10 Reasons Why You Should Not Go to HLS Forum

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paratactical

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Re: 10 Reasons Why You Should Not Go to HLS

Post by paratactical » Tue Oct 26, 2010 9:29 am

Kobe_Teeth wrote:Its my favorite TLS game...
"Flame or Douche?"
It's so hard to tell sometimes!

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JazzOne

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Re: 10 Reasons Why You Should Not Go to HLS

Post by JazzOne » Tue Oct 26, 2010 10:04 am

paratactical wrote:
Kobe_Teeth wrote:Its my favorite TLS game...
"Flame or Douche?"
It's so hard to tell sometimes!
These are not mutually exclusive.

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casper13

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Re: 10 Reasons Why You Should Not Go to HLS

Post by casper13 » Tue Oct 26, 2010 7:50 pm

Stanford4Me wrote:
casper13 wrote:
Stanford4Me wrote:I hope D-Rocca gets rejected @ Harvard.

Come to NYU, all. Flag football and diminishing school rankings for all!
The NFL is Dallas Cowboys are now at NYU?
FTFMeandmysportsdepression
its ok I had them picked in my weekly pool and when Romo went down my head just sunk. At least now I know not to pick them for the rest of the season.

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DoubleChecks

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Re: 10 Reasons Why You Should Not Go to HLS

Post by DoubleChecks » Tue Oct 26, 2010 8:03 pm

invisiblesun wrote:
DoubleChecks wrote:
rooster wrote: While I admire a person with confidence, try not to get ahead of yourself.

But as to the real substance of what you are saying: If you peruse my post, you will find that I do not doubt the HLS helps one get a job, or generally provides "opportunity." But--and I realize this may be a radical view--I do think a law school should provide more than good branding. I think that it is a problem if a large percentage of students at a school feel intellectually disconnected from the school, and my experience at HLS suggests that a large percentage of students feel this way. In general, they did not come in intellectually alienated, and many end up doing quite well at law school and going on to prominent careers. Yet they hate their time at HLS. I think this is a problem. If you do not, then fine--go to HLS. But for 0Ls who want a law school that is more than a brand name, and that have other options similar to HLS, I would suggest that they carefully explore those other options.

I admit that my complaints about printing may seem trivial, and I would not care if the substantive education HLS provided was good. But it is not, and the printing and other bureaucratic issues are simply symptomatic of a deeper administrative disregard of students.
Sorry if I am a bit skeptical that your views represent the opinions of a "large percentage of students" at HLS. But who knows, maybe my friends and I are in the minority. What do you exactly mean by "intellectually disconnected"?

And rooster, while some of your points are valid, and I do not doubt the authenticity of your HLS experiences, much of what you have to say is both anecdotal and misleading. While I realize you were clever enough to not over-commit yourself, your original post paints a picture of HLS that, upon closer inspection of your subsequent comments, is not what you actually meant. Most 0Ls are probably not that discerning.

But your post has made me curious about one thing: pm me the profs you had that were bad? Maybe I'll know which to avoid :P I'm sorry your HLS experience didn't turn out quite the way you had hoped.
I'm an undiscerning 0L, and I'm wondering if any current or former HLS students perusing this thread can elaborate more on some of the claims made by OP. I'm currently deferred at HLS and although I was absolutely ecstatic to get in, the more recent TLS talk of an unstable grading system, 0-offered students at OCI, and increasing bitterness at the school is a tad concerning. To make matters worse, I can't really bring these concerns up with anyone IRL because then I'm looked at like a pretentious douche who is unappreciative of his Harvard acceptance.

Since I'm deferred, it is unlikely that my plans would change, as it would require me to withdraw my deferral and reapply (and potentially risk losing the HLS acceptance). Moreover, I'm still pretty excited about going- just with a few concerns, and I'd like to know what to expect. Any help you guys can give is appreciated.
Well my experiences are limited (you know, to myself), but I can tell you what I personally think (and also what my friends agree with). The grading system is a bit annoying because it keeps changing...not in a big way, but in really small ways. tbh, I don't think anyone knows how the recent round of changes (I believe Low passes are discretionary now and Dean Scholars for the top 1-2% ish of every class are given) will affect hiring. imo, it doesn't mean too much. A handful of people will get DS, possibly fewer people will get LPs. Still ~35% HPs and the rest Ps.

Speaking to a few 3Ls, they all think this year's OCI was leaps and bounds better than 2008's. It is also noticeably better than last yr's 2L OCI. For these reasons, most of them think the trend is going toward something positive. Are there 0-offered 2Ls from OCI? Definitely, but there are at every school (even Yale)...there are just much, much fewer at the top. YLS, I believe, still overshadows HLS in job hiring, but I mean it's YLS + small class size. SLS may be doing better as well, but that is just a guess based on class size...CA in general is not doing nearly as well as NYC. Bidding and choosing the right markets seem to matter more. The ones that did not get OCI biglaw still got something I believe (midlaw and the type) -- out of the few I know that didn't get biglaw. So while you aren't guaranteed a biglaw job, you should still get a respectable job by 3L. /shrugs, better than almost all other schools besides YLS (SLS arguable).

Is there increasing bitterness at the school? Possibly, but isn't there a GENERAL trend of increasing bitterness at all law schools due to the economy? I don't know if this is HLS-specific.

The OP's most salient points (or at least the ones I definitely agree w/) are minor ones. IT here isn't that great. Coffee runs out too quickly (I don't drink coffee regularly though lol). Too many usernames and pws. Buildings are ugly. HLS administration can get a bit 'clunky.' The rest really depends on your personal experiences, the people you hang out with, and your attitude.

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totalidiot

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Re: 10 Reasons Why You Should Not Go to HLS

Post by totalidiot » Tue Oct 26, 2010 8:19 pm

D-ROCCA wrote:Fair. I'm not really interested in a legal education though, as many people say law school doesn't really prepare someone to be a lawyer. Therefore, I'm pretty much paying my $120k for the piece of paper that my degree is printed on. It's an expensive piece of paper, and other schools may provide benefits that make earning that piece of paper more tolerable, but in the end it's all about that piece of paper.

No doubt that the atmosphere of HLS is pretty harsh, but then again so is the atmosphere after law school, especially now.

At first, I thought "man, this D-Rocca guy sure does manage to come across as something of a douche." Then, I realized that he's just a 0L.

Seriously, 0Ls should just stay out of the way of anyone with actual law school experience. Rooster gave his perspective on HLS. It would be one thing if a 0L were to say "Okay, thanks for the perspective, but I think I'm going to trust [insert other source(s)]" instead of running his or her mouth about something of which he or she is totally ignorant.

And D-Rocca, regarding your whole "I'm pretty much paying my 120k for a piece of paper," you'll just see how satisfying a deal that is when you get to the middle of your 2L year and find yourself worrying about how to bluebook some piece of meaningless minutiae. It's those times that the whole 'why I came to law school' thing becomes relevant.

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sarahh

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Re: 10 Reasons Why You Should Not Go to HLS

Post by sarahh » Tue Oct 26, 2010 8:28 pm

Is there anyone who went to Harvard for both undergrad and law school who can speak to how different/similar the atmosphere is?

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DoubleChecks

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Re: 10 Reasons Why You Should Not Go to HLS

Post by DoubleChecks » Tue Oct 26, 2010 8:35 pm

sarahhope82 wrote:Is there anyone who went to Harvard for both undergrad and law school who can speak to how different/similar the atmosphere is?
Huh, that's a good question. I'll ask tomorrow.

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D-ROCCA

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Re: 10 Reasons Why You Should Not Go to HLS

Post by D-ROCCA » Tue Oct 26, 2010 8:38 pm

I love how this thread is still going...you must be a totalidiot
totalidiot wrote:
D-ROCCA wrote:Fair. I'm not really interested in a legal education though, as many people say law school doesn't really prepare someone to be a lawyer. Therefore, I'm pretty much paying my $120k for the piece of paper that my degree is printed on. It's an expensive piece of paper, and other schools may provide benefits that make earning that piece of paper more tolerable, but in the end it's all about that piece of paper.

No doubt that the atmosphere of HLS is pretty harsh, but then again so is the atmosphere after law school, especially now.

At first, I thought "man, this D-Rocca guy sure does manage to come across as something of a douche." Then, I realized that he's just a 0L.

Seriously, 0Ls should just stay out of the way of anyone with actual law school experience. Rooster gave his perspective on HLS. It would be one thing if a 0L were to say "Okay, thanks for the perspective, but I think I'm going to trust [insert other source(s)]" instead of running his or her mouth about something of which he or she is totally ignorant.

And D-Rocca, regarding your whole "I'm pretty much paying my 120k for a piece of paper," you'll just see how satisfying a deal that is when you get to the middle of your 2L year and find yourself worrying about how to bluebook some piece of meaningless minutiae. It's those times that the whole 'why I came to law school' thing becomes relevant.

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Hattori Hanzo

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Re: 10 Reasons Why You Should Not Go to HLS

Post by Hattori Hanzo » Wed Oct 27, 2010 2:02 am

Just to add: BSA's are absolutely friendly. My BSA always replies to email questions within 5-10 mins (even past midnight!) and has made himself available for unscheduled meetings to discuss memos and such.
Also, none of my professors play favorites in class. All students get called on (3 out of my 4 professors mark it on their seating charts to make sure they call on everybody) and if the student doesn't know the answer the professor just moves on to someone else. I have personally been called on at least once in each class so far and I believe that also goes for everyone else in my section.
The free coffee at Pound runs out before noon but there are at least 2 other spots to get free coffee during the day that I know of. Still it'd be more convenient to have coffee in Pound all day.

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Re: 10 Reasons Why You Should Not Go to HLS

Post by sergeantpzr » Wed Oct 27, 2010 5:10 pm

Any HLS students want to share some good experiences about Harvard? 10 reasons to go? It would be much appreciated!

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paratactical

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Re: 10 Reasons Why You Should Not Go to HLS

Post by paratactical » Wed Oct 27, 2010 5:11 pm

sergeantpzr wrote:Any HLS students want to share some good experiences about Harvard? 10 reasons to go? It would be much appreciated!
1. You can get a job.
2. You can get a job.
3. You can get a job.
4. You can get a job.
5. You can get a job.
6. You can get a job.
7. You can get a job.
8. You can get a job.
9. You can get a job.
10. You can get a job.

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Re: 10 Reasons Why You Should Not Go to HLS

Post by concurrent fork » Thu Oct 28, 2010 9:40 am

With the exception of grading policy, none of these reasons are specific to HLS. People bitch about the same things at every LS. You will have some asshole classmates everywhere.

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Re: 10 Reasons Why You Should Not Go to HLS

Post by romothesavior » Thu Oct 28, 2010 10:52 am

My favorite reason the OP gave was that there is a "lack of choice in curriculum" as evidenced by the fact that you only get to pick two of your first year classes! Oh the horror! That's only two more than students at other schools!

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clintonius

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Re: 10 Reasons Why You Should Not Go to HLS

Post by clintonius » Thu Oct 28, 2010 6:46 pm

concurrent fork wrote:With the exception of grading policy, none of these reasons are specific to HLS. People bitch about the same things at every LS. You will have some asshole classmates everywhere.
You clearly don't go to NYU. Though I must concede we only get one elective first year.

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DoubleChecks

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Re: 10 Reasons Why You Should Not Go to HLS

Post by DoubleChecks » Thu Oct 28, 2010 7:02 pm

concurrent fork wrote:With the exception of grading policy, none of these reasons are specific to HLS. People bitch about the same things at every LS. You will have some asshole classmates everywhere.
sort of what i felt as well...that and ive met way fewer gunnerish or rude ppl in law school than i was led to believe id meet

wait...that means I'M the gunner?! crap!

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Re: 10 Reasons Why You Should Not Go to HLS

Post by CG614 » Sat Oct 30, 2010 9:48 pm

clintonius wrote:
concurrent fork wrote:With the exception of grading policy, none of these reasons are specific to HLS. People bitch about the same things at every LS. You will have some asshole classmates everywhere.
You clearly don't go to NYU. Though I must concede we only get one elective first year.
Are you implying that there are no assholes at NYU?

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Re: 10 Reasons Why You Should Not Go to HLS

Post by clintonius » Sun Oct 31, 2010 1:26 pm

Ha, hardly. Only that the majority of the gripes in the OP are not common complaints here.

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Re: 10 Reasons Why You Should Not Go to HLS

Post by Thirteen » Mon Nov 01, 2010 11:58 pm

romothesavior wrote:My favorite reason the OP gave was that there is a "lack of choice in curriculum" as evidenced by the fact that you only get to pick two of your first year classes! Oh the horror! That's only two more than students at other schools!
One more than emory

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Re: 10 Reasons Why You Should Not Go to HLS

Post by whymeohgodno » Wed Nov 03, 2010 8:05 pm

#1 Reason.

It's not Yale.

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Re: 10 Reasons Why You Should Not Go to HLS

Post by rooster » Fri Nov 05, 2010 4:18 pm

whymeohgodno wrote:#1 Reason.

It's not Yale.
Though my comments have focused so far on the negative aspects of HLS, the fact that HLS is not the preferred school of the above poster is surely to be counted among HLS's great assets.

You, sir (or madame), are a grand douche extraordinaire.

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Re: 10 Reasons Why You Should Not Go to HLS

Post by whymeohgodno » Fri Nov 05, 2010 5:09 pm

rooster wrote:
whymeohgodno wrote:#1 Reason.

It's not Yale.
Though my comments have focused so far on the negative aspects of HLS, the fact that HLS is not the preferred school of the above poster is surely to be counted among HLS's great assets.

You, sir (or madame), are a grand douche extraordinaire.
Not being Yale is pretty negative imo.

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Re: 10 Reasons Why You Should Not Go to HLS

Post by rooster » Fri Nov 05, 2010 5:19 pm

whymeohgodno wrote:
rooster wrote:
whymeohgodno wrote:#1 Reason.

It's not Yale.
Though my comments have focused so far on the negative aspects of HLS, the fact that HLS is not the preferred school of the above poster is surely to be counted among HLS's great assets.

You, sir (or madame), are a grand douche extraordinaire.
Not being Yale is pretty negative imo.
I take it you speak from your personal experience?

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Re: 10 Reasons Why You Should Not Go to HLS

Post by rayiner » Fri Nov 05, 2010 5:25 pm

rooster wrote:
whymeohgodno wrote:#1 Reason.

It's not Yale.
Though my comments have focused so far on the negative aspects of HLS, the fact that HLS is not the preferred school of the above posternearly everyone who goes there is surely to be counted among HLS's great assetsmost lolzy qualities.

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Re: 10 Reasons Why You Should Not Go to HLS

Post by rooster » Fri Nov 05, 2010 5:33 pm

rayiner wrote:
rooster wrote:
whymeohgodno wrote:#1 Reason.

It's not Yale.
Though my comments have focused so far on the negative aspects of HLS, the fact that HLS is not the preferred school of the above posternearly everyone who goes there is surely to be counted among HLS's great assetsmost lolzy qualities.
Good catch--that last post was sadly lacking in the stupid internet slang department.

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Re: 10 Reasons Why You Should Not Go to HLS

Post by BruceWayne » Fri Nov 05, 2010 5:36 pm

rayiner wrote:
rooster wrote:
whymeohgodno wrote:#1 Reason.

It's not Yale.
Though my comments have focused so far on the negative aspects of HLS, the fact that HLS is not the preferred school of the above posternearly everyone who goes there is surely to be counted among HLS's great assetsmost lolzy qualities.
Please. People need to step back from this website and get a dose of reality. Harvard Law School is the dream for many applicants. A lot of people aren't even aware that Yale is "better". Only in sheltered world of TLS do people look at HLS students and think "Oh so you couldn't get into Yale". If people on here are honest with themselves, before they got involved with this website they probably viewed Harvard as the ultimate dream school.

Seriously? What are you waiting for?

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