Top Law Schools

I decided to apply to law school late in the game this cycle. For various reasons (primarily because of a serious relationship) I am committed to staying in NYC, so I'm looking at NYU and Columbia exclusively, applying to one ED (also, possibly U Penn, but that commute would be pretty rough). NYU doesn't take the Feb LSAT, so I just applied to Columbia and got "reserved". I'm still on the reserve list, but I'm not too hopeful about my prospects there given past cycles, so I'm starting to think about next cycle.

My main question is: in reapplying to Columbia, obviously I will write a new personal statement and try to add to my resume this summer, and I retook the LSAT yesterday (I have a 172 from the Feb test), but I'm happy with my recommendations. Will it look bad if I just resubmit the same recommendations, or should I really look for two new ones?

Separate question ... is Fordham worth looking at as a "safety" option? I've gotten conflicting views on this. Some say it's risky, as I will have to get a high class rank to get placement comparable to what I would get from Columbia/NYU, but some say that, despite that, it's an option to explore because Fordham offers good prospects if I'm definitely looking to work in NYC after graduation.

In case this helps in giving advice:
172/3.42 (from top Ivy, FWIW)
MFA in Acting, decent connections in film/theatre/TV, 7 years out of undergrad
Hoping to work in big law and lateral to a media firm (entertainment law, copyright law, something along those lines)

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Fordham is worth your effort because you may get a substantial merit scholarship.

Your current recommendations are fine for next admissions cycle even though used this cycle.