Touro Law Center - Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center

Long Island’s Touro may not receive national accolades, but “the quality of the education at Touro is exceptionally better than the school's reputation.” Students say there is “no difference” between professors here and those at more prestigious schools; they are “of the same caliber as professors of top tier law schools.” “Brilliant and caring,” these “passionate” professors “convey not only legal theory, but the practical points which are necessary to know in the new legal economy.” Even outside the classroom, they make the time necessary to guide you through the curriculum. “I have never had a problem with scheduling a meeting with a professor,” one student notes. Though TLC is “not too large,” it boasts “excellent library resources” and a staff who “are always there to help.” Overall, at Touro, students feel the “helpful, kind, and compassionate” administration “is committed to the success of each and every student.”
Touro’s Long Island location may not seem like a prime destination for law students, but in fact, the school’s location is one of its great strengths. Having a “close proximity to the state and federal court houses” means that students here enjoy “opportunities that are unavailable to most other law schools.” That access to real law being practiced in real courts, as well as its “great relationship with the judges and attorneys,” means “it feels like the courts are part of our educational experience on a daily basis because we frequently visit them to watch trials, and we also have some of the judges teaching in our school.”
That access is important to the primary goal here: providing you with the framework necessary to have a thriving career. Faculty members “want to ensure that every student has an opportunity to achieve a solid job opportunity after graduation.” The “challenging but fruitful” education students enjoy at Touro “fosters academic and professional development” that, when coupled with the access students have to lawyers and judges—“we can get clerkships much easier than many other schools,” one student notes—allows graduates to quickly be on course for their career pursuits. As one student boasts, “lawyers who graduate from our school are more competent and better equipped to practice law than most other third and fourth tier schools.”

When making “awesome new friends” is set alongside meeting “some excellent attorneys, district attorneys, assistant U.S. attorneys and judges,” it’s easy to see why students appreciate life at Touro, even if opportunities for good times on the weekend are relatively limited in the quiet community of Central Islip. (New York City is an hour away, and is a prime destination for those looking for excitement.) Though everyone here is working hard, don’t expect a cutthroat atmosphere. Those at Touro “share a spirit more of camaraderie than competition.” Your fellow students will not be homogenous, either. “TLC encompasses a diverse student body—not just in terms of race and gender, but also diversity of backgrounds, walks of life, and stages of life.”
The people and atmosphere may be inviting, but there are complaints about the facilities. The elevators are “a nightmare,” and “horrible acoustics” and “obstructed view seats” make lectures halls less than pleasant places to be. Even the layout wins some scorn for being unnecessarily complex; “going from the third floor in the library to third floor in the school, ten feet away, you must travel six flights of stairs.” In addition, be prepared to work around a schedule influenced by the college’s Jewish affiliation. Though the school promotes non-secular activities, “the school and library are closed at 2:30 p.m. on Friday afternoons” and most Saturdays, which for some “makes it extremely hard to put in 100 percent.” That said, the building is “relatively new,” with wireless available “everywhere.”