Cardozo Rising 2L Taking Questions Forum

[CardozoStudent]

TLS helped me reach top 10%, Law Review, a prestigious clinic, and much more. Here's to giving back.

[Yanky91]

Did you use the TLS guides to 1l , and did you do 0l prep? Thanks

[CardozoStudent]

Did you use the TLS guides to 1l , and did you do 0l prep? Thanks

I read the top few TLS 1L guides. I boiled down what they all agreed on and used that as a foundation for my own guide. For example, start from day one with technicolor highlighting. Many of my classmates took weeks to get into that habit. Take your class notes in a way that they'll be readily implanted into an outline.

As for 0L prep, I read Getting to Maybe. I'm happy to answer specifics about the book; for now I'll just strongly recommend it. I'm somewhat motivated to write a guide. Perhaps I'll do that.

[Yanky91]

Did you use the TLS guides to 1l , and did you do 0l prep? Thanks

I read the top few TLS 1L guides. I boiled down what they all agreed on and used that as a foundation for my own guide. For example, start from day one with technicolor highlighting. Many of my classmates took weeks to get into that habit. Take your class notes in a way that they'll be readily implanted into an outline.

As for 0L prep, I read Getting to Maybe. I'm happy to answer specifics about the book; for now I'll just strongly recommend it. I'm somewhat motivated to write a guide. Perhaps I'll do that.

How many times did you read GTM? Did you find it useful to read over during the semester? You should write a guide. It would be much appreciated. Did you read Delaney's "how to excel on law exams" and if so, was it useful? Thanks

[CardozoStudent]

Did you use the TLS guides to 1l , and did you do 0l prep? Thanks

I read the top few TLS 1L guides. I boiled down what they all agreed on and used that as a foundation for my own guide. For example, start from day one with technicolor highlighting. Many of my classmates took weeks to get into that habit. Take your class notes in a way that they'll be readily implanted into an outline.

As for 0L prep, I read Getting to Maybe. I'm happy to answer specifics about the book; for now I'll just strongly recommend it. I'm somewhat motivated to write a guide. Perhaps I'll do that.

How many times did you read GTM? Did you find it useful to read over during the semester? You should write a guide. It would be much appreciated. Did you read Delaney's "how to excel on law exams" and if so, was it useful? Thanks

I read closely the entirety of GTM once and revisited particular chapters throughout the first semester. Didn't read Delaney's, so I won't comment on it.

On another note, I discourage substantive 0L prep for a few reasons; perhaps the most simple: you don't know which profs will cover which material. Don't start learning material. Rather, prepare yourself to be a vessel to receive information from profs. Again, do the simple stuff such as organizing your computer folders. For example:

Contracts (folder)

• Notes (document)

• Tests (document) (this isn't for past tests. it's for tests such as the elements of promissory estoppel, contract implied in fact, etc. you'll learn about these things quickly)

• MY Outline (document) (i had an outline document running from day one where i'd immediately add nuggets that profs invariably share and preface with *this will be on the exam*)

• Outlines (Subfolder) (upperclassmens' outlines that'll be circulated)

• Practice Tests (Subfolder) (don't actually take these for a while; but have them all saved from the beginning of the semester so you don't have to think about it when things get stressful)

• Handouts (Subfolder) (includes articles the prof strongly suggests/requires; the syllabus; cases assigned but not included in the casebook)

I started Day 1 of LS with this level of organization for each course. I wasn't learning about contracts, I was preparing myself to learn about contracts. Huge diff. Make folders like the one above for each course. Always tinker and vary the model I just laid out according to your preference.

[Manteca]

As an incoming 1L to Cardozo, I'm curious: how has the job search process gone so far for you?

[CardozoStudent]

As an incoming 1L to Cardozo, I'm curious: how has the job search process gone so far for you?

There are some observations I can share notwithstanding that our OCI is still a few weeks away. First, at Cardozo - like anywhere else - grades are critical. The difference between Cardozo and a T14 is that the T14s will have more to offer students who aren't in the top 10% of their class.

I know plenty of upperclassmen with summer associate positions and jobs at top 25 firms. Again, the caveat with Cardozo is that you must perform well to land a biglaw SA position. Remember that there's a huge world outside of biglaw; plenty of my classmates are spending 1L summer working for judges, US Attorney's offices, DA's offices, pro bono institutions, etc.

LMK if you have a more specific question that I didn't answer.

[Young Marino]

As an incoming 1L to Cardozo, I'm curious: how has the job search process gone so far for you?

There are some observations I can share notwithstanding that our OCI is still a few weeks away. First, at Cardozo - like anywhere else - grades are critical. The difference between Cardozo and a T14 is that the T14s will have more to offer students who aren't in the top 10% of their class.

I know plenty of upperclassmen with summer associate positions and jobs at top 25 firms. Again, the caveat with Cardozo is that you must perform well to land a biglaw SA position. Remember that there's a huge world outside of biglaw; plenty of my classmates are spending 1L summer working for judges, US Attorney's offices, DA's offices, pro bono institutions, etc.

LMK if you have a more specific question that I didn't answer.

How tough is the admissions process at Cordozo? I'm set to start at a local school here in FL in about a month but I'm starting to get cold feet and debating if I should sit out another cycle to raise my lsat score. I have ties to NY and have looked at Cardozo, BLS and NYLS among others as a potential landing spot. Is it competitive to get a scholarship and what kind of stips attatched if so?

[CardozoStudent]

Your question is extremely personal and I can't answer it for you.

As for general info: Admission stats are readily available and they are of significant predictive value. However, Cardozo definitely admits students with softs that include diverse backgrounds/interests. My sense is that scholarships are based heavily on GPA/stats. Everyone here seems to be receiving generous amounts of money.

I think going to a TTTT (I know you didn't say where you're going, so I'm just spitballing on the limited info given) is a waste of time unless you just want a degree. If you excel where you're at (St. Thomas?), you've got a shot at U Miami.

[Young Marino]

Your question is extremely personal and I can't answer it for you.

As for general info: Admission stats are readily available and they are of significant predictive value. However, Cardozo definitely admits students with softs that include diverse backgrounds/interests. My sense is that scholarships are based heavily on GPA/stats. Everyone here seems to be receiving generous amounts of money.

I think going to a TTTT (I know you didn't say where you're going, so I'm just spitballing on the limited info given) is a waste of time unless you just want a degree. If you excel where you're at (St. Thomas?), you've got a shot at U Miami.

What kind of jobs do you see Cardozo students getting offered? Is more midlaw than biglaw? Also, how is living in NYC like for a law student? Do you ever get distracted by the big city sounds when studying?

[linkx13]

.

[fratstar1]

Thoughts on transferring, or are you feeling good about what you want to get?

[CardozoStudent]

Your question is extremely personal and I can't answer it for you.

As for general info: Admission stats are readily available and they are of significant predictive value. However, Cardozo definitely admits students with softs that include diverse backgrounds/interests. My sense is that scholarships are based heavily on GPA/stats. Everyone here seems to be receiving generous amounts of money.

I think going to a TTTT (I know you didn't say where you're going, so I'm just spitballing on the limited info given) is a waste of time unless you just want a degree. If you excel where you're at (St. Thomas?), you've got a shot at U Miami.

What kind of jobs do you see Cardozo students getting offered? Is more midlaw than biglaw? Also, how is living in NYC like for a law student? Do you ever get distracted by the big city sounds when studying?

look up the employment statistics for this sort of quantifiable info. just google "cardozo law employment statistics". I know classmates getting all the jobs that T14ers are getting. The only difference is that not as many of us get those jobs. As far as distractions go, that's really a matter of discipline. You'll find distractions anywhere. It took me some time to get used to. Buy earplugs.

[CardozoStudent]

Thoughts on transferring, or are you feeling good about what you want to get?

They're not mutually exclusive. For now, I'll share that I'm feeling perfectly fine about what I'll get.

[OneDayAtATime]

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[CardozoStudent]

I can't offer you personal financial advice, which should be an important consideration even if not a dispositive one. I would choose Cardozo without a doubt. I don't know that I'd even go to law school if I were to graduate from a TTTT. But, then again, we may have completely different aspirations. Although it may not have the brand recognition that T30s almost always have throughout the country, Cardozo is exceedingly well received throughout New York. Don't count on it, but if you do well during your second year there's a chance that you can get money for 3L year.

Did you get a full ride your first year? If so, consider that you'd only have to pay for two years of law school.

[OneDayAtATime]

.

[CardozoStudent]

Best of luck!

[linkx13]

What is your opinion on briefing? It sounds like you may book brief

[CardozoStudent]

I'd say I'm about dat book brief lyf.

[Young Marino]

Did you ever use the case summary book keyed to your text book? If so, how helpful?

[CardozoStudent]

Did you ever use the case summary book keyed to your text book? If so, how helpful?

Which book in particular are you referring to?

I used commercial summaries keyed to textbooks in the beginning, but quickly abandoned that method. I used good outlines written by my professors' former students as my "case summary" resource. Using student-made material was usually more concise and tailored to points emphasized by the prof. Absent such outlines, I would've stuck with commercial summaries, which are definitely of some use.

I may have shared this earlier: read the summaries/outlines before reading the case. It'll help you zero-in on the challenging/relevant issues. Some say this method eliminates the challenge that is fundamental to the case method of teaching. I disagree. You'll still have plenty to overcome even though you read outlines before jumping into the case.

[Young Marino]

Did you ever use the case summary book keyed to your text book? If so, how helpful?

Which book in particular are you referring to?

I used commercial summaries keyed to textbooks in the beginning, but quickly abandoned that method. I used good outlines written by my professors' former students as my "case summary" resource. Using student-made material was usually more concise and tailored to points emphasized by the prof. Absent such outlines, I would've stuck with commercial summaries, which are definitely of some use.

I may have shared this earlier: read the summaries/outlines before reading the case. It'll help you zero-in on the challenging/relevant issues. Some say this method eliminates the challenge that is fundamental to the case method of teaching. I disagree. You'll still have plenty to overcome even though you read outlines before jumping into the case.

I can't remember the name of the authors right now but I got the case summary books keyed to each one of my casebooks. Also picked up a few E&Es. I plan to read those prior to reading a case in the case book. Then Book brief, plug relevant information (one or two sentences for facts, holding, reasoning and three or four for the rule) into my outline before taking notes in class on those cases and visiting my professors during office hours to clear anything up. More than anything though, I want to practice using rule on hypotheticals. I saw somwhere here that someone used practice midterms from other schools to do this about a month into the semester.

[CardozoStudent]

If you're going to take practice exams, take some from your prof. Taking a different professor's exam from a different school is strongly inadvisable.

[soamazin55]

Any tips on writing onto Cardozo's Law Review?