NYU vs. Duke law Forum

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leez123

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NYU vs. Duke law

Post by leez123 » Fri Nov 23, 2018 12:05 am

I've been accepted to Duke for a joint JD/LLM in International and Comparative Law and to NYU for just a JD. I'm interested in doing Public interest with the hope of working abroad eventually in human rights. Im in the running for full tuition scholarships at both schools rn but due to some external scholarships COA will not be an issue.

I'm trying to figure out which school would be better for me, and whether the joint degree at Duke would be worth turning down a T6. All thoughts are appreciated.

(I'm still waiting to hear back from some other T14s but I have a feeling the decision issue won't vary much).

QContinuum

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Re: NYU vs. Duke law

Post by QContinuum » Fri Nov 23, 2018 12:16 am

Congrats on your terrific offers - and extra kudos on your external scholarships! You're in a fantastic position.

Will the Duke JD/LLM take 3 years combined, or 4 years? If anything over 3 years, definitely do NYU. Even if 3 years, I'd still lean in favor of doing NYU. Traditionally, NYU is known to be particularly strong in PI, second only to Yale. Do you know if you're in the running for any specific PI fellowships at NYU? If so, that would tip the scales even further in favor of NYU, as those programs - beyond funding - offer great networking and mentorship opportunities.

Duke's a first-rate law school, of course, but it isn't famed for PI the way NYU is. And while the difference is slight, NYU is also a stronger law school overall.

I want to caveat all of the above by noting that in a vacuum, lacking any other information, I think NYU would be the better choice. BUT the difference isn't so great that choosing Duke would be foolish. If, after visiting both schools, you find you "click" with Duke much more than NYU, then you should attend Duke.

Further: Definitely reconsider if you get into Yale.

leez123

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Re: NYU vs. Duke law

Post by leez123 » Fri Nov 23, 2018 3:46 pm

QContinuum wrote:Congrats on your terrific offers - and extra kudos on your external scholarships! You're in a fantastic position.

Will the Duke JD/LLM take 3 years combined, or 4 years? If anything over 3 years, definitely do NYU. Even if 3 years, I'd still lean in favor of doing NYU. Traditionally, NYU is known to be particularly strong in PI, second only to Yale. Do you know if you're in the running for any specific PI fellowships at NYU? If so, that would tip the scales even further in favor of NYU, as those programs - beyond funding - offer great networking and mentorship opportunities.

Duke's a first-rate law school, of course, but it isn't famed for PI the way NYU is. And while the difference is slight, NYU is also a stronger law school overall.

I want to caveat all of the above by noting that in a vacuum, lacking any other information, I think NYU would be the better choice. BUT the difference isn't so great that choosing Duke would be foolish. If, after visiting both schools, you find you "click" with Duke much more than NYU, then you should attend Duke.

Further: Definitely reconsider if you get into Yale.
Thank you so much! And the joint degree at Duke would just be 3 years (there's a 4 year JD/LLM option at NYU that I would consider but it's worth noting that it would be extra money outside of my scholarships).

QContinuum

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Re: NYU vs. Duke law

Post by QContinuum » Fri Nov 23, 2018 5:51 pm

leez123 wrote:Thank you so much! And the joint degree at Duke would just be 3 years (there's a 4 year JD/LLM option at NYU that I would consider but it's worth noting that it would be extra money outside of my scholarships).
Best of luck with your decision! I agree with your hesitance re: the 4-year JD/LLM program at NYU. In general, LLMs don't add value to a US JD (except for Tax LLMs from NYU, Georgetown, and maybe Florida). So any JD/LLM program that'd require you to spend additional time outside the workforce and/or pay additional tuition would be highly suspect in my view.

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cavalier1138

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Re: NYU vs. Duke law

Post by cavalier1138 » Sun Nov 25, 2018 9:06 am

I'll admit to bias here, but NYU is 100% the correct choice for the reasons QContinuum already mentioned.

In both cases, avoid the LLM program. Admissions departments are really good at making those look like they're prerequisites to human rights practice, and that's absolutely not the case.

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leez123

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Re: NYU vs. Duke law

Post by leez123 » Mon Nov 26, 2018 9:58 am

cavalier1138 wrote:I'll admit to bias here, but NYU is 100% the correct choice for the reasons QContinuum already mentioned.

In both cases, avoid the LLM program. Admissions departments are really good at making those look like they're prerequisites to human rights practice, and that's absolutely not the case.

Thank you for you help!

thebasedgod

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Re: NYU vs. Duke law

Post by thebasedgod » Fri Feb 01, 2019 11:37 am

I go to Duke. Go to NYU.

stevengnehs

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Re: NYU vs. Duke law

Post by stevengnehs » Fri Feb 01, 2019 1:01 pm

leez123 wrote:I've been accepted to Duke for a joint JD/LLM in International and Comparative Law and to NYU for just a JD. I'm interested in doing Public interest with the hope of working abroad eventually in human rights. Im in the running for full tuition scholarships at both schools rn but due to some external scholarships COA will not be an issue.

I'm trying to figure out which school would be better for me, and whether the joint degree at Duke would be worth turning down a T6. All thoughts are appreciated.

(I'm still waiting to hear back from some other T14s but I have a feeling the decision issue won't vary much).
I’m a joint degree at Duke. I can tell you it’s TOTALLY NOT WORTH IT. 90% of my section mates regret their decision of getting a JD/LLM every single day.

kaiser

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Re: NYU vs. Duke law

Post by kaiser » Fri Feb 01, 2019 2:38 pm

Sounds like NYU would be the right choice for you

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JAJAcinco

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Re: NYU vs. Duke law

Post by JAJAcinco » Fri Feb 01, 2019 3:57 pm

I was in the same spot a few years ago. Created a thread and chose NYU.

Although I sound like a marketing piece, besides the reputation for PI and access to professors/practitioners that brings you, NYU also has the advantage in that it’s in NYC. Being a law student in NYC means you have a lot more networking and externship options to make the most of 2L and 3L than I’d imagine you would have in NC, esp in your field.

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