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UB’s New York City Program in Finance & Law: A Semester in the Big Apple
Published December 17, 2020
For 15 years, the University at Buffalo’s New York City Program in Finance and Law has been offering students an innovative and exhilarating opportunity. This joint effort between the School of Law and School of Management combines the expertise of faculty and alumni from both areas and creates an engaging semester that dives into a deep and varied curriculum in the finance capital of the world.
Read on to discover details of the program, including the format, logistics and how it can help students get a big leg up on their future goals.
Who Can Take Part
The University at Buffalo’s New York City Program in Finance and Law is open to traditional J.D. students in their second or third year, as well as those enrolled in the joint J.D./MBA program and the Advanced Standing Two-Year J.D. program. No prior background or experience in finance is necessary, though the application requires a statement of interest alongside a resume and academic transcript.
“Students who participate in the program have a 3 to 1 NYC location advantage, meaning those who attend are three times as likely to get practice placement and work in NYC after graduation.”
–Stuart Lazar, NYC Program Co-Director and Professor of Law
What You Can Expect
From the Manhattan classroom to site visits at law firms, corporate offices and trading floors, the program gives students a first-hand look at practicing in the world of finance. With less than 20 students accepted each year, the program is able to run an intimate curriculum made up of small student groups as well as focused faculty and alumni interaction. Projects, lectures, lively classroom discussion and site visits make up a total of 12 credit hours, with an additional 3 credit hours available from the externship.*
“This program has been a gem in my law journey. Ever since I was little, I wanted to work in New York City in some capacity. When I attended UB and did the program I absolutely loved it…it’s so different from what other schools offer that having it on my resume and being able to speak about it really helped me stand out.”
–Gabrielle K. Walter ‘18
Students will also get to hear from real-world practitioners, as live speakers—sometimes international guests—talk about diverse subjects like real estate, bankruptcy, regulatory burdens, compliance, and mergers and acquisitions.
Why You Should Do an Externship
Another advantage of the New York City Program in Finance and Law is the associated externship.
“The program’s externships provide a scaffolded structure for students to both perform well and take something valuable away from it. Reflective practice is the main goal—thinking about what they’re going to do before they do it, thinking about what they’re doing while they’re doing it, and thinking about what they have done and then integrating what they’ve learned back into their practice.”
–Michael Higgins, Externship Coordinator at UB School of Law and Assistant Director of the Civil Rights & Transparency Clinic
The externships involve a considerable amount of work at around 10-12 unpaid hours per week, but the dividends are evident: students who’ve participated in the program’s externships have gone on to work in NYC government regulation, legislatures, courts, in-house council, at large firms and in many other rewarding positions.
The University at Buffalo’s New York City Program in Finance and Law is a great opportunity to combine focused learning with hands-on experience in a real-world setting. Are you interested in this unique and rewarding opportunity? Discover more about the program by visiting the New York City Program in Finance and Law webpage or reaching out with specific questions by contacting law-nycprogram@buffalo.edu.
*Please note: The Spring 2021 session will be entirely remote to account for schedule disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic
