Sneaking into law buildings Forum

[gentlemanscholar]

hey quick question:

I am likely to be visiting schools outside business hours, NYU, Columbia, and Penn specifically. Can anyone give me some information on how easily (or uneasily) I will be able to piggy back into law buildings without a student ID?

Thanks.

[ymmv]

It depends who's at the security desk that day.

[middlebear]

I've snuck into the Columbia building, so I'd vote yes on that one. It was a weekend during the day and we were able to walk right in, though, so I can't speak to evenings or anything.

[gentlemanscholar]

thanks, yeah i feel like this will depend on who is working security and whether or not they are in a good mood that day....or their susceptibility to bribery.

[chuckbass]

thanks, yeah i feel like this will depend on who is working security and whether or not they are in a good mood that day....or their susceptibility to bribery.

Or just walk on through with a backpack and bitch face.

[BrazilBandit]

Many schools will allow self guided tours - you just stop by an office on the main campus and grab some kind of "badge"

[03152016]

won't be possible at nyu
fortunately, you can get a guest pass to tour the school. just call admissions

[Tomasz]

i'll second nyu

being integrated into the city the way it is, they're very strict about IDs

I walked into Columbia though

[mr.plum]

Walked into Columbia on a Saturday morning without any problem.

[k5220]

Hard to get into NYU buildings without an ID, but you just go to Wilf Hall right across the street (http://www.law.nyu.edu/jdadmissions/visitingnyu), say you're visiting, and they'll give you a pass.

[Kimikho]

You can get a guess pass at Columbia; I did over winter break when classes weren't in session.

Penn's security wasn't as nice, though.

[eriedoctrine]

DO NOT try this at Yale.
Whatever you do.

[DportIA]

This is from a different world.

I go to Iowa, where anyone can walk into literally any floor, room, etc. We do not have a single security guard or restricted area.

[jrc223]

DO NOT try this at Yale.
Whatever you do.

Seconded.

[js1663]

DO NOT try this at Yale.
Whatever you do.

Seconded.

What are you guys talking about? I had no issues both getting into Yale Law (or any other buildings) without a badge during and after business hours.

[rpupkin]

DO NOT try this at Yale.
Whatever you do.

Seconded.

What are you guys talking about? I had no issues both getting into Yale Law (or any other buildings) without a badge during and after business hours.

I assume this is a reference to the trigger-happy Yale campus police.

[logdog]

Wherever you go, I would recommend removing the tampons from your nose before trying to sneak in.

[jrc223]

DO NOT try this at Yale.
Whatever you do.

Seconded.

What are you guys talking about? I had no issues both getting into Yale Law (or any other buildings) without a badge during and after business hours.

Most Yale buildings are generally visitor-friendly, but I would not advise that anyone attempt to visit the law school building without a visitor's pass or some form of identification, especially after hours. Security for the building is unusually high, and even undergrads have a hard time just waltzing into the building (they're generally turned away or are followed and questioned by whatever security guard happens to be working near the entrance). I'm glad you didn't encounter this when you visited, but I would definitely characterize your experience as an outlier

[middlebear]

DO NOT try this at Yale.
Whatever you do.

Seconded.

What are you guys talking about? I had no issues both getting into Yale Law (or any other buildings) without a badge during and after business hours.

Most Yale buildings are generally visitor-friendly, but I would not advise that anyone attempt to visit the law school building without a visitor's pass or some form of identification, especially after hours. Security for the building is unusually high, and even undergrads have a hard time just waltzing into the building (they're generally turned away or are followed and questioned by whatever security guard happens to be working near the entrance). I'm glad you didn't encounter this when you visited, but I would definitely characterize your experience as an outlier

They generally shriek at undergrads taking classes in the building. cough.

[jrc223]

They generally shriek at undergrads taking classes in the building. cough.

Lol, this too

[Mack.Hambleton]

michigan you can get in anywhere except the library (including the lawyers club, did a self tour). You can get around the Uchicago law building pretty easily too IIRC

[raven1231]

My fiancé and I toured North Western and University of Chicago on the weekend with zero issues.

[KissMyAxe]

DO NOT try this at Yale.
Whatever you do.

Seconded.

What are you guys talking about? I had no issues both getting into Yale Law (or any other buildings) without a badge during and after business hours.

Agreed. Maybe these guys just look like Axe-murderers or something, or maybe came to tour at midnight. I have gone into YLS, and know quite a few others who have as well, without stopping by the admissions office like four times. They do have a few security guards, but they were all nice and I've even chatted with them and got directions to different places. That said I'd definitely recommend stopping by the admissions office, they're all incredibly nice people who will take time off to talk to you about pretty much anything.

[frasier]

I have witnessed homeless people bathing themselves in the bathroom sinks in the Columbia Law building (and in Butler many, many times)... You can get in easily, and you will not be questioned.

[jrc223]

DO NOT try this at Yale.
Whatever you do.

Seconded.

What are you guys talking about? I had no issues both getting into Yale Law (or any other buildings) without a badge during and after business hours.

Agreed. Maybe these guys just look like Axe-murderers or something, or maybe came to tour at midnight. I have gone into YLS, and know quite a few others who have as well, without stopping by the admissions office like four times. They do have a few security guards, but they were all nice and I've even chatted with them and got directions to different places. That said I'd definitely recommend stopping by the admissions office, they're all incredibly nice people who will take time off to talk to you about pretty much anything.

Well, my comment was mostly directed at after-hours, unauthorized sightseeing. But I've also known the security guards to be really unpleasant during operating hours, too. However, this was my experience as an undergrad there, not as a prospective law student; same goes for middlebear. Who knows, maybe they are instructed to be more friendly to 0Ls and to direct their rage at undergrads.

(In my defense, I don't think I look like an Axe murderer.)