Top Law Schools

If anyone has questions that are in any way related to NYU Law, feel free to ask them. Be it how to approach applying here, taking classes, prepping as a 0L, studying as a 1L, approaching the LSAT, or anything your heart desires.

NYU is pretty awesome, so if you're question is whether or not you should come here, the answer is yes.

Oh, and if you have a question you're afraid to ask most people, you should feel free to ask it here.

NYULawStudent123 wrote:If anyone has questions that are in any way related to NYU Law, feel free to ask them. Be it how to approach applying here, taking classes, prepping as a 0L, studying as a 1L, approaching the LSAT, or anything your heart desires.

NYU is pretty awesome, so if you're question is whether or not you should come here, the answer is yes.

What's the scoop on student health insurance? Any good? Does it cover dental?

What are the three predominate reasons why NYU is a "pretty awesome" place? What's your debt load, and how are you (and your peers) feeling from a financial standpoint?

Power_of_Facing wrote:

NYULawStudent123 wrote:If anyone has questions that are in any way related to NYU Law, feel free to ask them. Be it how to approach applying here, taking classes, prepping as a 0L, studying as a 1L, approaching the LSAT, or anything your heart desires.

NYU is pretty awesome, so if you're question is whether or not you should come here, the answer is yes.

What's the scoop on student health insurance? Any good? Does it cover dental?

I wish I had a good answer to that question, but I don't have student health insurance. I haven't heard any complaints, though. Hopefully, there's other NYU students lurking around here who could chime in with their opinion, though.

Power_of_Facing wrote:What are the three predominate reasons why NYU is a "pretty awesome" place? What's your debt load, and how are you (and your peers) feeling from a financial standpoint?

1) There isn't unhealthy competition. Everyone is very hard-working and competitive, but it doesn't affect people's interaction. Your friends will almost always share their outlines with you and help you with any topics you have a hard time understanding.

2) The professors on average are awesome. You will end up with some you aren't a fan of, but on average, you will likely be really happy with your professors, and they are all very down to earth and personable.

3) You only take three grades course each semester (with one elective second semester) that makes the workload very bearable.

There's more, but those are three solid ones.

My debt load will likely end up in the $125-150K range, depending on next summer's job. There isn't much buzz on people being concerned from a financial standpoint. Many people will become set on BigLaw to pay off loans to start, but there's no fear running around about becoming homeless due to debt after graduation.

How difficult/simple is it for law students to take part in the renowned artistic circles based in the Village/out of NYU?

Power_of_Facing wrote:How difficult/simple is it for law students to take part in the renowned artistic circles based in the Village/out of NYU?

I have no clue what that is, sorry!

I go to NYU and I'll give another take on this (I disagree partially with OP):
1) Any school you go to (at least in the top 14), your classmates will share outlines with you. This whole "collegiality" thing is somewhat of a myth. Every school's "I'm a 1L/2L ask me anything" thread has this same line: "all the students are willing to share outlines or notes". I can't imagine someone choosing NYU (or any other school) will magically make them a better person or someone who is more willing to share their outlines. I also cannot think of any reason why people who are proned to share their outlines will choose NYU over any other school. I think you should disregard this whenever you hear it (exceptions: outside of T14).

2) Every school has great professors. Every school has shitty professors. I had two professors I did not particularly like here. However, I'm sure other schools have the same. Again, NYU is just another school out of 14, and there's no factor that makes the faculty "so much better" than Columbia, Cornell, etc.

3) I agree with OP. I think 3 graded courses is a big deal. Ungraded legal writing makes 1L 10x better. If you're good at writing, juggling multiple credits at once, etc., then you might want to choose a school with graded writing so you can compete with those who aren't as great at it as you are (but you will not enjoy it.. so that "advantage", if there is any, comes out as a wash IMO). This is a bigger deal than most 0Ls think.

The reasons you should choose (or not choose) NYU over other schools are:
1. Location – Great location, but high CoL. Idiosyncratic to individual’s preferences.
2. LRAP and PI center- I think we have a huge advantage over other schools in PI
3. Employment outcomes- NYU gets a lot of bad rap for its relatively low NLJ 250 placement (relative to Columbia/Chicago at least), but I'm very sure it has to do with those who self-select out of PI. In addition, firms do not differentiate NYU from Columbia, and go deeper into NYU compared to lower ranked schools. This is my biased opinion but there’s a reason why when comparing NYU to Penn, NYU has better placement in “elite” firm. Those who want biglaw are able to place into more elite firms, yet the placement numbers are similar because we have a PI/gov. self-selection.
4. Class size- sure class size is huge (~450) but you know everyone in your section. It’s also great meeting new people. It’s up to you to decide whether you want a large or small class.
5. Career services- okay this is one thing that sets NYU apart. For some reason, every other school’s career service office is inadequate or unhelpful (based on what I heard). Our school has a great one. I came to NYU with the general info that every school’s CS is incompetent. I was pleasantly surprised, and I have not heard anybody say anything largely negative about our school’s CS. They are extremely helpful and I have had pretty good experiences with them.
6. If you’re interest in the business side of things, NYU’s MBA program isn’t top 10 but firms like McKinsey and BCG recruit from our school (they usually only recruit from law schools with top 5 MBA schools). Same with certain Ibanking firms.

iliketurtles123 wrote:I go to NYU and I'll give another take on this (I disagree partially with OP):
1) Any school you go to (at least in the top 14), your classmates will share outlines with you. This whole "collegiality" thing is somewhat of a myth. Every school's "I'm a 1L/2L ask me anything" thread has this same line: "all the students are willing to share outlines or notes". I can't imagine someone choosing NYU (or any other school) will magically make them a better person or someone who is more willing to share their outlines. I also cannot think of any reason why people who are proned to share their outlines will choose NYU over any other school. I think you should disregard this whenever you hear it (exceptions: outside of T14).

2) Every school has great professors. Every school has shitty professors. I had two professors I did not particularly like here. However, I'm sure other schools have the same. Again, NYU is just another school out of 14, and there's no factor that makes the faculty "so much better" than Columbia, Cornell, etc.

3) I agree with OP. I think 3 graded courses is a big deal. Ungraded legal writing makes 1L 10x better. If you're good at writing, juggling multiple credits at once, etc., then you might want to choose a school with graded writing so you can compete with those who aren't as great at it as you are (but you will not enjoy it.. so that "advantage", if there is any, comes out as a wash IMO). This is a bigger deal than most 0Ls think.

The reasons you should choose (or not choose) NYU over other schools are:
1. Location – Great location, but high CoL. Idiosyncratic to individual’s preferences.
2. LRAP and PI center- I think we have a huge advantage over other schools in PI
3. Employment outcomes- NYU gets a lot of bad rap for its relatively low NLJ 250 placement (relative to Columbia/Chicago at least), but I'm very sure it has to do with those who self-select out of PI. In addition, firms do not differentiate NYU from Columbia, and go deeper into NYU compared to lower ranked schools. This is my biased opinion but there’s a reason why when comparing NYU to Penn, NYU has better placement in “elite” firm. Those who want biglaw are able to place into more elite firms, yet the placement numbers are similar because we have a PI/gov. self-selection.
4. Class size- sure class size is huge (~450) but you know everyone in your section. It’s also great meeting new people. It’s up to you to decide whether you want a large or small class.
5. Career services- okay this is one thing that sets NYU apart. For some reason, every other school’s career service office is inadequate or unhelpful (based on what I heard). Our school has a great one. I came to NYU with the general info that every school’s CS is incompetent. I was pleasantly surprised, and I have not heard anybody say anything largely negative about our school’s CS. They are extremely helpful and I have had pretty good experiences with them.
6. If you’re interest in the business side of things, NYU’s MBA program isn’t top 10 but firms like McKinsey and BCG recruit from our school (they usually only recruit from law schools with top 5 MBA schools). Same with certain Ibanking firms.

Hey fellow NYU student! Are you also a rising 2L?

Related to turtles' suggestion that ungraded legal writing is a bigger deal than most 0Ls think, what other NYU law school deals are bigger/smaller/different from what you thought they might be coming in as an 0L?

Power_of_Facing wrote:Related to turtles' suggestion that ungraded legal writing is a bigger deal than most 0Ls think, what other NYU law school deals are bigger/smaller/different from what you thought they might be coming in as an 0L?

Something that I would point out that I think applies to law schools in general is the myth that come finals, everyone knows the substantive law cold. That is just false. There will be concepts in almost every class that most of the class with struggle with even days before the exam. So when the time comes that you find something extremely confusing late in the semester, know that your peers are likely having similar struggles and that you aren't unusual. It's possible to get an A/A- even if you don't know every single concept completely cold.

iliketurtles123 wrote:I go to NYU and I'll give another take on this (I disagree partially with OP):
1) Any school you go to (at least in the top 14), your classmates will share outlines with you. This whole "collegiality" thing is somewhat of a myth. Every school's "I'm a 1L/2L ask me anything" thread has this same line: "all the students are willing to share outlines or notes". I can't imagine someone choosing NYU (or any other school) will magically make them a better person or someone who is more willing to share their outlines. I also cannot think of any reason why people who are proned to share their outlines will choose NYU over any other school. I think you should disregard this whenever you hear it (exceptions: outside of T14).

2) Every school has great professors. Every school has shitty professors. I had two professors I did not particularly like here. However, I'm sure other schools have the same. Again, NYU is just another school out of 14, and there's no factor that makes the faculty "so much better" than Columbia, Cornell, etc.

3) I agree with OP. I think 3 graded courses is a big deal. Ungraded legal writing makes 1L 10x better. If you're good at writing, juggling multiple credits at once, etc., then you might want to choose a school with graded writing so you can compete with those who aren't as great at it as you are (but you will not enjoy it.. so that "advantage", if there is any, comes out as a wash IMO). This is a bigger deal than most 0Ls think.

The reasons you should choose (or not choose) NYU over other schools are:
1. Location – Great location, but high CoL. Idiosyncratic to individual’s preferences.
2. LRAP and PI center- I think we have a huge advantage over other schools in PI
3. Employment outcomes- NYU gets a lot of bad rap for its relatively low NLJ 250 placement (relative to Columbia/Chicago at least), but I'm very sure it has to do with those who self-select out of PI. In addition, firms do not differentiate NYU from Columbia, and go deeper into NYU compared to lower ranked schools. This is my biased opinion but there’s a reason why when comparing NYU to Penn, NYU has better placement in “elite” firm. Those who want biglaw are able to place into more elite firms, yet the placement numbers are similar because we have a PI/gov. self-selection.
4. Class size- sure class size is huge (~450) but you know everyone in your section. It’s also great meeting new people. It’s up to you to decide whether you want a large or small class.
5. Career services- okay this is one thing that sets NYU apart. For some reason, every other school’s career service office is inadequate or unhelpful (based on what I heard). Our school has a great one. I came to NYU with the general info that every school’s CS is incompetent. I was pleasantly surprised, and I have not heard anybody say anything largely negative about our school’s CS. They are extremely helpful and I have had pretty good experiences with them.
6. If you’re interest in the business side of things, NYU’s MBA program isn’t top 10 but firms like McKinsey and BCG recruit from our school (they usually only recruit from law schools with top 5 MBA schools). Same with certain Ibanking firms.

Lol always thought you went to cls

Are most entering NYU (or for that matter CLS) 0Ls law school savvy -- in the way one becomes law school savvy after having spent an inordinate amount of time on TLS? Or do most see law school as an extension of undergrad?

Power_of_Facing wrote:Are most entering NYU (or for that matter CLS) 0Ls law school savvy -- in the way one becomes law school savvy after having spent an inordinate amount of time on TLS? Or do most see law school as an extension of undergrad?

I don't think spending a ton of time reading TLS will make you law school savvy unless you use the information in the correct way for you. Lots of the info on here will be detrimental to certain students. There is a ton of info I have read on here that I completely disagree with and personally feel wouldn't be helpful in many top schools, so info on here can also harm students. If you take the info on here as purely ideas on how to approach law achool, it could be very useful. But if you take all of it super seriously, you will likely find yourself overstudying, and a lot of that studying will end up being inefficient.

There will always be students who study 24/7 and end up with average grades and students who study much less who end up with top grades. A lot of that is natural "law school talent," but much more is efficient vs. inefficient studying.

And as to the specific question, I don't think a disordinate amount of people were necessarily law school savvy, but I also don't have any other schools to compare with.

PS - I am the OP; this is my old account (signed on to it on my phone by mistake). Further posts will be from my new account, as was the original post. Sorry for any confusion caused.

Back on my new account! I endorse everything my old account said above.

moshei24 wrote:

Power_of_Facing wrote:Are most entering NYU (or for that matter CLS) 0Ls law school savvy -- in the way one becomes law school savvy after having spent an inordinate amount of time on TLS? Or do most see law school as an extension of undergrad?

I don't think spending a ton of time reading TLS will make you law school savvy unless you use the information in the correct way for you. Lots of the info on here will be detrimental to certain students. There is a ton of info I have read on here that I completely disagree with and personally feel wouldn't be helpful in many top schools, so info on here can also harm students. If you take the info on here as purely ideas on how to approach law achool, it could be very useful. But if you take all of it super seriously, you will likely find yourself overstudying, and a lot of that studying will end up being inefficient.

There will always be students who study 24/7 and end up with average grades and students who study much less who end up with top grades. A lot of that is natural "law school talent," but much more is efficient vs. inefficient studying.

And as to the specific question, I don't think a disordinate amount of people were necessarily law school savvy, but I also don't have any other schools to compare with.

PS - I am the OP; this is my old account (signed on to it on my phone by mistake). Further posts will be from my new account, as was the original post. Sorry for any confusion caused.

Thanks, this is helpful.

To clarify, though: by "law school savvy," I don't exactly mean capable of performing well/getting good grades -- although that is part of my definition.

I'm more interested to know whether the average law student understands law school norms/vocabulary in a way that one probably would begin to after reading TLS for a few months. On day one, e.g., do people know what a "gunner" is; the importance of law review, clerkships, etc.; how/why/when to mass mail firms; that grades really matter and that the curve is real; etc?

Power_of_Facing wrote:

moshei24 wrote:

Power_of_Facing wrote:Are most entering NYU (or for that matter CLS) 0Ls law school savvy -- in the way one becomes law school savvy after having spent an inordinate amount of time on TLS? Or do most see law school as an extension of undergrad?

I don't think spending a ton of time reading TLS will make you law school savvy unless you use the information in the correct way for you. Lots of the info on here will be detrimental to certain students. There is a ton of info I have read on here that I completely disagree with and personally feel wouldn't be helpful in many top schools, so info on here can also harm students. If you take the info on here as purely ideas on how to approach law achool, it could be very useful. But if you take all of it super seriously, you will likely find yourself overstudying, and a lot of that studying will end up being inefficient.

There will always be students who study 24/7 and end up with average grades and students who study much less who end up with top grades. A lot of that is natural "law school talent," but much more is efficient vs. inefficient studying.

And as to the specific question, I don't think a disordinate amount of people were necessarily law school savvy, but I also don't have any other schools to compare with.

PS - I am the OP; this is my old account (signed on to it on my phone by mistake). Further posts will be from my new account, as was the original post. Sorry for any confusion caused.

Thanks, this is helpful.

To clarify, though: by "law school savvy," I don't exactly mean capable of performing well/getting good grades -- although that is part of my definition.

I'm more interested to know whether the average law student understands law school norms/vocabulary in a way that one probably would begin to after reading TLS for a few months. On day one, e.g., do people know what a "gunner" is; the importance of law review, clerkships, etc.; how/why/when to mass mail firms; that grades really matter and that the curve is real; etc?

Well, most people tend to know what a gunner is. In fact, one of the deans made a joke about gunners at orientation. As for law review and clerkships, unless people are set on taking those routes (law review isn't really a route), people don't really care about them early on. And only people with really good grade will likely end up going for those destinations anyway.

Mass mailing firms also isn't really necessary unless you have top grades first semester (i.e. A, A, A- usually), and want to be a 1L summer associate. People do mass mail federal judges for internships around late November, early December time, but I don't think these are things that make you stand out. If you're unsure about how to apply for job, peers or CS will help.

As for grades, everyone everywhere knows they really matter. People who think they don't are the exception to every single rules. However, if you're taking the public interest route, they matter much less, if even at all. And whether people know the curve well is a toss up, because even if they didn't take it seriously, they still might have known about it and were fine aiming for median.

Come on, guys! Don't be shy!

NYULawStudent123 wrote:Come on, guys! Don't be shy!

what's the coolest thing NYU did this year for you guys. Like, the most famous speaker or nicest dinner or something.

toothbrush wrote:

NYULawStudent123 wrote:Come on, guys! Don't be shy!

what's the coolest thing NYU did this year for you guys. Like, the most famous speaker or nicest dinner or something.

I lived off campus, but of school-wide events, I found Spring Fling to be the most fun.

Could you tell us about Spring Fling? lol

TrunksFan1 wrote:Could you tell us about Spring Fling? lol

Basically, one giant NYU Law only spring semester party at a fancy bar/lounge type place. Tons of free drink tickets, good music, etc. Oh, and masks, people wore and gave out masks to wear.

toothbrush wrote:

NYULawStudent123 wrote:Come on, guys! Don't be shy!

what's the coolest thing NYU did this year for you guys. Like, the most famous speaker or nicest dinner or something.

Arthur Miller moderated a panel with the General Counsels from the NBA, MLB and NFL which was awesome (date of NHL trade deadline so all hands on deck there or we would have had that GC too).

Power_of_Facing wrote:

NYULawStudent123 wrote:If anyone has questions that are in any way related to NYU Law, feel free to ask them. Be it how to approach applying here, taking classes, prepping as a 0L, studying as a 1L, approaching the LSAT, or anything your heart desires.

NYU is pretty awesome, so if you're question is whether or not you should come here, the answer is yes.

What's the scoop on student health insurance? Any good? Does it cover dental?

It's fine. No dental in the basic package, but I think you can under the premium one

How cheaply can you possibly live? Like...ramen-every-day, no social life, bare minimum. Do students have multiple roommates or is that not very common? How many people can comfortably live in a Brooklyn apartment using a fake wall here and there? NYC is my dream city, but I'll be damned if my cost of living is 35k+ a year. I have a lot of family in the Bronx and I know they don't go anywhere near that number. I know Manhattan isn't the Bronx, but still. Is it possible to live off $1,500 a month?