How to stay at the top of class in law school?

Question

i just finished applying for NYU, and Columbia Lawschools. NYU is my first choice. Then Columbia, then Cornell. i'm giong to apply to other ones later. My pre-law advisor says i have a good chance of getting in NYU because of my GPA and LSAT and qualifications. Plus she went to NYU and she should know. Anyways, how does a person stay at the top of their class in lawschool? Especially, a very demanding lawschool? if i stay at the top of my class like the top 5 students for 3 years, will i have an easier way to start out with jobs after lawschool?

I can pay for NYU tuition because i own my own business. so i can afford NYU and have money left over after lawschool. so that's not a problem there. But after lawschool will it be difficult for me to find a high paying job?

Also, for those in lawschool, how do you stay at the top of your class? do you have to suck up to the teacher or just get good grades and that's it?

Also, i'm only 21. Will that be a major risk factor for me, since i hear lawschools don't like younger "kids" because they think they don't know as much or have as much experience?

Answer 1

First, most law school students attend right out of undergraduate, so you are not at a disadvantage there. Actually, older students are at the disadvantage and the lower the average age of the student body in the law school, usually the better.

Being successful in law school means never slacking off--you are on the fast train from the first day of class-and getting in the right study groups. It is important that you contribute the maximum you are able to each study group, as then you will have a good reputation and the better groups will ask you to join. Study groups are essential to get through law school--there's just too much information to memorize and analyze.

Your stats sound good for NYU, maybe not for Columbia since it is the #2 school in the country--lots of factors go into the decision. If you stay in the top 5-10% of your class, you will basically have you pick of jobs--really depends in what field you want to enter. There's the corporate law route, public interest law (which doesn't pay much), criminal (ditto), etc. Corporate law will pay the most, about $120,000 a year to start; don't get excited by the pay because you will be working 100 hours a week for at least 2 years!

You usually don't "suck up" to teachers--things are much too serious in law school, usually. It's strictly class participation (very critical) for which you have to be prepared EVERY DAY EVERY CLASS, and your test grades and papers.

Good luck--both NYU and Columbia are in great areas of NYC, and Cornell is a very studious environment since it's in the middle of "nowhere." :)

Answer 2

i grew to become into on your boat. What do you love to do jointly with your JD? Do you intend to coach regulation? if so, are you hoping to coach regionally, close to the region the place you graduated from regulation college? if so, then it is going to nevertheless be nicely worth attending a decrease tiered regulation college, conserving in techniques that your pastime possibilities would be constrained geographically and by high quality. in case you're like me and wanted to instruct regulation and had little pastime in starting to be an lawyer, then i wouldn't advise attending a decrease-tiered regulation college. Like biz colleges, regulation colleges are earnings-orientated. they seem to be a dime a dozen. merely given which you will get a JD does no longer mean it has important fee. till you're deadset approximately training regulation regionally, then i could heavily re-examine going to a low tiered regulation college.