Top Law Schools

I know I want to end up at a big NY law firm. I also know I like NY more than Boston. And I don't like Harvard's huge class size because I would prefer a smaller, more close-knit community for law school. I also know that despite lay prestige, Harvard hasn't placed graduates into elite firms better than Columbia in recent years. I know that's partially because more of Harvard's top students pursue academia and clerkships, but I'm interested in neither. I also don't want to have to move cities after graduation, so going to school in NY makes sense to me.

My question is whether I give up significant career prospects and prestige turning down HLS and whether I'd be crazy to pick Columbia.

Any thoughts on turning down Harvard?

0L here.

Two things...

I don't think a 550 to 400 student reduction in class size is going to foster the close knit law school year that you may want. You may want to look into the 200-300 range, but that only exists at Y/S for the schools in the range that you are looking at.

Also, thought they may place similarly into biglaw, I think the prestigious firms may be willing to take more HYS candidates versus C candidates.

NYC2013 wrote:I know I want to end up at a big NY law firm. I also know I like NY more than Boston. And I don't like Harvard's huge class size because I would prefer a smaller, more close-knit community for law school. I also know that despite lay prestige, Harvard hasn't placed graduates into elite firms better than Columbia in recent years. I know that's partially because more of Harvard's top students pursue academia and clerkships, but I'm interested in neither. I also don't want to have to move cities after graduation, so going to school in NY makes sense to me.

My question is whether I give up significant career prospects and prestige turning down HLS and whether I'd be crazy to pick Columbia.

Any thoughts on turning down Harvard?

You wouldn't be crazy to pick Columbia, but I personally don't recommend it. I went to law school 100% committed to a type of law, and merely a semester later, changed my mind. You say you aren't interested in clerking, but if you do really well, you may change your mind. You'd be surprised how many options are out there. If both schools are going to cost the same, you may want to hedge your bet and go to HLS.

Edit:
<----1L who picked Columbia with $$ over HLS. I too love the city.

Go to Columbia and give me your seat at HLS

NYC2013 wrote: also know that despite lay prestige, Harvard hasn't placed graduates into elite firms better than Columbia in recent years. I know that's partially because more of Harvard's top students pursue academia and clerkships, but I'm interested in neither.


Any thoughts on turning down Harvard?

Here's a thought - did you really get into Harvard with this faulty reasoning? The reason Harvard doesn't place better in biglaw than Columbia is because its students have more options - they WANT and can get prestigious clerkships, academia, etc. The fact that you don't want those things has no bearing on whether Harvard gives you a better shot at biglaw, which it does. If you want useful statistics you have to look at the percentage at each school that wanted vs. got biglaw.

NYC2013 wrote:I know I want to end up at a big NY law firm. I also know I like NY more than Boston. And I don't like Harvard's huge class size because I would prefer a smaller, more close-knit community for law school. I also know that despite lay prestige, Harvard hasn't placed graduates into elite firms better than Columbia in recent years. I know that's partially because more of Harvard's top students pursue academia and clerkships, but I'm interested in neither. I also don't want to have to move cities after graduation, so going to school in NY makes sense to me.

My question is whether I give up significant career prospects and prestige turning down HLS and whether I'd be crazy to pick Columbia.

Any thoughts on turning down Harvard?

Self-selection. Based on all the research I've done, it seems like, all else being equal (i.e. student's grades), a HYS grad will have better Biglaw options than a Columbia grad in every market, including NYC (though in NYC the difference is fairly marginal).

Your 80-person section at Harvard will provide the perfect close-knit community in your 1L year But seriously, with your section and the organizations on campus, you'll not really think about the class size.

Core wrote:Go to Columbia and give me your seat at HLS

+1!