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

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tamlyric

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

Post by tamlyric » Sat Feb 06, 2010 12:57 pm

What are people's thoughts on Northwood family housing? Advantages? Disadvantages? Quality? Thanks! 8)

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

Post by AWT » Sat Feb 06, 2010 2:21 pm

doinmybest wrote: Also, how is the food in the LC?
I just thought I'd speak up as someone who hates the food in the LC ....

It's not so much that the food is bad...it simply isn't good. However, I do think this is a largely personal opinion. To provide some context, before law school I worked at a non-profit making $12/hour and the only discretionary spending I indulged in was on food. I never ate fast food or at chains, etc. Food is one of the few things in the world I truly care about. I like my food simple, predominantly vegetarian, well seasoned and made with high quality ingredients (think Michael Pollan/Mark Bittman/101cookbooks.com), and good food makes me very very happy.

For most people, the LC dinning hall is quite nice - there's a large selection that changes frequently, they attempt a wide variety of ethnic foods, etc. I nonetheless was so over the food within three days, and, given that bad food makes me hate life, that's the number one downside of Michigan (I don't think the restaurant scene is all that great either, but that's another post for another day). For the foodies of the world, maybe you should consider living elsewhere. Contrary to popular belief, there is more than enough time to cook while a 1L, especially if you cook a couple of things at one time in large enough batches that you have enough food to last you for the week. Maybe it gets a little harder during finals, but I ate out for all my meals during finals anyways.

All that said, if I had to do it all over again, I would live in the LC during my 1L year because the opportunity to meet a wide range of people well outweighs the massive downside that is the food. The reality is that it's in the dining hall that people start to get to know one another - we litereally spend upwards of two hours a day eating with each other and socializing. As someone who didn't really connect with the people in her section, and as a bonafide hermit who would have never made friends had she lived alone, the LC has been a godsend. They're also very responsive to feedback, which I appreciate - we now have lentils probably ever ten days or so because I requested them, we had a corn dog day because a bunch of guys got very excited about the prospects of corn dogs and asked for them, etc. etc. I give them feedback all the time (rinse the beans dammit! tuna salad dammit! no more baked beans dammit! more grapes dammit!) and they're shockingly responsive every single time. I do love that.

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

Post by 03121202698008 » Sat Feb 06, 2010 10:36 pm

verdandi wrote:
blhoward2 wrote:When should Fall starters start looking for apartments? Do they go pretty quick or is there a decent supply for the market?
I would honestly start looking now or at least as soon as you decide on Michigan. Most of the housing that's aimed at undergrads is already gone (they sign their leases freakishly early, around November). Right now, the independent/smaller landlords are hearing from their tenants about whether or not they're renewing their leases, so there is still a lot of promising stuff on Craigslist and the UM off-campus housing website (http://www.offcampus.housing.umich.edu/ ... stings.cfm).

But seriously, I would start looking as soon as possible. Housing is one of the trickiest things to figure out in Ann Arbor. Honestly, unless you are set on having an apartment, I would live in the LC. I live in an apartment now and love it/couldn't imagine doing anything else, but if you are coming straight from UG and 1) have no furniture, 2) don't love to cook and 3) are attached to the idea of rolling out of bed and into class, the LC is a sweet deal. However, since I could NOT be parted with either my couch or a kitchen, an apartment was absolutely the best choice for me. Just keep that in mind when you are considering your housing choices.
I've been in the military for the past ten years and have acquired a lot of nice furniture. I also have a dog that I'd love to bring with me. While the LC is an attractive option, I'm not sure that it fits me. Thanks for the answer though!

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

Post by 03121202698008 » Sun Feb 07, 2010 12:20 am

Do any of you know anything about (or anyone who lives in) Harbor House? (275 Harbor Way)

How about the building at 555 E WILLIAM?

Is it worth living further away and renting a parking space?

We ride the buses for free right? Are they decent to ride to/from school?

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

Post by vidhartha » Sun Feb 07, 2010 2:58 am

navalspartan wrote:Vidhartha and other summer starters,

How was the workload during the summer? Were the condensed classes offset by only taking 2 doctrinal courses?

If you absolutely had to miss a couple of days of class, would profs be ok with that? Can you have someone record the course for you?

Thanks.
Sorry about getting back to you so late, but the Summer load is definitely lighter. It might be the same amount of reading as the fall semester, but its a lot easier to study for 2 classes than it is for 3, less outlining. Its just a great way to get acclimated with law school. I wouldn't change to fall start if i had the chance, even with three straight semesters.

Profs for the most part are OK with missing class, in my two previous semesters I've probably missed at least 5 days of each class on average. Some profs are strict on attendance though, so it varies by the prof. You can ask for a recording, I know people have asked before and the answer has been yes, so it won't hurt.

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

Post by fortissimo » Sun Feb 07, 2010 12:10 pm

blhoward2 wrote:Do any of you know anything about (or anyone who lives in) Harbor House? (275 Harbor Way)

How about the building at 555 E WILLIAM?

Is it worth living further away and renting a parking space?

We ride the buses for free right? Are they decent to ride to/from school?
555 E. William is the Tower Plaza Condo building? They seem pretty nice, but I have never been inside them. It's in a good location though. It's probably within 5/6 minutes walking distance of the law school.

And yeah, you ride buses for free with your student ID.

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

Post by FlightoftheEarls » Sun Feb 07, 2010 12:17 pm

fortissimo wrote:
blhoward2 wrote:Do any of you know anything about (or anyone who lives in) Harbor House? (275 Harbor Way)

How about the building at 555 E WILLIAM?

Is it worth living further away and renting a parking space?

We ride the buses for free right? Are they decent to ride to/from school?
555 E. William is the Tower Plaza Condo building? They seem pretty nice, but I have never been inside them. It's in a good location though. It's probably within 5/6 minutes walking distance of the law school.

And yeah, you ride buses for free with your student ID.
I have a friend who has a single (I think it's a "Large One Bedroom") on one of the top floors of the Tower Plaza. It's not super new, but her place is great and the view is pretty ridiculous. Tallest building in AA by quite a margin, so you can basically survey the entire campus, from the law school and business school to the big house. It's a little pricey for AA (I think she said about 1300ish/month for a single), but compared to most big city singles it is still a significantly better price/size/view than you'd normally get. And yeah, the walk is about 5/6 minutes and is very manageable.
Last edited by FlightoftheEarls on Mon Feb 08, 2010 1:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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

Post by flyers05 » Sun Feb 07, 2010 4:29 pm

Do people who intern for federal judges regularly receive the student funded fellowship for 1L? I'd love to do that next summer, and I'm wondering what kind of chances I would have at receiving funding. Thanks.

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

Post by Alexandria » Sun Feb 07, 2010 4:41 pm

flyers05 wrote:Do people who intern for federal judges regularly receive the student funded fellowship for 1L? I'd love to do that next summer, and I'm wondering what kind of chances I would have at receiving funding. Thanks.
No, that's not eligible.

http://students.law.umich.edu/sff/2010SFFAppInfo.pdf

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

Post by verdandi » Sun Feb 07, 2010 11:17 pm

flyers05 wrote:Do people who intern for federal judges regularly receive the student funded fellowship for 1L? I'd love to do that next summer, and I'm wondering what kind of chances I would have at receiving funding. Thanks.
Nope - As Alexandria said above, it's not eligible. And it's a bummer, too, because I'm taking a federal judicial internship this summer. So the good news is that it is definitely doable (I know personally of at least two others who are doing it), but the bad news is you'll either have to fund it yourself or convince the judge to allow you to split your summer between the internship a firm so you can make money half the summer.


As to the inquiries about 555 E. William - I have a friend who has a single there who loves it. It is a bit dated (kinda funky colored carpet... I think it's blue in the apartment) but it's definitely nice and a wonderful location. I have no insight about price, sadly :-(

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

Post by RhubarbPie » Mon Feb 08, 2010 12:13 am

Has anyone heard of Cambridge Club Apartments? The apartments look nice and price is really good, but has anyone been there? How far from the law school is it and is there public transportation?

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

Post by Reinhardt » Mon Feb 08, 2010 1:10 am

hykang wrote:Has anyone heard of Cambridge Club Apartments? The apartments look nice and price is really good, but has anyone been there? How far from the law school is it and is there public transportation?
Google maps says you can't get to the university by public transportation from there.

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

Post by Wanpsack1 » Mon Feb 08, 2010 12:03 pm

I've been using the following website to assist my house hunting: http://www.theride.org/Routes.asp These show all the routes and stops for the various buses around the city. I'm looking for a 3 bedroom (wife, kids and a dog) that is somewhat reasonable so I'm searching outside of walking distance which makes the bus lines important.

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

Post by navalspartan » Mon Feb 08, 2010 12:15 pm

As the proliferation of e-readers grows, do you guys expect most text books used in law school classes to go digital?

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

Post by doinmybest » Mon Feb 08, 2010 12:23 pm

AWT wrote:
doinmybest wrote: Also, how is the food in the LC?
I just thought I'd speak up as someone who hates the food in the LC ....

It's not so much that the food is bad...it simply isn't good. However, I do think this is a largely personal opinion. To provide some context, before law school I worked at a non-profit making $12/hour and the only discretionary spending I indulged in was on food. I never ate fast food or at chains, etc. Food is one of the few things in the world I truly care about. I like my food simple, predominantly vegetarian, well seasoned and made with high quality ingredients (think Michael Pollan/Mark Bittman/101cookbooks.com), and good food makes me very very happy.

For most people, the LC dinning hall is quite nice - there's a large selection that changes frequently, they attempt a wide variety of ethnic foods, etc. I nonetheless was so over the food within three days, and, given that bad food makes me hate life, that's the number one downside of Michigan (I don't think the restaurant scene is all that great either, but that's another post for another day). For the foodies of the world, maybe you should consider living elsewhere. Contrary to popular belief, there is more than enough time to cook while a 1L, especially if you cook a couple of things at one time in large enough batches that you have enough food to last you for the week. Maybe it gets a little harder during finals, but I ate out for all my meals during finals anyways.

All that said, if I had to do it all over again, I would live in the LC during my 1L year because the opportunity to meet a wide range of people well outweighs the massive downside that is the food. The reality is that it's in the dining hall that people start to get to know one another - we litereally spend upwards of two hours a day eating with each other and socializing. As someone who didn't really connect with the people in her section, and as a bonafide hermit who would have never made friends had she lived alone, the LC has been a godsend. They're also very responsive to feedback, which I appreciate - we now have lentils probably ever ten days or so because I requested them, we had a corn dog day because a bunch of guys got very excited about the prospects of corn dogs and asked for them, etc. etc. I give them feedback all the time (rinse the beans dammit! tuna salad dammit! no more baked beans dammit! more grapes dammit!) and they're shockingly responsive every single time. I do love that.
Wow thanks for the detailed response! Thats about what I expected, but I'm glad to hear they listen to suggestions!

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

Post by starstruck393 » Mon Feb 08, 2010 12:51 pm

FlightoftheEarls wrote:
ankit wrote: Yeah I'm interested to find out about MAP as well. Everyone seems to recommend it highly but I havent received any information about it for this year.

When do they usually inform the admits about it? And when is it usually held? Can anyone provide an overview of what it entails?
As Alexandria mentioned, you probably won't hear about MAP until you place a deposit, but it is a several day pre-orientation (everyone does regular orientation, but about 35-45 people do MAP before that) that let's you get a feel for the campus and make some early friends for the few days before everyone gets there. It's a very laid-back sort of event that helps you get comfortable with the idea of what you're going to be facing in law school, and is in actuality just a good excuse to get to campus a few days early, meet a bunch of other outgoing people, and go out drinking every night if you want. I strongly suggest it, and a good number of my friends now who know about MAP but didn't attend have told me they really wish they had done that in retrospect. And yeah, they put you up in rather nice hotel. For free.
Is MAP only open to Fall Starters, or can Summer Starters do it as well? Or is there a Summer Start MAP? It seems kind of odd to have Summer Starters, who have already had their orientation and a semester of classes, do a pre-orientation program, but it would suck if it wasn't available to us because we did Summer Start.

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

Post by Alexandria » Mon Feb 08, 2010 2:46 pm

Summer starters don't have the MAP pre-orientation, though the MAP program as a whole (diversity activities, study tips, etc.) is open to them.

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

Post by vidhartha » Mon Feb 08, 2010 2:57 pm

Alexandria wrote:Summer starters don't have the MAP pre-orientation, though the MAP program as a whole (diversity activities, study tips, etc.) is open to them.
Although it's not as structured as the fall starter MAP, there is a watered down version of MAP/FYI events that occurred throughout the Summer session. Mainly bar gatherings and discussions. Not a pre-orientation type thing, just a get to know everyone event.

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

Post by starstruck393 » Mon Feb 08, 2010 3:09 pm

vidhartha wrote:
Alexandria wrote:Summer starters don't have the MAP pre-orientation, though the MAP program as a whole (diversity activities, study tips, etc.) is open to them.
Although it's not as structured as the fall starter MAP, there is a watered down version of MAP/FYI events that occurred throughout the Summer session. Mainly bar gatherings and discussions. Not a pre-orientation type thing, just a get to know everyone event.
But wait, so Summer Starters can still do MAP in the fall? Does anyone do that?

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

Post by vidhartha » Mon Feb 08, 2010 3:44 pm

starstruck393 wrote:
vidhartha wrote:
Alexandria wrote:Summer starters don't have the MAP pre-orientation, though the MAP program as a whole (diversity activities, study tips, etc.) is open to them.
Although it's not as structured as the fall starter MAP, there is a watered down version of MAP/FYI events that occurred throughout the Summer session. Mainly bar gatherings and discussions. Not a pre-orientation type thing, just a get to know everyone event.
But wait, so Summer Starters can still do MAP in the fall? Does anyone do that?
Yes, it's still an option in the fall. I don't know many people that do so because almost everyone went back to where ever home is as soon as finals were over.

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

Post by parker09 » Mon Feb 08, 2010 3:52 pm

current Mich students: you guys are amazing, and obviously love your school. thanks so much for taking the time to tell us stuff!

ack! currently deciding between cls and mich... have been in love with mich since i got in in november, but since my recent cls acceptance i've been wavering. then i read threads like this (and dean z's cute little emails), and swoon over mich all over again. it sounds like a lovely, lovely place.

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

Post by tamlyric » Mon Feb 08, 2010 3:55 pm

parker09 wrote:current Mich students: you guys are amazing, and obviously love your school. thanks so much for taking the time to tell us stuff!

ack! currently deciding between cls and mich... have been in love with mich since i got in in november, but since my recent cls acceptance i've been wavering. then i read threads like this (and dean z's cute little emails), and swoon over mich all over again. it sounds like a lovely, lovely place.
The heart has its reasons... :wink:

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

Post by Aeon » Mon Feb 08, 2010 6:29 pm

parker09 wrote:current Mich students: you guys are amazing, and obviously love your school. thanks so much for taking the time to tell us stuff!

ack! currently deciding between cls and mich... have been in love with mich since i got in in november, but since my recent cls acceptance i've been wavering. then i read threads like this (and dean z's cute little emails), and swoon over mich all over again. it sounds like a lovely, lovely place.
Not an easy choice, by any means - congratulations on being in a position to have to face it, though! :)

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

Post by navalspartan » Mon Feb 08, 2010 6:52 pm

Have any of the current Michigan law students applied for or done an externship that was not a previously established program like the one in Geneva?

It seems like you could do some really cool stuff if you got faculty backing. I would really appreciate some insight to the process.
Last edited by navalspartan on Tue Feb 09, 2010 5:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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

Post by verdandi » Mon Feb 08, 2010 8:09 pm

parker09 wrote:current Mich students: you guys are amazing, and obviously love your school. thanks so much for taking the time to tell us stuff!

ack! currently deciding between cls and mich... have been in love with mich since i got in in november, but since my recent cls acceptance i've been wavering. then i read threads like this (and dean z's cute little emails), and swoon over mich all over again. it sounds like a lovely, lovely place.

Completely anecdotal evidence, but I have a friend at CLS who turned down $$$ at Michigan and now regrets it because she doesn't really feel like she fits in there. HOWEVER this is not meant to be a knock at CLS, just evidence that some have made the decision of Mich over CLS and some wish they had. I didn't have the privilege of a CLS acceptance, but I did take Mich over NYU.

I cannot urge you strongly enough to visit both schools during their ASWs and get a feel for the schools and, almost more importantly, your potential future classmates. Good luck with your decision, you won't go wrong either way!

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