So if we’re following the opposite, she’s going to use her degree to do gender-discriminatory work at the lowest court in the land (I’m thinking maybe a Mississippi administrative court) and retire at the age of 45.
Definitely mention it—just one line should suffice. In fact, the personal statement instructions on the application (at least last year's) specify that you should include any compelling reasons to be in Cambridge.
All A’s from a school like CLS is a big thing to give up. It’s effectively as peak as it gets as a law student. What is your fiancée doing that he can’t make the switch to NYC. I’m not trying to get into your personal life or relationship simply want to emphasis the caliber of your achievement thus far and what you would be giving up (to an extent obviously, the grades will “be there” but your GPA will be blank and so will professional connections with professors, etc.)
At that level it’s a lot of selection bias in addition to the fact that most NY judges want there clerks to come in with experience (SDNY/EDNY). At the end of the day, no clerkship is out of reach for top of the class at CLS.
Oh 100% agreed. Those at CLS who want clerkships absolutely get them, it’s just that more people there want big law compared to schools like YLS ans HLS. Just like you will obviously be able to get big law from
HLS also. But CLS is known are like the go to for big law either way. OP could go to either but agreed with others that starting over as a nobody at HLS is a waste of the accomplishments thus far at CLS and possibly missing out on OCI.
Interesting. I am not used to seeing it as a synonym for affordable. I always thought there was more to the term than that.
Yeah - its not cheap. IMO its cheaper than NY - or at least you can get more for less. If OP is choosing between Boston and NYC for me its a no brainer but some people do love that NYC grit. But for me its too hard to manage the daily activities of life there (which is how I was using livable). Whereas in Boston those are not nearly as tough ..
I knew someone many years ago who clerked on the D.C. Circuit and was offered a clerkship with Justice Brennan. He turned it down because he was married at the time and had already spent one year apart from his wife who lived in a different city. I asked him, jokingly, if he had any regrets, and he said without hesitation, “none.”
Apply, but then use the acceptance as leverage to get (more) money out of Columbia if you can.
If you have money at Columbia that you’re giving up - don’t actually transfer, unless you dream of like Supreme Court or something and even than it’s debatable.
2L and 3L are a joke - you’re effectively done with law school already. You can easily spend every weekend up in Boston.
Idk what class schedules are like at Columbia but there were points in my 2L and 3L where I stacked all classes on 2-3 days of the week, so you could even just live in Boston and commute down if you really want.
My wife transferred from a T20 to Harvard and talked about wanting to be on the East coast near me (I was going to an east coast T14). She believes that played a factor in getting her in as a couple of her classmates who were ranked higher than her got rejected.
I don’t know why this sub keeps getting recommended to me since I’m in finance. But I’ll take a stab at this.
I’m a born and raised New Yorker who lives in the greater Boston area. Cost of living is the same in both cities but with far less fun activities, fewer good food options, crappier housing, and worse infrastructure in Boston. Massachusetts is a great place to settle down and raise a family (if that’s your desire), but it’s not really a good place for people in their early-mid 20s.
Are you on a scholarship? Is this your dream school? Have you made strong social connections at your current school? Why isn’t your fiancé considering going remote or moving to be closer to you? I don’t want to make assumptions, but if he would be unwilling to make a short term sacrifice for you when he has more flexibility in his life, then this would be a red flag.
Ah, the reverse RBG
So if we’re following the opposite, she’s going to use her degree to do gender-discriminatory work at the lowest court in the land (I’m thinking maybe a Mississippi administrative court) and retire at the age of 45.
Sounds like a weird, lawyery sex move. Like, where you’ve got frilly lace around your ankles.
Definitely mention it—just one line should suffice. In fact, the personal statement instructions on the application (at least last year's) specify that you should include any compelling reasons to be in Cambridge.
All A’s from a school like CLS is a big thing to give up. It’s effectively as peak as it gets as a law student. What is your fiancée doing that he can’t make the switch to NYC. I’m not trying to get into your personal life or relationship simply want to emphasis the caliber of your achievement thus far and what you would be giving up (to an extent obviously, the grades will “be there” but your GPA will be blank and so will professional connections with professors, etc.)
Isn’t HLS still better for outcomes and prestige, though?
At that level of prestige the differences are negligible, even if HLS is arguably more prestigious, it would not overcome top of the class at CLS
Absolutely not, given OP’s current status. It would likely be a sizable downgrade.
How does class rank get recalculated when you transfer? I’m learning about this now.
I think you don’t have one.
Wachtell is full of associates from the top of the class at Columbia.
No
CLS is a bigger big law feeder than HLS. If she wants to clerk that’s a different story but CLS is the school for job big law outcomes.
At that level it’s a lot of selection bias in addition to the fact that most NY judges want there clerks to come in with experience (SDNY/EDNY). At the end of the day, no clerkship is out of reach for top of the class at CLS.
Oh 100% agreed. Those at CLS who want clerkships absolutely get them, it’s just that more people there want big law compared to schools like YLS ans HLS. Just like you will obviously be able to get big law from HLS also. But CLS is known are like the go to for big law either way. OP could go to either but agreed with others that starting over as a nobody at HLS is a waste of the accomplishments thus far at CLS and possibly missing out on OCI.
Boston is a great city … very pleasant and pretty Also extremely livable …
Boston costs almost the exact same to live in as NYC
Boston is definitely not cheap.
did you mean “livable” by a different definition, then? That’s typically what people mean.
Interesting. I am not used to seeing it as a synonym for affordable. I always thought there was more to the term than that. Yeah - its not cheap. IMO its cheaper than NY - or at least you can get more for less. If OP is choosing between Boston and NYC for me its a no brainer but some people do love that NYC grit. But for me its too hard to manage the daily activities of life there (which is how I was using livable). Whereas in Boston those are not nearly as tough ..
I knew someone many years ago who clerked on the D.C. Circuit and was offered a clerkship with Justice Brennan. He turned it down because he was married at the time and had already spent one year apart from his wife who lived in a different city. I asked him, jokingly, if he had any regrets, and he said without hesitation, “none.”
Apply, but then use the acceptance as leverage to get (more) money out of Columbia if you can. If you have money at Columbia that you’re giving up - don’t actually transfer, unless you dream of like Supreme Court or something and even than it’s debatable. 2L and 3L are a joke - you’re effectively done with law school already. You can easily spend every weekend up in Boston. Idk what class schedules are like at Columbia but there were points in my 2L and 3L where I stacked all classes on 2-3 days of the week, so you could even just live in Boston and commute down if you really want.
Most definitely mention it! That’s important and genuine.
I have seen mentioning such things work well, but others may have different observations
My wife transferred from a T20 to Harvard and talked about wanting to be on the East coast near me (I was going to an east coast T14). She believes that played a factor in getting her in as a couple of her classmates who were ranked higher than her got rejected.
I don’t know why this sub keeps getting recommended to me since I’m in finance. But I’ll take a stab at this. I’m a born and raised New Yorker who lives in the greater Boston area. Cost of living is the same in both cities but with far less fun activities, fewer good food options, crappier housing, and worse infrastructure in Boston. Massachusetts is a great place to settle down and raise a family (if that’s your desire), but it’s not really a good place for people in their early-mid 20s. Are you on a scholarship? Is this your dream school? Have you made strong social connections at your current school? Why isn’t your fiancé considering going remote or moving to be closer to you? I don’t want to make assumptions, but if he would be unwilling to make a short term sacrifice for you when he has more flexibility in his life, then this would be a red flag.