Fordham and biglaw Forum

[alexrodriguez]

http://www.lstscorereports.com/schools/ ... ends/2013/

I was hoping some of you could talk about Fordham placing 25% of its students from 2013 in biglaw.

There seems to be a 5% increase each year starting in 2011.

I just want to hear some thoughts about what you all think about the school and the opportunities coming from here.

[filibuster]

I think the economy is improving, but only slightly. Say it increases to 30% next year....do you like your odds of Biglaw (assuming that is your goal)?

[FSK]

That's like staking your entire future on your ability to correctly call two coin flips in a row. I'm not taking that bet.

[Doritos]

It is definitely an anomaly compared to similarly ranked schools (Wake Forest, UC Davis, Arizona, etc.) It does not seem that bad of an option if you want but don't need biglaw. That would mean being in a financial situation to service any debt you'll accrue paying their relatively high tuition (50k) and the insanely high cost of living in New York without 160k/yr. It would also require being OK with non-biglaw options.

EDIT: My bad, the 166 median was from 2010.

[ymmv]

Retake.

[hoos89]

That's like staking your entire future on your ability to correctly call two coin flips in a row. I'm not taking that bet.

It's actually probably a worse bet than that unless you're diverse, IP, have some legit connections to people who make hiring decisions, or have really strong practice area relevant w/e. It's not like firms just take the top 25% and that's it. While grades aren't easily predicted before hand, there ARE some factors that you should know going in, and without any of those your chances will be significantly worse than 25% unless Fordham makes substantial gains in big law over the next few years, which I wouldn't bank on.

[Rigo]

Fordham is such a trap. At least you have the GI bill so it wouldn't be as bad for you as it would be someone paying sticker or close to it.
Once again, you really need to think about your goals and where you want to end up. First it was Minnesota, then Miami, now NYC?
Good luck on your retake tomorrow. Hopefully you blow it out of the water and Fordham will no longer be on your radar.

[KMart]

Retake.

^^. Don't follow your dreams to Fordham if you want big la, OP.

[timbs4339]

If you only want to go to law school to do biglaw or other similarly prestigious work, Fordham's not a good bet especially at sticker. The risk of 250K in the hole is just way too much.

[KMart]

If you only want to go to law school to do biglaw or other similarly prestigious work, Fordham's not a good bet especially at sticker. The risk of 250K in the hole is just way too much.

Granted OP has the GI Bill so the debt is not much of a concern. All the more reason to push even higher and get into a better school with less scholly.

[TheSpanishMain]

Fordham is such a trap. At least you have the GI bill so it wouldn't be as bad for you as it would be someone paying sticker or close to it.

He's not 100% GI Bill eligible, so he'd still be paying quite a bit for a private school.

[Rigo]

Fordham is such a trap. At least you have the GI bill so it wouldn't be as bad for you as it would be someone paying sticker or close to it.

He's not 100% GI Bill eligible, so he'd still be paying quite a bit for a private school.

Oh, my bad. 80% (?) is still better than sticker though. All the GI Bill specifics are lost on me even after reading up on it on the VA website. People throw around that you're usually only fully eligible after 7-8 years but I saw 36 months on the VA website, so I must really be missing something.

[fats provolone]

36 months doesn't include training time. for 7-8 yrs maybe they mean ROTC or academy grads

[chuckbass]

It is definitely an anomaly compared to similarly ranked schools (Wake Forest, UC Davis, Arizona, etc.) It does not seem that bad of an option if you want but don't need biglaw. That would mean being in a financial situation to service any debt you'll accrue paying their relatively high tuition (50k) and the insanely high cost of living in New York without 160k/yr. It would also require being OK with non-biglaw options.

Their LSAT median is 166 so if you are looking at Fordham you probably aren't that far from T14 options + scholarship opportunities at other schools with a retake. Not the question you asked but still worth mentioning I think.

Lol their LSAT median may have been 166 like four years ago.

[KMart]

Their LSAT median is 166 so if you are looking at Fordham you probably aren't that far from T14 options + scholarship opportunities at other schools with a retake. Not the question you asked but still worth mentioning I think.

Not quite 166.

[Rigo]

Fordham with a 166. HAH! Nowadays you can get Georgetown with that score.

[BigZuck]

I thought you didn't care about big law?

If you want big law you've gotta aim way higher than these schools

[Rigo]

I thought you didn't care about big law?

If you want big law you've gotta aim way higher than these schools

Yeah, Louie. Can we get a definitive answer on what your goals career goals are?
You're really all over the map. Some flexibility is okay, but being easily manipulated & and overly optimistic (aka special snowflake syndrome) is not.

I think you need to find clarity BEFORE you start getting acceptances back. Otherwise, you're very prone to choosing a path you'll later regret.

[03152016]

There seems to be a 5% increase each year starting in 2011.

wow

[20171203]

.

[penn278]

Interestingly, was at an offer dinner with the head of recruiting from a V-10. She said if she could choose to get recruits from anywhere, or only recruit at one place it would be Fordham, not one of the T-14 schools. Something along the lines of work ethic at the firm and less of a sense of entitlement.

Fordham grad's success at BL firms could help explain an increase.

[ymmv]

Interestingly, was at an offer dinner with the head of recruiting from a V-10. She said if she could choose to get recruits from anywhere, or only recruit at one place it would be Fordham, not one of the T-14 schools. Something along the lines of work ethic at the firm and less of a sense of entitlement.

Fordham grad's success at BL firms could help explain an increase.

I'm sure the 26% unemployment rate and only 31% biglaw placement rate does a lot to curb the students' sense of entitlement.

Don't go to Fordham.

[timbs4339]

Interestingly, was at an offer dinner with the head of recruiting from a V-10. She said if she could choose to get recruits from anywhere, or only recruit at one place it would be Fordham, not one of the T-14 schools. Something along the lines of work ethic at the firm and less of a sense of entitlement.

Fordham grad's success at BL firms could help explain an increase.

And I 100% guarantee that she reaches deeper into the class at Cornell than Fordham.

[mvp99]

I think I read somewhere that a many NYC firms hire many Fordham grads for staff attorney (doc review) positions.

[fats provolone]

Interestingly, was at an offer dinner with the head of recruiting from a V-10. She said if she could choose to get recruits from anywhere, or only recruit at one place it would be Fordham, not one of the T-14 schools. Something along the lines of work ethic at the firm and less of a sense of entitlement.

Fordham grad's success at BL firms could help explain an increase.

And I 100% guarantee that she reaches deeper into the class at Cornell than Fordham.

lol yup