Haha, butchered a cold call.. In a really, really, bad way Forum

[Icculus]

If you're going to put a story on here at least make it funny:

Prof. "Mr. X could you go over the facts of the case."
Mr. X: Mumbles and eats cereal.
Prof.: Excuse me?
Mr. X: ....
Prof.: Mr. Y, could you tell us what's going on here?

Best cold call ever.
--------------------------------------------------------

Prof: So this is a house that costs $150K, but it's in Kentucky, I imagine you get a pretty nice place since it's Kentucky. There's no one here from Kentucky is there?
Student: <defiantly> I AM.
Prof.: <beet red> uhm, well, <proceeds to stammer>

Edit: Prof: Mr. X could you go over the case for us.
Mr. X: ....
Prof.: Well?
Mr. X: I'm sorry, I was asleep.

Also epic.

[RodneyBoonfield]

cool story bro

[crumpetsandtea]

If you're going to put a story on here at least make it funny:

Prof. "Mr. X could you go over the facts of the case."
Mr. X: Mumbles and eats cereal.
Prof.: Excuse me?
Mr. X: ....
Prof.: Mr. Y, could you tell us what's going on here?

Best cold call ever.
--------------------------------------------------------

Prof: So this is a house that costs $150K, but it's in Kentucky, I imagine you get a pretty nice place since it's Kentucky. There's no one here from Kentucky is there?
Student: <defiantly> I AM.
Prof.: <beet red> uhm, well, <proceeds to stammer>

Edit: Prof: Mr. X could you go over the case for us.
Mr. X: ....
Prof.: Well?
Mr. X: I'm sorry, I was asleep.

Also epic.

LOL at that last one. No one has really messed up a cold call in my section yet, but this happened yesterday in one of my classes:

Professor: (lecturing, asks a question, sees someone with hand raised) Yes, Mr. A? What's the (question repeated)?
Mr. A: ...Um, I was raising my hand to ask a question. I'm sorry I have no idea what you were just saying.
(class laughs)
Mr. A: I'm sorry, I was so busy thinking about my question that I didn't pay attention to you. That was very rude, I apologize.
Professor: (laughing) Okay, well...do you want to ask your question then?
Mr. A: No, not anymore...

It was kind of hilarious. It didn't seem like the person in question tortured himself over it the way OP did though, it was more of a funny moment for everyone in the classroom. Another awesome moment: Professor was cold calling someone, asks the guy a question, guy says something that doesn't quite answer it and then goes, "But I'm more interested to hear your take on this issue..." XD Great deflection.

[History_Buff]

Not in my section so this is hearsay, BUT it's been told to me by many people.

Prof sees Mr. X raise his hand
Prof: Yes Mr. X?
Mr. X: So, uh, if I were at a rock concert or something and I were to shit my pants does that constitute battery since it's offensive contact to those around me?
Prof: ... , okay, moving on who can tell me about this case?

[LazinessPerSe]

Prof: Guy in the green baseball hat, was this an ethical violation?
Green Baseball Hat Guy: ... <10 seconds go by, class mutters> ... <friend nudges GBHG> OH, hi.
Prof: ...Yes, you. Was it an ethical violation?
GBHG: I uh.. I mean I could see how it could be a violation, and then.. well, this is a tough one. I don't know.
Prof: Fair enough - how about you right next to him?

Who the hell cold calls in professional responsibility 2L? Here I am, face deep in reddit, and then I'm asked if something is ethical. The LEAST he could have done would be to give me the facts again.

[rouser]

just say, "ultimately, we have to decide where to draw the line . . . "

[manofjustice]

just say, "ultimately, we have to decide where to draw the line . . . "

[20130312]

This was not "butchering" a cold call...it was a normal cold call. Hell, I'd say this is about how 95% of the cold calls I've seen go.

Seriously. And also, nobody gives a shit. One of my teachers cold called me last week on a case I hadn't read at all. I just said "Pass" and stared at her. The class laughed, but she moved on to someone else. Who cares?

[noleknight16]

Got cold called in torts today. Negligence (causation) case but the professor kept focusing on workers comp and why the lawsuit was brought to Company X instead of Company Y blah blah blah. Whatever didn't know it, so I said the magic words "I don't know". But I at least knew the main and important facts and was able to handle most of the conversation.

Don't stress it so much. Don't get sucked into the idea that you should be studying every single detail of a case so you can nail your cold call. Just take away the big picture stuff to apply to exam hypos and survive the cold call.

But I'm a 1L so I probably know nothing

[noleknight16]

Bro I didn't know what mens rea was in like April during a cold call. Copped my best grade in lawl school in that course.

This made me laugh out loud. Nice.

[Calchexas]

Think about it this way, man: as 1Ls, we're basically drooling, stumbling babies. The professors understand that; however, they also expect us to move around, breathe, drool, and do something. Not necessarily anywhere near what an adult would, but something.

Occasionally, you might not do anything, and they'll be concerned with that. Naturally so, since if a professor sees a newborn baby not moving, they're assuming it's dead.

(Your fellow classmates, not recognizing this, will laugh and/or giggle at your suboptimal responses. Almost all babies don't know that they're babies, after all, and will giggle at the dumbest stuff.)

The only problem is when you _aren't_ moving, and you will _never_ move again. Moving, at the end of the day, is getting the grade: if you get the grade, you grow up and move on, but if you don't, you die.


Get the grade and advance to toddler tier. Leave the droolers and gigglers (i.e., gunners) behind.

[uvabro]

who gives a shit?

i just don't give a crap about cold calls at all. what's the worst that can happen? you look like an idiot. if u even skimmed the reading, the professor won't penalize it and maybe some kids think ur dumb but if they are judging off cold calls would u want to be their friends anyway? but more likely most people will just think you're afraid of being put under pressure. even more likely is people just tune out, and if it's really awkward at least i personally start to really hope the kid gets it because u start to root for the little guy.

but to make this such a big deal is a joke. you're being graded off of ur test. this whole cold call thing was so hyped up before law school, and maybe it's because lawyers are just really self conscious but really who gives a shit?

[coldshoulder]

This was not "butchering" a cold call...it was a normal cold call. Hell, I'd say this is about how 95% of the cold calls I've seen go.

Seriously. And also, nobody gives a shit. One of my teachers cold called me last week on a case I hadn't read at all. I just said "Pass" and stared at her. The class laughed, but she moved on to someone else. Who cares?

Depends on your professors. A few of mine have a history of literally grade-dropping people who do this.

Honestly, you can either have the stones to stumble and spend more time drinking or studying things that matter, or just spend an extra hour a day highlighting/notes taking the useless facts for cold-calls.

[timbs4339]

Try your best to prep for cold calls- I blew one off one time and the prof just moved back onto the kid in front of me. I was ready to be flayed in front of the class but ended up throwing a classmate under the bus.

If professors couldn't ask you about the mundane facts and proc history then they might, you know, have to...teach.

[shredderrrrrr]

Try your best to prep for cold calls- I blew one off one time and the prof just moved back onto the kid in front of me. I was ready to be flayed in front of the class but ended up throwing a classmate under the bus.

If professors couldn't ask you about the mundane facts and proc history then they might, you know, have to...teach.

Lol @ thinking that teachers have students recite case facts so they don't have to teach.

[Jsa725]

.

[UnamSanctam]

my professor just kicks people out of class that are unprepared... says they do not have the privilege of hearing a lecture with the rest of the class that read the case...

he just stares while the student packs up their bag and walks the torturous 37 feet to the door.

"Then the school shouldn't have the privilege of the money I'm spending on today's class."

[timbs4339]

Try your best to prep for cold calls- I blew one off one time and the prof just moved back onto the kid in front of me. I was ready to be flayed in front of the class but ended up throwing a classmate under the bus.

If professors couldn't ask you about the mundane facts and proc history then they might, you know, have to...teach.

Lol @ thinking that teachers have students recite case facts so they don't have to teach.

Lol @ thinking law professors are actually "teachers."

[shredderrrrrr]

Try your best to prep for cold calls- I blew one off one time and the prof just moved back onto the kid in front of me. I was ready to be flayed in front of the class but ended up throwing a classmate under the bus.

If professors couldn't ask you about the mundane facts and proc history then they might, you know, have to...teach.

Lol @ thinking that teachers have students recite case facts so they don't have to teach.

Lol @ thinking law professors are actually "teachers."

Where the hell do you go to school?

[timbs4339]

Try your best to prep for cold calls- I blew one off one time and the prof just moved back onto the kid in front of me. I was ready to be flayed in front of the class but ended up throwing a classmate under the bus.

If professors couldn't ask you about the mundane facts and proc history then they might, you know, have to...teach.

Lol @ thinking that teachers have students recite case facts so they don't have to teach.

Lol @ thinking law professors are actually "teachers."

Where the hell do you go to school?

T6