you have, there's no really wrong answer here.

[jim-green]

In any case, my advice stands, consider all this information as relevant to your decision and just make the best choice you can with the info you have, there's no really wrong answer here.

Thanks, man, I appreciate it!

[dixiecupdrinking]

I would go to Berkeley if you would rather live and work in California, NYU if you'd rather live and work in NYC. Sounds like it's the former. I don't think the decision needs to be any more complicated than that. Faculty strength, rankings and reputation, etc., are all pretty much going to be a wash.

[jim-green]

I would go to Berkeley if you would rather live and work in California, NYU if you'd rather live and work in NYC. Sounds like it's the former. I don't think the decision needs to be any more complicated than that. Faculty strength, rankings and reputation, etc., are all pretty much going to be a wash.

Would you say the same if it were CLS v. Boalt I were deciding between?

[dixiecupdrinking]

I would go to Berkeley if you would rather live and work in California, NYU if you'd rather live and work in NYC. Sounds like it's the former. I don't think the decision needs to be any more complicated than that. Faculty strength, rankings and reputation, etc., are all pretty much going to be a wash.

Would you say the same if it were CLS v. Boalt I were deciding between?

Yes.

[jim-green]

I would go to Berkeley if you would rather live and work in California, NYU if you'd rather live and work in NYC. Sounds like it's the former. I don't think the decision needs to be any more complicated than that. Faculty strength, rankings and reputation, etc., are all pretty much going to be a wash.

Would you say the same if it were CLS v. Boalt I were deciding between?

Yes.

That's strange. I understand how NYU v. Boalt could be a wash, but I thought CLS is academically and lay-reputation-wise much better than Boalt, especially for biglaw placement.

[dixiecupdrinking]

You're in the NYU thread so take this accordingly, but there's no meaningful difference between CLS and NYU. You're taking an unrealistically granular view of the rankings.

[crooked]

I would go to Berkeley if you would rather live and work in California, NYU if you'd rather live and work in NYC. Sounds like it's the former. I don't think the decision needs to be any more complicated than that. Faculty strength, rankings and reputation, etc., are all pretty much going to be a wash.

Would you say the same if it were CLS v. Boalt I were deciding between?

Yes.

That's strange. I understand how NYU v. Boalt could be a wash, but I thought CLS is academically and lay-reputation-wise much better than Boalt, especially for biglaw placement.

Also, lay reputation doesn't get you a job.

[drbarry987]

Would you recommend buying a printer before 1L? Is this necessary?

[Detrox]

Would you recommend buying a printer before 1L? Is this necessary?

No. The library and the dorms have printers with free printing. Can be crowded during finals and annoying when the printers bug or run out of toner etc. etc., but I haven't had one for two years and have been fine.

[jim-green]

Also, lay reputation doesn't get you a job.

Sorry, I meant the academic reputation of CLS is definitely better than Boalt and job placement is better too for biglaw. So I feel CLS would be a safer bet for me to be around median in.

[birdlaw117]

Also, lay reputation doesn't get you a job.

Sorry, I meant the academic reputation of CLS is definitely better than Boalt and job placement is better too for biglaw. So I feel CLS would be a safer bet for me to be around median in.

Here's the thing. The difference between NYU and CLS is pretty much nothing. So all advice regarding NYU vs. Boalt also applies to CLS vs. Boalt.

[jim-green]

Also, lay reputation doesn't get you a job.

Sorry, I meant the academic reputation of CLS is definitely better than Boalt and job placement is better too for biglaw. So I feel CLS would be a safer bet for me to be around median in.

Here's the thing. The difference between NYU and CLS is pretty much nothing. So all advice regarding NYU vs. Boalt also applies to CLS vs. Boalt.

OK, thanks a lot!

[drbarry987]

How much effort do students generally put into LRW given that it is P/F? Does NYU use TAs?

[Detrox]

How much effort do students generally put into LRW given that it is P/F? Does NYU use TAs?

Effort? Well you generally have to attend the classes, but participation/interest definitely drops off noticably. The assignments themselves require a certain baseline of effort, and since they're actually much more like real work product than anything you do in the substantive classes some people actually find them pretty interesting. I wish I had paid more attention in LRW to be honest, but it is certainly irksome to have a paper assignment due for an ungraded (and often boring/repetitive class) when you need to be preparing for your graded finals.

NYU does have TA's for most classes (I think all 1L classes I took had them but 1). They're level of usefulness will vary greatly from class to class, as they are 2Ls and 3Ls with their own classes going on.

[IFoughtTheLaw]

How much effort do students generally put into LRW given that it is P/F? Does NYU use TAs?

It really varies. Some things to keep in mind:

1) A minority of jobs you apply for for 1L summer will want a writing sample. If you didn't put much effort in, your samples will suck.

2) You may want a good sample going into 2L EIW

3) If you want to apply for Moot Court board, they look at your second semester writing assignment.

4) I think I really improved my writing based on the effort I put in, which is invaluable.

5) It's pass/fail, if none of the above apply, don't waste your time putting in a ton of effort.

[Mal Reynolds]

How much effort do students generally put into LRW given that it is P/F? Does NYU use TAs?

It really varies. Some things to keep in mind:

1) A minority of jobs you apply for for 1L summer will want a writing sample. If you didn't put much effort in, your samples will suck.

2) You may want a good sample going into 2L EIW

3) If you want to apply for Moot Court board, they look at your second semester writing assignment.

4) I think I really improved my writing based on the effort I put in, which is invaluable.

5) It's pass/fail, if none of the above apply, don't waste your time putting in a ton of effort.

Great username. Thanks for making an account and answering questions. A lot of the other regulars answer questions so we have a good idea about how they like NYU. But it you have any thoughts of your own please feel free to share. That's extremely open-ended so don't feel pressured if you can't think of anything.