My sense is that the domestic applicants who apply to CLS are usually wanting to enter academia and want to "upgrade" their degree whereas the ones at NYU are often doing the tax LLM and going back into practice. Columbia is reluctant to admit ppl whose goal is academic if they think they will be disappointed in the end since it is such an expensive degree.
Don't forget also that a large portion of the Associates are American JDs (from Yale, Chicago, CLS, etc).

LL.M. is also a vehicle for a practicing attorney who received their J.D's stateside to shift the focus of their career. I am a third year labor & employment attorney, but will be getting my LL.M. so that I can practice human rights advocacy. I have no prior background in the field, so the LL.M. gives me that back bone.

I received an email some days ago saying that I was on the waitlist. When I asked for more information, I received straight away another (very nice) email stating that they had to receive all answers to the offers made in order to determine whether or not they still have space. The person from the admission office kindly asked me to be patient... I believe they have sent out all their offers or that they have already made their decisions and just wait for people to accept or turn down so that they can admit others.
Good luck

Good news! One more spot available at CLS for 2007-08. I just deferred my admission until the next year. I was admitted but with no tuition waiver, could not find enough funds to go there (I'm not eligible for US student loan :(

Does anyone know what happened last year for people waitlisted?
And what about financial aid? Does waitlist means no hope of aid whatsoever if admitted afterwards?

It seems to be like that. I got admitted a bit later then most of the students since CLS requested an additional reference letter. My offer letter already specified that no financial aid has been granted. I am also waitlisted in U of Michigan but the lady in admission office told me I would get an offer if submit an additional reference letter. She also told me that at this moment (i.e. after the first round of offers has been made) they cannot offer financial aid. She also said that sometimes additional scholarship become available in mid April-May