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Is NYU worth sticker if I don't want BigLaw?

Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 7:04 pm
by katie96
Thoughts?

Re: Is NYU worth sticker if I don't want BigLaw?

Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 7:09 pm
by dabbadon8
Do you want LRAP qualifying pubic interest? If so yes.
If not, what job do you want? Do you need a NYU degree to get it? Will you be able to pay off 240k with it?

Re: Is NYU worth sticker if I don't want BigLaw?

Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 7:16 pm
by katie96
dabbadon8 wrote:Do you want LRAP qualifying pubic interest? If so yes.
If not, what job do you want? Do you need a NYU degree to get it? Will you be able to pay off 240k with it?


If I'm going to be an attorney, I want to handle divorces. As far as I know, family law doesn't fall under the heading of biglaw or public service. I know a degree from NYU holds a lot of prestige...

Re: Is NYU worth sticker if I don't want BigLaw?

Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 7:21 pm
by 09042014
katie96 wrote:
dabbadon8 wrote:Do you want LRAP qualifying pubic interest? If so yes.
If not, what job do you want? Do you need a NYU degree to get it? Will you be able to pay off 240k with it?


If I'm going to be an attorney, I want to handle divorces. As far as I know, family law doesn't fall under the heading of biglaw or public service. I know a degree from NYU holds a lot of prestige...
If you want to practice family law (holy shit why?!?) go to the best school in the area you want to practice that gives you a full ride.

Re: Is NYU worth sticker if I don't want BigLaw?

Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 7:48 pm
by kapital98
Desert Fox wrote:
katie96 wrote:
dabbadon8 wrote:Do you want LRAP qualifying pubic interest? If so yes.
If not, what job do you want? Do you need a NYU degree to get it? Will you be able to pay off 240k with it?


If I'm going to be an attorney, I want to handle divorces. As far as I know, family law doesn't fall under the heading of biglaw or public service. I know a degree from NYU holds a lot of prestige...
If you want to practice family law (holy shit why?!?) go to the best school in the area you want to practice that gives you a full ride.
This. After COA you're looking at ~$40,000-60,000 of debt with a full ride. That's assuming you don't already have money saved or some form of financial support.

Re: Is NYU worth sticker if I don't want BigLaw?

Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 8:00 pm
by katie96
Holy shit Desert Fox, not everyone wants to do biglaw.

Re: Is NYU worth sticker if I don't want BigLaw?

Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 8:04 pm
by 09042014
katie96 wrote:Holy shit Desert Fox, not everyone wants to do biglaw.
I didn't mean not wanting big law = holy shit. I mean wanting family law = holy shit.

Enjoy dealing with frigid shrews holding out on a settlement to get primary custody of their Christmas decorations.

Re: Is NYU worth sticker if I don't want BigLaw?

Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 8:05 pm
by 3ThrowAway99
do a poll

Re: Is NYU worth sticker if I don't want BigLaw?

Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 8:09 pm
by RCRARollin
Please volunteer to work at a family law/divorce attorney's office before you make your decision. I had the "pleasure" of working in a 100+ attorney firm with one such practice group. After seeing what went on/the stress of all those group members, I would never even wish that life upon my worst enemies (not even joking). The attorneys, staff members, clients, and opposing parties all were miserable and emotionally broken.

Based on this, I would suggest NYU just so you have a decent degree to fall back on when you decide to change the focus of your legal career.

Re: Is NYU worth sticker if I don't want BigLaw?

Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 8:19 pm
by kapital98
RCRARollin wrote:Please volunteer to work at a family law/divorce attorney's office before you make your decision. I had the "pleasure" of working in a 100+ attorney firm with one such practice group. After seeing what went on/the stress of all those group members, I would never even wish that life upon my worst enemies (not even joking). The attorneys, staff members, clients, and opposing parties all were miserable and emotionally broken.
I think I found my calling! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Re: Is NYU worth sticker if I don't want BigLaw?

Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 8:23 pm
by Renzo
katie96 wrote:Holy shit Desert Fox, not everyone wants to do biglaw.
Holy shit, no one wants to do divorces. You are wonder; you're going to need to get used to seeing people's jaws drop.

Re: Is NYU worth sticker if I don't want BigLaw?

Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 8:34 pm
by katie96
If no one wanted to do divorces, then there would be no divorce attorneys. This is what I hate about TLS-- jaded 0Ls who think they know everything. Unless, one of you is an actual family law attorney or recent NYU grad trying to break into the family law sector.

Re: Is NYU worth sticker if I don't want BigLaw?

Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 8:36 pm
by d34d9823
katie96 wrote:If no one wanted to do divorces, then there would be no divorce attorneys. This is what I hate about TLS-- jaded 0Ls who think they know everything. Unless, one of you is an actual family law attorney or recent NYU grad trying to break into the family law sector.
By this logic, there is a large group of people whose life ambition is to work at Taco Bell.

Re: Is NYU worth sticker if I don't want BigLaw?

Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 8:38 pm
by katie96
d34dluk3 wrote:
katie96 wrote:If no one wanted to do divorces, then there would be no divorce attorneys. This is what I hate about TLS-- jaded 0Ls who think they know everything. Unless, one of you is an actual family law attorney or recent NYU grad trying to break into the family law sector.
By this logic, there is a large group of people whose life ambition is to work at Taco Bell.

This is true. I am just so sick of people on TLS bashing the career ambitions of others.

Re: Is NYU worth sticker if I don't want BigLaw?

Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 8:39 pm
by TaipeiMort
katie96 wrote:If no one wanted to do divorces, then there would be no divorce attorneys. This is what I hate about TLS-- jaded 0Ls who think they know everything. Unless, one of you is an actual family law attorney or recent NYU grad trying to break into the family law sector.
I think this is kind of like saying: "If no one wanted to pick fruit, then there would be no fruit pickers."

I do agree though that you may want to find an actual practitioner, then decide.

I also feel that most 0Ls are in no position to decide what they want to do with their law degrees. I think you need to actually take relevant coursework and have a 1L summer internship in each field to have a real idea.

Re: Is NYU worth sticker if I don't want BigLaw?

Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 9:22 pm
by keg411
There is actually a version of BigLaw that focuses on family law (I know someone who does it). If you want to do big, high-profile divorces, go to NYU.

Re: Is NYU worth sticker if I don't want BigLaw?

Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 9:25 pm
by Renzo
katie96 wrote:
d34dluk3 wrote:
katie96 wrote:If no one wanted to do divorces, then there would be no divorce attorneys. This is what I hate about TLS-- jaded 0Ls who think they know everything. Unless, one of you is an actual family law attorney or recent NYU grad trying to break into the family law sector.
By this logic, there is a large group of people whose life ambition is to work at Taco Bell.

This is true. I am just so sick of people on TLS bashing the career ambitions of others.
I'm not bashing your ambitions; if it makes you happy, go for it. But you should realize that you are aspiring to something that most people see as an option you fall into/settle for, so you're going to get this reaction a lot and it ought not surprise you.

And I am not a "jaded 0L who thinks they know everything." In fact, I met a biglaw matrimonial lawyer (yes, they exist) at a party not that long ago. She seemed to like her job, but she definitely fell into it by accident.

Re: Is NYU worth sticker if I don't want BigLaw?

Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 10:11 pm
by OnlyLivingBoyinNY
Congratulations, all: you have managed to beat this tangent to death.

Re: Is NYU worth sticker if I don't want BigLaw?

Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 10:15 pm
by flexityflex86
I don't think sticker at NYU is smart if you want to do family law. A full ride to Hofstra or Brooklyn might be smarter as you're going to succeed based on performance, not what school you went to.

I know a leading family lawyer (guys on CNN/FoxNews/MSNBC) who went to a TTT. He told me there are no t-14 kids in his line of work as they'll be quoting some archaic case law from the 1800s, and the street smart TTT lawyer will meet them in the bathroom later, and give them a bloody nose.

I'm sure this is full of broad assumptions, but based on what he does I don't understand how going to NYU would help.

Re: Is NYU worth sticker if I don't want BigLaw?

Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 10:19 pm
by Borhas
Renzo wrote:
katie96 wrote:Holy shit Desert Fox, not everyone wants to do biglaw.
Holy shit, no one wants to do divorces. You are wonder; you're going to need to get used to seeing people's jaws drop.
Divorces are #2 for me behind indigent criminal defense

Good money potential, you get to deal with people and drama, potential to start your own firm... it has lots of up shot. The only issue is being able to deal w/ angry/crazy people... way better than any "transactional" stuff if you ask me. It just depends on whether you have the cajones I guess.

As to OP, no need to go to NYU for that, but if you are from a wealthy family it might be worthwhile, otherwise a lower tier school with money is probably sounder financially.

Re: Is NYU worth sticker if I don't want BigLaw?

Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2011 1:56 am
by RCRARollin
katie96 wrote:If no one wanted to do divorces, then there would be no divorce attorneys. This is what I hate about TLS-- jaded 0Ls who think they know everything. Unless, one of you is an actual family law attorney or recent NYU grad trying to break into the family law sector.
I'm not a 0L. Further, I'm not telling you to avoid your "dream." However, if you are going to make a large investment in law school for a particular reason, I implore you to try to get some experience in the area before you make such a life shattering decision. If you already have experience in this particular area and still proceed, more power to you.

Re: Is NYU worth sticker if I don't want BigLaw?

Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2011 10:03 pm
by Yeshia90
I'm not even a 0L, but a rising college senior. I interned at a small law firm two summers ago (one of the 3 partners was a family friend, and was doing me a favor). The firm handled pretty much everything, from family law to defense to real estate to PI, but at one point, the partner went out of his way to tell me "No matter what you end up doing, don't do matrimonial." I sat in court a couple times and watched him argue divorce cases. It was soul-shattering.

You don't want to handle divorces, bro.

Re: Is NYU worth sticker if I don't want BigLaw?

Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2011 10:07 pm
by katie96
PSUdevon wrote:I'm not even a 0L, but a rising college senior. I interned at a small law firm two summers ago (one of the 3 partners was a family friend, and was doing me a favor). The firm handled pretty much everything, from family law to defense to real estate to PI, but at one point, the partner went out of his way to tell me "No matter what you end up doing, don't do matrimonial." I sat in court a couple times and watched him argue divorce cases. It was soul-shattering.

You don't want to handle divorces, bro.

Actually, I really do. And, I'm a woman, bro.

Re: Is NYU worth sticker if I don't want BigLaw?

Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2011 10:36 pm
by kwais
katie96 wrote:
PSUdevon wrote:I'm not even a 0L, but a rising college senior. I interned at a small law firm two summers ago (one of the 3 partners was a family friend, and was doing me a favor). The firm handled pretty much everything, from family law to defense to real estate to PI, but at one point, the partner went out of his way to tell me "No matter what you end up doing, don't do matrimonial." I sat in court a couple times and watched him argue divorce cases. It was soul-shattering.

You don't want to handle divorces, bro.

Actually, I really do. And, I'm a woman, bro.
why?

Re: Is NYU worth sticker if I don't want BigLaw?

Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2011 10:37 pm
by birdlaw117
kwais wrote:
katie96 wrote:
PSUdevon wrote:I'm not even a 0L, but a rising college senior. I interned at a small law firm two summers ago (one of the 3 partners was a family friend, and was doing me a favor). The firm handled pretty much everything, from family law to defense to real estate to PI, but at one point, the partner went out of his way to tell me "No matter what you end up doing, don't do matrimonial." I sat in court a couple times and watched him argue divorce cases. It was soul-shattering.

You don't want to handle divorces, bro.

Actually, I really do. And, I'm a woman, bro.
why?
To pick up chicks?