Brooklyn over W&L if want to practice in NYC

[Fred Hits]

i think bls will be better overall for nyc but wl may give you a little better quality of the positions that are possible- how much do you HAVE to be in nyc immediately?  is it possible to wait a few years before moving up there? if so WL seems reasonable.  either way def wait to see what bls gives you moneywise

[Donkey]

If you are that committed to NYC (so much that you rule out DC) you should consider BLS. W&L is the better school, but unless you are at the top of your class you will not have an easy time making it up to NYC. And if you can finish at the top of your class at W&L, you should be able to do the same at BLS. It seems like BLS is the less risky proposition for NYC. Just stongly and politely hammer BLS for money and they may cough it up.

Personally, I prefer W&L. Then again, I don't want to go to NYC.

[BoscoBreaux]

so i got a call from brooklyn offering me a place in their part time division for next year (off of their waitlist), and they said i would be able to to transfer into the full time division after the 1st semester...i'm really set on W&L but having the opportunity of attending school in NY where I want to practice after graduation would be great....but there is a 12-13k difference in tution...any comments??

ps. the transfer from day pt to day full time also sounded kind of sketchy, they say the only difference between the two is that pt day takes one less class than full time

I'd go with BLS even without the money. W&L is a fine school, but it isn't like your comparing BLS to UVA. Generally speaking, I'd always go with a good local school (2nd tier) over a "higher ranked" school outside of your practice area, unless you get into a Top 13/14/15 school. Thus, BLS. The money is a bonus!

[needhelp]

I vote for W & L.

so i got a call from brooklyn offering me a place in their part time division for next year (off of their waitlist), and they said i would be able to to transfer into the full time division after the 1st semester...i'm really set on W&L but having the opportunity of attending school in NY where I want to practice after graduation would be great....but there is a 12-13k difference in tution...any comments??

ps. the transfer from day pt to day full time also sounded kind of sketchy, they say the only difference between the two is that pt day takes one less class than full time

I'd go with BLS even without the money. W&L is a fine school, but it isn't like your comparing BLS to UVA. Generally speaking, I'd always go with a good local school (2nd tier) over a "higher ranked" school outside of your practice area, unless you get into a Top 13/14/15 school. Thus, BLS. The money is a bonus!

[nycesq2005]

I am obviously biased because I attended Brooklyn Law but I think BLS is a better choice over W&L. I also had a similar decision (T2 v. non-NY T1) and very happy I chose Brooklyn. For starters:

1. the part time day program really IS ONLY ONE LESS CLASS than regular Full time day. In fact, you can still transfer from PT day to FT day in the middle of September.

2. Brooklyn sends more than the top 15% of the class to big firms. American Lawyer ranked Brooklyn as the 4th best law school in NYC with respect to large law firm placement. Of those students who do not get biglaw offers through BLS OCI, the remainder secure offers via direct resume submission and other career fairs (each fall, the school participates in fairs throughout the Northeast, such as the BLSA Job Fair if you are a minority or the Patent Fair for those interested in Intellectual Property).

3. You can not beat the location. Brooklyn is tight with the local judges and law firms. Each year, several prominent federal judges choose Brooklyn students for part time internships and post-graduate clerkships. As a student, I had 2 offers from mid sized law firms because I was able to work part time during 2L and had a leg up on the competition (out of state law students who could only work during the summer).

4. Paying back loans is a pain. If you get $$ from BLS, its worth it. If you dont transfer from Part time to Full time, you can always take a summer class and catch up. There are so many classes to choose from.

5. Bottom line, NYC is much more exciting than the area surrounding W&L.

So there you have it. I think its a no-brainer.

[lex19]

so many good points....i need to talk with BLS tomorrow and ask about money, i can't even tell my mom b/c she will be soooo excited that i got into a NYC school (closer to home) oh boy thanks everyone!!

[jdw112]

Would taking a summer class in the switch from P/T to F/T impede real summer opportunities, thus hurting career growth?

[lex19]

if i transfered my second semester, i would only have to make up one class and i am sure that they offer night time courses in the summer time, but i'm going to call tomorrow to ask more questions

[nycesq2005]

Re Transferring from PT to FT for career :

There is no stigma attached to being Part time Day or Part time evening. When I was a 2L, I took 2 evening classes because my schedule was a bit crazy (part time job at a small firm required 20/hrs week minimum) and was VERY impressed with the quality of students represented. There are several BLS students that work full time and simply do not have the $$ or time/resources to undertake a full time schedule. Several of these students are now working at large corporate firms and really brought class discussion to a new level.

As to jobs, I took 1 summer class in 1L while working for a federal judge. The summer classes start at 6:30 or 7 pm and are usually once or twice a week. I received an A in that class and the curve was VERY favorable. I think employers were VERY impressed at my ability to juggle an evening class and a full time day job that 1L summer, and also work part time in 2L while being a FT student.

If you are a PT day student, the worst thing that can happen is you would graduate a semester later than everyone else. If you take an average of 1-2 summer classes each year, you can still graduate on time. Moreover, there are several acvities and indepdent study projects that give you credit for minimal effort. For ex, in 3L I carried about 15 credits but I only had 2 classes. One was a 2 cr indepdent study and the other 4 credits was a clinic (which doubled as "work experience" on my resume!).

So you can see, how going to BLS is a bargain. You get a top notch resume by graduation, AND you save money!!!

I dont see how anyone would want to choose another school if NYC is your desired place of employment.

I also dont need to mention that BLS has an excellent bar passage rate, and most 3L's are a head of the game when BAR/BRI starts because NY law is emphasized in some classes.

:-)

[Fred Hits]

answer us this one question and i think you might have your answer-- how set are you on the idea that you must be in nyc immediately following graduation for a private type job?