Prestige, location, and professors -- all open doors. That's pretty much it.

In my experience, the administration does not care about its students. They just see tuition dollars. Not an atmosphere that fosters collaboration, independent thought, or intellectual curiosity.

And if you do not want to do BigLaw, then you are out of luck.

Honestly, unless you want a career in corporate BigLaw then you would be better served elsewhere.

No

Top ranked law school based in New York City with a range of courses and a small number of cross registrations with Columbia Business School

School administrators do not advocate for students or at least all students equally. Many horror stories from friends regarding career counsellors and the dean of students, such as when my friend had a pinched nerve and in massive pain, she asked to defer a semester and the Dean of Students, rather than being satisfied with medical records showing she had a pinched nerve, required her to get a psychologist's note indicating she was not making up her pain in order to get out of finals. Insulting beyond words. She also could not get her tuition reimbursed for the semester so it's a huge financial burden. Or when my friend had difficulty finding the right career counsellor (A lot of them have never worked at a law firm and went to crappy schools), she got called out by the Dean of Career Services that switching around counsellors upset them. Columbia is also incredibly callous about the cost of its education and will not help out students in need. They won't get a dime from me now that they call for money.

It's silly that prestige matters so much. Maybe the best thing to do is do well at a good but lower ranked school, then transfer to Columbia and interview as a Columbia student.

No

Intelligent classmates, reputable professors and excellent externships. The trial practice classes are also run by members of the NY DA's Office.

Not a place for those seeking a career in litigation - most classes and students are orientated toward a career in corporate law.

Graduating from a top tier law-school can be critical to getting your first, second, third, and last job - it always matters. The primary reason to come here is the name; the education, professors, and students are all generic.

No

Lots of courses and academic opportunities

New York

Great career prospects

Lack of culture and difficult fitting in with students

Stilted administration, not open to ideas

Reputation precedes quality of academics, school environment

Go to CLS for the career prospects, especially if you want to work in Biglaw and NYC. However, CLS is not a collegial environment and don't expect much school culture or spirit and you need to work hard and find your own opportunities.

Yes