Columbia students taking questions Forum

[lenalou722]

Hello! I'm a prospective student planning on observing a class this Monday and can really only fit in a 2:50pm-4:10pm class. I'd like to sit in on a first year class so that leaves me with either Contracts w/Jody Kraus or Torts w/Andrzej Rapaczynski. Any recommendations on which class you'd recommend me sitting in on?

Thanks!

Lol

Amazing

Find a different class there are tons at that time

Lol tell me how you really feel...

This is where I found the list of classes they're letting people observe:
http://web.law.columbia.edu/sites/defau ... tation.pdf

I could only find those two at that time that are first year classes...

[jbagelboy]

Hello! I'm a prospective student planning on observing a class this Monday and can really only fit in a 2:50pm-4:10pm class. I'd like to sit in on a first year class so that leaves me with either Contracts w/Jody Kraus or Torts w/Andrzej Rapaczynski. Any recommendations on which class you'd recommend me sitting in on?

Thanks!

Lol

Amazing

Find a different class there are tons at that time

Lol tell me how you really feel...

This is where I found the list of classes they're letting people observe:
http://web.law.columbia.edu/sites/defau ... tation.pdf

I could only find those two at that time that are first year classes...

Go to Kraus then. He's a great orator, albeit otherwise terrible. Rapa just gets lost.

[White Dwarf]

I'm in that Kraus section. Definitely worth seeing, even if just for the entertainment value.

[jrc223]

I'm in Rapa's section. Would avoid

[lenalou722]

Thanks everyone! Kraus it is.

[GoneSouth]

Any thoughts from 2Ls and 3Ls on picking your 1L elective?

1L only class vs. one with upperclassmen? Soft class vs. black letter?

Right now I'm thinking about going for Evidence, but I'm not sure if this is crazy and I should be trying to get into something like Lawyering for Change instead.

I would also be interested in American Legal History, but I've heard some iffy things about Ponsa, mostly stemming from the ConLaw/divorce debacle. Now that that is in the past hopefully, how is she as a professor?

[Nebby]

Any thoughts from 2Ls and 3Ls on picking your 1L elective?

1L only class vs. one with upperclassmen? Soft class vs. black letter?

Right now I'm thinking about going for Evidence, but I'm not sure if this is crazy and I should be trying to get into something like Lawyering for Change instead

Lawyering for Change is highly dependent upon who your fellow classmates are. From all my C/O '16 friends who took it, they had a really great class, and regardless of their differing career aspirations, all of them had a passion for lawyering for change. According to my classmate who TA'd for the C/O '17 class, it was much less passion and much more people took it for an "easy" class, and the quality of the class suffered.

Evidence is a fine class. I don't think you can really go wrong with whatever you take. Admin is another fun class, but don't recommend if you aren't taking ConLaw this fall. It's better to take Admin after you've taken a semester of ConLaw.

[White Dwarf]

It seems like everyone I know either wants Evidence or "easy class".

[jbagelboy]

I don't know if law and development is still offered as an elective, but if so, it's basically no case reading and a really interesting class, especially if you've studied history and political economy in any serious way. There's no cold calling or any of that type A shit. That being said, it won't provide knowledge in a particular "area of law".

[Tiago Splitter]

Waxman's class isn't much work but you'll have to live with poli sci gunners and I don't think getting a good grade is easy. This could be stupid and/or hindsight bias but I might lean towards taking an upper year class if you want the best grade.

[RSN]

Here are the 1L elective options for this spring: http://web.law.columbia.edu/courses/sea ... ery=Search

Law and Development looks like it's an option, but Waxman not doing anything.

Is TCR generally not to go for another hard black letter class (Evidence, Admin, etc)? That's the way I'm leaning now, having already had trouble getting everything done just with three classes + LPW this semester.

[jbagelboy]

Here are the 1L elective options for this spring: http://web.law.columbia.edu/courses/sea ... ery=Search

Law and Development looks like it's an option, but Waxman not doing anything.

Is TCR generally not to go for another hard black letter class (Evidence, Admin, etc)? That's the way I'm leaning now, having already had trouble getting everything done just with three classes + LPW this semester.

I didn't take hard letter and I'd be hard pressed to say it's impacted my career options in any way. Honestly most of the "do this to achieve X result" shpiel in law school is bullshit.

Put yourself out there and show up. Best advise I've ever received or given. You don't need to take any particular classes or serve on a particular journal/law review, just give it what you got. I know that's vague but it's more valuable than any rubric.

[RSN]

Here are the 1L elective options for this spring: http://web.law.columbia.edu/courses/sea ... ery=Search

Law and Development looks like it's an option, but Waxman not doing anything.

Is TCR generally not to go for another hard black letter class (Evidence, Admin, etc)? That's the way I'm leaning now, having already had trouble getting everything done just with three classes + LPW this semester.

I didn't take hard letter and I'd be hard pressed to say it's impacted my career options in any way. Honestly most of the "do this to achieve X result" shpiel in law school is bullshit.

Put yourself out there and show up. Best advise I've ever received or given. You don't need to take any particular classes or serve on a particular journal/law review, just give it what you got. I know that's vague but it's more valuable than any rubric.

I get it generally, I'm just talking about whether it makes sense to take another hard, work-intense class on top of the other three that are mandatory, or whether I should try to give myself a break and do something a little less demanding, so I have more time to focus on the classes that matter more. Not for career purposes really, just for time management.

[MCFC]

I don't know if the numbers bear this out (the administration has hinted that they they do), but it seems plausible that you would do better in a 2L/3L course than a course full of your fellow 1Ls because some percentage of the 2 and 3Ls will be checked out.

Of the upper level courses offered, I've heard people were so so on Richman. Raskolnikov is great, but there's always the risk you just don't like tax, in which case you might be in for a rough semester.

[Nebby]

If you like ConLaw, then you will like Admin. Though I've never had Strauss so I cannot speak to his teaching ability, and Admin is a class that benefits greatly from a well-structured and organized teaching method, such as JBP.

[smaug]

If you like ConLaw, then you will like Admin. Though I've never had Strauss so I cannot speak to his teaching ability, and Admin is a class that benefits greatly from a well-structured and organized teaching method, such as JBP.

don't take admin w/ strauss as a 1l

admin is already a gunner honeypot, w/ strauss moreso

take a class w/ 2Ls that isn't gunnery or hard

[dabigchina]

has anyone taken fed income tax with raskolnikov? is the curve decent? is it a lot of work?

[Tiago Splitter]

has anyone taken fed income tax with raskolnikov? is the curve decent? is it a lot of work?

It's not a lot of work and if you have the right background you should do very well. Plus Rasko is awesome.

[dabigchina]

has anyone taken fed income tax with raskolnikov? is the curve decent? is it a lot of work?

It's not a lot of work and if you have the right background you should do very well. Plus Rasko is awesome.

niceeee thanks

[MCFC]

Anyone know if anything interesting is going to replace Camille's?

[John_Luther1989]

It's worth noting that you can take any class you want in the spring except clinics, externships, and colloquia. If a professor will allow you in a class, it has space, and it fits into your schedule then you can take it. The 1L list is just a starting point, but it's represented as exhaustive. The only drawback is that you'll have to pick up the class you want in add/drop.

[GoneSouth]

It's worth noting that you can take any class you want in the spring except clinics, externships, and colloquia. If a professor will allow you in a class, it has space, and it fits into your schedule then you can take it. The 1L list is just a starting point, but it's represented as exhaustive. The only drawback is that you'll have to pick up the class you want in add/drop.

Wow, this is good to know. They certainly don't tell anyone that

[John_Luther1989]

It's worth noting that you can take any class you want in the spring except clinics, externships, and colloquia. If a professor will allow you in a class, it has space, and it fits into your schedule then you can take it. The 1L list is just a starting point, but it's represented as exhaustive. The only drawback is that you'll have to pick up the class you want in add/drop.

Wow, this is good to know. They certainly don't tell anyone that

If you see a class you want and the system or registrar gives you a hard time, email the professor and ask them to tell the registrar it's okay.

[Nebby]

I'm moving back to NY and just need housing for the semester. Any reason I should be weary of the 400 block apartments? I figured I'd apply there because they seem the cheapest.

[banjo]

Anyone know if anything interesting is going to replace Camille's?

Yep, this: http://www.artsandcraftsbarnyc.com/index.html