Chicago Law Class of 2016 Forum

[20141023]

.

[Emma.]

Hey, a few other random questions for you current students: I was wondering about the graduation/employment timeline after law school. I assume that students graduate in May/June... but what usually happens immediately thereafter? Does one usually study for the bar for a couple of months, take the bar (in July/August?), and then get hired in the fall, or what exactly does the timeline of events look like for the first year after graduating? I'm basically just trying to figure out how much of a gap there will be (in months) after law school during which students usually don't have any income. Also, do most students have to study for the bar exam through a program, or is self-study sufficient? If most graduates use a program, what is the norm? (BARBRI (LinkRemoved)?)

I am thinking of taking the home equity loan route (3~4% interest) instead of the federal loan route (6.8~7.9% interest), but want to make sure that I have taken into account all expenses for the next few years until I actually start making $$$.

The timeline depends on what you are doing, but for firm work at least it is all pretty similar.

School finishes at the end of May, and graduation is mid June. You have to jump straight from exams into bar prep in order to take the July bar exam. If you received an offer from your 2L summer you will already be "hired" well before school ends, and firms generally notify their incoming first years of their start dates sometime in the late winter or early spring. Depending on the firm you may get a choice of start dates to choose from or be expected to start on a set date. Usually start dates will be sometime in August/Sept/Oct, and firms may change their start dates from year to year based on their needs. If your firm offers you options, you can sometimes have the option to start as late as November or December.

Firms will generally cover your bar prep expenses, and you would be foolish not to take a prep program. People generally use one of BARBRI, Themis, or Kaplan. Some firms only pay for BARBRI. Most firms also offer some kind of stipend to cover your expenses between finishing school and starting at the firm. For some firms this is just an advance on your first year pay, for others it is an additional part of your benefits package. Typical stipends range between $10-$15K.

Each quarterly tuition payment will be reduced by $3,333.

[20141023]

.

[Emma.]

Hey, a few other random questions for you current students: I was wondering about the graduation/employment timeline after law school. I assume that students graduate in May/June... but what usually happens immediately thereafter? Does one usually study for the bar for a couple of months, take the bar (in July/August?), and then get hired in the fall, or what exactly does the timeline of events look like for the first year after graduating? I'm basically just trying to figure out how much of a gap there will be (in months) after law school during which students usually don't have any income. Also, do most students have to study for the bar exam through a program, or is self-study sufficient? If most graduates use a program, what is the norm? (BARBRI (LinkRemoved)?)

I am thinking of taking the home equity loan route (3~4% interest) instead of the federal loan route (6.8~7.9% interest), but want to make sure that I have taken into account all expenses for the next few years until I actually start making $$$.

The timeline depends on what you are doing, but for firm work at least it is all pretty similar.

School finishes at the end of May, and graduation is mid June. You have to jump straight from exams into bar prep in order to take the July bar exam. If you received an offer from your 2L summer you will already be "hired" well before school ends, and firms generally notify their incoming first years of their start dates sometime in the late winter or early spring. Depending on the firm you may get a choice of start dates to choose from or be expected to start on a set date. Usually start dates will be sometime in August/Sept/Oct, and firms may change their start dates from year to year based on their needs. If your firm offers you options, you can sometimes have the option to start as late as November or December.

Firms will generally cover your bar prep expenses, and you would be foolish not to take a prep program. People generally use one of BARBRI, Themis, or Kaplan. Some firms only pay for BARBRI. Most firms also offer some kind of stipend to cover your expenses between finishing school and starting at the firm. For some firms this is just an advance on your first year pay, for others it is an additional part of your benefits package. Typical stipends range between $10-$15K.

Each quarterly tuition payment will be reduced by $3,333.

Thanks for responding so quickly, Emma.

It's good to hear that firms will at least cover the cost of the bar prep expenses, because that was about another $5.5k alone (in the most expensive state of Cali). I suppose I should count on having to pay that amount in the event that I don't get into a decent firm, but hope for the best (not having to use loans to pay for bar-related expenses / living expenses after June).

If for some reason you ended up paying your own way, you could choose one of the cheaper options than BARBRI. You can also work as a rep for one of the bar prep companies in exchange for getting your course for free.

[az21833]

checking out guys just withdrew. I got 75K which was generous but ultimately I am more tempted by the levy at penn if something is going to lure me away from H/S. That being said, I have been extremely impressed with Chicago and am confident you guys are going to go on to do AMAZING things. do keep in touch

[WhiteyCakes]

^^ Good luck az. Enjoy H/S


Two. More. Days. until I'm in Chicago. Can't wait!

[20141023]

.

[Lar-ties]

Checking in, tentatively.

Asking for more money/matching at some others, but Chicago is making it nearly impossible to turn it down.

[WhiteyCakes]

^^ Good luck az. Enjoy H/S

+1, and congrats on an amazing cycle!

Two. More. Days. until I'm in Chicago. Can't wait!

Are you thinking of joining us at UChicago instead of taking the scholarship at NU?

For a variety of reasons, I'd rather be at UChi. I sent them my negotiation materials last monday, and I'm hoping they meet me part way to justify the price difference.

[Rahviveh]

Can any current students comment on the weather this week? (I know I can check the forecast but none of it means anything to me since the weathers always the same where I live)

[Emma.]

Can any current students comment on the weather this week? (I know I can check the forecast but none of it means anything to me since the weathers always the same where I live)

Lol. The weather is looking to be crazy and unpredictable this week. Today it was awesome, sunny and in the high 60s and tomorrow is also supposed to be warm, but then the temperature is going to drop and by Friday the predicted high is like 40 degrees. The National Weather Service is even predicting a chance of snow on Thursday night, but I personally don't think it will get cold enough to snow. Definitely, though, you should be prepared for rain and also bring a warm coat. Most of the activities are inside, but there are campus tours and stuff on Friday that you will want a warm coat for.

It sucks, since we actually had a very mild winter and the weather has started to get really nice again in the last couple weeks, but weather-wise it looks like you guys are in for a pretty mediocre weekend for ASW.

[LSATSCORES2012]

Just FYI



Anyone know if it's hard to get an apt in regents? Like, do they fill up quickly?

[LSATSCORES2012]

Friday’s mock class: I have attached reading materials for Professor Strahilevitz’s mock class on Friday. We encourage you to review them in advance. Professor Levmore’s section will not have any materials to review prior to class. However, Professor Levmore has asked you to think about the following questions: What are the rules if you break a lease? What should the rules be? What does law (and ethics) have to about guaranteeing performance? Come prepared to participate a bit. To give you the full Law School experience, Professors Strahilevitz and Levmore may be calling on admitted students (you should not be intimidated; this is for fun). Your class assignments are on the ASW Schedule: last names A-L will be with Strahilevitz and M-Z will be with Levmore

Guys, I'm not cut out for this whole law school thing. Nevermind about ASW.

[Xifeng]

Friday’s mock class: I have attached reading materials for Professor Strahilevitz’s mock class on Friday. We encourage you to review them in advance. Professor Levmore’s section will not have any materials to review prior to class. However, Professor Levmore has asked you to think about the following questions: What are the rules if you break a lease? What should the rules be? What does law (and ethics) have to about guaranteeing performance? Come prepared to participate a bit. To give you the full Law School experience, Professors Strahilevitz and Levmore may be calling on admitted students (you should not be intimidated; this is for fun). Your class assignments are on the ASW Schedule: last names A-L will be with Strahilevitz and M-Z will be with Levmore

Guys, I'm not cut out for this whole law school thing. Nevermind about ASW.

I'm not sure if they'll call on you by looking at you or not, but a strategy I saw at other ASWs was if they call on you by name, just don't answer. They don't know who you are.

Also, they aren't going to be super hard questions anyway don't worry

[canarykb]

Friday’s mock class: I have attached reading materials for Professor Strahilevitz’s mock class on Friday. We encourage you to review them in advance. Professor Levmore’s section will not have any materials to review prior to class. However, Professor Levmore has asked you to think about the following questions: What are the rules if you break a lease? What should the rules be? What does law (and ethics) have to about guaranteeing performance? Come prepared to participate a bit. To give you the full Law School experience, Professors Strahilevitz and Levmore may be calling on admitted students (you should not be intimidated; this is for fun). Your class assignments are on the ASW Schedule: last names A-L will be with Strahilevitz and M-Z will be with Levmore

Guys, I'm not cut out for this whole law school thing. Nevermind about ASW.

I'm not sure if they'll call on you by looking at you or not, but a strategy I saw at other ASWs was if they call on you by name, just don't answer. They don't know who you are.

Also, they aren't going to be super hard questions anyway don't worry

I did the mock class at Harvard's ASW and really enjoyed it, although the prof was mostly calling on people who raised their hands. You gotta remember that although intimidating, the class is to woo you to the school, the prof is incentivized not to make you feel humiliated.

[Rahviveh]

Friday’s mock class: I have attached reading materials for Professor Strahilevitz’s mock class on Friday. We encourage you to review them in advance. Professor Levmore’s section will not have any materials to review prior to class. However, Professor Levmore has asked you to think about the following questions: What are the rules if you break a lease? What should the rules be? What does law (and ethics) have to about guaranteeing performance? Come prepared to participate a bit. To give you the full Law School experience, Professors Strahilevitz and Levmore may be calling on admitted students (you should not be intimidated; this is for fun). Your class assignments are on the ASW Schedule: last names A-L will be with Strahilevitz and M-Z will be with Levmore

Guys, I'm not cut out for this whole law school thing. Nevermind about ASW.

If you sit next to me you can borrow the 30-page outline I just made

[Emma.]

I did the mock class at Harvard's ASW and really enjoyed it, although the prof was mostly calling on people who raised their hands. You gotta remember that although intimidating, the class is to woo you to the school, the prof is incentivized not to make you feel humiliated.

You clearly don't know Professor Levmore.

[Dany]

I did the mock class at Harvard's ASW and really enjoyed it, although the prof was mostly calling on people who raised their hands. You gotta remember that although intimidating, the class is to woo you to the school, the prof is incentivized not to make you feel humiliated.

You clearly don't know Professor Levmore.

[Xifeng]

I did the mock class at Harvard's ASW and really enjoyed it, although the prof was mostly calling on people who raised their hands. You gotta remember that although intimidating, the class is to woo you to the school, the prof is incentivized not to make you feel humiliated.

You clearly don't know Professor Levmore.

[naw]

Friday’s mock class: I have attached reading materials for Professor Strahilevitz’s mock class on Friday. We encourage you to review them in advance. Professor Levmore’s section will not have any materials to review prior to class. However, Professor Levmore has asked you to think about the following questions: What are the rules if you break a lease? What should the rules be? What does law (and ethics) have to about guaranteeing performance? Come prepared to participate a bit. To give you the full Law School experience, Professors Strahilevitz and Levmore may be calling on admitted students (you should not be intimidated; this is for fun). Your class assignments are on the ASW Schedule: last names A-L will be with Strahilevitz and M-Z will be with Levmore

Guys, I'm not cut out for this whole law school thing. Nevermind about ASW.

"you should not be intimidated; this is for fun."

lol, ok.

[Crowing]

Weird I got e-mailed by two diff current students and it seems like I have nothing in common as far as hometown/major/etc. with either of them.

It looks like we're supposed to RSVP for stuff after the diversity reception on Thursday. I wonder what "board game night" entails. Are we talking about Monopoly kinda stuff or Arkham Horror level stuff?

Is there a better way to get from Midway to Hyde Park than cabbing it up?

[Emma.]

Weird I got e-mailed by two diff current students and it seems like I have nothing in common as far as hometown/major/etc. with either of them.

It looks like we're supposed to RSVP for stuff after the diversity reception on Thursday. I wonder what "board game night" entails. Are we talking about Monopoly kinda stuff or Arkham Horror level stuff?

Is there a better way to get from Midway to Hyde Park than cabbing it up?

Just go to the Regents party then come to Bar Review.

You can ride the 59 bus, which will bring you very close to school. http://[link redacted]/maps/z3UYk

But maybe you can find people to share a cab?


Looks like you could also take a shared van for around $20. These guys are one option, but you might be able to find something cheaper. https://www.airportexpress.com

[2014]

Anyone know if it's hard to get an apt in regents? Like, do they fill up quickly?

Not hard at all, there are a ton of apartments here. If you have a desirable floor, tower, or view you might need to be more diligent though.

E - Cab from Midway is like 30-35 bucks, I would just pony up. You can probably find a cab split on the way back.

Also I'm thinking of sitting in on the Levmore ASW class for the lulz, how much of a gunner would I be?

[Xifeng]

Also I'm thinking of sitting in on the Levmore ASW class for the lulz, how much of a gunner would I be?

That is some serious PTSD. Save it for public choice.

[Crowing]

Anyone know if it's hard to get an apt in regents? Like, do they fill up quickly?

Not hard at all, there are a ton of apartments here. If you have a desirable floor, tower, or view you might need to be more diligent though.

E - Cab from Midway is like 30-35 bucks, I would just pony up. You can probably find a cab split on the way back.

Also I'm thinking of sitting in on the Levmore ASW class for the lulz, how much of a gunner would I be?

I'm not sure if it's a good or a bad thing that there isn't material to review and only broad/general questions to consider.

I would say I hope I don't get called on because I'd get slaughtered, but I imagine that will become a fairly routine experience for me anyway if I do end up going to LS so nbd/yolo/etc.