why nyu law essay

why nyu law essay

he Importance of Choosing NYU Law

1. The Prestige and Reputation of NYU Law

This is also great news for the graduates of NYU, as they must compete with other law school graduates for teaching positions. Easier entry into the legal academy will increase the value of an NYU degree. Well-known faculty also facilitate entry into various legal fields by opening up opportunities for students through faculty contacts. NYU faculty have many high-level connections in various academic, judicial, and political institutions and these often turn into opportunities for their students. Finally, a high-impact, active faculty that is well-known in their respective fields brings prestige to the law school. This can be an important consideration for prospective law students and hiring institutions.

Citations of faculty and scholarly articles provide some measure of the intellectual impact of a law school. NYU law faculty and scholarship are consistently rated among the best in the United States in the annual Leiter survey, which uses a peer assessment method to rank faculty and scholarship. In 2008, NYU was fifth in faculty and sixth in scholarly impact. This impact will only continue to grow as the faculty expands. Over the next two years, NYU plans to bring in over 40 new faculty members, while 30 current faculty are expected to teach at other schools. This expansion will inevitably raise the average quality, measured in terms of both teaching ability and scholarly productivity, of the faculty at NYU. This has a corresponding effect on the quality of education at NYU, for a faculty member’s scholarly interests inevitably affect their teaching and a high-quality faculty that is active in research will provide a more intellectually stimulating learning environment for students.

Selecting a law school is never an easy task, but it is an important one. The variety and quality of a school’s programs and the career opportunities available to its graduates can be profoundly affected by the school’s reputation, and in choosing a school, one makes a substantial investment of time and money in the hope of future returns. The reputation of NYU School of Law truly sets it apart from other schools. This becomes apparent when one examines the careers of its alumni, the scholarly productivity of its faculty, and the school’s influence upon legal institutions.

2. Diverse and Dynamic Learning Environment

It becomes clear upon arriving at the Law School that what happens outside the classroom is an essential part of the educational experience here. There are over 80 student organizations, an active Law School Alumni Association that provides numerous opportunities to connect with practicing attorneys, and a variety of lectures, conferences, and other events that offer the chance to learn from recognized leaders in many fields. NYU Law’s strong commitment to public service and international law also becomes apparent through its clinical programs, research centers, and institutes, as well as through the Public Interest Law Foundation and the International Law Society. All of this helps to create a rich and vibrant atmosphere that enables students to both learn from one another and continue the process of educating themselves about the world.

Thus, it is not surprising that a major reason for attending NYU Law is the opportunity to study and live in an environment that is diverse and dynamic. Each year, the entering J.D. class represents more than 30 different countries and its students have spoken more than 50 different languages. Students come to NYU Law from all over the United States and the world, including a significant number with advanced degrees in other fields, many of whom have experience in the public and private sector.

3. Extensive Networking Opportunities

Among the most effective forms of networking is through alumni connections. NYU Law has a worldwide network of over 25,000 Law School alumni, many of whom are leaders in law practice, business, and government. Ideally, students who make an attempt to network will be able to find alumni who work in their target field, and in some cases, their dream job. The Dean of Students Office recently established the Alumni/Student Mentoring Program, which includes a database of alumni and students who have volunteered to be mentors. This program has shown to be quite beneficial for students who have sought mentors to provide advice and assist them in their job search. Whether through formal programs or more informal meetings, the sheer number of successful alumni from NYU Law makes it easier for students to tap into the wealth of experience that others have to offer.

NYU Law has a strong commitment to professional networking, evidenced by the extensive number of events that take place throughout the year. The Office of Career Services provides support for students with regard to planning strategies for job searching and making critical career choices. They also offer programs to allow students to gain necessary experience which is vital to obtaining employment upon graduation, such as the Pro Bono Scholars Program, where students can take the bar a semester early in exchange for working at a non-profit organization, and the International Student Interview Program, which is a job fair in New York City that brings in employers from around the globe to interview LLM students. The Furman Academic Scholars Program brings in a number of lawyers and judges each year for lunchtime talks. These distinguished legal scholars share their insights into various legal fields and career paths, and have proven to be invaluable resources for students. Additionally, NYU has a number of career-specific student organizations, many with alumni mentors, which sponsor events ranging from panel discussions to informal meet and greets with practicing attorneys. With the vast array of programming available to students, everyone who puts in the effort can network and obtain a better understanding of their career options.

4. Access to Renowned Faculty and Resources

Faculty are generally responsive and willing to meet with students to discuss career options, classwork, and sometimes just to chat about shared interests. Professors’ doors are usually open, and many of them maintain contact with former students who wish to keep in touch, meet for career advice, or discuss their experiences in a particular field of law. Professors at NYU are considered to be public servants in a sense that they are highly accomplished individuals who chose to forgo private practice and dedicate their careers to their students and fields of study. The ability to interact with faculty that have achieved so much in their careers provides students with a sense of possibility and realistic achievement in their own careers. Through the Public Interest Attorney Loan Forgiveness program, students may also qualify for partial repayment of their student loans while working in public service.

Professors set the tone of life, the law, and faculty. Their presence and maintaining presence in the belief students get the real feel of the doctrine of the law. This statement is agreed upon by NYU law students. Faculty are easily accessible and are eager to help students outside of the classroom. There is a true feeling of genuine concern for students and their education. Outside of the classroom, NYU faculty are also world-renowned scholars and experts in their fields. Many of the professors have written casebooks and treatises that are considered the standard works in the field. The ability to learn from the best and brightest in a field of law is a rare opportunity for ambitious students who are eager to delve into the complexities of the law and its associated theories.

5. Successful Career Prospects

Since the day of its founding, a main consideration at New York University School of Law has been to give its students a comprehensive legal education so that they are prepared to meet the needs of society – whether in the courtroom, the boardroom, or the halls of government. This goal is advanced by the student-directed programs that offer flexibility in pursuing students’ individual interests through research, writing, and events like the recently established ‘Root-Tilden-Kern Scholarship for Public Interest and Social Change’. These programs are further developed through the work of the Hauser Global Law School Program. This newly developed program includes a colloquium where students are joined by NYU School of Law faculty to address global legal issues, provides for a fellowship for a semester of work at the International Court of Justice, and involves students in internships and mentoring in international law. The Loan Repayment Assistance Program is a major success. With graduates leaving law school with an average debt of well over $100,000, it is becoming increasingly important to provide a means for students to pay off this debt. This program has been successful at enabling graduates to pursue careers in public service by lessening the burden of student loan debt. As an incentive to future students, it must be noted that continuous successful participation in this program recently led the federal government to forgive over $10,000 in student loans for each of the program’s participants.