First Term at Cooley

[Bill Amadeo]

Good morning guys, how is everyone this weekend?

My name is Bill Amadeo and I am a Cooley Grad, a licensed attorney and a tutor for Cooley students and the Bar Exam.
One of my students asked me to join this forum and I've been surfing around and there is certainly a lot of Cooley bashing going on.

Let me just say that people are scared of what they don't know and as someone who has seen and experienced every facet of what Cooley has to offer, I can tell you there is a whole lot more than meets the eye.

Don't believe that people who go to Cooley are not getting jobs because honestly, nobody is getting jobs right now but that will change in time.

If anybody has any questions about our school whehter you are an incoming 1L or a student prepping for the bar feel free to pick my pain.
While I run a tutoring service, I will glad to speak with ANY Cooley student free of charge just to give you a lay of the land.

The one piece of advice I'll give you right now is not to believe everything you read about Cooley whether it be good or bad.
People have agendas.

Good luck everyone and my door is always opened.

Bill Amadeo
AmadeowLaw@Aol.com

[the white rabbit]

Don't believe that people who go to Cooley are not getting jobs because honestly, nobody is getting jobs right now but that will change in time.

I'm not trying to bash Cooley, but I'd like to point out that "nobody is getting jobs right now" is an exaggeration.  Students at top law schools are still getting jobs at large firms the way they were before the economy imploded.  Of course, that's not a Cooley-specific point.

[REALITY]

How much are you earning this year BabyLawyer? How much for the OP? Doing what for both? Let's start with that.

Don't believe that people who go to Cooley are not getting jobs because honestly, nobody is getting jobs right now but that will change in time.

I'm not trying to bash Cooley, but I'd like to point out that "nobody is getting jobs right now" is an exaggeration.  Students at top law schools are still getting jobs at large firms the way they were before the economy imploded.  Of course, that's not a Cooley-specific point.

[Bill Amadeo]

Good points Reality.

Babylawyer, I respect your opinion but I'll tell you right now that I have two "Friends" (A term I use loosely with these two) who graduated from an Ivy League School who got plush jobs and then were fired within 4 months of their employment not because they couldn't handle the work but because of restructuring in the firm, I.E. People with 5 years experience are willing to work for what people out of law school are willing to work for.

I was with a firm which is supposed to be pretty plush and I didn't see my paychecks and we had a parting of the ways even after I made them big money.

The facts are this is an ugly profession and unless you have connections nobody is really thriving at the moment but we all need to hand tight.

The positive thing is that students starting today will have a better economy in three years (We can only hope).

Trust me when I tell you that when I could've transferred out of Cooley there were many Profs. who pleaded with me to say and told me I'd be a better lawyer for it.  What they didn't tell me is that you'd get robbed on your first job after working full time while in school and passing the bar on the first attempt.  Somehow those factors were left out of the brochure.

Good luck to all.

[john4040]

Don't believe that people who go to Cooley are not getting jobs because honestly, nobody is getting jobs right now but that will change in time.

So, how does your assertion that "nobody is getting jobs right now" support your position that Cooley students shouldn't believe that people who go to Cooley are not getting jobs?  Logic fail.

Nevertheless, your assertion that "nobody is getting jobs right now" is absolutely false as pointed out by baby lawyer.

The one piece of advice I'll give you right now is not to believe everything you read about Cooley whether it be good or bad.
People have agendas.

You admit that we shouldn't believe you either?  Also, I'm curious as to what negative agendas people might have against Cooley in particular.  I'm a firm believer that nobody should attend a T3 or T4 if they will rack up > ~$50k debt.  My belief is not Cooley specific.

[Bill Amadeo]

John, logic fail?

The point is that people from ALL law schools are having issues finding work.
I see first hand not only from Cooley grads but from ALL schools and the fact is that everyone will have to hang in there and fight.


As for Cooley and negative agendas, look around the discuss board.
It's nice that you're a firm believer in the 3T and 4T basis but honestly, where you go to school does not determine what kind of lawyer you're going to be and no law school is cheap.  That's just the best of the game.

[john4040]

John, logic fail?

Sure.  Your quote was a logical failure... much like this fine specimen:



Your statement that "nobody is getting jobs right now" directly undermines your conclusion that Cooley students shouldn't believe that people who go to Cooley are not getting jobs.

The point is that people from ALL law schools are having issues finding work.

I agree with that, but why should we not believe that people who go to Cooley are not getting jobs?

where you go to school does not determine what kind of lawyer you're going to be and no law school is cheap

Some law schools are cheap because they offer in-state tuition.  Other law schools are cheap because they offer significant scholarships.  Although where you go to school does not necessarily determine what kind of lawyer you're going to be, it sure has a lot to do with it.

[CooleyL3]

lol, wow John you must be brilliant.

Bill is saying we all are in a battle for getting jobs and good call my Cooley friend.

Yikes, you must be fun at a cocktail party.

More importantly, as someone who is getting ready to take the Bar in Feb., heed my advice first termers and start studying early.

[the white rabbit]

Babylawyer, I respect your opinion but I'll tell you right now that I have two "Friends" (A term I use loosely with these two) who graduated from an Ivy League School who got plush jobs and then were fired within 4 months of their employment not because they couldn't handle the work but because of restructuring in the firm, I.E. People with 5 years experience are willing to work for what people out of law school are willing to work for.

It's not an opinion; it's a statement of fact.  Students at top law schools are still getting job offers from large firms. 

I recognize your point that even at the top schools, there are some students who are not faring well in this economy.  I have friends from top schools who ended up jobless because of the imploding economy.  If you had just said that there are people at every school who are struggling, I would have agreed.  But the fact that there are some people at every school who are struggling does not mean that nobody is getting jobs right now.  Some people are still getting jobs.

Really, it's my fault: I'm a stickler for exact language.  It's a character flaw, I think.

Also, unrelated to anything: I don't like the name baby lawyer.  It seemed like a good idea at the time, but it annoys me now.   

[bigs5068]

I am sure Cooley is fine for a lot of things as is any law school. It does seem like a bit of a cop out to say it is hard to find jobs though and simply say it will change. What is Cooley doing to change the situation and secure employment for their grads? There is clearly a image issue, but if Cooley is taken affirmative steps to change it I think it would be good to point out what they are doing. If Cooley is simply taking 100k from their student and saying there are no jobs now, but it will get fixed later that is a problem. I imagine as an ABA school they are taking some sort of steps to improve their school and as a staff member it would be good to point them out on this forum.



That being said of course going to a top law school will present you with more opportunities and everybody knows or at least should know that. The same logic applies to every profession, if you get a B.S. from Stanford more opportunities will arise than if you get a B.S. from San Jose State. Everybody knows that, but not everybody can get into Stanford. I think the Cooley tier 3/4 bashing etc is misplaced and they come from people who attend top schools who have absolutely no idea about what a tier 3/4 student's expectations are. I am sure my school's OCI would be laughable to a Harvard student, but I am happy with it.  Just like Kobe Bryant can't give advice to Luke Walton on how to negotiate his next contract they are just on two different levels. Luke Walton can't demand players be cut like Kobe can, because he has infinitely more natural talent. However, Luke Walton is still doing fine for himself.

Just to out the discrepancy  Kobe would be appalled at getting a 2 million dollar contract, but I would freaking sh**t my pants to be paid 2 million dollars to play basketball and Luke Walton is also quite happy with it. Then applying the same logic to law school a Harvard Grad would probably be appalled at making 60-70K a year, but I and many tier 3/4 student's would be fine with it. Different people have different expectations and it is pretty hard for a student from an Ivy League school to compare their situation to someone at a tier 3/4.