Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Lawyers
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Albany Law, Touro College, St. John's University-New York, and NYU.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Part-Time: For schools emphasizing part-time studies, consider Touro College, Columbia, Pace University-New York, and Fordham.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Long Island University Post, Columbia, Pace University-New York, and NYU.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Long Island University Post.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Columbia, NYU, Cornell, and Yeshiva University.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of New York Law School, Yeshiva University, Syracuse University, and Cornell.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Columbia, Cornell, NYU, and Fordham.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Columbia, Cornell, NYU, and St. John's University-New York.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at New York Law School, Yeshiva University, Cornell, and Columbia.
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Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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NYU School Of Law • New York, NY
Studying Law (completion in 2011)
• 9/16/2011
"NYU was an absolute blast. They were very helpful in getting me my job, they provided me with a lot of new friends, and are located in the heart of NYC."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | While all law schools have been having trouble with recent graduates finding jobs, most students in my class at NYU have been able to find something. You receive a superior academic experience, and it has a sterling reputation in the legal community. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | NYU is considered one of the best law schools in the country. In the area I'm interested in, public international law, many people believe that it is the best. |
| Program Quality | 9 | The law school was instrumental in helping me to get my job. Employers from around the country come to our on campus interview fair every year to hire 2nd year law students, and that's where I got my job. |
| Instruction | 8 | Every professor at NYU is a leader in their field. However, some of them are not necessarily the best instructors, though they are serious academics. |
| How Difficult | 8 | The workload was quite difficult, especially in the first semester. Typically the first semester is the most difficult because that's when you learn how to "think like a lawyer." After that it remained difficult, but you got the hang of things much more easily. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Almost by definition the law is book learning. There are some opportunities to get practical learning through clinics or other student groups, but in class, you're virtually always learning through the analysis of case law. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | NYU is only a full-time school. There are no real part time, or online classes. You might take a class or two in the evening, because the adjunct teacher works during the day, but that's about it. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Most professors clearly state when they are available and stick to it. Our library was a place I spent a lot of time, and most of the time it was a fine place to work on an outline for 10 hours at a time. Most of the classrooms in the newer building are great, while most of the classrooms in the older one could use a little renovation. |
| Social Life | 7 | NYU in general is not much of an athletic school. We organize a trip to the major law school softball tournament in Virginia each year, but we don't train or do well. The school spirit mostly comes in the form of making lots of close friends among your classmates with whom you spend most of our time. |
| Placement Services | 10 | NYU was great in arranging the on-campus interviews, and provided useful advice in who to target in line with your grades and good interview tips. However, for people who are more public interest-oriented, there was a massive public interest career fair that was even better. No other school I know of has a public interest career fair as big as ours. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | I can't really give a good answer to this question, because I'm only recently out of school. I don't yet have enough experience with the alumni network to give a full answer. |
Hofstra University School Of Law • Hempstead, NY
Studying J.D. (completion in 2008)
• 10/13/2011
"Having gone to a New York law school makes me better in business. This school made me more competitive."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It is a great school in a great location. The coursework and students are both challenging and competitive |
| Program Reputation | 5 | It is ranked at the bottom of the second tier. This is mostly due to the short history of the law school, 40 years. |
| Program Quality | 9 | The professors were at the top of their fields. The school offered a wide array of practical courses and clinical work. |
| Instruction | 5 | The program was rigorous and good for creating discipline. It was poor in preparing students for the bar exam. |
| How Difficult | 9 | The coursework consisted of a tremendous amount of reading. Being able to analyze a mountain of case law and find the nugget of information that you needed was very challenging. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most of the law school coursework was book-oriented, insofar as the curriculum was meant to train the brain. However, there was always the opportunity for hands-on work via the law school's clinical programs. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | At the time I was enrolled, the school offered an evening program. This allowed for the addition of courses taught by practicing attorneys after their workdays had ended. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The accessibility of professors was mixed. The library and classroom space were more than ample. |
| Social Life | 2 | The school environment was one of competition, not cooperation. I also commuted to Manhattan, which limited my time for socializing with classmates. |
| Placement Services | 1 | I was looking for jobs outside of the New York Metropolitan area. The career office was unable to connect me with alumni or employers offering jobs in California. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | They really try to reach out to alumni in large cities with law school mixers. The law school is primarily know, however, in the New York Metropolitan area. |
New York University • New York City, NY
Studying Law (completion in 2010)
• 10/26/2011
"NYU Law is an amazing school. It has great teachers, brilliant students, and a great reputation."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It is in the top 5 law schools. It is a great law school. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | NYU is ranked in the top 5 law schools in US News and World Report. It is one of the most prestigious as well. |
| Program Quality | 10 | NYU is one of the best law schools in the country. The teachers were excellent. |
| Instruction | 10 | The substantive courses were comprehensive and thought provoking. The clinical program I took provided me with detailed real-world experience in litigating. |
| How Difficult | 9 | NYU is a highly competitive program with students who have exceptional undergraduate grades and test scores. Professors also expected a high level of competence from these students. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | NYU has great academic courses. It also has a world-class clinical program. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | The schedule is fairly flexible. I was generally able to take the classes I wanted. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The library and resources are great. Everything is nice. |
| Social Life | 6 | As a transfer student, I did not take part in many of the organized social activities at the school. However, everyone seemed to be having a good time (for a law school). |
| Placement Services | 8 | It has a very good career services department. However, 2010 was a difficult year for all law students, and I personally did not utilize the career services department as much as I should have. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | I have not used the school's alumni network. I therefore cannot assess it. It has a good reputation, however. |
NYU School Of Law • New York City, NY
Studying JD (completion in 1998)
• 12/2/2011
"Met a broad range of people from around the world at NYU. Learned a lot about the law. Don't have any complaints about the program."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It's a top-5-rated law school, so it has a great reputation. Also, you can't beat the location in NYC in terms of access to job markets, the world of finance and international business. It's not a cutthroat environment, so it will make law school a great experience. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | I studied commercial law, and being in NYC provides great access to both the UN and Wall Street. They have a highly rated faculty, which helps its reputation. |
| Program Quality | 7 | Provided great commercial law training. Faculty was excellent in providing real-world examples. |
| Instruction | 9 | Faculty was topnotch. Studying for a law degree is always theoretical at some level, but most faculty had real-world experience. |
| How Difficult | 7 | The workload was challenging during the first year, but it got more manageable during the last two years. The atmosphere was not cutthroat; it was pretty collaborative, which made the experience possible to endure. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Best of both worlds. Had a topnotch faculty, but also great off-campus resources for clinics. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | This was a full-time JD program, so class schedules are not geared towards part-time JD students. As such, there is not a whole lot of flexibility in scheduling. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Professors were always accessible, and there were plenty of media resources at hand. Also, study groups were highly encouraged. Given the school's location in NYC, there was a surprising amount of classroom space. |
| Social Life | 5 | It was a law school, so it was not really geared towards socializing. However, they did have some good charitable events, as well as various law societies allowing you to meet law students from other sections. |
| Placement Services | 10 | Very supportive, and they want to make sure 100% of graduates have jobs upon graduation. Very active at making sure law firms get on campus to recruit. |
| Alumni Network | 6 | I am currently in California, where there are not a lot of NYU alumni. However, the alumni office does try to keep us apprised of what is happening at the school level. |
Syracuse University College Of Law • Syracuse, NY
Studying Juris Doctorate (completion in 2010)
• 12/14/2011
"Good school. Good program. I learned a lot."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | A little isolated but it helps to have no distractions while going through law school. Big time commitment. Program faculty were great. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | Great program. Great reputation within the university. |
| Program Quality | 8 | Not great job prospects upon graduation, but provided a good education and faculty. |
| Instruction | 9 | I learned a lot; great faculty. Great curriculum. |
| How Difficult | 8 | Very challenging. Large work loads. Large time commitment. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There are not many hands-on opportunities for folks without a law degree, but they did what they could to provide them. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 3 | Classes were scheduled during the day and during evenings - not much flexibility. Some summer classes were offered, but no online courses. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Great facilities and resources. Best on campus out of all other programs. Great library and classroom space, etc. |
| Social Life | 3 | Some social events were available, but I did not have enough time to enjoy them due to the time commitment of the program. Most athletic events and parties were geared towards underclassmen. |
| Placement Services | 6 | Some good networking opportunities, but not enough. Overall, no great job placement program. |
| Alumni Network | 6 | Not much outreach or support. Not very involved. |
New York University • New York, NY
Studying International Legal Studies LLM (completion in 2010)
• 12/30/2011
"I am extremely satisfied with my experience at NYU. I think the opportunity to gain exposure to so many world-renowned scholars alone was worth the experience."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | NYU's LLM program is exceptional. The school's reputation and the quality of the professors justify the recommendation. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | NYU and Columbia usually fight for the top spot in the rankings of LLMs in international law/legal studies. The reputation is impeccable. |
| Program Quality | 10 | NYU's program in International Legal Studies is exceptional. The variety of coursework and the quality of the professors made it well worth the investment. |
| Instruction | 10 | Several of the professors had actually written the texts for the courses, allowing them to create a truly integrated approach. Also, the professors had a breadth of their own scholarship they could bring to bear for purposes of instruction. |
| How Difficult | 9 | Like any law school coursework, there was a great deal of material to dissect in a relatively short amount of time. The work was certainly manageable, but it was not easy. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There are certainly clinics and other hands-on learning opportunities available. However, at the end of the day, book learning is an integral part of the program. Traditional coursework demands a great deal of bookwork. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | I pursued the full-time program, so I can't speak to the flexibility offered by the part-time program. I know there was a part-time program available, but I don't know about the course offerings. I took a couple of evening classes I was pleased with. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The facilities available are lovely. The law library is wonderful, and Bobst Library is expansive (although it has a history of suicides). The resources available were extensive. |
| Social Life | 5 | NYU is in New York City. I know there were planned events, and I certainly participated in a few. Still, in the city, there is so much to do that it is difficult to compete in the social arena. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I was expecting more in terms of career services. There was no resume book for my particular major, and I found that disappointing. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | I have not had much occasion to call upon the alumni network yet. I do appreciate the continued support of career services. |
Benjamin N. Cardozo School Of Law • New York, NY
Studying Law (completion in 2011)
• 12/27/2011
"Cardozo quickly felt like home. I received a first-rate education from legal experts of the highest caliber in a warm and inviting environment. I have no regrets and I am proud to be an alumnus of Cardozo School of Law."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Yes, but with reservations. I would highly recommend Cardozo School of Law to anyone seeking a law degree, but I would emphasize that law school is not for the faint of heart. It is incredibly challenging, very expensive, and the rewards will take decades to fully realize. One should not jump into law school lightly, but once the decision to go has been made, Cardozo is an ideal place to begin that journey. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | For the first time in Cardozo School of Law's history, US News & World Report ranked the school as within the top 50, the first tier of law schools nationally. The school's rank and reputation have continued to steadily climb over the last few years and are expected to continue. However, as the school has only been in existence for about 30 years, the reputation will require many more years to build beyond the NY-DC corridor. |
| Program Quality | 10 | Cardozo School of Law has an excellent program and provided a first-rate education. I was not familiar with the law school prior to preparing to attend law school, but it has vastly exceeded my expectations. The opportunities for learning, the quality and accessibility of professors, and the caliber of students left almost nothing to be desired. I definitely made the right choice in attending Cardozo School of Law. |
| Instruction | 9 | Almost all law schools in the top tier draw their faculty from a small number of the very best law schools. Cardozo was no exception. The faculty was well authored, with Supreme Court clerkships aplenty and no lack of teaching capacity. I learned far more than many peers at similarly ranked law schools and had a wide variety of paths in which to pursue my study of the law. |
| How Difficult | 9 | The workload was, at times, crippling. Law school is an incredibly challenging and painful process, and the best schools demand the highest performance. I have never worked so hard, nor learned so much so quickly, in my life. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most law schools emphasize book learning to the exclusion of all else. Contrarily, Cardozo had an extensive clinical program to provide real-world legal experience to students. I took advantage of the opportunity and found it to be invaluable. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | While classes are not offered as a part-time or night program, Cardozo does offer a May and January starting session, which provides significantly more flexibility than most other law schools. These programs permit students to begin the study of law at more convenient points in the year, as well as stretching out the rigorous first year of law school into three semesters if desired. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | Accessibility of professors was excellent. Tutoring was limited. The library was first rate. Computer facilities were adequate, but increasingly unimportant, as each student owned a laptop. There were sufficient spaces and hours for private and group study. Overall, above average. |
| Social Life | 5 | Law school is an inherently solitary experience, and Cardozo School of Law was no exception. There were some social events and numerous legal and pro bono clubs, but almost no parties, and no athletics. This matched well with the goals and desires of the student body. |
| Placement Services | 5 | It is difficult to rate the career services department in a time of such economic uncertainty and upheaval in the legal markets. While the school clearly bends over backwards to find jobs and assist with the job search, the overall economy makes that task challenging. It is difficult to separate the quality of career services from external factors. An 'A' for effort, a 'C' for success. |
| Alumni Network | 6 | Cardozo School of Law is only about 30 years old. As such, it has a small, but dedicated alumni network. The alumni are always eager to help extend the Cardozo brand, but the short history of the institution can hamper the reach and benefit of the alumni network. The school has made a significant effort to extend and improve in this arena, but only time can remedy this problem. |
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