Subject: Cardozo 3L taking questions...
This is in response to a PM I got. Hope this helps!
-What's the general attitude/ atmosphere at Cardozo? I.e. in light of the economy, being in NYC with many competitive schools.
Answer: The economy is going to be a factor at every school in this range...that being said, for my group of friends, although the hunt wasn't as easy as it probably is at NYU or Columbia, they all secured good 2l summer jobs in fields where they want to work. Also, most attorneys that I meet in NYC always say that Cardozo produces good lawyers, so that to me signals that put school is respected in the industry.
-How do you find your peers? Specifically, what's the age range? Is it a healthy mix of K-JD and people with experience or is it skewed towards one or the other?
Answer: My classmates vary in age. I came right from school, but there are also a good mix of ppl that worked before coming to law school. One of my favorite things about Cardozo is how laid back it is. The school does not do a numbered ranking system, (just a percentage rank) so this takes some of the pressure off and allows you to be less competitive with your classmates. I find this really important because that way people have your back more and will study with you an share outlines etc.
-How is Career Service? I've heard some not so fantastic things from alumni.
Answer: This is generally a correct assessment of last year. However, we got a new dean of career services in the middle of this year and she is amazing! She actually is personally responsible for getting a friend of mine a federal judge externship. (which are very difficult to get)
-How's the employment situation? Is it the dire "top 10% or else you live in a carboard box on 3rd Avenue" or better than that? How many people know their jobs at graduation or find something within a couple months of graduating/ taking the bar?
Answer: Since I'm just going into my 3l year I can't comment that accurately on the graduation job experience. But many of the 3ls I do know have jobs. If you want big law then yes, it's top 10%, maybe 15% or bust. But there is a whole other world of employment options in new York that still pay well and don't force you to work 90 hours a week. If you want public interest, cardozos career services is really good with that...
-Do you know how well Cardozo does with clerk ships? I've seen the ABA and LST numbers, but I'm curious to hear it from an actual Cardozo student.
Answer: I'm not sure about this as I've never been interested in clerking. I believe we do ok, but I really don't have a lot of meaningful insight on this. The only comment I will say is that we do have a lot of judicial internships which tend to be very helpful if you want to go on to clerk bc a lot of judges like to hire from past interns.
-Why did you choose Cardozo?
Answer: 2 reasons...1) I got a full ride and I wasn't positive if I wanted to be a lawyer, but if I did want to do law, I thought I wanted to do ip...and cardozo has an amazing IP program. ( all of my fav classes have been ip) 2. I fell in love with the school when I visited and it just felt right. ( I chose full ride at Cardozo over going to Cornell, and I have no regrets)
-Would you tell someone else to choose Cardozo and why?
Answer: I would recommend Cardozo, for many of the reasons above. The administration does a lot for the students if they can, the professors are incredible, and it's in the top legal market in the world. But, choosing a school is a very tough and personal decision and ultimately you have to like the school yourself. Visit the school during the week and talk to people. I cannot stress enough how important laid back classmates are, as you don't want to be around all the stressed competitive students during finals!
Glad I can help out and answer questions! Also if you guys do decide to attend Cardozo and need help finding an apartment in the city, I am working in real estate and I give a discount to Cardozo students and Alumni...and TLS users...so feel free to contact me at
dani@tmrp.com or PM me!