Law School SUCKS! Law School SUCKS! DO NOT GO TO LAW SCHOOL! THIS OR ANY OTHER!!! If you are still reading, then you must be a masochist like me. You like torture and want things that you dont really need. You want a JD. Well, be prepared to give up all of your hobbies, your family, friends, your significant other, your insignificant other, that cute boy you've been crushing on, your bank account, gain 50 ibs and have no life for several years and then work like crazy to pay off those loans. Still reading? Ok, its bad, but it makes you stronger and smarter (in most cases, some people do lose their minds). This is a law school. Its alright, but I dont know any better but heard some bad stories, so overall its alright. Location - right in the middle of the theater district, 2 blocks away from Boston common and public gardens, bunch of T stops around, etc. Location is not bad, discounted parking is available at the radison ramp. Edunamukation - overall pretty good. There are some real gems, most of the reviews are quite accurate, read ratemyprof.com for details, but most of them have real life experience in addition to superb education. Adjuncts are mostly very nice and their classes tend to be easier then those of full time faculty. There are about 8 classes taught by judges, take those. There is one prof you should avoid. PM me and I will let you know. Social life - its a small school, but if you join the right organizations you can get free lunch and or dinner 2-5 times per week. Bunch of events and free pizza. Administration - I never had any significant problems, Fin Aid office is extremely helpful. Registrar takes its time releasing grades, so beware. Bar - they prepare you well. 93.7% of our graduates passed the July 2010 bar, so whatever tier it is, it does its job. read more

I agree with Jeremy, this is a Tier 4 law school best known as "New England School of Flaw." The "campus" consists of one dull, grey building surrounded by various construction projects, which are incredibly distracting even in the classrooms. Their "re-branding" as New England Law | Boston is a joke- complete with typos on the school's facade wrapping- and the name change does little for the school's second-rate reputation; It's not fooling anyone. The education, as you can tell from the myriad of typos in the previous posts, is mediocre at best. Yes, you will pass the bar (on your third try, if you're lucky), but don't expect large firms to come knocking at your door. If you want a career as an ambulance chaser or a hack public defender, then by all means, this is the place for you! In the school's 100 year history they have little more than a handful of notable alumni- most of which aren't even recognizable outside of Boston city limits. Yes, it's less expensive than Suffolk, but as the old adage goes: You get what you pay for. Which in this case, is an embarrassing reputation for producing sub-par lawyers for sub-par firms. read more

Graduating from NESL in May and needed to give the school a little love. First of all, for any of you considering taking Jeremy's advice and attempting to raise your LSAT scores you should know it's next to impossible. You don't only get to report your highest score to schools, you have to report them all. Your only saving grace is to show you worked hard and raised your score, if significantly, but that likely won't save you when you're up against the millions of other students who got it right the first time. Not only that, Harvard, BU, etc. want brilliant students who don't screw up the LSATS ever. So "working hard" is not usually on their radar. So, if you didn't get the grandest score (for whatever reason) let me tell you a little something about NESL. It is a small school. I'm graduating with around 400 other students, which makes up 2 day division sections, a night section, and other part timers who will be graduating this year. The first year classes, however, are large (mine was around 150). I think it has a lot to offer, however. The professors are very personable. Many of them have open-door policies and are on hand all the time. As with any school, you get some shitty professors, but it's all on taste and after first year you can start to find out which ones you like better and all those you want to avoid. They all have great backgrounds and therefore a lot to offer. I've talked with many of them about things e.g. work-related issues, how to find jobs in the area, how to go about getting the career I want, etc. I especially like the part-timers and adjuncts b/c they're usually lawyers in the area and have great connections. One spent a bit of time with me talking about how students from smaller schools can see about getting into the larger firms. The clinical program is well ran and an extreme asset. I'm a little jealous of the program they have at Northeastern (They go to classes part of the year and work full-time the other part, but I don't know much more about it than that) b/c I really value experience. The best part about it is that you can really make it your own and get as much experience out of it as you want. You do not, thank god, get the competition I hear horror stories about at other schools. There's no hiding books or ruining someone's computer or other shit going on. There's a little petty stuff, but the atmosphere is very collegiate and you'll find lots of help from your fellow classmates or upperclassmen. The library is well staffed and organized. You can find most anything you want. They're also very knowledgeable about Westlaw and Lexis (where I spend most of my researching time) and so you can get a lot of help there. Some of the bad stuff has been noted as well in my three years. Truth be told, the career services staff does really suck. I've found more work through the clinical program and professors than I have through them. They have a bit of helpful resources (online job postings, resume and cover writing help), but they're a bit of a nuisance to deal with. Every time I've sought them out for help they've been really aloof and kind of just ready to get me out of there (except for the head of the staff who now no longer works there, stupid move on their part). They're a little focused on touting the few students who make it into big firms, and this can seem misleading. Just in general I've found them to be very unhelpful. So, having opened the door to the big-firm talk, the truth is that going to NESL will likely not get you into a big firm. Those firms can get Harvard and BU and they just don't need NESL students. There are larger firms who seem to hire more from NESL and Suffolk, but you pretty much have to be tip top of your class to get those gigs. But then you may decide big firm isn't for you, and if that's the case NESL will be a ton of help. Partly b/c NESL alums who work in various settings are often totally pro-NESL students and there's something to be said for that. Just like big firms will hire Harvard students for the name, those lawyers will hire NESL students for the NESL name. I've found this to be pretty helpful. If you want to work public interest or just get your feet wet speaking in courtroom-like settings, there is always the clinical office hiring students. It's a great opportunity and best of all, it's so close to campus that even busy students can usually get the experience. To Jeremy, I'm sorry you had such a poor experience in law school. Sucks when something doesn't turn out to be what you think it is, such as a legal career (it was a big shock to me too), but blaming the catalyst for bringing about that realization will do you no good. To anyone reading this and considering NESL I say go in w/ an open mind. Oh, almost forgot, though it's super expensive any way you look at it, it is the cheapest accredited school in the city. That's always nice. read more

I recently graduated from NESL. My opinion of the school has evolved during the years. Here's the final product: The school has a strong reputation in the Massachusetts legal community, which is quite an accomplishment given its local competitors. The esteemed faculty are enthusiastic and hardworking. The political nonsense that you hear about at other institutions shows no presence at our quaint historical school NESL'd in Boston's theater district. Here, you will not find classrooms composed of the arrogant, the snarky or the entitled. Rather, you will likely find a vibrant community ripe with working professionals, parents, twenty-somethings, as well as some folks who may have fought in the Korean War (Looking at you, Rich). If you do decide to go to NESL, you could find yourself immersed in an industrious, motivated and stoically resilient student body with a healthy respect for the title of Juris Doctor. At least, that was my experience. read more

My mentor and supervising attorney is a NESL Alumni, and a couple of coworkers are even current students. Across the board, each and everyone praises New England Law and when I needed to make the commitment recently between New England, Suffolk, and Roger Williams, it wasn't difficult. **Having gone through the admissions process extensively over the previous months, I write this review specifically in regards to that aspect of the schools and their staff. While Suffolk seems to respond in the manner of a generic school with non-personable tactics and interactions, New England breaks that mold. Every member of the admissions department from the initial admissions counselors, to the director, and even the scholarship committee, treated me with the utmost respect and courtesy. I became reenergized and excited in the pursuit of my JD and looked forward to meeting my professors and classmates. Simply put, New England Law is a great school and produces talented alumni, but more importantly, personable people who also want to see others achieve great things. ***Roger Williams was a nightmare process and took 4x the effort and time than the other institutions. In the end as a life-long Rhode Island, it hurt to choose an out of state school, but I couldn't put myself through 4 years at a place that couldn't treat me as a human being. I view the RWU Dean (both past and present), many professors, staff and even some current students in high esteem, but personally, if you're looking for a law school for 3/4 years of your life... got to New England (or Suffolk, if that's your style). read more

2002 Graduate here. And former public defender. I agree that this school has some things and quirks that are a problem, but the graduates from this school do just as well as Suffolk. I know this because I've been in the legal community in the Boston area practicing criminal defense for 12 years and there is absolutely no difference. If you are not going to Harvard, Yale or even BU/BC then the difference between Suffolk and New England is only in the price. You get what you put into it. Its as simple as that. And if you actually didn't go to New England, how are you reviewing it? Look do the research. The school has its strengths and weaknesses. (Yelp is likely not where you will learn much I just wanted to respond to some of the comments that were flat out wrong.) read more

Worst. Law. School. Ever. First off, do not go to law school, the profession is losing the luster it once had and for those thinking they will make the big bucks, you are solely mistaken. NESL has a poor reputation in Boston and after going there, I am not surprised. I was not impressed with the teaching and the career services office is horrible. They don't work for you and misinterpret the hiring data after law school. The fact that they are an "independant" school is only hurting its image. If they would just sell out to a bigger college then the school would have a higher reputation. Trust me, you are better off getting your MBA. If you are stuck on getting into law school - stay away from NESL at all costs. Work on getting your LSAT up and getting into a better school because that is all law firms care about. read more

I like it. Seriously, it's a small school and that comes with certain limitations. However, I decided to attend because this school really seemed to care about the students. They kept sending letters from Professors offering advice and answers to any questions. They sent my essay back with a personal and relevant message. They really seemed to put more effort into personal interaction than the other schools I was choosing from did. I also like the history. It's the only law school in the nation founded to educate women. Knowing how hard it was for women to get taken seriously in the legal world, I think that's an awesome reason to found a law school. read more

New England Law actually has a very good reputation among the legal community and students both inside and outside Boston. Let's be honest, there's the top law schools in the country, and then there's everyone else. You won't get a 200k job right after graduating, but you won't get that graduating most law schools (Suffolk and other area schools included). It's a great school with great professors.. read more

1. I have been here 3 years and it has shifted to almost entirely make you a night student. It's 7 pm and I'm just going into school for a class 7:30-9!! And it's not by choice- because they offer no electives during the day!! And they boast 150 electives but you're lucky if half of that is offered in a semester - some classes I've wanted to take have still not been offered in my 3 years here. 2. They boast clinical opportunities to gain legal experience. I have a great resume but wanted some school credit to get a job in my last semester of law school so I thought what the heck let me do a clinic - basically was told there are no placements even though they allowed me to take the 4 credit class. Not accommodating and I've heard the clinics throw you in corner cubicles and nobody gives a crap about you. 3. They just forced retirement on the most tenured and esteemed faculty. Your education is based on who is teaching you. Food thought. 4. It's definitely a collegial atmosphere and less competitive than most law schools will be and that really is a plus. 5. You have classes on one maybe two floors of a really small building and there's no where we can really spread out. ... Essentially: if you get accepted into ANY OTHER ABA accredited law school - go to that one !!! read more

Graduating from NESL in May and needed to give the school a little love. First of all, for any of you considering taking Jeremy's advice and attempting to raise your LSAT scores you should know it's next to impossible. You don't only get to report your highest score to schools, you have to report them all. Your only saving grace is to show you worked hard and raised your score, if significantly, but that likely won't save you when you're up against the millions of other students who got it right the first time. Not only that, Harvard, BU, etc. want brilliant students who don't screw up the LSATS ever. So "working hard" is not usually on their radar. So, if you didn't get the grandest score (for whatever reason) let me tell you a little something about NESL. It is a small school. I'm graduating with around 400 other students, which makes up 2 day division sections, a night section, and other part timers who will be graduating this year. The first year classes, however, are large (mine was around 150). I think it has a lot to offer, however. The professors are very personable. Many of them have open-door policies and are on hand all the time. As with any school, you get some shitty professors, but it's all on taste and after first year you can start to find out which ones you like better and all those you want to avoid. They all have great backgrounds and therefore a lot to offer. I've talked with many of them about things e.g. work-related issues, how to find jobs in the area, how to go about getting the career I want, etc. I especially like the part-timers and adjuncts b/c they're usually lawyers in the area and have great connections. One spent a bit of time with me talking about how students from smaller schools can see about getting into the larger firms. The clinical program is well ran and an extreme asset. I'm a little jealous of the program they have at Northeastern (They go to classes part of the year and work full-time the other part, but I don't know much more about it than that) b/c I really value experience. The best part about it is that you can really make it your own and get as much experience out of it as you want. You do not, thank god, get the competition I hear horror stories about at other schools. There's no hiding books or ruining someone's computer or other shit going on. There's a little petty stuff, but the atmosphere is very collegiate and you'll find lots of help from your fellow classmates or upperclassmen. The library is well staffed and organized. You can find most anything you want. They're also very knowledgeable about Westlaw and Lexis (where I spend most of my researching time) and so you can get a lot of help there. Some of the bad stuff has been noted as well in my three years. Truth be told, the career services staff does really suck. I've found more work through the clinical program and professors than I have through them. They have a bit of helpful resources (online job postings, resume and cover writing help), but they're a bit of a nuisance to deal with. Every time I've sought them out for help they've been really aloof and kind of just ready to get me out of there (except for the head of the staff who now no longer works there, stupid move on their part). They're a little focused on touting the few students who make it into big firms, and this can seem misleading. Just in general I've found them to be very unhelpful. So, having opened the door to the big-firm talk, the truth is that going to NESL will likely not get you into a big firm. Those firms can get Harvard and BU and they just don't need NESL students. There are larger firms who seem to hire more from NESL and Suffolk, but you pretty much have to be tip top of your class to get those gigs. But then you may decide big firm isn't for you, and if that's the case NESL will be a ton of help. Partly b/c NESL alums who work in various settings are often totally pro-NESL students and there's something to be said for that. Just like big firms will hire Harvard students for the name, those lawyers will hire NESL students for the NESL name. I've found this to be pretty helpful. If you want to work public interest or just get your feet wet speaking in courtroom-like settings, there is always the clinical office hiring students. It's a great opportunity and best of all, it's so close to campus that even busy students can usually get the experience. To Jeremy, I'm sorry you had such a poor experience in law school. Sucks when something doesn't turn out to be what you think it is, such as a legal career (it was a big shock to me too), but blaming the catalyst for bringing about that realization will do you no good. To anyone reading this and considering NESL I say go in w/ an open mind. Oh, almost forgot, though it's super expensive any way you look at it, it is the cheapest accredited school in the city. That's always nice. read more

I attended this school because I read about how they educated women lawyers at a time others would not. I thought that stood for equity and giving an opportunity to those that others would not. Here is my honest opinion after spending a year there: They are selectively helpful in ensuring your success. I suffer from a hearing impairment and they were not immediately accommodating despite the paperwork I submitted (that has been sufficient for other places for over 19 years). My accommodations were granted on a "contingent basis". One instructor allowed a student to erase my name from the seating chart and take my seat despite my meeting with her (after contingent approval) and asking permission to select my seat ahead of time. Next, a roommate pulled out of our housing a few days before school was set to begin. I lost my deposit money and found it beyond difficult to find suitable housing in Boston so I spent much of the school year homeless or living in AirBnB places (hoping to find someone trustworthy and affordable). Needless to say, some of my grades suffered. I did not fail any classes but scored low in two courses. I was confused in property law and after only two weeks went to go get help from the academic excellence director assigned to my section. She was more interested during the meeting in asking personal questions and when I reiterated that I was struggling in property and had specific questions about the class she waved me off and said that that wasn't yet the time. I still believe that if she had been willing to focus on helping me by answering my questions, that day, I would have been able to succeed in the course. I did not understand the course until it was too late. Exam time came 3 weeks after classes started. I went to request a transcript so that I could attempt to transfer but the Registrars office shared with other administrators what I was planning to do without my permission. This led to my Faculty advisor contacting me and ultimately trying to convince me to stay. I asked about a possible leave of absence and I was told I could withdraw only. The stress of law school was manageable but the stress of law school, the reaction to my accommodation request, and the struggle with housing simply was too much but I really wanted this and I wanted to succeed. Finally towards the end of the year I was determined to make it work. I brought my grades up in every class except two and that was grounds for dismissal. Upon dismissal I was told I could petition for readmittance if there were extenuating circumstances . They sent me the rules telling me how to petition. I sent in the paperwork and the fee and then I was told I cannot petition but they cashed the check and kept the fee. Where is the ethics in that? Oh! one last thing. They allow you to sign up for and begin summer courses without knowing if you have successfully fulfilled the requirements to continue your education. I was halfway done with summer courses before I was told I was dismissed due to insufficient grades. The dismissal is effective from the end of the last semester even if you are not told until you have completed summer sessions. I was immediately withdrawn from the summer courses but held responsible for paying the entire tuition even though they did not allow me to complete the courses. The balance on my account is their reasoning for not allowing me to petition for readmittance. While that rule makes sense it was not stated in any of the materials they sent me telling me I could petition. Thinking about law school? Consider somewhere that is equipped to handling more than what this school could. You never know what life can throw at you and in an emergency you want to know that the thousands you are spending will mean you are supported in every way and that the school has policies and procedures to assist in these issues. In my case I would have simply appreciated empathy for the housing issues demonstrated by allowing me to petition for readmittance. This is not the place to attend unless you have savings or access to financial resources should something go wrong, you have an extreme amount of outside support, you know people in Boston who can step in and offer support should something go wrong. If you have a disability go to a school more equipped and WILLING to work with you. I ruined my chance at a law degree by taking a chance and attending this school. I will never forgive myself. read more

I am currently a 2L at NELB! And I must say my first year @ NELB was terrific! Besides the work load---the school itself is an amazing place...all my professors were extremely helpful and caring! Almost all my professors graduated from ivy league law schools such as NYU, Harvard, Yale, etc. The school is located right in the heart of downtown Boston, which is absolutely lovely because its so convenient to so many stores and trains... Students have a variety of restaurants to choose from--my friends and I love Rock Bottom--during finals--this restaurant was our best friend!! The staff at NELB is extremely helpful---one thing that I know for sure is that I will be well prepared for the bar exam---the bar passage rate is AMAZING! There are so many networking opportunities and events and raffles and seminars going on at NELB--- You wont regret making this school your choice! I am glad I made the choice as a minority student to attend NELB--no regrets! read more

I am new to NESL, but so far I have really appreciated the hands on approach that the school has extended. Since it is a small school, the professors seem to be more inclined to reach out to individual students. Each time I communicate with the school, my enthusiasm for the institution grows. As I spend more time here, I will update my review and let you know how my opinions have furthered. read more

Well, if you cannot get into a law school anywhere else, then maybe NESL will work for you. They have low admission standards to collect student loan tuition $$$$. Dean O'Brien was/is the highest paid law dean in the country for running this fourth tier law school. If you like debt and poor job prospects, check it out. read more

Yea, sounds like Annie M. failed torts. I am not a graduate of this school, but I know some very successful individuals who are.

I attended NESL 20 years ago. It is a small school in the heart of Boston. I actually loved the location because you are right in downtown Boston within walking distance to everything. I thought most of the professors were excellent and had amazing credentials. I think just as with any school it is as good as you make it. One of the other reviews mentioned bar passing. NESL has always had a great bar passing rate and I believe the most recent first time bar passing was 93%. I passed the bar on my first try and only had average grades there. But they do really emphasize material that will be on the bar. I went to work for a major insurance company and had no problem finding a job but I also worked part time while attending law school full time and that definitely helped my resume. It is true NESL is not Harvard but it is an accredited law school in a great city. read more

Our class , 97, did just fine. My crew of six, all night students, all making six figures combination of private practice, corporate and government. read more

NESL is a decent school where a person can get a good legal education. It has pretty high bar passage rate. Sure, the building is small and not great, but as anyone with a brain knows, that is not important. Some of the professors are really great. I never wanted to work for a big firm and would have not accepted an offer from one. If you want a job from a big firm, you don't go to NESL--that is evident to anyone who looks into it before enrollment. That being said, I know in my class a least a few students did join big firms. If you want to work in a small to medium firm, the federal government (like I did), the state goverment, or open your own practice, NESL is fine. If you think it's going to help you get girls and don't have the brains to make it like David, then don't complain about the school on Yelp--complain to your therapist. I passed the bar on the first try, as did other students I know. THe comments on here are just ridiculous. There are many very successful attorneys in MA that went to NESL. There is one NESL alumn who is pretty high up in DOJ. There are many NESL judges too. Of course, there are some people who look down on NESL--we call them snobs. Many people go to NESL because it costs less and because they did not do well on the standardized test (LSAT). But they are not stupid-they make great attorneys. It is true if you move out of the area, many people will not have heard of your school and be wary to hire you unless you have a lot of high caliber experience. Im not sure why so few alumn have given positive reviews to the school, and the rating has been dragged down by a few crackpots who never went to NESL or never graduated from NESL because it hurt their brain (David T). They are probably too busy practicing law. Somebody needs to get the word out because these numbers are absurd. . read more

great location--a lil on the expensive side but the local rep of this school is amazing: great opportunities for a boston area grad!! its definitely not harvard but its a great school overall read more