Top Law Schools

Hi everyone! I've been skimming through old TLS threads, and it seems as if one is not definitively "better" than the other in terms of career placement and employment options.

I'd like to return to northern CA (SF) after graduating but if that's not possible immediately, I wouldn't mind working in NYC for a couple years. I'm interested in PI and BigLaw and would like to get work experience trying both (which makes decision-making even more muddled.)
Assume sticker price at both.

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated! I'd love to hear general opinions, pros & cons, etc.

Both are great schools. I'm biased (starting at NYU in a few weeks), but I believe NYU is better if you aren't interested in Philly. It'll give you more opportunities for California and for PI.

until you:

1. are accepted to both

2. have FA offers from both (after negotiating)

this thread is premature

Even for top schools figure out whether you want to do biglaw or PI first. Get work experience for a PI organization in your subject matter of interest or some sort of business or paralegal job before law school. PI organizations want to know you're devoted to the cause and biglaw recruiting is the summer after 1L.

james.bungles wrote:until you:

1. are accepted to both

2. have FA offers from both (after negotiating)

this thread is premature

This

With that said, outside of HYS no school does as well balancing PI and big law as well as NYU.

Wouldn't do either at sticker.

if your choices are nyu or penn at sticker
either retake, take the money and run, or don't go

if the question is nyu $ vs penn $$, penn

if the question is nyu $$ vs penn $$, nyu

although if you do get nyu, maybe you should set your sights on cornell actually
prob more scholly $, def lower col, and a good option if you want nyc biglaw

Wait, are you debating actively between these two schools, or thinking about this upcoming cycle? If you just got off a WL or something, then I'd say whichever gave you a scholarship. If this is for ED next cycle, then no - don't do either.

Overall, I would go to NYU if 1) I wanted to live in New York - which I would, but that varies individually - or 2) wanted public interest, and Penn otherwise. But since very few 0Ls know anything about public interest the second one is usually irrelevant. Going to school in manhattan is insanely expensive and unjustified unless that experience is worth it. Penn would wind up quite a bit cheaper and might even have a better success rate for private practice.

Californian here, I would choose Penn but that's because I'm a Penn > NYU guy, admittedly despite a lack of solid and/or defensible reasons. Partially it's due to what jbagelboy raised above, I'm not interested in living in NYC unless I have to, and I definitely want biglaw. There's also that Ivy League prestige.

...

If there's even a 1% chance you want PI, go to NYU (so good job)


Penn and PI, lolol.


Also, the PI makes NLJ #s for NYU lower


Also, V10 dominance = NYU


Enjoy PA biglaw out of Penn (Jokes but not completely)

sinfiery wrote:If there's even a 1% chance you want PI, go to NYU (so good job)


Penn and PI, lolol.


Also, the PI makes NLJ #s for NYU lower


Also, V10 dominance = NYU


Enjoy PA biglaw out of Penn (Jokes but not completely)

Worthwhile bump.

Yea All Right wrote: There's also that Ivy League prestige.

That's more than offset by the bad publicity from the Sandusky mess.

Ti Malice wrote:

Yea All Right wrote: There's also that Ivy League prestige.

That's more than offset by the bad publicity from the Sandusky mess.

It's laughable that people confuse UPenn and Penn State but hey people confused my undergrad USC with South Carolina... lol.

Yea All Right wrote:

Ti Malice wrote:

Yea All Right wrote: There's also that Ivy League prestige.

That's more than offset by the bad publicity from the Sandusky mess.

It's laughable that people confuse UPenn and Penn State but hey people confused my undergrad USC with South Carolina... lol.

Back home, UNC is University of Northern Colorado--I have to remember that means something different in the non-Mountain West...

Ti Malice wrote:

Yea All Right wrote: There's also that Ivy League prestige.

That's more than offset by the bad publicity from the Sandusky mess.

ayy lmao