Top Law Schools

Does anyone know anything about the apartments at 424 W. 119th St.? No floor plan or other information given in the housing assignment.

I got my housing assignment today, but found out a friend of mine in a PhD program also applied for UAH. Any idea how it would work if we wanted to room together? Would I decline my current assignment and reapply? Is that risky? UAH isn't answering the phone so figured I'd ask here too.

Hey all! Like all the 0Ls these days, I'm weighing my housing options and had a quick question about UAH housing. What happens if you break the lease to move off-campus? Do you loose last and security deposit? The website is vague about it if it's not for a sanctioned reason. Relatedly--is there a way to get a copy of the lease before move-in? Thanks!

Hey! I just got my housing assignment at the Arbor and I was looking up the shuttle schedule. It seems as though the shuttles don't run on Sunday and only run until 8 on Saturdays. Can anyone confirm this?

Hello, incoming 1L here who just got my UAH housing - it's pretty far north, at 195 Claremont Avenue (0.8 miles, 17 minutes) with a non-law roommate. I'm going to try calling tomorrow but does anyone know how nice UAH is to switch you into a different unit? I really want to be closer to the law school (without paying a lot), ideally with a law roommate. 17 minutes may not sound like THAT much but I know I'll be feeling that walk up and down everyday. And is that far north still pretty safe or does it start to get sketch, especially at night?

Ugh just really bummed about my assignment, any suggestions would be wonderful!!

Not quoting because lazy, but quick answers to above housing questions:

1. You can email and ask for a floorplan and they might send you a similar one. They did that for me last year.

2. Re: friend in PhD program. I would definitely accept your housing offer. If you decline it, you might be put on a waitlist, but if you accept, it's easy to switch once your both in. Not every program has guaranteed housing, so your friend might not get it anyway. If they do, then mid year you two can request a switch to be together or move in together at the end of the year. Once you're in Columbia housing, you have a lot more flexibility.

3. Your deposit is first month (you pay full month's worth, then the first rent bill you get is reduced to account for moving in midway through a month) and security deposit. So you might lose the security deposit worst case scenario. I've heard of people breaking and getting it back because they work with housing and explain their circumstances. So if you put in the effort, it's possible, but if you're going to break, you definitely risk losing your security deposit.

3. Can't help about the Arbor shuttle, sorry.

4. Claremont isn't that far away and honestly, you might find it nice to be a little further from the law school. It'll definitely be a bit more of a trek if you have 9am class, but it's definitely still safe at night. It's close to the new Manhattanville campus, so Columbia is probably going to continue to take over that area (even more than it already has). You can talk to them and try to move into a different unit, but from my experiences, the most likely option would be Juliana Utley (or whoever is filling in for her) might offer you law school only housing, which would likely be much more expensive than your offer and furnished. I would say email or call and explain your concerns and you never know what might happen and if they'll offer something else.

.

Bach-City wrote:Hey, does anyone have any advice about 2L course selection? Classes to take, classes to avoid, classes to take in the fall but not the spring and vice versa? Oh, and whether it's better to take a class like LegReg or Corporations with 1Ls in the spring, or if it's better to do it with all upperclassmen in the fall.

Thanks!

I don't think it matters if you take it with upper classmates or 1Ls. I think it's good to take admin, corporations in 2L.

Are you going into lit or transactional this summer?

.

Bach-City wrote:

Nebby wrote:

Bach-City wrote:Hey, does anyone have any advice about 2L course selection? Classes to take, classes to avoid, classes to take in the fall but not the spring and vice versa? Oh, and whether it's better to take a class like LegReg or Corporations with 1Ls in the spring, or if it's better to do it with all upperclassmen in the fall.

Thanks!

I don't think it matters if you take it with upper classmates or 1Ls. I think it's good to take admin, corporations in 2L.

Are you going into lit or transactional this summer?

I''m basically leaning transactional.

Then you should also take sec reg and the negotiations seminar (tho I'd recommend the negotiations seminar regardless). What are you doing right now? (1L summer)

.

Bach-City wrote:

Nebby wrote:

Bach-City wrote:

Nebby wrote:

Bach-City wrote:Hey, does anyone have any advice about 2L course selection? Classes to take, classes to avoid, classes to take in the fall but not the spring and vice versa? Oh, and whether it's better to take a class like LegReg or Corporations with 1Ls in the spring, or if it's better to do it with all upperclassmen in the fall.

Thanks!

I don't think it matters if you take it with upper classmates or 1Ls. I think it's good to take admin, corporations in 2L.

Are you going into lit or transactional this summer?

I''m basically leaning transactional.

Then you should also take sec reg and the negotiations seminar (tho I'd recommend the negotiations seminar regardless). What are you doing right now? (1L summer)

Externing in my home market (Chicago) with a judge. Hoping to lock down a couple offers before going back to NYC for OCI. (although if I get the firm I want, I might just take it and skip OCI) Good advice on those two classes btw, those weren't on my radar.

If you find yourself reading pleadings and motions and thinking "damn this attorney sucks they'd be much better off arguing x" then maybe you should give litigation a second thought. I do litigation in Chicago now (nonprofit) and litigation is much more intellectually stimulating than anything you'd do in transactional practice. Plus, because litigation is based on court deadlines, it makes time management easier and more predictable.

.

Bach-City wrote:

Nebby wrote:

Bach-City wrote:Hey, does anyone have any advice about 2L course selection? Classes to take, classes to avoid, classes to take in the fall but not the spring and vice versa? Oh, and whether it's better to take a class like LegReg or Corporations with 1Ls in the spring, or if it's better to do it with all upperclassmen in the fall.

Thanks!

I don't think it matters if you take it with upper classmates or 1Ls. I think it's good to take admin, corporations in 2L.

Are you going into lit or transactional this summer?

I''m basically leaning transactional.

Take Corporations in the fall. It will signal to EIP firms that you are interested in transactional work. Not sure which profs are teaching it in the fall, but even if you don't get the prof that you want, you can always drop it during add/drop and try again in the spring with a different prof. Also, if you don't already have a decent understanding of accounting, take Financial Statement Analysis and Interpretation. This was probably the most useful class I took for my 2L summer. You can also take it pass/fail, which is nice.

Other helpful classes for transactional work include Sec Reg, Bankruptcy, Secured Transactions, Fed Income Tax, and Corporate Finance (plus some of the more "practical," practice-oriented workshop types of things, although these can be hit-or-miss). But the essentials that you should take as a 2L, IMO, are Corporations and FSAI.

.

Can anyone tell me if Columbia will lower your grant amount if you earn money (as an SA or through scholarships)? For example, I have a $90,000 grant. If I earn money as an SA or through some other means over my 1l summer, would they lower the grant amount?

HarvardHopeful95 wrote:Can anyone tell my if Columbia will lower your grant amount if you earn money (as an SA or through scholarships)? For example, I have a $90,000 grant. If I earn money as an SA or through some other means over my 1l summer, would they lower the grant amount?

No

Nebby wrote:

HarvardHopeful95 wrote:Can anyone tell my if Columbia will lower your grant amount if you earn money (as an SA or through scholarships)? For example, I have a $90,000 grant. If I earn money as an SA or through some other means over my 1l summer, would they lower the grant amount?

No

Thank you!

Bach-City wrote:

iamgeorgebush wrote:

Bach-City wrote:

Nebby wrote:

Bach-City wrote:Hey, does anyone have any advice about 2L course selection? Classes to take, classes to avoid, classes to take in the fall but not the spring and vice versa? Oh, and whether it's better to take a class like LegReg or Corporations with 1Ls in the spring, or if it's better to do it with all upperclassmen in the fall.

Thanks!

I don't think it matters if you take it with upper classmates or 1Ls. I think it's good to take admin, corporations in 2L.

Are you going into lit or transactional this summer?

I''m basically leaning transactional.

Take Corporations in the fall. It will signal to EIP firms that you are interested in transactional work. Not sure which profs are teaching it in the fall, but even if you don't get the prof that you want, you can always drop it during add/drop and try again in the spring with a different prof. Also, if you don't already have a decent understanding of accounting, take Financial Statement Analysis and Interpretation. This was probably the most useful class I took for my 2L summer. You can also take it pass/fail, which is nice.

Other helpful classes for transactional work include Sec Reg, Bankruptcy, Secured Transactions, Fed Income Tax, and Corporate Finance (plus some of the more "practical," practice-oriented workshop types of things, although these can be hit-or-miss). But the essentials that you should take as a 2L, IMO, are Corporations and FSAI.

Wow, thank you! That's crazy helpful.

To be clear, you won't have your schedule for the fall semester at EIP or at least the first week of callbacks, so the "signaling" impact is minimal, though you can say you signed up for Corps and you're excited for it. But these course recommendations are solid for 2L and 3L year.

RSN wrote:

Bach-City wrote:

iamgeorgebush wrote:

Bach-City wrote:

Nebby wrote:

Bach-City wrote:Hey, does anyone have any advice about 2L course selection? Classes to take, classes to avoid, classes to take in the fall but not the spring and vice versa? Oh, and whether it's better to take a class like LegReg or Corporations with 1Ls in the spring, or if it's better to do it with all upperclassmen in the fall.

Thanks!

I don't think it matters if you take it with upper classmates or 1Ls. I think it's good to take admin, corporations in 2L.

Are you going into lit or transactional this summer?

I''m basically leaning transactional.

Take Corporations in the fall. It will signal to EIP firms that you are interested in transactional work. Not sure which profs are teaching it in the fall, but even if you don't get the prof that you want, you can always drop it during add/drop and try again in the spring with a different prof. Also, if you don't already have a decent understanding of accounting, take Financial Statement Analysis and Interpretation. This was probably the most useful class I took for my 2L summer. You can also take it pass/fail, which is nice.

Other helpful classes for transactional work include Sec Reg, Bankruptcy, Secured Transactions, Fed Income Tax, and Corporate Finance (plus some of the more "practical," practice-oriented workshop types of things, although these can be hit-or-miss). But the essentials that you should take as a 2L, IMO, are Corporations and FSAI.

Wow, thank you! That's crazy helpful.

To be clear, you won't have your schedule for the fall semester at EIP or at least the first week of callbacks, so the "signaling" impact is minimal, though you can say you signed up for Corps and you're excited for it. But these course recommendations are solid for 2L and 3L year.

Yeah I don't think you'll have the schedule on your transcript or anything, but interviewers frequently ask about what classes you've signed up for, and you can tell them what you've ranked at the top.

When do grades come out? And are honors public?

clsturtle wrote:When do grades come out? And are honors public?

Deadline June 15. And no not public but at the rate everyone puts it on LinkedIn it'll seem public

Does anyone have a picture of what UAH furniture looks like? If so, could you pm me? Ended up with a furnished apartment and not sure what it'll be like.

This might be a stupid question, but I just want to know how much I can chill out for during the summer before school starts. Sorry if I come off as gunner-ish.

How good is CLS at teaching you all the steps for getting jobs, introducing you to different types of law/legal jobs, and helping you explore your employment options and opportunities? Would you say most of it is self taught/researched, or does the school do a good job at getting this knowledge and information out to you?

Just a random example would be: Would I have to go to the PI office and talk to them about DOJ Honors, what it is, the steps to applying for it and the requirements? Or will the school somehow throw this information at me? What if I didn't know DOJ Honors even existed? Would the school let me know about it?

Thelaw23 wrote:This might be a stupid question, but I just want to know how much I can chill out for during the summer before school starts. Sorry if I come off as gunner-ish.

How good is CLS at teaching you all the steps for getting jobs, introducing you to different types of law/legal jobs, and helping you explore your employment options and opportunities? Would you say most of it is self taught/researched, or does the school do a good job at getting this knowledge and information out to you?

Just a random example would be: Would I have to go to the PI office and talk to them about DOJ Honors, what it is, the steps to applying for it and the requirements? Or will the school somehow throw this information at me? What if I didn't know DOJ Honors even existed? Would the school let me know about it?

I think they are "okay," but only if you affirmatively reach out. I always reached out and used whatever resources I thought available, so I have no idea how good they are for people who aren't tuned in like I was.