CUNY Law C/O 2015 Applicants Forum

[overunderachiever]

Probably Cardozo... As tempting as CUNY's tuition is, I feel that Cardozo would be a better choice for me. Plus the law firm I work for now is really encouraging Cardozo and I think I would be breaking valuable ties by going into CUNY... especially since I am not 100% sure that PI is for me.

Congrats on Dozo!

[overunderachiever]

Someone like publicinterested seems to be highly qualified, yet PI oriented. It would behoove CUNY to retain this person to at least hopefully help with the BAR passage rate since they could lose their accreditation if the problem persists. And shouldn't qualifications matter? There are many people who want to save the world who can't even help themselves. We need qualified people.

I still love CUNY and I apologize for venting my frustrations.

LSAT and GPA aren't good predictors of law school performance, let alone bar exam performance. I feel your pain though...I applied in early Jan. last year, got my decision in late Feb. (which is considered fairly early for CUNY) and scholly information in March. Hope that helps!

[kmokeefe]

Someone like publicinterested seems to be highly qualified, yet PI oriented. It would behoove CUNY to retain this person to at least hopefully help with the BAR passage rate since they could lose their accreditation if the problem persists. And shouldn't qualifications matter? There are many people who want to save the world who can't even help themselves. We need qualified people.

I still love CUNY and I apologize for venting my frustrations.

LSAT and GPA aren't good predictors of law school performance, let alone bar exam performance. I feel your pain though...I applied in early Jan. last year, got my decision in late Feb. (which is considered fairly early for CUNY) and scholly information in March. Hope that helps!

I think what suits might be referencing is the fact that the LSAT is supposed to be an indicator of one's ability to pass the bar, which is what CUNY is struggling with right now.

[suits00]

Someone like publicinterested seems to be highly qualified, yet PI oriented. It would behoove CUNY to retain this person to at least hopefully help with the BAR passage rate since they could lose their accreditation if the problem persists. And shouldn't qualifications matter? There are many people who want to save the world who can't even help themselves. We need qualified people.

I still love CUNY and I apologize for venting my frustrations.

LSAT and GPA aren't good predictors of law school performance, let alone bar exam performance. I feel your pain though...I applied in early Jan. last year, got my decision in late Feb. (which is considered fairly early for CUNY) and scholly information in March. Hope that helps!

Thanks for the info.
I've heard this before. Why do they put so much emphasis on these two factors during the admissions process then??

[scrowell]

To those with scholarships to other higher ranked schools (ex. Brooklyn, Cardozo, etc.):

At the end of the day, the main thing that CUNY offers is low debt. This is what allows students to pursue public interest careers. If you would have less debt attending other schools (especially schools that offer the same, if not more, opportunities. AKA higher ranked schools), why would you attend CUNY? I'm not trying to be flip. I honestly want to know why one might think it's a better choice than a higher ranked school (other than the obvious debt issue).

They're all ABA schools; you're going to learn the exact same thing at any school. In fact, CUNY forces you to "extern" at their own clinics, meaning there really isn't room to get externship credit at a position of your choosing outside the school. I did a little research on a few other school's externship policies, and they allow students to earn 6-10 credits for externships of their choosing. Just something to consider.

[NYCLSATTutor]

Someone like publicinterested seems to be highly qualified, yet PI oriented. It would behoove CUNY to retain this person to at least hopefully help with the BAR passage rate since they could lose their accreditation if the problem persists. And shouldn't qualifications matter? There are many people who want to save the world who can't even help themselves. We need qualified people.

I still love CUNY and I apologize for venting my frustrations.

LSAT and GPA aren't good predictors of law school performance, let alone bar exam performance. I feel your pain though...I applied in early Jan. last year, got my decision in late Feb. (which is considered fairly early for CUNY) and scholly information in March. Hope that helps!

Thanks for the info.
I've heard this before. Why do they put so much emphasis on these two factors during the admissions process then??

Because although the LSAT and GPA are not very good predictors of bar passage rate, they are the best indicators that currently exist.

[NYCLSATTutor]

To those with scholarships to other higher ranked schools (ex. Brooklyn, Cardozo, etc.):

At the end of the day, the main thing that CUNY offers is low debt. This is what allows students to pursue public interest careers. If you would have less debt attending other schools (especially schools that offer the same, if not more, opportunities. AKA higher ranked schools), why would you attend CUNY? I'm not trying to be flip. I honestly want to know why one might think it's a better choice than a higher ranked school (other than the obvious debt issue).

They're all ABA schools; you're going to learn the exact same thing at any school. In fact, CUNY forces you to "extern" at their own clinics, meaning there really isn't room to get externship credit at a position of your choosing outside the school. I did a little research on a few other school's externship policies, and they allow students to earn 6-10 credits for externships of their choosing. Just something to consider.

CUNY also has a lot more connections and influence in the public interest community than most other schools in NY. When getting a job after law school two major factors are the schools alumni network and the schools reputation. What people don't seem to understand is that although CUNY doesn't have a great reputation on ATL or NYPost, in the public interest community, CUNY has a great reputation. If you want to do public interest work, I would say CUNY over Cardozo in a heartbeat. If you aren't sure what you want to do, or want to keep your options over, I would say Cardozo over CUNY.

[fatpeopleavenger]

To those with scholarships to other higher ranked schools (ex. Brooklyn, Cardozo, etc.):

At the end of the day, the main thing that CUNY offers is low debt. This is what allows students to pursue public interest careers. If you would have less debt attending other schools (especially schools that offer the same, if not more, opportunities. AKA higher ranked schools), why would you attend CUNY? I'm not trying to be flip. I honestly want to know why one might think it's a better choice than a higher ranked school (other than the obvious debt issue).

They're all ABA schools; you're going to learn the exact same thing at any school. In fact, CUNY forces you to "extern" at their own clinics, meaning there really isn't room to get externship credit at a position of your choosing outside the school. I did a little research on a few other school's externship policies, and they allow students to earn 6-10 credits for externships of their choosing. Just something to consider.

CUNY also has a lot more connections and influence in the public interest community than most other schools in NY. When getting a job after law school two major factors are the schools alumni network and the schools reputation. What people don't seem to understand is that although CUNY doesn't have a great reputation on ATL or NYPost, in the public interest community, CUNY has a great reputation. If you want to do public interest work, I would say CUNY over Cardozo in a heartbeat. If you aren't sure what you want to do, or want to keep your options over, I would say Cardozo over CUNY.

Hopefully this is true.

[publicinterested]

I'm wondering if any admitted students (other than cjb0502) have heard back from CUNY regarding fellowships or scholarships.

I honestly thought I would be considered for the fellowship because I'm at almost 75%tile for LSAT and over 75%tile for GPA, and accepted on the first day that they sent out decisions. But I haven't gotten anything yet except a letter on how to finance my education. I'm a little disappointed, I didn't expect anything but I thought maybe I'd have a small chance.

I haven't heard anyone else say that they got invited to interview for the fellowship aside from that one person, so I'd be interested in knowing if they're through deciding for that or not.

I definitely would have expected that you'd be asked to interview based on your LSAT and GPA. I guess there's still the possibility that they're just taking their time...when I called earlier this week they said they hadn't selected all the candidates for fellowships/scholarships. *fingers crossed*

[kmokeefe]

I'm wondering if any admitted students (other than cjb0502) have heard back from CUNY regarding fellowships or scholarships.

I honestly thought I would be considered for the fellowship because I'm at almost 75%tile for LSAT and over 75%tile for GPA, and accepted on the first day that they sent out decisions. But I haven't gotten anything yet except a letter on how to finance my education. I'm a little disappointed, I didn't expect anything but I thought maybe I'd have a small chance.

I haven't heard anyone else say that they got invited to interview for the fellowship aside from that one person, so I'd be interested in knowing if they're through deciding for that or not.

I definitely would have expected that you'd be asked to interview based on your LSAT and GPA. I guess there's still the possibility that they're just taking their time...when I called earlier this week they said they hadn't selected all the candidates for fellowships/scholarships. *fingers crossed*

Ahhh excellent to know! I'll keep my fingers crossed for the both of us!

And thanks for calling, I always want to call and ask different schools questions but I don't want to annoy them since I know they're busy this time of year.

[publicinterested]

LSAT and GPA aren't good predictors of law school performance, let alone bar exam performance. I feel your pain though...I applied in early Jan. last year, got my decision in late Feb. (which is considered fairly early for CUNY) and scholly information in March. Hope that helps!

That's definitely good to know!

[publicinterested]

To those with scholarships to other higher ranked schools (ex. Brooklyn, Cardozo, etc.):

At the end of the day, the main thing that CUNY offers is low debt. This is what allows students to pursue public interest careers. If you would have less debt attending other schools (especially schools that offer the same, if not more, opportunities. AKA higher ranked schools), why would you attend CUNY? I'm not trying to be flip. I honestly want to know why one might think it's a better choice than a higher ranked school (other than the obvious debt issue).

They're all ABA schools; you're going to learn the exact same thing at any school. In fact, CUNY forces you to "extern" at their own clinics, meaning there really isn't room to get externship credit at a position of your choosing outside the school. I did a little research on a few other school's externship policies, and they allow students to earn 6-10 credits for externships of their choosing. Just something to consider.

CUNY also has a lot more connections and influence in the public interest community than most other schools in NY. When getting a job after law school two major factors are the schools alumni network and the schools reputation. What people don't seem to understand is that although CUNY doesn't have a great reputation on ATL or NYPost, in the public interest community, CUNY has a great reputation. If you want to do public interest work, I would say CUNY over Cardozo in a heartbeat. If you aren't sure what you want to do, or want to keep your options over, I would say Cardozo over CUNY.

Exactly. I'm not concerned with which school has the best overall ranking; I want the school with the best public interest opportunities and best ranking public interest program, and I think that it's CUNY. Also, I'd like to be around other students who want to do similar for-the-good-of-the-people work as opposed to students who want to go into corporate law or tax law or something.

[fatpeopleavenger]

People wanting to do corporate law seriously disgust me.

[suits00]

People wanting to do corporate law seriously disgust me.

It's all about the $$$$$$

[Kess]

People wanting to do corporate law seriously disgust me.

It's all about the $$$$$$

LOL that's a little harsh... I would love to do pro bono work on the side one day. I enjoy helping people and I volunteer quite a bit now. However, I visited both Cardozo and CUNY, and Cardozo just always seemed like a better fit.

Plus, as a person whose done and enjoyed doing work with copyrights and media, I would always kick myself a little by not giving Cardozo a chance.

I would have picked CUNY over NYLS and Hofstra though.

[NYC KID]

In! And also in at Cardozo today. Cycle over. lol

Congrats Kess!

[scrowell]

People wanting to do corporate law seriously disgust me.

LOL, you'll fit in perfectly. CUNY is a place that breeds a hate and a cult-like disdain for anyone who isn't on the extreme left.

[fatpeopleavenger]

People wanting to do corporate law seriously disgust me.

LOL, you'll fit in perfectly. CUNY is a place that breeds a hate and a cult-like disdain for anyone who isn't on the extreme left.

While I may be a progressive, there are plenty of smart conservatives/moderates. No need to dislike anyone of different political ideology. So I'm hoping this isn't too true. Because if it is, I guess I would be hated on for being anti-Che Guevara.

That being said, I still hate corporate lawyers or anyone trying to be one.

[kmokeefe]

People wanting to do corporate law seriously disgust me.

LOL, you'll fit in perfectly. CUNY is a place that breeds a hate and a cult-like disdain for anyone who isn't on the extreme left.

While I may be a progressive, there are plenty of smart conservatives/moderates. No need to dislike anyone of different political ideology. So I'm hoping this isn't too true. Because if it is, I guess I would be hated on for being anti-Che Guevara.

That being said, I still hate corporate lawyers or anyone trying to be one.

That's a pretty judgmental statement to make without even knowing a person or their story. To each their own, why can't they do what they want, or what makes them happy, or what will pay off their student loan debt (if they have some) most efficiently? Not everyone has to want to save the world. Imagine if all those lawyers had decided to do PI instead, that would make your life a whole lot harder and would make the PI market even more competitive.

[scrowell]

People wanting to do corporate law seriously disgust me.

LOL, you'll fit in perfectly. CUNY is a place that breeds a hate and a cult-like disdain for anyone who isn't on the extreme left.

While I may be a progressive, there are plenty of smart conservatives/moderates. No need to dislike anyone of different political ideology. So I'm hoping this isn't too true. Because if it is, I guess I would be hated on for being anti-Che Guevara.

That being said, I still hate corporate lawyers or anyone trying to be one.

That's a pretty judgmental statement to make without even knowing a person or their story. To each their own, why can't they do what they want, or what makes them happy, or what will pay off their student loan debt (if they have some) most efficiently? Not everyone has to want to save the world. Imagine if all those lawyers had decided to do PI instead, that would make your life a whole lot harder and would make the PI market even more competitive.

THIS!!!! But hey, everyone at CUNY will judge you for that. Get used to it or go somewhere else. I'm still deciding which is the right choice for me...If I don't keep the fact that I have an internship in a DA's office on the DL, I'll be shunned. Literally the least diverse school I've ever attended.

[NYC KID]

Isn't working in a DA's office servicing the community?

[scrowell]

Isn't working in a DA's office servicing the community?

I think so, CUNY students don't though. A lot of people here are anti-police/punishment in general. There's a definite stigma against prosecutors because they fight for "the man". In a CUNY student's eyes, everyone who has done everything wrong (except for maybe rapists) shouldn't be punished because society is broken, and that has driven them to break the law. Easy to say until a you/a loved one has been a victim.

It's still society's fault that people rape too-a lot of students think that society has given males a pass to rape females. If you ask me, the only person that would even consider raping someone is so deranged that they are beyond the influence of society. Maybe these students are actually rapists at heart, and they're using society as an excuse for why they have such messed up thoughts.

Bottom line, the attitudes and beliefs of a lot of people there don't make any sense.

[kmokeefe]

Isn't working in a DA's office servicing the community?

I think so, CUNY students don't though. A lot of people here are anti-police/punishment in general. There's a definite stigma against prosecutors because they fight for "the man". In a CUNY student's eyes, everyone who has done everything wrong (except for maybe rapists) shouldn't be punished because society is broken, and that has driven them to break the law. Easy to say until a you/a loved one has been a victim.

It's still society's fault that people rape too-a lot of students think that society has given males a pass to rape females. If you ask me, the only person that would even consider raping someone is so deranged that they are beyond the influence of society. Maybe these students are actually rapists at heart, and they're using society as an excuse for why they have such messed up thoughts.

Bottom line, the attitudes and beliefs of a lot of people there don't make any sense.

Thanks for this post. I know one person's word doesn't mean everything, but if CUNY becomes a strong contender for me financially, I'm going to want to visit and get a good feel of the student body for myself. Because really, the number one reason I wanted to become a lawyer was to fight for those who have been hurt by others. I have a feeling my views on justice/punishment might be too conservative (or whatever you want to call it) for this school haha.

[NYC KID]

Isn't working in a DA's office servicing the community?

I think so, CUNY students don't though. A lot of people here are anti-police/punishment in general. There's a definite stigma against prosecutors because they fight for "the man". In a CUNY student's eyes, everyone who has done everything wrong (except for maybe rapists) shouldn't be punished because society is broken, and that has driven them to break the law. Easy to say until a you/a loved one has been a victim.

It's still society's fault that people rape too-a lot of students think that society has given males a pass to rape females. If you ask me, the only person that would even consider raping someone is so deranged that they are beyond the influence of society. Maybe these students are actually rapists at heart, and they're using society as an excuse for why they have such messed up thoughts.

Bottom line, the attitudes and beliefs of a lot of people there don't make any sense.

Wow. If this is the case I feel sorry for you man. I mean I'm on the moderate/liberal borderline, but this sounds just downright extremist.

[2LT_CPG]

Isn't working in a DA's office servicing the community?

I think so, CUNY students don't though. A lot of people here are anti-police/punishment in general. There's a definite stigma against prosecutors because they fight for "the man". In a CUNY student's eyes, everyone who has done everything wrong (except for maybe rapists) shouldn't be punished because society is broken, and that has driven them to break the law. Easy to say until a you/a loved one has been a victim.

It's still society's fault that people rape too-a lot of students think that society has given males a pass to rape females. If you ask me, the only person that would even consider raping someone is so deranged that they are beyond the influence of society. Maybe these students are actually rapists at heart, and they're using society as an excuse for why they have such messed up thoughts.

Bottom line, the attitudes and beliefs of a lot of people there don't make any sense.

Wow. If this is the case I feel sorry for you man. I mean I'm on the moderate/liberal borderline, but this sounds just downright extremist.

Likewise, what's the average student's view on soldiers? I'm a National Guard officer.