NYU Biglaw Prospects

[Sebastian11]

First of all, I obviously known that NYU is a great school for going into biglaw. I am looking for an accurate estimate at what percentage of the class would place into biglaw. I've seen conflicting posts here and on TLS - some say that biglaw is virtually guaranteed to NYU grads (with the top 2/3 being able to get "prestigious" biglaw), while I've also seen that only somewhere between 50% and 2/3 can get biglaw.

Which is more accurate? Thanks!

[SavoyTruffleShuffle]

It partially depends on one's preferred defintion of "biglaw," but these oft-linked-to pages show the number of NYU grads getting into the top 250 law firms at 57-58%.

http://pdfserver.amlaw.com/nlj/20080414employment_trends.pdf

http://pdfserver.amlaw.com/nlj/composite.pdf

[SavoyTruffleShuffle]

It shows clerkships around 11-12%, so I guess that brings the figure up to roughly 70% total

[NYC3L]

Virtually guaranteed.

[NYC3L]

Even if you include clerkships, you're still not totally accounting for choice.  Not all of the people in government or public interest go into that because they *couldn't* get biglaw.  Not everyone who is at a law firm that's not highly ranked is there because they couldn't get a Vault-ranked firm.  A lot of people go to smaller boutiques too, or choose to go back to their hometown. Also, it's safe to assume that the people going in to academia can generally get firm jobs. 

I would assume that biglaw (using a broad definition) is available to you at NYU unless you are just crazy awkward, annoying, or have just horrible grades.

Especially true at NYU, where a lot of students typically go straight to public interest and government. Think it was over 12% last year.

[bt]

According to LSAC's latest data 69% of NYU students went to law firms, 13% to public interest, and 12% to clerkships.  I'd argue that given NYU's prestige in the field of public interest, at least half of those going into PI could get biglaw. 

I'd say that if you're just looking for biglaw, it's virtually guaranteed.  Prestigious biglaw is probably top 2/3 or so.  And yeah, I'm the one that argued for the same on TLS.   

[NYC3L]

According to LSAC's latest data 69% of NYU students went to law firms, 13% to public interest, and 12% to clerkships.  I'd argue that given NYU's prestige in the field of public interest, at least half of those going into PI could get biglaw. 

I'd say that if you're just looking for biglaw, it's virtually guaranteed.  Prestigious biglaw is probably top 2/3 or so.  And yeah, I'm the one that argued for the same on TLS.   

I think that half is a pretty conservative figure.  I'd assume that about the same percentage of the public interest people could get firm jobs as the rest of the student body.  It might make sense to just take those numbers out and say that at least 81 (69 law firm + 12 clerkship) out of 87 (100 - 13 public interest) could get firm jobs.

Open to debate is what "prestigious biglaw" actually means.

Yeah, that's ridiculous. Pretty much anyone going into PI could have gotten biglaw. It's not like DOJ, Bronx Defenders or a Skadden fellowship is the default backup when you strike out at OCI. Also the prestigious firm thing is tricky... I know really smart folks who went to non vault firms like patterson belknap for various reasons. I think unless you somehow manage to get a 2.5 or so, you're going to be ok.

[bt]

Well good!  Then it sounds like biglaw is guaranteed as a graduate of NYU Law.   

[NYC3L]

Well good!  Then it sounds like biglaw is guaranteed as a graduate of NYU Law.   

If you want it, it's there.

[SavoyTruffleShuffle]

Unless of course you take the "guaranteed" thing a little too much to heart, slack your ass off for three years, and end up last in your class.