G.W. 1L Ready to take questions Forum

[lauca81]

Hi, I am new here.
I have been admitted to GWU Law LLM program for Fall 2012. I would like to ask current students or alumni some information about faculty.

How do professors relate with students in general and with LLM students in particular, what's the relationship like? Do professors pay attention to students and are availble for inquiries, questions, ect.? Is it easy to get in touch with teachers?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

[dudders]

Hi, I am new here.
I have been admitted to GWU Law LLM program for Fall 2012. I would like to ask current students or alumni some information about faculty.

How do professors relate with students in general and with LLM students in particular, what's the relationship like? Do professors pay attention to students and are availble for inquiries, questions, ect.? Is it easy to get in touch with teachers?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

I'm not an LLM but I've had many in my classes. Generally speaking, I think professors are very accessible and helpful, both with class-related and non-class-related concerns. Students' relationships totally vary with professors and the impetus is on you to get one going, of course. I've had one or two professors who are terrible at reading email or don't seem to value their students' time, but they are certainly the exception, not the norm.

Most professors have set office hours and are available by appointment. I've consulted with many of mine on a more drop-in basis. I've seen professors give out home/personal numbers for last minute questions before exams.

I can't imagine things would be different for an llm. I doubt professors even know which kind of student you are unless you mention it or take an llm-specific or very advanced course.

[Futuristic]

How active is BLSA at GW?

[lauca81]

Thanks very much for your answer.

It is very likely I will attend GWU next fall.

[dood]

Considering GW, just admitted off the WL last week. Do you know (roughly) what percent of the kids that get biglaw are IP?

I don't, and I don't want to give you information that's based more on guesses than anything else. From what I can tell, our IP folks seem to do very, very well. That said, I think you might want to try and find dood (who, congrats to him, finishes his final year this week), since he's an IP person and would certainly know better than I do.

thank u v much mi-chan!

[mi-chan17]

How active is BLSA at GW?

It's my impression that BLSA at GW is fairly active. They and Lambda are the most active minority organizations on campus, so far as I can tell. That said, I am not an active member of BLSA. I am in HLSA, however, and we frequently receive invites and information from BLSA - they're definitely more active than we (HLSA) are.

Unfortunately, I don't know anyone on TLS who is actually a member of BLSA, but I know if you go to the law school or SBA's websites, you can find contact info for their Executive Board. I'm sure they won't mind if you ask them their thoughts.

[Teoeo]

Mi-Chan, only one more year! ^_^

[call saul]

when in the summer do people usually here back from journals?

[BrianFratusz]

I'm trying to decide between GW and W&M. Essentially, if I went to GW, I'd graduate ~80k in debt, and if I went to W&M, I'd graduate ~10k in debt. Any suggestions as to which I should choose?

Here's my real question. I just graduated MIT and am interested in the IP or Environmental programs. However, I was a Political Science major with an Energy minor. I mainly studied energy policy, though the minor required I take engineering, economics, and earth science classes in energy. I was also required to take classes in chemistry, biology, mechanics, and electricity and magnetism. I also took an intro programming course in Python and loaded up on science classes in high school. I am not an expert in these science fields, though... so any idea what my IP prospects would be like?

[Teoeo]

I'm trying to decide between GW and W&M. Essentially, if I went to GW, I'd graduate ~80k in debt, and if I went to W&M, I'd graduate ~10k in debt. Any suggestions as to which I should choose?

Here's my real question. I just graduated MIT and am interested in the IP or Environmental programs. However, I was a Political Science major with an Energy minor. I mainly studied energy policy, though the minor required I take engineering, economics, and earth science classes in energy. I was also required to take classes in chemistry, biology, mechanics, and electricity and magnetism. I also took an intro programming course in Python and loaded up on science classes in high school. I am not an expert in these science fields, though... so any idea what my IP prospects would be like?

Jeeze, thats a tough one. Where do you want to practice? Are you eligible to take the patent bar? All said and done I'd probably take W&M.

[BrianFratusz]

I'm trying to decide between GW and W&M. Essentially, if I went to GW, I'd graduate ~80k in debt, and if I went to W&M, I'd graduate ~10k in debt. Any suggestions as to which I should choose?

Here's my real question. I just graduated MIT and am interested in the IP or Environmental programs. However, I was a Political Science major with an Energy minor. I mainly studied energy policy, though the minor required I take engineering, economics, and earth science classes in energy. I was also required to take classes in chemistry, biology, mechanics, and electricity and magnetism. I also took an intro programming course in Python and loaded up on science classes in high school. I am not an expert in these science fields, though... so any idea what my IP prospects would be like?

Jeeze, thats a tough one. Where do you want to practice? Are you eligible to take the patent bar? All said and done I'd probably take W&M.

I want to practice in a city--that's my main criterion. I spent 4 years in Boston and don't want to go to a small town like Williamsburg. I'm just more concerned about whether I have a background that would allow me to excel in IP law. I've taken some engineering classes--one in thermodynamics--at MIT, but idk if that's enough

Edit: I will say that I took 32-36 hours of science/engineering classes at MIT (8-9 classes). These include 2 classes in physics; 3 classes in earth, atmospheric, and planetary sciences; 1 class in biology; 1 class in chemistry; 1 class (interdisciplinary) in civil&environmental + mechanical engineering; and one exploratory class in Python programming. I also took a PoliSci class that was entirely learning to program with STATA.

[jarofsoup]

What are the components of GWU's write on competition. Like is it a comment, a memo, or a note.... I have the competition coming up and I cant find anything on it. PM me..

[queenlizzie13]

I'm trying to decide between GW and W&M. Essentially, if I went to GW, I'd graduate ~80k in debt, and if I went to W&M, I'd graduate ~10k in debt. Any suggestions as to which I should choose?

Here's my real question. I just graduated MIT and am interested in the IP or Environmental programs. However, I was a Political Science major with an Energy minor. I mainly studied energy policy, though the minor required I take engineering, economics, and earth science classes in energy. I was also required to take classes in chemistry, biology, mechanics, and electricity and magnetism. I also took an intro programming course in Python and loaded up on science classes in high school. I am not an expert in these science fields, though... so any idea what my IP prospects would be like?

Jeeze, thats a tough one. Where do you want to practice? Are you eligible to take the patent bar? All said and done I'd probably take W&M.

I want to practice in a city--that's my main criterion. I spent 4 years in Boston and don't want to go to a small town like Williamsburg. I'm just more concerned about whether I have a background that would allow me to excel in IP law. I've taken some engineering classes--one in thermodynamics--at MIT, but idk if that's enough

Edit: I will say that I took 32-36 hours of science/engineering classes at MIT (8-9 classes). These include 2 classes in physics; 3 classes in earth, atmospheric, and planetary sciences; 1 class in biology; 1 class in chemistry; 1 class (interdisciplinary) in civil&environmental + mechanical engineering; and one exploratory class in Python programming. I also took a PoliSci class that was entirely learning to program with STATA.

How badly do you want big law? How debt averse are you?

I honestly would go with 10k in debt. For example, paying $500 a month means it will be paid off in just 2 years. Also it gives you more options job wise and it is not as big as of a gamble. However, if you do have a strong enough IP background (and I don't know because I'm not an IP/patent person) as long as you are above median at GW, you should have a good shot when it comes to OCI.

[dudders]

What are the components of GWU's write on competition. Like is it a comment, a memo, or a note.... I have the competition coming up and I cant find anything on it. PM me..

I don't know about transfers, but the regular 1L write-on was six pages- 3 objective analysis, 3 persuasive. Closed universe (400-page) packet.

[queenlizzie13]

What are the components of GWU's write on competition. Like is it a comment, a memo, or a note.... I have the competition coming up and I cant find anything on it. PM me..

I don't know about transfers, but the regular 1L write-on was six pages- 3 objective analysis, 3 persuasive. Closed universe (400-page) packet.

Dudders do you know when people last year heard about journals? I've heard end of this month/beginning of July for this year...

[dudders]

when in the summer do people usually here back from journals?

Last year I think they announced on July 11. Probably something similar ... don't they tell people this stuff at the journal infosession?

[jarofsoup]

What are the components of GWU's write on competition. Like is it a comment, a memo, or a note.... I have the competition coming up and I cant find anything on it. PM me..

I don't know about transfers, but the regular 1L write-on was six pages- 3 objective analysis, 3 persuasive. Closed universe (400-page) packet.

Dudders do you know when people last year heard about journals? I've heard end of this month/beginning of July for this year...

God I really do not want to do two of these.

[queenlizzie13]

when in the summer do people usually here back from journals?

Last year I think they announced on July 11. Probably something similar ... don't they tell people this stuff at the journal infosession?

They might have, but I was not able to go to it.

[dudders]

when in the summer do people usually here back from journals?

Last year I think they announced on July 11. Probably something similar ... don't they tell people this stuff at the journal infosession?

They might have, but I was not able to go to it.

Ha I just meant it would be an extra dick move if they were explicitly being cagey about the dates ...

[queenlizzie13]

when in the summer do people usually here back from journals?

Last year I think they announced on July 11. Probably something similar ... don't they tell people this stuff at the journal infosession?

They might have, but I was not able to go to it.

Ha I just meant it would be an extra dick move if they were explicitly being cagey about the dates ...

Lol. Yeah, it would be. CDO said it could be as early as the end of June, so that's why I asked.

[jarofsoup]

I really do not want to have to write on before I know for sure I am going. It will suck in every way to do two write ons.

[Wily]

Hey, so I posted this question on another forum but it didn't get many answers (http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=187152):

Why are GW's 2011 stats so good? Is it just because of the 15% school-employed rate?

--LinkRemoved--

80% full-time employed is better than all of its peer schools (Fordham, BC, BU, etc. as examples), and even better than Georgetown.

Just wondering what's going on.

[jarofsoup]

Hey, so I posted this question on another forum but it didn't get many answers (http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=187152):

Why are GW's 2011 stats so good? Is it just because of the 15% school-employed rate?

--LinkRemoved--

80% full-time employed is better than all of its peer schools (Fordham, BC, BU, etc. as examples), and even better than Georgetown.

Just wondering what's going on.

Navigating a schools employment numbers is like navigating a horrible maze. I think that you should assume that it is going to be hard at all schools that you apply to and even though top 14 is rough. That being said looking at the employment numbers can just tell you where to hedge your bets.

The data looks less complete than previous years however...i.e. no salary info.

GWU can get you a good job or you can get shut out. That is just the reality of law school.

This being said on a moral level I would like to attend a school that honestly reports its numbers.

[Wily]

Anyone have any idea what the "school-funded" jobs are? The stats show that 80 grads (15%) took them. Are they any good?

Also, for 3L's and recent grads, are your experiences matching with the 80% employed score at lawschooltransparency? That number is much higher than GW's counterpart schools. Just wondering if you feel like 80% of the graduating class is getting full-time, JD required jobs, or if that number is inflated.

[dudders]

Anyone have any idea what the "school-funded" jobs are? The stats show that 80 grads (15%) took them. Are they any good?

Also, for 3L's and recent grads, are your experiences matching with the 80% employed score at lawschooltransparency? That number is much higher than GW's counterpart schools. Just wondering if you feel like 80% of the graduating class is getting full-time, JD required jobs, or if that number is inflated.

I don't have a clue what the school-sponsored jobs are. I can't even find anything about Pathways to Practice on our intranet.