My dream was Yale, but I was not good enough for them :-(
Nonetheless I consider myself very lucky since I was admitted to both Columbia and Harvard.
Here comes the question:
which one I choose?
I am pretty aware of the fact the Harvard is ranked #2 and Columbia #4 (but with just 3 points difference) - while Yale has a safe 9 points lead over Harvard and 12 over Columbia (big difference!)

I am an experienced lawyer practicing in Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution and I know that in this sector Columbia is by far the best (best professors, best connections, etc...) - surely better than Harvard (and has also an edge over Yale); but Harvard is Harvard and it is difficult to say no to them...
Am I doing the right thing?
IS there someone else renouncing to Harvard for another law school which is slightly lower ranked but has better specialization in a particular field (e.g., Berkeley in IP or Columbia in Securities or NYU in International Policy)?
Thank you!

63 views on the thread but no one has helped me so far....
Pleeeeaseeeee

I had a quite similar choice to make between NYU and Columbia, with NYU being excellent in the areas I would like to specialize in (international law, human rights, legal theory)but with Columbia having a good record in these fields too and taking into account 'Columbia is Columbia' reputation.

I finally chose Columbia, but I would really not have done so if there hadn't been a specific substantial reason at Columbia (I mean content-wise) for preferring it to an offer with plenty of world leading faculty as NYU's. More specifically, there is a course at Columbia that really focusses on my cup of tea within the international human rights law area which I believed could outweigh the benefits NYU had to offer.

The same reasoning could perhaps apply to your choice : is there a specific, substantial reason (e.g. a specific professor, speciality within your area, etc) that would make it interesting to go to Harvard instead of Columbia (and are you sure that professor will still be around next year)? Then go for Havard and get the overal reputational benefits along with it. But if not, really do choose CLS (and come and join us in NY ;-) ).

Hope this helps a bit. Anyhow, and I guess you've heard that often enough by now : there's no wrong choice between your two options =)

Thank you Fleur, your post helped me a lot.
In the end I think that CLS reputation in ADR is so far beyond HLS that it shadows the overall slightly better reputation of the latter. But still it is a hard choice....
Any other suggestion?

I tend to agree with you, even though two years ago I chose Columbia over Harvard because I was granted a $ 20000 scholarship from CLS (this has been the decisive factor).

In addition, I have met many students @Columbia who were admitted also to Harvard or Stanford that have preferred CLS because they were interested in ADR or Banking/Finance Law.

FYI

I am now doing my BCL at Oxford, and I would recommend the course- International Dispute Settlement taught by Prof. AV Lowe. It was really interesting! You will for sure get in-depth knowledge about ADR.

Thank you,
the reputation of Prof. AV Lowe is known worldwide!
At the end I think I will choose Columbia, as I think it's the best choice for me.
See you in NYC!

does anybody know how to find the HLS ADR program on its website?

My dream was Yale, but I was not good enough for them :-(
Nonetheless I consider myself very lucky since I was admitted to both Columbia and Harvard.
Here comes the question:
which one I choose?
I am pretty aware of the fact the Harvard is ranked #2 and Columbia #4 (but with just 3 points difference) - while Yale has a safe 9 points lead over Harvard and 12 over Columbia (big difference!)

I am an experienced lawyer practicing in Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution and I know that in this sector Columbia is by far the best (best professors, best connections, etc...) - surely better than Harvard (and has also an edge over Yale); but Harvard is Harvard and it is difficult to say no to them...
Am I doing the right thing?
IS there someone else renouncing to Harvard for another law school which is slightly lower ranked but has better specialization in a particular field (e.g., Berkeley in IP or Columbia in Securities or NYU in International Policy)?
Thank you!

Officially, the #1 ADR program in the country right now is The LLM at The Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine School of Law. I recommend it unqualifiedly.

Officially, the #1 ADR program in the country right now is The LLM at The Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine School of Law. I recommend it unqualifiedly.

Where I come from, the best students from the previous year have been going to NYU actually, perhaps because of its standing in the specific area they want to pursue or bec of the generous scholarship they were offered.

I cannot be too sure but its not far-fetched that they may have also been accepted to Harvard. Honestly, the ones who have been going there now are not exactly the best academically/experience-wise but the ones who knew somebody who had a good position in government/society in my country. OFCOURSE I AM NOT SAYING THAT THIS IS ALWAYS THE CASE. I am sure more than not, the acceptances given were well-deserved. BUT you must know that the legal community is a DESCERNING community that sees beyond reputation and all. so I guess that's what I think of it. Go where you think you will flourish knowing that the outside world knows the real score.

My dream was Yale, but I was not good enough for them :-(
Nonetheless I consider myself very lucky since I was admitted to both Columbia and Harvard.
Here comes the question:
which one I choose?
I am pretty aware of the fact the Harvard is ranked #2 and Columbia #4 (but with just 3 points difference) - while Yale has a safe 9 points lead over Harvard and 12 over Columbia (big difference!)

I am an experienced lawyer practicing in Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution and I know that in this sector Columbia is by far the best (best professors, best connections, etc...) - surely better than Harvard (and has also an edge over Yale); but Harvard is Harvard and it is difficult to say no to them...
Am I doing the right thing?
IS there someone else renouncing to Harvard for another law school which is slightly lower ranked but has better specialization in a particular field (e.g., Berkeley in IP or Columbia in Securities or NYU in International Policy)?
Thank you!

I am pretty aware of the fact the Harvard is ranked #2 and Columbia #4 (but with just 3 points difference) - while Yale has a safe 9 points lead over Harvard and 12 over Columbia (big difference!)