The Lawyering Program

Pioneered by University Professor Anthony Amsterdam, NYU School of Law’s renowned Lawyering Program introduces first-year students to real-world skills that every lawyer needs to be an effective practitioner.

In the first semester, students develop essential legal research and writing skills, exploring how law and fact unite in legal analysis. The second semester allows ample opportunity to engage in simulated interviewing, counseling, case analysis, negotiation, and both informal and trial advocacy. Simulation through role-play, followed by critical review of each experience, bolsters students’ real-world understanding of Lawyering’s four conceptual dimensions of a legal problem: goals, facts, rules, and context.

Through the Lawyering Program, students gain both extensive theoretical knowledge and a wealth of meaningful experience in applying that know-how practically. It’s a skill set that serves future lawyers well when they enroll in clinics as a 2L or 3L and pursue substantive career opportunities outside the Law School.