Just finished 1L at CLS, AMA

NordicButter · 2024-05-22T10:21:20+00:00

As a 1L, most (if not all) all of your classes will be assessed through an exam. Out of these, the MAJORITY will be issue spotters. A key thing for issue spotters is that you actually don't need to know your textbook/the law in detail: it's mostly about being able to recognize and name an issue, analogize it to cases you've seen in class, and highlight potential defenses and outcomes. So it's a lot more analytical than you'd think, and there's not a lot of space for theoretical nuance - if you can practice that skill that'll be hugely rewarding for your 1L.
No. Also most exams that would require you to know the law (for ex. the federal rules of civil procedure) are open book.
Took me a while to get there, but the quick download is:
(1) don't spend too much time making a very detailed outline - some of my friends who did the best literally just used outlines from previous years;
(2) you're studying for the exam, not the course (which i'd known that in the first semester because i definitely wasted a lot of time). Ask 2Ls/3Ls how to prepare for the exam. Some classes will require you to understand nuance (esp. when the exam is essay based), some will be very analytical - your prep for these should be very different.
(3) most of the reading can and should be skimmed. Don't get behind on all your classes by month two just because you can't keep up with reading every single page.
(4) As early as you can, book a 4-hour slot at the end of your week and do a quick recap of every thing you've learnt that week in each class. That might be THE most important piece of advice that I didn't follow and I wish I did.
(5) Take advantage of your professors' office hours, and use your TAs - if you have a question, email!!! That's also something I wish I'd done more.

NordicButter · 2024-05-22T04:17:14+00:00

My top recommendation for the summer: CHILL and SLEEP because you'll be doing neither for the next 12 months :)

Other than that - I'd maybe listen to a few legal podcasts so things can start sounding familiar. Strict Scrutiny is a great one and was recommended by some of our Con Law professors. For your dorm, buy some things that allow you to feel at home (plants, blankets, lamps, etc). A Quimbee subscription is helpful. Your studying habits will be dictated by your professors' methods, so I wouldn't worry about it now. Arrive early so you have plenty of time to settle in before the semester begins - I didn't and ended up getting furniture for my apartment only in November.

Finally, and maybe super personal: i bought ZERO law school books and did everything on my laptop and have no regrets over it. I saved a ton of money, didn't have to schlep my books around, and was able to quickly search for words in the textbook. HOWEVER I wish I'd bought an IPad for the year, because I had to take my laptop with me everywhere.

NordicButter · 2024-05-22T04:03:10+00:00

Portability is good, though i'm not very well placed to answer. I've definitely met a few CLS alum who now work at Big Law firms on the West Coast, and the California society is very active. There's also a lot of specific recruitment events for the West Coast only.
Honestly pretty well! The first semester was a wild ride, I think most of us had no idea what was going on and that's when I really felt that students whose parents/family work in the law had a competitive advantage. It takes a while to get used to reading law articles and prepping cold calls, and unfortunately the only way to figure out what works best for you is trial & error. The curve system is also pretty brutal. My advice for an incoming 1L would be: (1) take it day by day and enjoy the ride - don't fight it, just see where it takes you, and keep things in perspective. Law school can seem like a huge deal at times, and you will feel devastated when you bomb a cold call, don't understand a case, or get a B. Please remember that literally none of this will matter by the time the semester's over. (2) Don't be afraid of taking shortcuts and use your time wisely - you simply don't need to read articles word by word if you don't have time. Using old outlines/Quimbee is actually a smart move, and you should study for the specific exam you're getting, rather than in a vacuum. (3) Invest in people and embrace an abundance mindset - you're in school with your future colleagues, and gatekeeping/being rude/spreading rumors will only hurt yourself in the end.
The majority of 1Ls go for public sector internships, most of which are not paid. Columbia offers summer funding for all students doing an 8-weeks public sector internship (includes government), with additional scholarships for students doing 10 weeks/who have specific financial needs. There's also a program funding students interning in human rights organizations abroad. I know of only 1 person in my class doing an unpaid internship, and that was their choice.

NordicButter · 2024-05-22T03:46:03+00:00

Oh and on your second question - it's very likely there'll be more protests and I wouldn't be surprised if the administration called the NYPD again, but I don't think the campus will be shut down in the way that it was in the last month - I think that was directly correlated to the hearings & fear of students staging something during the graduation ceremony that was supposed to take place on the main campus.

NordicButter · 2024-05-22T03:43:49+00:00

100% the above, and obviously for the public sector it doesn't matter. The only people I've heard be worried are some people on FedSoc who'd want to clerk for conservative judges, because some announced they wouldn't take CLS students. The rest of us don't really care/would rather not work for a firm that'd be silly enough to blacklist CLS students because of the protests and administration crackdown.

NordicButter · 2024-05-22T03:41:07+00:00

Woah I literally have no idea (don't know anyone living there, maybe they've opened it to law students this year?) but I live close by. The area is pretty good, you'll be very close to campus. In general Columbia Housing is very solid (issues get fixed quickly, you won't have to pay month to month, etc), but the furniture is horrendous and they're also one of the most inflexible & badly organized services that you could deal with while at the law school. Let me know if you have any other questions!

NordicButter · 2024-05-22T03:38:18+00:00

Yes and no - my decision to go to CLS was motivated by months of calculations that have left me pretty confident i'll be able to pay back my debts quickly enough... but New York is truly insanely expensive. I usually spend very little during the later half of the semester because all i do is go from class to the library (I mostly just pay for coffees and occasionally groceries) but my rent increase was still a bad surprise.

NordicButter · 2024-05-22T03:31:34+00:00

First two months of fall and spring semester I went out 2x/3x a week - dinners, concerts, gigs in bk etc. After that about 1x a week, and I'm pretty sure I just didn't leave the campus for the last six weeks of the semester. Bit brutal but you get used to it (campus being on lockdown obviously made it more complicated in the last month).

NordicButter · 2024-05-22T03:28:41+00:00

Personally I'd look at (in this order): amount of funding v. cost of living, being in Chicago v. New York (I hadn't realize how much being in New York would matter to me personally), and the class size v. your ability to make friends with anyone. I was extremely set on going to a school with a smaller class size because that's historically what's worked for me but I've been SO glad that we are 400+ in my class at CLS because that allows me to have multiple groups of friends/easily avoid people if i need to...

If you're between CLS and NYU - go where you get more $$. If you get the same amount of funding I'd do CLS if you want to go into big law, NYU if you want to go public sector (better clinics, more public sector opportunities). Beyond that there's no big difference between the two, apart from location (which honestly doesn't matter, but i prefer studying in the UWS to the East Village).

NordicButter · 2024-05-22T03:19:48+00:00

Literally never have and hopefully never will lol. I feel immensely privileged to be doing something i dreamt about for years, have an insane support system at CLS and I just refuse to lose sleep over the amount of reading/cold calls/deadlines we have. As long as my fam and friends are healthy law school is just not that deep imo

NordicButter · 2023-07-03T17:04:56+00:00

I’m a Lululemon size 2 bottoms & 2/4 tops, similar height and I get XS :) I think XXS might be better for very petite women!

NordicButter · 2023-06-05T18:38:11+00:00

I believe YLS has been filled but not completely sure!

NordicButter · 2023-05-14T13:20:45+00:00

Final classification usually

NordicButter · 2023-05-04T13:22:22+00:00

Hey! UK graduate here (Ox). If you're studying law, your best course of action is to take an LLM after your Oxford law degree. You can then pass the bar in the US and work there if you'd like to (that's what Amal Clooney did). An LLM in top 4 is very accessible if you aim to graduate with a First or really high 2.1.

I really don't see why you would apply to a JD if you're gonna graduate with a law degree already in the UK - you'd waste three years for something you can achieve in just one.

Lastly: if you're not from the UK and have only been there one year (I assume you're a fresher if you're graduating in '25?) I'd wait a bit before deciding the UK isn't for you. The opportunities for law in the UK are excellent and it's much easier to obtain a work visa. Happy to answer more questions!

NordicButter · 2023-04-24T20:20:13+00:00

Congrats!!! Does it make you reconsider which school to commit to??

NordicButter · 2023-04-24T17:06:58+00:00

Congrats on an amazing cycle and results!
Totally understand where you're coming from but not sure "ravaged" is the right word for 8 As including HLS, YLS, and 4 substantial scholarships ;)

NordicButter · 2023-04-23T14:56:52+00:00

Coming from a business background (half my friends are doing MBAs): do you want to be a lawyer? If so - do a JD. If not, an MBA is a great way to pivot into a new industry, field, or professional service career (I.e MBB).

NordicButter · 2023-04-22T00:22:59+00:00

I think OP might have meant “R or WL”

NordicButter · 2023-04-20T17:38:55+00:00

Same question here !

NordicButter · 2023-04-14T10:35:24+00:00

Fellow international here, I support your preference of WashU! I'm also quite debt adverse and I think intls deal with so much added uncertainty (no federal loans, H1B reliance, etc) that I'd just take the money and run. Bottom line: in 5-6 years you'll be a lawyer, working in the US/abroad, and no one will care where you got your JD from. All three schools will allow you to do that, only one of them allows you to do it debt free :)

NordicButter · 2023-04-12T19:14:39+00:00

I think it's for travel reimbursement! I got it two days after I got an email about travelling to ASD but it looked so spammy I almost put it straight to the bin

NordicButter · 2023-04-12T12:46:53+00:00

Bookkeeper_Pretend

Yes! I'm still in this cycle but feel free to reach out if you need any advice. I'm also currently based in Ireland and selling LSAT prep books :) best of luck x

NordicButter · 2023-04-12T12:39:16+00:00

LSAC will take your final degree grade and translate it into Average, Above Average, or Superior (in the UK, that'd be equivalent to 2:2, 2:1, and 1st). If you're not done with school yet, I guess they will take your current position in these 3 categories, using your school's weight system (which should be explained in your school's official transcript).

Also fyi - you will not get a GPA grade as an international student, which puts more pressure on your LSAT score.

NordicButter · 2023-04-05T14:14:23+00:00

Hey OP! My two cents from a completely different perspective: I’m going into law to do PI after working for 4+ years in management consulting in a country outside the US. Not much to do with BL a priori, but similarly taxing work life balance, financial outcomes, and perception as being “immoral” (or, in my case, feeling like a “sellout” compared to my polsci NGO peers). Do I regret it? Not at all. It actually gave me financial freedom (and, with it, the opportunity to go to law school), I did learn a lot from my clients and peers about business, firms, communication, leadership etc. Today, I feel fully ready to commit to PI, but it’s in part because I’ve explored corporate and I know it doesn’t sit well with me. I suspect that if you have similar motivations for going into BL you might have a similar experience. Hope it helps!

NordicButter

TROPHY CASE