UVA Law Students Taking Questions Forum

[albanach]

There's one outline on SBA but it's unclear as to whether it's a good or bad one to follow.

Talk to your PAs. They may be able to track you down an outline from someone who did well.

[ZVBXRPL]

I plan on going into human rights law. What does UVA offer?

[albanach]

I plan on going into human rights law. What does UVA offer?

--LinkRemoved--

Do you have specific questions?

[PepperJack]

I plan on going into human rights law. What does UVA offer?

Why not bird law?

[ZVBXRPL]

Spec., what's special about UVAs human rts program?
What clinic are you/ur classmates most fond of?

[PepperJack]

Spec., what's special about UVAs human rts program?
What clinic are you/ur classmates most fond of?

Animal rights has the most chipotle which gives you a chance to eat your clients. Very few areas of the law provide such opportunity.

[envisciguy]

Spec., what's special about UVAs human rts program?
What clinic are you/ur classmates most fond of?

Animal rights has the most chipotle which gives you a chance to eat your clients. Very few areas of the law provide such opportunity.

Each time I read this I laugh. Major props PepperJack.

In terms of a real answer, I someone from my section just started an International Human Rights clinic in Palestine and seems to be really enjoying it.

[PepperJack]

Spec., what's special about UVAs human rts program?
What clinic are you/ur classmates most fond of?

Animal rights has the most chipotle which gives you a chance to eat your clients. Very few areas of the law provide such opportunity.

Each time I read this I laugh. Major props PepperJack.

In terms of a real answer, I someone from my section just started an International Human Rights clinic in Palestine and seems to be really enjoying it.

Oh yes, the Palestine clinic is the bomb!

[albanach]

Spec., what's special about UVAs human rts program?
What clinic are you/ur classmates most fond of?

The question may be better put, what's so special about you?

UVA is a top ten school, filled with exceptionally capable law students - just like its peer schools. Students go off and work on war crime tribunals in The Hague, others travel to Africa, helping build legal structures or work on issue campaigns. Students get to do amazing things that will change the lives of others.

But human rights is a huge field and highly competitive, particularly for a graduate with little real experience. Many of those that carried out projects over their summers will have taken firm jobs upon graduation and be working in a city near you.

If you want to work in human rights law, it's going to be less about the courses and clinics on offer and more about you as a person and how you're going to create that opportunity for yourself.

[ZVBXRPL]

Spec., what's special about UVAs human rts program?
What clinic are you/ur classmates most fond of?

The question may be better put, what's so special about you?

I'm the one who knocks.

[lemons]

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[North]

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[albanach]

I'm curious who visited UVa before they were admitted/decided to attend? I am thinking about applying ED but I won't have a chance to visit until mid-January. Everything I've read about UVa makes me sure that I want to attend but I've also only been as far south as D.C. and I've never been to Virginia. I guess I'm just looking for opinions!

Do you know what your numbers are at this point? You could try having a chat with admissions if you're reluctant to go ED until you see the place. Honestly though, what are your specific concerns?

As long as you realize Charlottesville is a small city and can handle that, it's a great school.

[lemons]

.

[sprezz]

i've been in charlottesville for several years and was in a fraternity here during undergrad (it probably says something about the law school's reputation that this just about outs me) and i'm still not sure i know what fratty means. if it means you'll see a lot of PRL and lilly, sure. you can't avoid seeing that, so if you have some allergic reaction to seeing a bunch of white people dressing like a bunch of white people, tailor your decisions accordingly. but events and social cliques are more or less opt in or out. if going out frequently isn't your shit, or going to the regular law school drinking spots isn't your shit, then just do you. i'm all about some of the "fratty" things here and not even kind of about others, and i think that's true of the vast majority of my class. whatever your interests are, there will be plenty of other people who share them, both in law school and outside of law school. be even mildly proactive about finding them and you'll be fine.

charlottesville is a wonderful college town with pleasant four season weather, dynamite food, and good people. whether that means you should ED or not is on you. i didn't apply anywhere else. knowing what i know now, i think kevin donovan + charlottesville is an entirely justifiable platform for choosing uva over some likely alternatives. but ymmv

*note: if your allergy is confined to lilly, that's perfectly normal even in the commonwealth. stay away from foxfield and home football games and you should be fine!

[albanach]

I took the LSAT for the first time in October so I don't have my scores back yet. I've been PTing anywhere from a 163-172 so I'm assuming I'll get somewhere in the middle of that range (although I know that's a pretty big range). I also have a 3.4, which I know is kinda low, but I'm a URM so I'm hoping that will help.

Lawschoolnumbers suggests that last year URM's with 3.4/170 were getting substantial scholarships to attend.

That being the case, if you score at the high end of your range, I would suggest you think carefully about whether ED makes sense or if you should be applying more widely.

Perhaps start a thread once you have your LSAT score. And if you do get a good LSAT score I'd call the admissions team and ask them to sell the school to you. If you score at the low end, and ED to UVA might make a lot of sense, though retaking might be even better.

[sherpaorlawschool]

For any UVA alums still around, is it a terrible idea not to take Trusts & Estates before I graduate for the purposes of the bar? I'd rather take Conflict of Laws with Collins instead.

[thesealocust]

For any UVA alums still around, is it a terrible idea not to take Trusts & Estates before I graduate for the purposes of the bar? I'd rather take Conflict of Laws with Collins instead.

There is no reason to ever take a class "for the bar." You can and will pick it all up the summer after law school.

Poooooosssssible exception for Evidence, just because it's a major part of the MBE as well.

[5ky]

For any UVA alums still around, is it a terrible idea not to take Trusts & Estates before I graduate for the purposes of the bar? I'd rather take Conflict of Laws with Collins instead.

There is no reason to ever take a class "for the bar." You can and will pick it all up the summer after law school.

Poooooosssssible exception for Evidence, just because it's a major part of the MBE as well.

If you have a class you'd rather take, then I wouldn't take a class just for the bar. But if you are completely ambivalent as to your classes, my recommendations are Evidence (MBE/essays), CrimPro (MBE/essays), and T&E (the most popular non-MBE essay topic for NY/VA, I think). I didn't take T&E and it sucked for those few days of trying to pick it up for the first time.

Also, Conflicts is a bar subject, at least for NY (though a very minor one, unlike T&E)

[Hspeaksfriend]

i've been in charlottesville for several years and was in a fraternity here during undergrad (it probably says something about the law school's reputation that this just about outs me) and i'm still not sure i know what fratty means. if it means you'll see a lot of PRL and lilly, sure. you can't avoid seeing that, so if you have some allergic reaction to seeing a bunch of white people dressing like a bunch of white people, tailor your decisions accordingly. but events and social cliques are more or less opt in or out. if going out frequently isn't your shit, or going to the regular law school drinking spots isn't your shit, then just do you. i'm all about some of the "fratty" things here and not even kind of about others, and i think that's true of the vast majority of my class. whatever your interests are, there will be plenty of other people who share them, both in law school and outside of law school. be even mildly proactive about finding them and you'll be fine.

charlottesville is a wonderful college town with pleasant four season weather, dynamite food, and good people. whether that means you should ED or not is on you. i didn't apply anywhere else. knowing what i know now, i think kevin donovan + charlottesville is an entirely justifiable platform for choosing uva over some likely alternatives. but ymmv

*note: if your allergy is confined to lilly, that's perfectly normal even in the commonwealth. stay away from foxfield and home football games and you should be fine!

Section D? Haha

[Cavalier]

For any UVA alums still around, is it a terrible idea not to take Trusts & Estates before I graduate for the purposes of the bar? I'd rather take Conflict of Laws with Collins instead.

Take Conflicts. You'll have more than enough time to learn wills and trusts for the bar.

[paulinaporizkova]

What if I'm going to a lit firm to do lit next year but I just really don't want to take Trial Ad?

[blahblewblah]

What if I'm going to a lit firm to do lit next year but I just really don't want to take Trial Ad?

A good alternative is Trial Ad College. The last week of Christmas break and it is pass fail one credit. It will give you a basic idea without a big time commitment.

[chem]

What if I'm going to a lit firm to do lit next year but I just really don't want to take Trial Ad?

A good alternative is Trial Ad College. The last week of Christmas break and it is pass fail one credit. It will give you a basic idea without a big time commitment.

Two credits, which is even better

[anon sequitur]

I don't know why you wouldn't want to take trial ad. 3 credits for one afternoon a week, at least in my section it's been about one hour of prep per week or less. There's one big project toward the end of the semester, but that looks like it could be doable in 10-12 hours. Class is light and fun, a great break from doctrinal lectures. Unless you just hate public speaking.