While I am waiting for SLS, deadline for choosing school is coming. I will be sponsored by my company, so tuition or scholarship is not my interest. Project financing and corporate governance is my interested fields.

[NYU]
Pros : NYU has around 400 seats (right?) and probably will provide wide alumni networks when I get back to my country due to its large size which includes many people from my country. I go there alone, so big city with lots of curtural things to do would ease my loneliness. I also can get along with friends who visit NY often. I heard that NYU has practical approach on the studies. I am a lawyer, so I like practical approach although I also like academic approach as well.

Cons : Too many students, and it is not an ivy league university although I don't know how much this ivyleague thing is important to the lawschool as well. But I personally haven't had a feeling of 'prestige' so far to NYU (no offense, just personal feeling). Rank is 6, so below Chicago (4), and I also don't know how this ranking "2" makes differences.

[Chicago]

Pros : ranking 4, ivy league, prestige school. I like academic environment too.
Cons : too small classes, 3 quarter system which probably will force me to study too hard.. (I don't go there just to be relaxed, but...), too cold weather (I hate cold weather, but used to it. and not sure if NY is also simlarly cold as Chicago), proabably lonely and boring in comparison to NY (of course who knows if small class close friends would better off, I'm just guessing).

[Berkeley]

I like warm weather, and that is only reason I consider this school. My country has cold winter, so I just want to live in the country with warm winter. Other than that, honestly I don't have many information about berkeley, please let me know.

How would you think? I'm really confusing... Help me!
Many thanks in advance.

I don't have any comments concerning your question, but I would like to correct that Chicago is not an ivy league university.

For your future career, Chicago would be the first choice.
As you mentioned, Chicago is in the 4th rank of the Law School Ranking. Of course, its just a ranking. But lot of people rely on this ranking. Chicago is much harder to get an admission than other two law schools.

However, if you are worried about cold weather, Chicago would be the worst choice. In addition, New York also has a long cold winter. Chicago is slightly worse, but there are no significant difference for weather.

I can feel from your post that you prefer to live in a warm place with nice friends.
I think you should chose Berkeley then.

The Ivy League is a collegiate athletic conference comprising sports teams from eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The eight institutions are Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, and Yale University. Five of the universities have law schools: Columbia, Cornell, Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale.

Is that the actual Dean Badger from UChicago?

If so - I find myself in a dilemma choosing schools. While I face the pleasant problem of having to choose from some terrific schools, I wanted to ask a question that may also help other students.

What is the process involved in students selecting their courses at the leading law schools?

Yes, it is me! I find it useful to keep an eye on what is happening in this discussion board to see what applicants are concerned about. It helps me modify our application materials and web page to anticipate applicant questions.

I am afraid there is no simple answer to your question since the course selection process will vary from school to school. If this is important to you, you may want to inquire at the schools you are considering.

For Chicago, nearly all of our courses are open to LLM students except a few first year JD courses where individual faculty believe that the subject matter is too basic for our LLM students.

If more JD and LLM students want to take a course than the instructor will permit, there is a lottery for available spaces with LLM and third year JD students given priority over second year JD students. When students register they can indicate their first, second, third, etc. choices among their courses and that also has an impact on which students will be selected in the lottery.

Prior work experience is not taken into account in the registration process. Some courses, however, may have prerequisites (other courses in the curriculum) and in some cases our LLM students have been able to get such prerequisites waived based upon their prior academic or professional work.

One final point to remember is that people who wish to qualify to take the New York Bar Exam will have to take certain courses to meet NY requirements and that may mean they have less flexibility to take as many other courses as they would like.

Thank you, Dean Badger!

Yes, it is me! I find it useful to keep an eye on what is happening in this discussion board to see what applicants are concerned about. It helps me modify our application materials and web page to anticipate applicant questions.

I am afraid there is no simple answer to your question since the course selection process will vary from school to school. If this is important to you, you may want to inquire at the schools you are considering.

For Chicago, nearly all of our courses are open to LLM students except a few first year JD courses where individual faculty believe that the subject matter is too basic for our LLM students.

If more JD and LLM students want to take a course than the instructor will permit, there is a lottery for available spaces with LLM and third year JD students given priority over second year JD students. When students register they can indicate their first, second, third, etc. choices among their courses and that also has an impact on which students will be selected in the lottery.

Prior work experience is not taken into account in the registration process. Some courses, however, may have prerequisites (other courses in the curriculum) and in some cases our LLM students have been able to get such prerequisites waived based upon their prior academic or professional work.

One final point to remember is that people who wish to qualify to take the New York Bar Exam will have to take certain courses to meet NY requirements and that may mean they have less flexibility to take as many other courses as they would like.

Bella, unfortunately, I spend much of my time reading applications so I do not really pay much attention to the curriculums at other law schools. Sorry.

As to the new York Bar Exam, you should look at
http://www.nybarexam.org/Foreign/ForeignLegalEducation.htm, assuming you are a foreign trained lawyer.