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IFILED:NEWYORKCOUNTYCLERK03/21/20121
INDEXNO.652226/2011NYSCEFDOC.NO.22RECEIVEDNYSCEF·
~03/21/2012
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MOTIONDATE
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Thefollowingpapers,numbered1to__werereadonthismotionto/for_NoticeofMotion/OrdertoShowCause-Affidavits-Exhibits...
PAPERSNUMBERED
AnsweringAffidavits-Exhibits_
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NON-FINALDISP(?)SIION••REFERENCE
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SETTLEORDER/JUDG.
NEWYORKLAWSCHOOL,andDOES1-20,SequenceNo.002SUPREMECOURTOFTHESTATEOFNEWYORKCOUNTYOFNEWYORK:PART45
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ALEXANDRAGOMEZ-JIMENEZ,SCOTTTIEDKE,KATHERINECOOPER,MATTHEWCRAWFORD,GEOFFREYCORISDEO,SOLINEMcLAIN,RENEERIVAS,GERGANAMITEVA,andCHLOEGILGANonbehalfofthemselvesandallotherssimilarlysituated,Plaintiffs,IndexNo.652226111-against-DECISIONANDORDERDefendants.
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MELVIN
L.
SCHWEITZER,
J.:
ThisisamotiontodismissacomplaintbroughtbyninegraduatesofNewYorkLawSchool(NYLS)whoallegethatdatapublishedbytheirschoolpertainingtotheschool'sgraduates'employmentandsalariesismisleadingand,infact,fraudulent.'TheyassertthatinhavingreliedonthismisleadinginformationtomaketheirdecisiontoattendNYLS,theynowfindthemselvesindisadvantagedemploymentpositionsand,consequently,theyseekdamagesequaltothedifferencebetweentheallegedinflatedtuitiontheypaidbecauseoftheallegedlymisleadingstatementsandwhattheycharacterizeasthe"truevalue"ofaNYLSdegree,togetherwithcertainexpensestheyincurred.
!Plaintiffsalsoallegethattheyareactingforthemselvesand,purportedly,"forallpersonswhocurrentlyattendorgraduated"fromtheschoolduringthetimeperiodfromAugustII,2005tothepresent(theClassPeriod).
Background
NYLSenrollsapproximately1,500students.Tuitionis$47,800perannum.AmendedComplaint,~10.Accordingtoplaintiffs,NYLShasbeenabletoattractalargenumberofapplicantsandchargeanexpensivepriceforitseducationalservicesbecausetheschoolhasdisseminatedthismisleadinginformationaboutitsgraduates'employmentprofiles.Allegedly,themisleadinginformationhascausedprospectivestudentstomisjudgepost-graduateemploymentprospectsandcommittoearningaNYLSdegreewhichhaslessmarketplacecurrencythantheyreasonablyhadexpected.Plaintiffsallegethatmanyoftheschool'sworkinggraduatesinthelegalsectorholdpart-timeortemporaryemployment,payingbarelyenoughtoservicethedebtincurredtofinancetheirlawschooltuitionandexpenses.
Id.,~~
3-5.PlaintiffAlexandraGomez-JimenezattendedNYLSbetween2004-2007andiscurrentlyamemberingoodstandingoftheNewYorkBar.Aftergraduatingin2007,Ms.Gomez-Jimenezsecuredfull-time,permanentemploymentinApril2008.However,in2009shedecidedtoopenherownfirmandnow"enjoysathrivingpracticeasanimmigrationattorney."
Id.,~
17.PlaintiffChloeGiliganattendedNYLSbetween2005-2008.Ms.GiliganusedtobeamemberingoodstandingoftheNewYorkBar"untilshevoluntarilyassumedinactivestatusduetothefactthatshewasunabletoobtaingainfulemploymentinthelegalindustry[,]"despitebeinginthetop15percentofherclass.Sincegraduatingfromlawschool,Ms.Giliganfirstworkedasasaleswomaninadepartmentstoreandthenasalegalsecretaryinasmalllawfirm.Currently,shelivesinEnglandanddoesnotpracticelaw.
Id.,~
25.PlaintiffsScottTiedkeandGerganaMitevaattendedNYLSbetween2006-2009andarebothcurrentlymembersingoodstandingoftheNewYorkBar.Sincegraduatingfromlaw2
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