NYU 2L Taking Questions Forum

[DukeCornell]

Hey, how strong is your writing curriculum at NYU?

We have a lawyering program for 1Ls. Unlike a lot of schools, it does not just focus on research and writing. We also got to work on interviewing mock clients, performing mediations and negotiations, and even doing an oral argument in front of an actual judge. I liked that it brought us 1 step closer to finding the answer to "what do real lawyers do?" At the same time, I feel like it was a little more work than most other schools' traditional legal research and writing courses. The main problem is that the class is not graded, so most people slacked off hardcore, especially close to finals, so it's hard to say how much people actually got out of it.

Awesome! What kind of orientation does NYU have in place for first year students?

[facetious]

Hey, how strong is your writing curriculum at NYU?

We have a lawyering program for 1Ls. Unlike a lot of schools, it does not just focus on research and writing. We also got to work on interviewing mock clients, performing mediations and negotiations, and even doing an oral argument in front of an actual judge. I liked that it brought us 1 step closer to finding the answer to "what do real lawyers do?" At the same time, I feel like it was a little more work than most other schools' traditional legal research and writing courses. The main problem is that the class is not graded, so most people slacked off hardcore, especially close to finals, so it's hard to say how much people actually got out of it.

Awesome! What kind of orientation do NYU have in place for first year students?

I'll take a stab at this primarily b/c the class of 2013 orientation was supposedly much much different from 2012's orientation. Orientation was a week. We moved in (if you are in living in D'Ag or Mercer and didn't move in earlier) on Wednesday, August 25th. We then had full days on the 26th and 27th, where we had a bunch of introductory talks on law school, PILC, careers in the law. We also had our first two lawyering classes on those days. The weekend was pretty much free, w/ NYU hosting a bunch of optional social events for 1Ls. Then on Monday was more of the same - lawyering, some more talks/panels, etc. Tuesday was off, then classes started the next Wednesday.

I found orientation for the most part pretty good. There was certainly the opportunity for you to get to know other 1Ls and also get involved in lawyering and the life of the law student right away. One criticism I hard from a lot of other 1Ls was that since a lot of the lectures/panels were for the whole class, there wasn't much time for interaction w/ other 1Ls outside of lawyering and night socializing. I think a lot of people expressed this criticism and I fully expect that the orientation committee will address it. They mentioned how ours was remarkably different from 2012's b/c of the harsh criticism they received.

As for lawyering - I am going to go ahead and agree that it is a complete time suck. But, it (so far) has proved very interesting in allowing us to actually learn something about the practice of law. That said, its incredibly hard to get motivated for it since its P/F and your doctrinal classes are so important.

Question for our resident 2L: did you get involved in any clubs and/or organizations as a 1L, such as UAC, LSHR, etc? I'd like to be involved, but I just feel too overwhelmed w/ classes to be able to devote any time to these causes. I am hoping that the opportunities are there in the spring. Thanks again!

[nyu2012]

What are your goals? If you want to do public interest, I think getting involved in something like LSHR or another advocacy group would be very beneficial. If you want to end up at a firm, it may be less important.

Another important factor is what else you have on your resume. If you are coming straight from undergrad or have not done anything really substantive before law school, I would definitely recommend doing something that will give you a good "story" for an interview. I think the unemployment action center and the suspension project are pretty low-commitment advocacy projects. LSHR is a much larger commitment and if you are worried about time constraints, I would avoid. If you have significant work experience, then doing an advocacy project is probably a little less valuable.

I also highly recommend social and affinity groups. There are tons at NYU and I felt like I have gotten good leadership experience (as well as meeting cool people) without the hardcore commitment of having a client.

You can get involved in all of these organizations and projects 2nd semester if you feel overwhelmed now. Although I certainly think you can join a couple of the less pressure organizations without losing valuable study time.

FWIW, I am on the board of a few organizations, one of which was an advocacy project requiring significant time commitment, and still got good grades. It is doable and one of the most rewarding aspects of law school.

[DukeCornell]

Hey, thanks for answering my (many) questions. I'm trying to narrow my top 10 to 5. How large are your classes?

[zanda]

Hey, thanks for answering my (many) questions. I'm trying to narrow my top 10 to 5. How large are your classes?

another 2L here. 1L classes were around 90. My two seminars this semester are in the 10-20 range.

[DukeCornell]

Hey, thanks for answering my (many) questions. I'm trying to narrow my top 10 to 5. How large are your classes?

another 2L here. 1L classes were around 90. My two seminars this semester are in the 10-20 range.

Does NYU have tutors who work with students to improve their legal writing skills?

[nyu2012]

I don't know if we have a formal tutoring program, but the lawyering class is small enough that the idea is that you can ask your professor for help when you need it. I was close with my lawyering professor and he worked with me on numerous edits of my "writing sample" before I sent it off to employers.

There are also a plethora of options offered by Lexis/Westlaw, although I personally have not partaken.

I would also have to admit that the class sizes are NYU are one of the only complaints I have of our school compared to other similarly-ranked law schools. Although Columbia is getting huge, too, Chicago's class size seems to be a distinct advantage.

[rsx]

I don't know if we have a formal tutoring program, but the lawyering class is small enough that the idea is that you can ask your professor for help when you need it. I was close with my lawyering professor and he worked with me on numerous edits of my "writing sample" before I sent it off to employers.

There are also a plethora of options offered by Lexis/Westlaw, although I personally have not partaken.

I would also have to admit that the class sizes are NYU are one of the only complaints I have of our school compared to other similarly-ranked law schools. Although Columbia is getting huge, too, Chicago's class size seems to be a distinct advantage.

What do you think of the girl situation this year? (had to ask for a prospective friend...)

And what is the process by which we apply for TA positions?

[cigrainger]

Thank you!

If you don't mind, how much do you pay in rent/utilities? Do you have a general estimate of how much one can pay in rent on the suggested loan budget and still have a decent amount of money for living?

[DukeCornell]

I don't know if we have a formal tutoring program, but the lawyering class is small enough that the idea is that you can ask your professor for help when you need it. I was close with my lawyering professor and he worked with me on numerous edits of my "writing sample" before I sent it off to employers.

There are also a plethora of options offered by Lexis/Westlaw, although I personally have not partaken.

I would also have to admit that the class sizes are NYU are one of the only complaints I have of our school compared to other similarly-ranked law schools. Although Columbia is getting huge, too, Chicago's class size seems to be a distinct advantage.

In general, are the professors pretty accessible? How "cut-throat" or competitive is the student body?

[DukeCornell]

Thank you!

If you don't mind, how much do you pay in rent/utilities? Do you have a general estimate of how much one can pay in rent on the suggested loan budget and still have a decent amount of money for living?

I was soooooo working my way to this question. You read my mind Bro.

[nyu2012]

What do you think of the girl situation this year? (had to ask for a prospective friend...)

You mean the ratio? I don't know about the 1Ls but for my class it was 57% guys, 43% girls.

And what is the process by which we apply for TA positions?[/quote]

For substantive classes, it varies. A lot of times a professor will contact you and ask you to TA if you did particularly well in his/her class. Other times, they openly ask for people to apply. It's really up to the professor - I think if you are really interested, you should reach out to the professor about it before the end of the year so he/she has you in mind.

For lawyering, there is a formal application process, but a lot of people just contact their lawyering professors who then make sure they are picked. This happens at the end of the year. I heard that they were actually short on lawyering TAs so I imagine everyone who applied was chosen.

[nyu2012]

If you don't mind, how much do you pay in rent/utilities? Do you have a general estimate of how much one can pay in rent on the suggested loan budget and still have a decent amount of money for living?

For those of you who don't know, here is the loan budget: http://www.law.nyu.edu/financialaid/bud ... /index.htm

I haven't heard of people running into problems with the loan money. I think we all know how expensive living in NYC is and have figured out ways to be frugal.

The dorms are a good choice if you do not know anyone in the city. You probably will not find a 1 bedroom or studio within a 30-minute radius of school for the price of the dorms. It's also nice if you are not certain you want to be in NYC for the summer. Because they are school-year leases, you do not have to pay for the summer (unlike when you rent off-campus).

If you want to be in NYC for the summer and can get roommates, I think you will get a much better deal if you live off-campus. A lot of people live in Brooklyn, which is a short commute. The trade-off for the commute is that their apartments are much bigger than the people who live close to campus. If you do not want to live there, I know of people who live in the Financial District or Midtown, which both cost significantly less than the areas around NYU. But you can still probably get a place in the Village, EV, LES, or Union Square for less than you would pay in the dorms if you have roommates. The more roommates, the cheaper.

It's hard to estimate rent/utilities, but I think $19K will cover you fine if you factor in the $4500 you will get from PILC for the summer. Keep in mind this also include food - but there are definitely ways to eat cheaply in NYC (Trader Joe's, Mamoun's, street meat, etc.).

[nyu2012]

In general, are the professors pretty accessible? How "cut-throat" or competitive is the student body?

The professors are very accessible. I had several "famous" professors as a 1L and they all made themselves available during weekly office hours. I was not the type of person who went to office hours frequently, but there were definitely people who took advantage. NYU also has a great program for 1Ls that allows professors to take small groups of students to lunch on a regular basis. I went to lunch with most of my professors and it was a great way to get to know them. The size of the groups ranged from 3 to about 10, depending on the professor.

The student body is not cut-throat at all. I think NYU students tend to be the most laid back out of top law students.

[4102011]

You guys are awesome for answering questions

How did you all choose NYU over other schools? Was it from programs/going to ASW/etc.?

[DukeCornell]

In general, are the professors pretty accessible? How "cut-throat" or competitive is the student body?

The professors are very accessible. I had several "famous" professors as a 1L and they all made themselves available during weekly office hours. I was not the type of person who went to office hours frequently, but there were definitely people who took advantage. NYU also has a great program for 1Ls that allows professors to take small groups of students to lunch on a regular basis. I went to lunch with most of my professors and it was a great way to get to know them. The size of the groups ranged from 3 to about 10, depending on the professor.

The student body is not cut-throat at all. I think NYU students tend to be the most laid back out of top law students.

Famous as in "I wrote the book," or famous as in "read about me in the book?" Does NYU you have any mentoring programs for incoming students?

[lsathalon]

You guys are awesome for answering questions

How did you all choose NYU over other schools? Was it from programs/going to ASW/etc.?

To supplement, not replace, the answer that you'll get from the OP (not trying to hijack your thread!):

I'm a 1L. This was my thought process when I chose:

1) Rankings: Rankings mattered to me. I didn't think I would get in to YHS, but I thought I could hopefully get into at least one of CCN. If I got into one of those, I was definitely going. That narrowed the choice down to 3 schools.
2) Location: Once deciding between those 3, I ruled out Chicago based on location. New York is an awesome city, and I knew I could see myself living there for the rest of my life. It also seemed like it would probably be easier for my then-fiance to get a job in NY than in Chicago.

Deciding between NYU and Columbia was difficult. In order of personal decision-making importance:
-I felt generally happier at NYU. Students were marginally nicer and seemed marginally less stressed out. It wasn't an incredible difference, but even little differences in quality of life can matter a lot.
-I highly prefer the Village to Morningside Heights. I like going to a lot of different restaurants and bars. From Columbia you can easily hop on the subway and go downtown for restaurants, but, for me, inertia reigns supreme, and I knew I would rarely actually take the time to leave Morningside Heights, so I would just be sad that I lived there.
-Perhaps a silly way to decide, but NYU has more famous professors, and I was awestruck by the thought of taking classes from the casebook authors.

I love it here, and I could not be happier with my choice. Best of luck with yours!

[Renzo]

Famous as in "I wrote the book," or famous as in "read about me in the book?"

Yes.

I am currently reading (or rather procrastinating) a corporations casebook written by an NYU prof, in which I am reading a seminal case where that same prof (then on the chancery court) authored the opinion. Arthur Miller both wrote the book on the rules of civil procedure, and wrote the rules of civil procedure--and his treatise gets cited by the Supreme Court when they are trying to figure out what their own rules mean.

When I was considering law schools 2 years ago, I had no frame of reference to appreciate the quality of the faculty here. But, as someone who now has perspective, the faculty as absolutely unrivaled by any other school. Only Yale could even put up a decent fight.

[lolol10]

i heard from someone that the nyu jd program is wicked, often pushing individuals to the depths of depression. granted any rigorous academic program takes its toll but the person i talked to made it sound like they wanted to die for most of their time pursing a jd there. any validity to this?

[lsathalon]

i heard from someone that the nyu jd program is wicked, often pushing individuals to the depths of depression. granted any rigorous academic program takes its toll but the person i talked to made it sound like they wanted to die for most of their time pursing a jd there. any validity to this?

I have never heard that, and I have seen absolutely no evidence of anything approaching that statement here. Granted, I haven't been through finals yet.

[DukeCornell]

Arthur Miller both wrote the book on the rules of civil procedure, and wrote the rules of civil procedure--and his treatise gets cited by the Supreme Court when they are trying to figure out what their own rules mean.

That's badass! Ok, one last question. Can someone speak on the social/intellectual climate at NYU?

[Renzo]

i heard from someone that the nyu jd program is wicked, often pushing individuals to the depths of depression. granted any rigorous academic program takes its toll but the person i talked to made it sound like they wanted to die for most of their time pursing a jd there. any validity to this?

I think that said person would have felt the same way about any JD program, and probably worse at many schools. The curve here isn't as ferocious as some, there's no graded LRW here, etc. From talking to friends at other schools, I think there's truth to NYU's identity as a friendlier school than its peers.

[treemeister]

heehee. the only thing better than a troll is a successful troll.

[nyu2012]

Ok, one last question. Can someone speak on the social/intellectual climate at NYU?

Socially, NYU is fantastic. We are in the middle of the Village, surrounded by great bars and restaurants, and we definitely take advantage. Like I said before, the plethora of student groups and social events has made law school a much more enjoyable experience. People are not competitive and there is a great deal of diversity.

Intellectually, I think NYU is great as well. There is a different event every day (sometimes multiple events a day) about a different topic of interest. We have weekly forums, weekly Leaders in Public Interest Series speakers, and each student group usually hosts a related panel discussion or speaker sometime throughout the year. There are also lots of symposiums and related events that students are encouraged to attend.

Although I have complained about its size, one nice thing about going to a big school is the variety of courses available. There are just so many options that you really have the chance to learn interesting and sometimes obscure areas of the law.

[bmwhype2]

- where do you get your practice exams? are there test banks from the NYU library or the professor?
- is it advisable to study for the bar exam topic simultaneously as you are taking the courses?
- what's LRAP? https://its.law.nyu.edu/eventcalendar/i ... l&id=15909