cardozo (full-ride) v. NYU transfer Forum

[OperaAttorney]

Transferring to NYU has its advantages, and you've all delineated them well. I guess I see things a little differently. And I didn't factor in the poster's possible interest in academia, which makes a huge difference. Nonetheless, Cardozo is still a good school, and the poster likes it there .

I was just on the phone with a buddy who just finished law school in NY this spring. I asked him about all the NY law schools, and he recommended NYU & Columbia over the others. He praised both schools for their excellent programs and collegiate feel, something he found lacking @ Brooklyn and Cardozo. He also said he'd kick my butt if I picked Cardozo over NYU! LOL We'll see.

I'm not so gungho about Cardozo any more. If the original poster can afford NYU for 2 more years, then I guess a little "tightness" won't hurt for awhile. And as you all have mentioned, he'll make it up as soon as he starts to practice.

I've had a change of heart: NYU...as long as you don't have to eat top ramen every day!

[kitkat]

Are you planning on doing Biglaw? Even though you're at the top of your class, and on law review, it's still better to go to NYU than to stay at Cardozo. I have a friend who's top 5% and law review at a T2 (in NY)... He recently did OCI's for L2, and only managed one call back. I'm inclined to believe that his low callback rate was due to the lower prestige of his law school rather than horrible interviewing skills. Granted, I'm not saying he did an excellent job at interviews, but I'm sure he didn't do anything completely stupid.
Also, while browsing autoadmit and looking at the OCI statistics of people in T6 schools versus that of even T25's (Namely NYU, Columbia versus Fordham) People in the top 30% at Fordham were getting less than 30% callbacks and most were from vault 25-50, whereas T6 had 50-60% at higher ranking firms. There were also higher offer rates for those at T6 institutions versus lower ranking ones.
I read something before about how when Biglaw firms hire people from T2 schools, sometimes they hire them on as counsel as opposed to associate in order to say that all their associates come from top law schools. There's also the consideration that if you ever want to make partner, prestige of the institution you attended will be something considered.
If you're planning to work at a lifestyle firm, then prestige wont matter as much, however, if you're planning to commit your life to working Biglaw, I really think you should aim for the best school you can attend. Working at a top ranked firm could be the difference between a 160k a year, versus a 140k a year salary large lower ranked firm... In 4-5 years, you'll make up the difference, and your options will be greater.
Also, like mentioned in the post above, if you want to pursue academics, then prestige is a MUST.
That's my two-cents... If I'm wrong, please forgive me, but this is the general impression I get from browsing blogs/forums.

[tagoreee]

I think you should transfer. Youll get a great job even if your in the middle of your class at NYU. Also, youll be recruiting on your first yera grades so the hard part is over. I just think you would have a better legal experience at NYU and it is something youll be proud of for the rest of your life.

[lordarka]

OK, I am in the midst of of Columbia's OCI (early interview) at the moment. Over 5 days, I have secured close to 40 interviews, including multiple interviews with firms that refused to even talk to me when I channeled myself through Iowa's OCI, and then UCLA's OCI. At Columbia, they can't even screen me out; I just pick where I want to interview, and as long as they have a slot, they will see me. NYU's EIP is very similar, and you won't find EIP like that anywhere else.... certainly not at Cardozo. Firms that don't even go to places like Cardozo or Fordham open their doors to Columbia students during the EIP event. I know for a fact that NYU's program is exactly the same format.

It's possible to get a great BIGLAW job from the top of your class at Cardozo, or even Iowa, which is ranked a lot higher than Cardozo. But you have to do some "climbing" to get through the window. Why do all that climbing when NYU hands you the keys to the front door?