Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions Forum

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by 03121202698008 » Mon Nov 21, 2011 5:29 pm

sanetruth wrote:Didn't see the answer to this anywhere:

So, if i'm not mistaken, summer starters' 1L requirements are spread over three semesters, with the final one in the Spring (if i'm wrong please correct me). So, what does this mean for EIW? Do employers look JUST at your 1L required courses, or do they look at your overall GPA for the first three semesters? If its the latter, then that seems to be a disadvantage to summer starters, no? Because they have to keep up their GPA for an extra semester before EIW?

In a nutshell, how do employers coming to EIW view summer start GPAs?
As far as I know, they look at the whole transcript. It's actually an advantage, upper level classes curve higher than 1L and it would let you further balance out a 1-2 bad grades.

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by sanetruth » Mon Nov 21, 2011 6:21 pm

blowhard wrote:
sanetruth wrote:Didn't see the answer to this anywhere:

So, if i'm not mistaken, summer starters' 1L requirements are spread over three semesters, with the final one in the Spring (if i'm wrong please correct me). So, what does this mean for EIW? Do employers look JUST at your 1L required courses, or do they look at your overall GPA for the first three semesters? If its the latter, then that seems to be a disadvantage to summer starters, no? Because they have to keep up their GPA for an extra semester before EIW?

In a nutshell, how do employers coming to EIW view summer start GPAs?
As far as I know, they look at the whole transcript. It's actually an advantage, upper level classes curve higher than 1L and it would let you further balance out a 1-2 bad grades.
Thanks, that's interesting, i didn't think about the potential upside. If there are any former summer starters out there who have had experience with this please let me know.

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by Bronte » Mon Nov 21, 2011 11:05 pm

sanetruth wrote:
blowhard wrote:
sanetruth wrote:Didn't see the answer to this anywhere:

So, if i'm not mistaken, summer starters' 1L requirements are spread over three semesters, with the final one in the Spring (if i'm wrong please correct me). So, what does this mean for EIW? Do employers look JUST at your 1L required courses, or do they look at your overall GPA for the first three semesters? If its the latter, then that seems to be a disadvantage to summer starters, no? Because they have to keep up their GPA for an extra semester before EIW?

In a nutshell, how do employers coming to EIW view summer start GPAs?
As far as I know, they look at the whole transcript. It's actually an advantage, upper level classes curve higher than 1L and it would let you further balance out a 1-2 bad grades.
Thanks, that's interesting, i didn't think about the potential upside. If there are any former summer starters out there who have had experience with this please let me know.
It's widely thought to give a slight boost, if anything. It's not something I would weigh too heavily in considering whether to start in the summer.

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by sanetruth » Wed Nov 23, 2011 4:20 pm

Another summer start question:

I took a look at this past SS schedule, and with the exception of the classes that still have 'TBA' listed, I only saw classes scheduled for Monday-Thursday. Is it standard for summer starters to only have classes Monday through Thursday?

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by mattbarnes123 » Thu Nov 24, 2011 4:03 pm

I'm curious as do the SS EIW question as well. Do employers generally look only at the overall grades in the doctrinal classes, or at the GPA as a whole? If the later I'm guessing SS does have an advantage by virtue of taking moar electives winter semester with easier curves.

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by ScrabbleChamp » Sat Dec 03, 2011 7:06 pm

Serious question for current students: I was recently admitted. A friend of mine is an ED applicant and has a colorful past. Would it help him/her if I were to contact Dean Z and vouch for him? S/he made a really stupid decision a few years ago but has completely changed since then, all of which was covered in the PS and addenda. I just want to help out and am not Sure if being admitted would carry any weight. I've been told that current students are able to chime in on prospective applicants, so I figure it is worth a shot unless someone thinks it is a ridiculous idea.

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by UnamSanctam » Sat Dec 03, 2011 8:15 pm

ScrabbleChamp wrote:Serious question for current students: I was recently admitted. A friend of mine is an ED applicant and has a colorful past. Would it help him/her if I were to contact Dean Z and vouch for him? S/he made a really stupid decision a few years ago but has completely changed since then, all of which was covered in the PS and addenda. I just want to help out and am not Sure if being admitted would carry any weight. I've been told that current students are able to chime in on prospective applicants, so I figure it is worth a shot unless someone thinks it is a ridiculous idea.
I mean...I wouldn't.

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by 03121202698008 » Sat Dec 03, 2011 8:16 pm

ScrabbleChamp wrote:Serious question for current students: I was recently admitted. A friend of mine is an ED applicant and has a colorful past. Would it help him/her if I were to contact Dean Z and vouch for him? S/he made a really stupid decision a few years ago but has completely changed since then, all of which was covered in the PS and addenda. I just want to help out and am not Sure if being admitted would carry any weight. I've been told that current students are able to chime in on prospective applicants, so I figure it is worth a shot unless someone thinks it is a ridiculous idea.
No. I would only vouch if I had something really relevant (e.g. we summered together). Simply being admitted means nothing as far as vouching goes.

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by ScrabbleChamp » Sat Dec 03, 2011 9:26 pm

blowhard wrote:
ScrabbleChamp wrote:Serious question for current students: I was recently admitted. A friend of mine is an ED applicant and has a colorful past. Would it help him/her if I were to contact Dean Z and vouch for him? S/he made a really stupid decision a few years ago but has completely changed since then, all of which was covered in the PS and addenda. I just want to help out and am not Sure if being admitted would carry any weight. I've been told that current students are able to chime in on prospective applicants, so I figure it is worth a shot unless someone thinks it is a ridiculous idea.
No. I would only vouch if I had something really relevant (e.g. we summered together). Simply being admitted means nothing as far as vouching goes.
Thanks.

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by ScrabbleChamp » Sun Dec 04, 2011 11:57 am

Are there many (if any) corporations that recruit on-campus? A friend of mine goes to Minnesota and he said they usually have a few of the local companies (3M, Target, etc...) recruit there. I don't know much about which companies are based in Michigan other than the auto makers, though.

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by 03121202698008 » Sun Dec 04, 2011 11:59 am

ScrabbleChamp wrote:Are there many (if any) corporations that recruit on-campus? A friend of mine goes to Minnesota and he said they usually have a few of the local companies (3M, Target, etc...) recruit there. I don't know much about which companies are based in Michigan other than the auto makers, though.
I think some do but I honestly didn't pay much attention after reading an article in the WSJ about how crappy of jobs they were. They interviewed a girl from Yale who was essentially rubber stamping slip and fall settlements for a Fortune 20 company. She did no real legal work all day long...just rubber stamp stuff from outside counsel. A former in-house judge I know echoed the same thing. He basically said that due to the economy his old company was just using entry-level attorneys instead of super-experienced paralegals and they weren't really training them to ever provide advice.

An entry-level in-house job is wholly different from the kinds of in-house jobs people talk about after a few years in practice.

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by Bronte » Sun Dec 04, 2011 12:27 pm

ScrabbleChamp wrote:Are there many (if any) corporations that recruit on-campus? A friend of mine goes to Minnesota and he said they usually have a few of the local companies (3M, Target, etc...) recruit there. I don't know much about which companies are based in Michigan other than the auto makers, though.
Ford interviews for 2L internships.

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by ScrabbleChamp » Sun Dec 04, 2011 2:45 pm

Is a 17" laptop too large for class? I was checking out the recommended laptops on the tech website and 15.6" is the largest they have. Also, what percentage of your classes allow laptop usage?

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by thelaststraw05 » Sun Dec 04, 2011 2:57 pm

ScrabbleChamp wrote:Is a 17" laptop too large for class? I was checking out the recommended laptops on the tech website and 15.6" is the largest they have. Also, what percentage of your classes allow laptop usage?
I don't know school-wide, but of my three substantive classes (1L) - 2 allow laptops and one does not. I think that most people go with smaller laptops, and I would suggest a smaller laptop. I have a 3 lb 13 incher and I think it is perfect.

I also don't actually recommend taking notes on a computer in class. Looking around at my colleagues, a lot of people one computers find themselves getting distracted. I see everything from shopping, to facebook, to mahjong on a daily basis. I just do a better job of focusing if I hand write my notes.

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by ScrabbleChamp » Sun Dec 04, 2011 3:06 pm

thelaststraw05 wrote:
ScrabbleChamp wrote:Is a 17" laptop too large for class? I was checking out the recommended laptops on the tech website and 15.6" is the largest they have. Also, what percentage of your classes allow laptop usage?
I don't know school-wide, but of my three substantive classes (1L) - 2 allow laptops and one does not. I think that most people go with smaller laptops, and I would suggest a smaller laptop. I have a 3 lb 13 incher and I think it is perfect.

I also don't actually recommend taking notes on a computer in class. Looking around at my colleagues, a lot of people one computers find themselves getting distracted. I see everything from shopping, to facebook, to mahjong on a daily basis. I just do a better job of focusing if I hand write my notes.
Any idea if the professors that don't allow laptops in class allow the use of them for the exams?

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by thelaststraw05 » Sun Dec 04, 2011 3:16 pm

ScrabbleChamp wrote:
thelaststraw05 wrote:
ScrabbleChamp wrote:Is a 17" laptop too large for class? I was checking out the recommended laptops on the tech website and 15.6" is the largest they have. Also, what percentage of your classes allow laptop usage?
I don't know school-wide, but of my three substantive classes (1L) - 2 allow laptops and one does not. I think that most people go with smaller laptops, and I would suggest a smaller laptop. I have a 3 lb 13 incher and I think it is perfect.

I also don't actually recommend taking notes on a computer in class. Looking around at my colleagues, a lot of people one computers find themselves getting distracted. I see everything from shopping, to facebook, to mahjong on a daily basis. I just do a better job of focusing if I hand write my notes.
Any idea if the professors that don't allow laptops in class allow the use of them for the exams?
I don't know of any professors who don't allow them for exams. Blowhard might know more than I though as I have yet to take my first exams.

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by Bronte » Sun Dec 04, 2011 3:22 pm

thelaststraw05 wrote:I don't know of any professors who don't allow them for exams. Blowhard might know more than I though as I have yet to take my first exams.
They're sometimes not allowed in the multiple choice sections of exams. Otherwise, most if not all professors are going to prefer to read typed exams rather than hand written exams.

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by whirledpeas86 » Sun Dec 04, 2011 3:37 pm

I appreciate how active this thread is as we all avoid studying for finals/outlining.

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by 03121202698008 » Sun Dec 04, 2011 3:40 pm

Bronte wrote:
thelaststraw05 wrote:I don't know of any professors who don't allow them for exams. Blowhard might know more than I though as I have yet to take my first exams.
They're sometimes not allowed in the multiple choice sections of exams. Otherwise, most if not all professors are going to prefer to read typed exams rather than hand written exams.
This. I had two classed of all 1L that didn't allow during class. As for using it in class, some people simply can't control themselves. I find that I can pay way more attention using them. I find an outline for class and then take my notes in the outline. I don't need to worry about writing everything down then (only things different, explanations, etc.) and can therefore actually think about what we're talking about and pay more attention.

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by sandwiches5000 » Mon Dec 05, 2011 5:35 am

I only looked at about 6 pages of the thread, so I'm not sure if these qs were answered. I was just admitted to the summer start program. Not ED, but RD candidate so I'm not 100% sure if I will be attending but I'd say most likely will be.

Anyway, what is the best way to prepare for the start of the term? I had been thinking I had all of these months ahead of me so now I'm getting kind of anxious since I've been out of school for almost three years.

When should I set up housing? Since I'm not 100% sure and I'm not even in the country yet I want to hold off on this for a couple of months more.

Is a car necessary or unnecessary?

Thanks! Hope to see some of you in May :)

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by ScrabbleChamp » Mon Dec 05, 2011 10:52 am

For those that are current students: is the area just west of 23 and just north of Plymouth Road nice?

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by thelaststraw05 » Mon Dec 05, 2011 11:14 am

sandwiches5000 wrote:I only looked at about 6 pages of the thread, so I'm not sure if these qs were answered. I was just admitted to the summer start program. Not ED, but RD candidate so I'm not 100% sure if I will be attending but I'd say most likely will be.

Anyway, what is the best way to prepare for the start of the term? I had been thinking I had all of these months ahead of me so now I'm getting kind of anxious since I've been out of school for almost three years.
I've actually found that having been out of school for a while made me better prepared than many. You're going to find that there are a variety of different reactions to what you should do to prepare for law school. I would say that you shouldn't do anything to prepare substantively. If possible, have a little bit of down-time immediately before the start. I had to work until about 1 week before the start of school and it made the transition rougher.

Also, I really like the book Getting to Maybe. It'll give you a sense of what law school exams are looking for and what you should be paying attention to during the year.
sandwiches5000 wrote:When should I set up housing? Since I'm not 100% sure and I'm not even in the country yet I want to hold off on this for a couple of months more.

Is a car necessary or unnecessary?

Thanks! Hope to see some of you in May :)
I think it is beneficial to deal with housing as soon as you can. This is definitely a college town and many of the current students go out and find where they want to live as soon as apartments go on the market in November.

You don't need a car, but if you have a parking place at your apartment it can be nice for stuff like grocery shopping. You won't be able to drive to school though. The neighborhoods near the school are almost always parked full and the city tickets very efficiently. I feel like there is at least a 50% chance that you'll have a ticket if you overstay your meter by 10 minutes.

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by sandwiches5000 » Mon Dec 05, 2011 11:34 pm

Thanks! Haha. The meter business sounds just like my UG, so I'll feel right at home. 8)

I'm looking into sublets now... (Latest) best time to start finding a permanent place for the fall?

Also, can anyone vouch for the benefits of the summer start? It's getting hard to adjust my mind to beginning school and making all of these decisions so quickly... But at the same time I kind of just want to start already and my job ends in March so it's kind of perfect.

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by Joan Hollaway » Tue Dec 06, 2011 1:32 pm

sandwiches5000 wrote:Thanks! Haha. The meter business sounds just like my UG, so I'll feel right at home. 8)

I'm looking into sublets now... (Latest) best time to start finding a permanent place for the fall?

Also, can anyone vouch for the benefits of the summer start? It's getting hard to adjust my mind to beginning school and making all of these decisions so quickly... But at the same time I kind of just want to start already and my job ends in March so it's kind of perfect.
Summer sublets should be super easy to find, if I were you I'd start looking at places for the fall first. With the LC and South Quad closed for renovations this year it will for sure be a tough market if you want to be within walking distance to law quad.

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by JDizzle2015 » Tue Dec 06, 2011 2:07 pm

I've noticed that a lot of people lock down leases for apartments several months ahead of the actual move in date in AA. What kind of commitment do they require? Is it your experience to have to sign a lease 3 months in advance or just paying for a deposit of some kind. Thanks!

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