Hey all,

Which school do you think is better for Environmental Law - Pace or NYU? My take on it is that it seems that Pace has a better reputation in terms of the speciality, but NYU... Well, NYU is NYU, with its brand-name awareness and all that it entails.

I would consider others as well, if there are better programs out there (please suggest!), but I would like to go to the NYC area, if possible.

Not to forget Vermont and Oregon.

Thanks for the suggestions. In terms of reputation, is either better than NYU or Pace? And do you happen to know of any other similar options in the New York City area?

It depends on what you want to do and where you want to work, but 95% of the time NYU hands down. Pace has its enviro competition every year, but you can't beat being in NYC and the extreme ranking difference.

It's true that NYU has a higher overall US News & World Report ranking. However, Pace has a higher - and much more consistent - specialty ranking for environmental law, appearing in the top three environmental law schools in the US News & World Report.
Looking beyond the rankings issue, Pace offers unparalleled curricular and experiential opportunities for environmental LL.M. candidates - all within reach (a 40 minute Metro North ride) of Manhattan as well. The LL.M. program at Pace allows students to specialize within the environmental LL.M., choosing between a general environmental track, a land use and sustainable development track, and a climate change track. Pace LL.M. candidates also have over 40 courses in environmental law to choose from and an experienced, renowned, accessible faculty. Pace LL.M. candidates also have access to some of the leading research centers in the environmental field: the Land Use Law Center for Sustainable Development, the Pace Energy and Climate Center, and the Center for Environmental Legal Studies (the international arm of the program). You can see how much the program at Pace does each year in their annual reports: http://law.pace.edu/environmental-law-program-annual-reports
(Full disclosure: I am a graduate of the Pace environmental LL.M. program.)

Thanks for the suggestions. In terms of reputation, is either better than NYU or Pace? And do you happen to know of any other similar options in the New York City area?

Unless you've received a generous scholarship from Pace U, you cannot but choose NYU. Too much difference in rankings and, more in general, in every aspect. NYU is world-wide known academic powerhouse...

Let me join this discussion on behalf of Pace Law School.

Of course NYU is a great school, but dont be so quick to rule out Pace if you are interested in the specialized field of environmental law.

As ljensen posted above, Pace offers a wide variety of environmental courses and opportunities to specialize in land use and sustainable development, climate change or global environmental law. The environmental faculty and research centers at Pace are second to none.

The Admissions Committee is accepting applications and scholarship requests for the Fall 2014 entering class. Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible to ensure a place in the class and the best chance of scholarship availability.

Admitted students are invited to participate in two special events scheduled for April 2014: a Sustainable Development Seminar led by Professor John Nolon, founder of the Pace Land Use Law Center; and an Environmental Law Walk and Talk at a nearby sustainable agriculture center, guided by Professor Nicholas Robinson, one of the pioneers in the study and practice of environmental law. Please contact llm@law.pace.edu for dates of these events and registration details.

Full disclosure: Im a member of the environmental programs staff at Pace.

Thank you all for the advice! I still haven't made up my mind...! My husband will be accepting NYU's offer. For this reason, I was wondering how far is Pace Law School from NYU (we would definitely live on NYU's campus because we both want to live in the city). Can anyone please give me some information on that? Thank you very much for your help!

It's true that NYU has a higher overall US News & World Report ranking. However, Pace has a higher - and much more consistent - specialty ranking for environmental law, appearing in the top three environmental law schools in the US News & World Report.
Looking beyond the rankings issue, Pace offers unparalleled curricular and experiential opportunities for environmental LL.M. candidates - all within reach (a 40 minute Metro North ride) of Manhattan as well. The LL.M. program at Pace allows students to specialize within the environmental LL.M., choosing between a general environmental track, a land use and sustainable development track, and a climate change track. Pace LL.M. candidates also have over 40 courses in environmental law to choose from and an experienced, renowned, accessible faculty. Pace LL.M. candidates also have access to some of the leading research centers in the environmental field: the Land Use Law Center for Sustainable Development, the Pace Energy and Climate Center, and the Center for Environmental Legal Studies (the international arm of the program). You can see how much the program at Pace does each year in their annual reports: http://law.pace.edu/environmental-law-program-annual-reports
(Full disclosure: I am a graduate of the Pace environmental LL.M. program.)

[Edited by ADL on Nov 12, 2016]