NYU 1L Taking Questions Forum

[facetious]

Could a current NYU student comment on the different spring elective options? Con, Corp, Prop, Tax. Specifically, I'm thinking about con law and property, though I'm not sure which I'd want to take. Is there any advantage to taking one earlier than the other? Are any known to be particularly easy or particularly difficult? In case it matters: I want to clerk, and while I'm considering shooting for PI work, I want to have biglaw as an option.

Con Law was the most requested class, 184 people were in the lottery for 90 or so spots. Property has two sections, so you will likely get it if you bid it. That said, you may not get the Professor you want.

I enjoy Corporations. It's a bit like advanced Contracts.

not sure i'd say corps is like advanced Ks, but to each is own. strikes me as more like a cross between torts and Ks - fid duties, agency, etc. i think the closest corps gets to being like Ks is understanding what the deal that is being litigated is all about. i loved corps and M&A, and i was not a fan of Ks.

/derailment.

[vincanity1]

First time moving out of state. Do people typically get a new license for NY?

Bump plzz

[PigBodine]

A driver's license? For Manhattan? Public transportation is probably at least as fast once you know your way around, and long-term parking is exorbitantly expensive. Don't bother.

[izy223]

Im a native new yorker who has a friend in NYU undergrad looking for a roommate will probably live in the eat village/union square area.


Will i be missing on a "law school experience" if a live outside of campus first year. Or do 75% of the students live off campus only because its hard to find an apt if your not from ny?

i know im reposting but my friend really wants to know if he should try and look for a different roomate what do you think?

[Detrox]

Im a native new yorker who has a friend in NYU undergrad looking for a roommate will probably live in the eat village/union square area.


Will i be missing on a "law school experience" if a live outside of campus first year. Or do 75% of the students live off campus only because its hard to find an apt if your not from ny?

i know im reposting but my friend really wants to know if he should try and look for a different roomate what do you think?

Living on campus is definitely not necessary for the "law school experience." If anything, most if not all interaction takes place outside of the dorms. Before/during/after class, student groups, bar events, and study groups are really where I've found the "law school experience" to be so as long as you're willing/able to travel from wherever you live to interact with people at campus, you won't miss anything just by living somewhere else. Especially if you live in union square where there's great restaurants and transportation.

[Detrox]

Could a current NYU student comment on the different spring elective options? Con, Corp, Prop, Tax. Specifically, I'm thinking about con law and property, though I'm not sure which I'd want to take. Is there any advantage to taking one earlier than the other? Are any known to be particularly easy or particularly difficult? In case it matters: I want to clerk, and while I'm considering shooting for PI work, I want to have biglaw as an option.

Con Law was the most requested class, 184 people were in the lottery for 90 or so spots. Property has two sections, so you will likely get it if you bid it. That said, you may not get the Professor you want.

I enjoy Corporations. It's a bit like advanced Contracts.

not sure i'd say corps is like advanced Ks, but to each is own. strikes me as more like a cross between torts and Ks - fid duties, agency, etc. i think the closest corps gets to being like Ks is understanding what the deal that is being litigated is all about. i loved corps and M&A, and i was not a fan of Ks.

/derailment.

This choice, imo, should really be made based on the professor teaching the class much more than the subject matter itself. Other than that, pick something you are interested in. It's not going to affect clerkships or job opportunities. Rare exception would be taking tax or corporations to counter a resume that screams PI when applying to firms at EIW, but even that can be solved by filling your 2L fall class list with similar classes since employers will see those on your transcript.

[dixiecupdrinking]

Could a current NYU student comment on the different spring elective options? Con, Corp, Prop, Tax. Specifically, I'm thinking about con law and property, though I'm not sure which I'd want to take. Is there any advantage to taking one earlier than the other? Are any known to be particularly easy or particularly difficult? In case it matters: I want to clerk, and while I'm considering shooting for PI work, I want to have biglaw as an option.

Con Law was the most requested class, 184 people were in the lottery for 90 or so spots. Property has two sections, so you will likely get it if you bid it. That said, you may not get the Professor you want.

I enjoy Corporations. It's a bit like advanced Contracts.

not sure i'd say corps is like advanced Ks, but to each is own. strikes me as more like a cross between torts and Ks - fid duties, agency, etc. i think the closest corps gets to being like Ks is understanding what the deal that is being litigated is all about. i loved corps and M&A, and i was not a fan of Ks.

/derailment.

This choice, imo, should really be made based on the professor teaching the class much more than the subject matter itself. Other than that, pick something you are interested in. It's not going to affect clerkships or job opportunities. Rare exception would be taking tax or corporations to counter a resume that screams PI when applying to firms at EIW, but even that can be solved by filling your 2L fall class list with similar classes since employers will see those on your transcript.

2L here. I agree. Professors are 90% of what you should be looking at when choosing classes. Any class can be interesting with a good prof or excruciating with a bad prof.

[Smushface]

So I've read both this thread and the one from last year and they've answered most of the questions I've had, so thanks. Just a few more.

1) Any generic things you want to share that you haven't been asked about? Like a favorite personal experience, anecdote, generic advice, run for your lives, etc.

2) How insular is the NYU Law community. As in, do most people hang out with each other or branch out to others? Also, how much interaction is there with the rest of NYU (undergrad, stern, etc)

3) In terms of specific questions to the athletic centers, are there power racks and olympic weights in either the Palladium or Cole?

[djaja]

So I've read both this thread and the one from last year and they've answered most of the questions I've had, so thanks. Just a few more.

1) Any generic things you want to share that you haven't been asked about? Like a favorite personal experience, anecdote, generic advice, run for your lives, etc.

2) How insular is the NYU Law community. As in, do most people hang out with each other or branch out to others? Also, how much interaction is there with the rest of NYU (undergrad, stern, etc)

3) In terms of specific questions to the athletic centers, are there power racks and olympic weights in either the Palladium or Cole?

1) Check out Wash. Sq. Park if you haven't yet. It's fun during the day, at night, in the summer, the spring, the fall and the winter. It has people from every walk of life, including lots of NYU law students. Just a counter to 'NYU doesn't have a campus.'

2) Virtually no interaction with undergrads, unless you REALLY seek it out. Interaction with other grad programs is possible if you take classes there, but that's just for 2L and 3Ls. 3Ls especially have a lot of stuff going on off-campus, usually, so they branch out more. For 1Ls, it really is what you make of it. I'm pretty friendly with 50-60 of the 90 people in my section, but there are 7-8 who very much do their own thing and don't have any involvement with NYU outside of class.

3) Coles blows for weights unless you go during off-hours. The weight room is a lawsuit waiting to happen during the evening. Palladium, I've heard, is nice. Never been though, it's pretty far away if you don't live up there or have business with the 4/5/6/Q/N/R/L trains.

[kaiser]

Coles has everything you need weight-wise but it gets pretty crowded and the space isn't too big. I agree that it seems like someone is going to get hurt there due to so many people swinging around weights in such close proximity.

[Detrox]

So I've read both this thread and the one from last year and they've answered most of the questions I've had, so thanks. Just a few more.

1) Any generic things you want to share that you haven't been asked about? Like a favorite personal experience, anecdote, generic advice, run for your lives, etc.

ENJOY YOUR 0L SUMMER. Seriously. Don't get a job unless you need money. Don't read prep books. Just enjoy yourself. You'll have plenty of time to be miserable and plan the entirity of the rest of your life once you get here.

[vincanity1]

Any good banks near the school/common throughout the city? I'm gonna open a new checking acct and wanna make sure there are plenty around

[hdsoc]

Any good banks near the school/common throughout the city? I'm gonna open a new checking acct and wanna make sure there are plenty around

There are Chase banks everywhere. I like TDBank and there's one not too far away at Broadway and 2nd; they're open late and on sundays.

[izy223]

Im a native new yorker who has a friend in NYU undergrad looking for a roommate will probably live in the eat village/union square area.


Will i be missing on a "law school experience" if a live outside of campus first year. Or do 75% of the students live off campus only because its hard to find an apt if your not from ny?

i know im reposting but my friend really wants to know if he should try and look for a different roomate what do you think?

Living on campus is definitely not necessary for the "law school experience." If anything, most if not all interaction takes place outside of the dorms. Before/during/after class, student groups, bar events, and study groups are really where I've found the "law school experience" to be so as long as you're willing/able to travel from wherever you live to interact with people at campus, you won't miss anything just by living somewhere else. Especially if you live in union square where there's great restaurants and transportation.

thanks my own apartment it is

[izy223]

Any good banks near the school/common throughout the city? I'm gonna open a new checking acct and wanna make sure there are plenty around

There are Chase banks everywhere. I like TDBank and there's one not too far away at Broadway and 2nd; they're open late and on sundays.

as a native new yorker i say go with chase- there online banking rocks and theres literaly a bank or atm on every corner.

I wouldnt open td (but thats just bec i had a bad experience with their fees so i could be biased)

[dixiecupdrinking]

So I've read both this thread and the one from last year and they've answered most of the questions I've had, so thanks. Just a few more.

1) Any generic things you want to share that you haven't been asked about? Like a favorite personal experience, anecdote, generic advice, run for your lives, etc.

ENJOY YOUR 0L SUMMER. Seriously. Don't get a job unless you need money. Don't read prep books. Just enjoy yourself. You'll have plenty of time to be miserable and plan the entirity of the rest of your life once you get here.

This. Plenty of time to figure out law school during the semester. Enjoy not having stuff hanging over your head 24/7. Even though most of the semester isn't as intense, work-wise, as you may expect, there is always something to remember to do, seven days a week. Enjoy not having that.

Other advice: I'll reiterate something I said elsewhere: take classes with good professors. You won't have to make this decision for a while, but when you have to choose your 1L elective, put more stock in the faculty evaluations than anything else. You'll probably end up taking all of the electives (or at least corps, property and con law; not necessarily tax or international) at some point, so take the ones with good professors. The faculty is all pretty accomplished on paper but there is a wide, wide range in ability to convey the material and guide a classroom.

[vincanity1]

Any good banks near the school/common throughout the city? I'm gonna open a new checking acct and wanna make sure there are plenty around

There are Chase banks everywhere. I like TDBank and there's one not too far away at Broadway and 2nd; they're open late and on sundays.

as a native new yorker i say go with chase- there online banking rocks and theres literaly a bank or atm on every corner.

I wouldnt open td (but thats just bec i had a bad experience with their fees so i could be biased)

Thanks guys. Going with Chase

[chasgoose]

Could a current NYU student comment on the different spring elective options? Con, Corp, Prop, Tax. Specifically, I'm thinking about con law and property, though I'm not sure which I'd want to take. Is there any advantage to taking one earlier than the other? Are any known to be particularly easy or particularly difficult? In case it matters: I want to clerk, and while I'm considering shooting for PI work, I want to have biglaw as an option.

Con Law was the most requested class, 184 people were in the lottery for 90 or so spots. Property has two sections, so you will likely get it if you bid it. That said, you may not get the Professor you want.

I enjoy Corporations. It's a bit like advanced Contracts.

not sure i'd say corps is like advanced Ks, but to each is own. strikes me as more like a cross between torts and Ks - fid duties, agency, etc. i think the closest corps gets to being like Ks is understanding what the deal that is being litigated is all about. i loved corps and M&A, and i was not a fan of Ks.

/derailment.

This choice, imo, should really be made based on the professor teaching the class much more than the subject matter itself. Other than that, pick something you are interested in. It's not going to affect clerkships or job opportunities. Rare exception would be taking tax or corporations to counter a resume that screams PI when applying to firms at EIW, but even that can be solved by filling your 2L fall class list with similar classes since employers will see those on your transcript.

Completely agree with this. I was actually considering taking Income Tax, but I heard TERRIBLE things about the professor so I decided to take Property instead. 1L year you don't get to choose most of your professors and almost every section has at least 1 dud that makes going to class horrible. You don't want to let that happen with the one course you actually can choose.

Looking at the course offerings for next year it looks like they are getting rid of Income Tax for 1L's and replacing it with an extra ConLaw section taught by Kenji Yoshino. I would try to get that one if I were you. That said, there are compelling reasons for the other courses. I'm in Property now and I'm very glad that I am getting it out of the way. It's a beast and I don't know if I would have the motivation to learn it unless I was a 1L. Corporations is also good, it seems like less work than the others and it also allows you to start taking more advanced transactional courses your 2L year.

[knickerbocker]

What is the curve at NYU like for 1L classes? What percent in a class gets an A-range grade?

[PigBodine]

A+: 0-2% (target = 1%)
A: 7-13% (target = 10%)
A-: 16-24% (target = 20%)
Maximum for A tier = 31%
B+: 22-30% (target = 26%)
Maximum grades above B = 57%
B: remainder
B-: 4-8% (target = 6%)
C/D/F: 0-5%

[knickerbocker]

Wow, ok. That seems like an easier or softer curve that UChicago's. Does that matter at all?

[PigBodine]

It depends. I think it used to be a little harsher (it's curved to an A- now, I think it was somewhere around a B before), and the main distinguishing feature is that it's pretty flat now -- if the curve is targeting 31% As and 26% B+s, that means they're targeting 37% B flats, which is a lot. Median's a 3.3, so if you're comfortable with median, you basically have to balance out every B you make with an A-. Some schools' curves are a little sharper, where's it's a little easier to make an A, but also a little easier to make a B- or lower. No idea what Chicago's looks like.

[knickerbocker]

Thanks for that explanation.

[PigBodine]

Thanks for that explanation.

yeah, I like it. I guess the downside is that it doesn't leave professors much discretion to unilaterally alter grades from group to group (i.e., they're giving the same grades out whether the classes are made up of 90 brandeises or 90 kids who can barely write their own names), but one of the reasons I picked NYU over UVa (in addition to me being, probably, the least bro-tastic person who has ever lived) is that the steepness of the curve is pretty much locked from section to section. professors at UVa have a median they have to keep, but it can be as steep or as shallow as they want. it's a lot easier to make top whatever percent with a 40/20/40 type split than a 10/80/10 type one (it's probably not going to be that extreme in either direction in practice, but just to illustrate the point). it seems like there's the opportunity for a lot of unfair advantages between sections with that kind of thing. I haven't started yet, though, so who knows.

[birdlaw117]

Just for clarification, it's curved to a B+, not an A-.