Top Law Schools

As of late, I've been seeing a lot of people talk about how great of a law school Cornell is, especially considering their (relatively) low level of prestige, us news rank, and admissions standards. I tend to agree with this opinion, because numbers don't lie, and Cornell has amazing employment numbers.

However, I recently came across a website in which people that go to certain law schools write reviews for that school. The one written review that was given for Cornell Law was particularly harsh, and I'd like to get some other people's thoughts on it.

Here's the review: "Financial aid and career services people are incompetent and clueless. Student loans disburse randomly on random dates, and the financial aid staff didn't know that I needed to complete a new promissory note for my second year. Career services presentations don't teach anything that isn't immediately obvious, and they have done nothing to investigate job leads - any ... Read more suggestions they have come from a list compiled by the University of Arizona. Professors are a mixed bag - I've had everything from elite scholars to a contracts professor who bragged that he once told his wife that she should have known he was lying to her. Administrators are constantly retiring or being fired, so it's impossible to establish a connection with anyone. Although the percentage of Asian-Americans is supposedly only 15%, I hear far more Japanese and Korean in the hallways than English. You can only obtain access to previous years' outlines by joining a racial society, and there are few if any fellowships advertised for which caucasians are eligible."

Furthermore, Cornell only received a score of 2.4 stars out of 5 overall, based on an average of user reviews of the school.

(Here is a link to the page, towards the bottom you can find the review and the overall score): --LinkRemoved--


Just as a reference, I've compiled the overall user scores for each of the T14. You can see that for whatever reason, some other top law schools have very low ratings, but for the most part T14s stayed above a 3.0.

Here is a list of the overall scores for each of the T14, based on an average of user reviews for each of the schools (the scale is 1-5):

(Link: --LinkRemoved--) (Just click on a school's name and you can find the user reviews, if there are any, and the overall user score)

Cornell: 2.4 (15 ratings)
GULC: 3.3 (24 ratings)
Northwestern: 3.6 (17 ratings)
Michigan: 3.8 (16 ratings)
Duke: 3.3 (17 ratings)
NYU: 2.2 (29 ratings)
Berkely: 2.5 (14 ratings)
Penn: 2.5 (13 ratings)
UVA: 3.8 (25 ratings)
Columbia: 3.2 (35 ratings)
Chicago: 2.8 (27 ratings)
Stanford: 3.4 (28 ratings)
Harvard: 3.6 (59 ratings)
Yale: 3.5 (47 ratings)


I'm not making any judgments, but I'd like to get some of your thoughts on this. I don't know if I should weigh these results when making a decision, or if they should be ignored.

Thanks a lot!!!



(Edit: Just to add, I'm more concerned with the specific review for Cornell than with the overall scores. Could caucasians really be at a huge disadvantage if they attend Cornell Law?)

Wikipedia wrote:FindTheBest compiles prices, reviews, and product specifications from marketing databases and sources...

15 ratings

Can't tell if serious...

You're joking right?

Just in case:
These rankings are worthless. These reviews are worthless. You should worry mostly about LST and cost.

SplitMyPants wrote:

Wikipedia wrote:FindTheBest compiles prices, reviews, and product specifications from marketing databases and sources...

15 ratings

Can't tell if serious...

You're joking right?

Just in case:
These rankings are worthless. These reviews are worthless. You should worry mostly about LST and cost.

Looking at the ratings numbers, I would agree that they might be worthless. However, I do not agree that anecdotes from people at different law schools are worthless. I know that it's easier to judge schools purely by the numbers, but if certain things could be going on at a school that could put you at a disadvantage, maybe you should take those things into account.

If you listened to every individual negative anecdotal review about anything, you'd never buy or do anything.

True. However, the contents of this particular review were especially alarming. I've just decided to bold the part of the review that particularly concerns me. I really want to get some opinions on that.

Dude, just go to Georgetown. I hear it's 84.4% white.

Are you concerned you'll be discriminated against as a white person, or that this review is evidence that the school is full of racists? I don't think one anonymous review on the internet tells you anything about the school. It just tells you this person felt aggrieved, and there are tons of possible reasons for that, mostly to do with the reviewer and not the school.

A. Nony Mouse wrote:Are you concerned you'll be discriminated against as a white person, or that this review is evidence that the school is full of racists? I don't think one anonymous review on the internet tells you anything about the school. It just tells you this person felt aggrieved, and there are tons of possible reasons for that, mostly to do with the reviewer and not the school.

I'm more concerned that I could be discriminated against as a white person. I don't care if the school is 20% white or 80% white, as long as there isn't some kind of disadvantage that comes along with being white at Cornell.

Princetonlaw68 wrote:

A. Nony Mouse wrote:Are you concerned you'll be discriminated against as a white person, or that this review is evidence that the school is full of racists? I don't think one anonymous review on the internet tells you anything about the school. It just tells you this person felt aggrieved, and there are tons of possible reasons for that, mostly to do with the reviewer and not the school.

I'm more concerned that I could be discriminated against as a white person. I don't care if the school is 20% white or 80% white, as long as there isn't some kind of disadvantage that comes along with being white at Cornell.

You're not going to be discriminated against because you're white. Basically period, but certainly not in this context.

This is very, very far down on the list of things that you need to worry about.

Princetonlaw68 wrote:

A. Nony Mouse wrote:Are you concerned you'll be discriminated against as a white person, or that this review is evidence that the school is full of racists? I don't think one anonymous review on the internet tells you anything about the school. It just tells you this person felt aggrieved, and there are tons of possible reasons for that, mostly to do with the reviewer and not the school.

I'm more concerned that I could be discriminated against as a white person. I don't care if the school is 20% white or 80% white, as long as there isn't some kind of disadvantage that comes along with being white at Cornell.

You will not be discriminated against as a white person. Hearing Japanese and Korean in the halls - if that even happens - is not going to hurt you. There are no secret Asian-American or other race-based cabals keeping all the good outlines to themselves. And there are 1L diversity summer associateships that you won't be eligible for (probably - depending on how the firm defines diversity and your own characteristics), but that's nothing to do with Cornell. I mean, rural upstate NY is not exactly a hotbed of diversity.

Basically, one bigoted review does not mean white people are discriminated against (honestly, I can't come up with a situation in law school where white students could be discriminated against in any meaningful way).

Is this a subtle flame?

SplitMyPants wrote:Is this a subtle flame?

Princetonlaw68 wrote: (Edit: Just to add, I'm more concerned with the specific review for Cornell than with the overall scores. Could caucasians really be at a huge disadvantage if they attend Cornell Law?)

It has to be.

Can someone explain to me WTF is this thread?

Princetonlaw68 wrote: Could caucasians really be at a huge disadvantage if they attend Cornell Law?)

10/10

Retake

(LinkRemoved)
image upload no resize (LinkRemoved)

wot

Some of the above the bold stuff is true. You might not get that much help from Career Services, and 1L year you do get most of the government 1L job information through a list compiled by University of Arizona. Financial aid people aren't very helpful either, but that's not such a big deal; I've never heard of anyone not getting their money disbursed. We do get some VAPs, so some professors ARE better than other, but presumably you'd have similar mixed results at any school. I'm not sure why building connections with administrators is important, but okay.

For the bold stuff: I suppose it is possible that the experience could be construed in such a way. The easiest to obtain outlines may be found with APALSA, LALSA, BLSA, etc. There are sometimes Asian people in the hallways, and sometimes, God forbid, they talk to each other in a language that is not English. Presumably there aren't also 1L diversity firm jobs for which non-diverse people are eligible.

But of course that's just one way of looking at it. Your best bet for outlines are via upperclassmen anyway. Oddly enough, there isn't anything wrong with Asians speaking in their native languages. And your experience re: 1L diversity fellowships are going to be similar no matter which school you go to; the firms are the ones who post the diversity fellowships, and, since diversity is in the name, it makes sense that diversity would be one of the things that would be important.

OP reads like a privileged white male asking "Will I be getting the same advantageous treatment that I'm used to getting because I am a privileged white male." If that is your concern, retake.

Sounds like somebody at Cornell struck out with the cute Asian girl in his section

gonewiththewind wrote:Some of the above the bold stuff is true. You might not get that much help from Career Services, and 1L year you do get most of the government 1L job information through a list compiled by University of Arizona. Financial aid people aren't very helpful either, but that's not such a big deal; I've never heard of anyone not getting their money disbursed. We do get some VAPs, so some professors ARE better than other, but presumably you'd have similar mixed results at any school. I'm not sure why building connections with administrators is important, but okay.

For the bold stuff: I suppose it is possible that the experience could be construed in such a way. The easiest to obtain outlines may be found with APALSA, LALSA, BLSA, etc. There are sometimes Asian people in the hallways, and sometimes, God forbid, they talk to each other in a language that is not English. Presumably there aren't also 1L diversity firm jobs for which non-diverse people are eligible.

But of course that's just one way of looking at it. Your best bet for outlines are via upperclassmen anyway. Oddly enough, there isn't anything wrong with Asians speaking in their native languages. And your experience re: 1L diversity fellowships are going to be similar no matter which school you go to; the firms are the ones who post the diversity fellowships, and, since diversity is in the name, it makes sense that diversity would be one of the things that would be important.

OP reads like a privileged white male asking "Will I be getting the same advantageous treatment that I'm used to getting because I am a privileged white male." If that is your concern, retake.

I posted this question just to see what the responses would be. I myself didn't ever take it fully seriously and assumed 99% chance it's not true, and that this was just a disgruntled customer, but just wanted to see what other people would say. These responses have brought me closer to 100%.

As far as your priveleged white male comment, I don't know what priveleges you're talking about. I don't see it as a "privelege" to get the same study materials as everyone else. Just because someone is white doesn't mean that person is priveleged.

Edit: If the priveleged white male thing is coming from the fact that I bolded the part about speaking in the halls, I only bolded that sentence because of the author's contention that the school's percentage of asians is far higher than 15%. I don't care about the percentage of asian students generally, but if what he was saying was true (which you guys seem to say it isn't) then half the class getting these priveleges would be more of a concern than 15%. I have no problem with asian people and don't care about the races of my classmates at law school.

A. Nony Mouse wrote:

Princetonlaw68 wrote:

A. Nony Mouse wrote:Are you concerned you'll be discriminated against as a white person, or that this review is evidence that the school is full of racists? I don't think one anonymous review on the internet tells you anything about the school. It just tells you this person felt aggrieved, and there are tons of possible reasons for that, mostly to do with the reviewer and not the school.

I'm more concerned that I could be discriminated against as a white person. I don't care if the school is 20% white or 80% white, as long as there isn't some kind of disadvantage that comes along with being white at Cornell.

You will not be discriminated against as a white person. Hearing Japanese and Korean in the halls - if that even happens - is not going to hurt you. There are no secret Asian-American or other race-based cabals keeping all the good outlines to themselves. And there are 1L diversity summer associateships that you won't be eligible for (probably - depending on how the firm defines diversity and your own characteristics), but that's nothing to do with Cornell. I mean, rural upstate NY is not exactly a hotbed of diversity.

Basically, one bigoted review does not mean white people are discriminated against (honestly, I can't come up with a situation in law school where white students could be discriminated against in any meaningful way).

How is the review necessarily bigotted?

Max324 wrote:Sounds like somebody at Cornell struck out with the cute Asian girl in his section

Impossible. Asian girls never turn down white guys.

dwil770 wrote:

A. Nony Mouse wrote:

Princetonlaw68 wrote:

A. Nony Mouse wrote:Are you concerned you'll be discriminated against as a white person, or that this review is evidence that the school is full of racists? I don't think one anonymous review on the internet tells you anything about the school. It just tells you this person felt aggrieved, and there are tons of possible reasons for that, mostly to do with the reviewer and not the school.

I'm more concerned that I could be discriminated against as a white person. I don't care if the school is 20% white or 80% white, as long as there isn't some kind of disadvantage that comes along with being white at Cornell.

You will not be discriminated against as a white person. Hearing Japanese and Korean in the halls - if that even happens - is not going to hurt you. There are no secret Asian-American or other race-based cabals keeping all the good outlines to themselves. And there are 1L diversity summer associateships that you won't be eligible for (probably - depending on how the firm defines diversity and your own characteristics), but that's nothing to do with Cornell. I mean, rural upstate NY is not exactly a hotbed of diversity.

Basically, one bigoted review does not mean white people are discriminated against (honestly, I can't come up with a situation in law school where white students could be discriminated against in any meaningful way).

How is the review necessarily bigotted?

Mostly because the author seems to have a problem with hearing non-English languages in the hall and to perceive some radical inequity in student diversity groups having outline banks. (1 - lots of student groups have outline banks. 2 - white students can be members of BLSA, APALSA, NALSA etc.).

Balthy wrote:

Max324 wrote:Sounds like somebody at Cornell struck out with the cute Asian girl in his section

Impossible. Asian girls never turn down white guys.

TITCR

It is seen as a badge of honor within certain families to snag a Caucasian.

From what I have been told personally.

BankruptMe wrote:

Balthy wrote:

Max324 wrote:Sounds like somebody at Cornell struck out with the cute Asian girl in his section

Impossible. Asian girls never turn down white guys.

TITCR

It is seen as a badge of honor within certain families to snag a Caucasian.

From what I have been told personally.

I wish that was my family. Parents give me crap all the time for bringing home white girls (because they can't communicate with them). Then again, they disapprove of my sister bringing home anyone who isn't Chinese.

Also, these reviews are TTTT.