Stanford 1L taking questions Forum

[accidental1L]

If I end up living off campus, is it worth the convenience to pay 3x the price for an "A" pass, or is a "C" pass all that I need? I'm not sure what the distribution of A and C spaces are in the structure near the law school.

[legends159]

How is being on the quarter system? I feel having to take an additional finals period every year might be a huge pain in the ass compared to the semester system.

sucks b/c of the work but great b/c you can take more electives and classes you like and you will likely be ahead of the curve compared to your peers at other schools come 1L summer job preparedness. Furthermore you will look more impressive for 2L OCI interviewing b/c you've taken classes that most others don't take until their 2nd semester 2L year.

[Knock]

How is being on the quarter system? I feel having to take an additional finals period every year might be a huge pain in the ass compared to the semester system.

sucks b/c of the work but great b/c you can take more electives and classes you like and you will likely be ahead of the curve compared to your peers at other schools come 1L summer job preparedness. Furthermore you will look more impressive for 2L OCI interviewing b/c you've taken classes that most others don't take until their 2nd semester 2L year.

Thanks legends! You should check out the other questions I had if you're up to it .

[legends159]

So I saw on SLS' website that the new law building is scheduled to be completed for the 2011-2012 school year. It looks absolutely amazing. What do you guys think about this building? Have you heard anything about it?

it's going to be done in november-ish but there's some issues w/ the pipes so it wont be open until spring quarter. I think it looks amazing on paper and looks pretty cool so far. it'll give a lot more space to the clinics and to law professors.

Pretty much all the buildings on campus is gorgeous and pictures really don't do it justice. You have to be here walking around and enjoying the great weather to really understand how amazing life is here. Plus munger i just a fantastic living arrangement even though it's so expensive.

Random question; for form C, is it required, encouraged, or what? do you think it will make a significant difference? does it matter if I only have one or should I try and get two professors to fill it out?

form c is not required. don't know how much it helps but it doesn't hurt you. you can get one or two or none to do it. if it's too difficult then it's probably not worth it, but if you need all the help you can get it might be worthwhile to try and get them in.

[Knock]

So I saw on SLS' website that the new law building is scheduled to be completed for the 2011-2012 school year. It looks absolutely amazing. What do you guys think about this building? Have you heard anything about it?

it's going to be done in november-ish but there's some issues w/ the pipes so it wont be open until spring quarter. I think it looks amazing on paper and looks pretty cool so far. it'll give a lot more space to the clinics and to law professors.

Pretty much all the buildings on campus is gorgeous and pictures really don't do it justice. You have to be here walking around and enjoying the great weather to really understand how amazing life is here. Plus munger i just a fantastic living arrangement even though it's so expensive.

Random question; for form C, is it required, encouraged, or what? do you think it will make a significant difference? does it matter if I only have one or should I try and get two professors to fill it out?

form c is not required. don't know how much it helps but it doesn't hurt you. you can get one or two or none to do it. if it's too difficult then it's probably not worth it, but if you need all the help you can get it might be worthwhile to try and get them in.

Thanks so much legends! Really appreciate taking the time to answer my questions. I agree, Stanford has an absolutely amazing campus, I can't wait to see this new building.

[uofmstanfordharvard]

From reading your posts, it sounds like the majority of people at Stanford Law have a very deep background in science. I desire to focus on Intellectual Properties, so I can become an arts and entertainment lawyer. Is there anyone in the student body that has a background in the liberal arts; i.e., art history, film, music, politics?

You guys probably answered this next question a lot, so please forgive me. What type of experiences do they look for in an applicant? The reason I ask is because I have a tremendous amount of experience both in and out of school, and wanted to see if it matches their criteria. If you want, I can tell you more about my background via email.

Thanks!

[BioEBear2010]

 
From reading your posts, it sounds like the majority of people at Stanford Law have a very deep background in science. I desire to focus on Intellectual Properties, so I can become an arts and entertainment lawyer. Is there anyone in the student body that has a background in the liberal arts; i.e., art history, film, music, politics?

While SLS is very strong in IP, it is certainly not the case that the majority of students have science backgrounds. Most students majored in one of the liberal arts.

Also, Legends (and other SLS students watching this thread), how possible is it for a 1L to attain a biglaw summer position? What would a student need to do to stand out (aside from great grades)?

[Knock]

Hey, i'm working on a LOCI to SLS, and I was wondering if anyone would be willing or have time to have a Gchat/IM conversation about SLS. It shouldn't take too long, I just want to ask some questions and try and get more information to make sure my LOCI is well-informed and accurate.

[Kretzy]

Hey, i'm working on a LOCI to SLS, and I was wondering if anyone would be willing or have time to have a Gchat/IM conversation about SLS. It shouldn't take too long, I just want to ask some questions and try and get more information to make sure my LOCI is well-informed and accurate.

Sorry none of us have responded to this yet. Our Federal Litigation class has had its memos due throughout this past week (and up through next Monday) and people start oral arguments today, so folks have been really concentrating on that the past week or so. If you still need/want to chat before sending it off, backchannel one of us and we might be able to chat sometime this morning/afternoon.

Shameless plug for fun stuff at SLS: Despite the memo creeping up on us, a team of 1Ls won the university's intramural dodgeball tournament this past weekend.

[Knock]

Hey, i'm working on a LOCI to SLS, and I was wondering if anyone would be willing or have time to have a Gchat/IM conversation about SLS. It shouldn't take too long, I just want to ask some questions and try and get more information to make sure my LOCI is well-informed and accurate.

Sorry none of us have responded to this yet. Our Federal Litigation class has had its memos due throughout this past week (and up through next Monday) and people start oral arguments today, so folks have been really concentrating on that the past week or so. If you still need/want to chat before sending it off, backchannel one of us and we might be able to chat sometime this morning/afternoon.

Shameless plug for fun stuff at SLS: Despite the memo creeping up on us, a team of 1Ls won the university's intramural dodgeball tournament this past weekend.

No worries at all. I actually received a pm from a SLS student who has helped me out substantially, and I am immensely grateful!

Hope things are going well for your Kretzky, i'm sure you are doing great up there! Sounds like you are having a lot of fun .

[chebbyshev]

If I end up living off campus, is it worth the convenience to pay 3x the price for an "A" pass, or is a "C" pass all that I need? I'm not sure what the distribution of A and C spaces are in the structure near the law school.

I'm not a law student but as an undergrad I can definitely comment on this. Parking is a bitch at Stanford. You have your own section on campus where you are allowed to park based on your housing location (there are like 6 or 7 different areas). This gets annoying if you have friends in other dorms or just feel like driving somewhere else on campus and not walking (campus is MASSIVE). To make matters worse, parking enforcement officers patrol like hawks so you can't cheat the system. Believe me I've tried and failed several times.

I'm guessing they told you you could park in "C" lots, so you should just go ahead and buy that pass. "A" is reserved for RF's, Profs, Deans, etc. I think you might be able to one if you want to cough up the cash, but its not at all necessary. It just gives you VIP parking right in front of most buildings on campus. There is a really nice underground parking lot about a 2 minute walk from the law school with tons of C spots available, so you won't have to worry about finding spots.

Anyway, hope this helps. good luck on SLS! Stanford is a great place to live and I hope you enjoy it. I would have applied if my undergrad GPA were better...

[BioEBear2010]

If I end up living off campus, is it worth the convenience to pay 3x the price for an "A" pass, or is a "C" pass all that I need? I'm not sure what the distribution of A and C spaces are in the structure near the law school.

I'm not a law student but as an undergrad I can definitely comment on this. Parking is a bitch at Stanford. You have your own section on campus where you are allowed to park based on your housing location (there are like 6 or 7 different areas). This gets annoying if you have friends in other dorms or just feel like driving somewhere else on campus and not walking (campus is MASSIVE). To make matters worse, parking enforcement officers patrol like hawks so you can't cheat the system. Believe me I've tried and failed several times.

I'm guessing they told you you could park in "C" lots, so you should just go ahead and buy that pass. "A" is reserved for RF's, Profs, Deans, etc. I think you might be able to one if you want to cough up the cash, but its not at all necessary. It just gives you VIP parking right in front of most buildings on campus. There is a really nice underground parking lot about a 2 minute walk from the law school with tons of C spots available, so you won't have to worry about finding spots.

Anyway, hope this helps. good luck on SLS! Stanford is a great place to live and I hope you enjoy it. I would have applied if my undergrad GPA were better...

The EA pass is great for Wilbur/Munger underground, which is the closest place you can park to the law school.

[zmama]

My husband works at the hospital and they pay him not to drive to campus. Is that true for other schools/departments at Stanford?

[chup]

My husband works at the hospital and they pay him not to drive to campus. Is that true for other schools/departments at Stanford?

The Transportation people have a commuter rewards program for stuff like this. I don't think it matters what department/school you're in, as long as you meet their requirements:

http://transportation.stanford.edu/alt_ ... sidy.shtml
http://transportation.stanford.edu/alt_ ... Club.shtml

[VictrixRapax]

Is Andrew Luck going to win the Heisman? Shayne Skov is a heck of a LB, too.

[Kretzy]

Is Andrew Luck going to win the Heisman? Shayne Skov is a heck of a LB, too.

Probably not. He's coming back with an almost-brand-new offensive line and a new head coach; despite his talent, Stanford will be a lesser team next year.

He's making a very good decision (from an academic and QOL perspective) getting his degree, and all of us here are hoping the Cardinal plays well next year, but he's in sort of a Mark Ingram situation; returning to a great program with a lesser supporting cast and more intangibles, making his future a little more up in the open.

If Stanford goes 10-2 next year, though, Luck will be a huge part of that, and he'll be a VERY high draft pick.

[Kretzy]

Friendly bump, with people starting to make decisions and financial aid stuff starting to come out

[zmama]

Can you politely ask Dean Deal to hurry up already? I mean, with a phone call, of course. Please. Tx

[The Real Jack McCoy]

Friendly bump, with people starting to make decisions and financial aid stuff starting to come out

Thanks for doing this. I noticed some of the classes are enrolled by lottery. How difficult is it to get into lottery-capped classes? I figure this varies by popularity of course, but how hard is it to get into the seminars most in demand? Can you get into most small classes that you want, or is it really a coin toss?

[CrashingTheGate]

Friendly bump, with people starting to make decisions and financial aid stuff starting to come out

Thanks for doing this. I noticed some of the classes are enrolled by lottery. How difficult is it to get into lottery-capped classes? I figure this varies by popularity of course, but how hard is it to get into the seminars most in demand? Can you get into most small classes that you want, or is it really a coin toss?

I'm curious about this too.


Also, I was looking at the profiles of PI Fellows that someone sent me (http://www.law.stanford.edu/program/cen ... 202011.pdf) and I noticed that a lot of them split their summers doing multiple things - like firm work and PI, or multiple PI, or whatever. Is that common at SLS? How does one go about doing that?

Thanks a lot for doing this! I am really looking forward to coming out on Thursday.

[theadw]

Friendly bump, with people starting to make decisions and financial aid stuff starting to come out

Thanks for doing this. I noticed some of the classes are enrolled by lottery. How difficult is it to get into lottery-capped classes? I figure this varies by popularity of course, but how hard is it to get into the seminars most in demand? Can you get into most small classes that you want, or is it really a coin toss?

I'm curious about this too.


Also, I was looking at the profiles of PI Fellows that someone sent me (http://www.law.stanford.edu/program/cen ... 202011.pdf) and I noticed that a lot of them split their summers doing multiple things - like firm work and PI, or multiple PI, or whatever. Is that common at SLS? How does one go about doing that?

Thanks a lot for doing this! I am really looking forward to coming out on Thursday.

As to the first question — enrollment in lottery classes — it's not at all difficult to get them after your first year, and only slightly more difficult during the 1L year. Every 1L I know who registered for lottery gated courses was admitted to at least one of them (often their first choice), and no 2/3L I know was unable to enroll in their first choice.

As to the second, summer-splitting is (I suspect) as common here as it is anywhere else (around 15-25%, maybe?), and one does this mostly through negotiating with one's employers (ultimately, they're the arbiter of if & how you can split). As a rule, only rising 3Ls split.

[MartianManhunter]

Friendly bump, with people starting to make decisions and financial aid stuff starting to come out

Thanks for doing this. I noticed some of the classes are enrolled by lottery. How difficult is it to get into lottery-capped classes? I figure this varies by popularity of course, but how hard is it to get into the seminars most in demand? Can you get into most small classes that you want, or is it really a coin toss?

I'm curious about this too.


Also, I was looking at the profiles of PI Fellows that someone sent me (http://www.law.stanford.edu/program/cen ... 202011.pdf) and I noticed that a lot of them split their summers doing multiple things - like firm work and PI, or multiple PI, or whatever. Is that common at SLS? How does one go about doing that?

Thanks a lot for doing this! I am really looking forward to coming out on Thursday.

As far as I've been able to tell about lottery classes, even if you don't get the class you want initially, show up to class on the first day after being waitlisted and the professor will normally let you in.

My take on splitting is a little different than theadw. I think it's a matter of self selection. To get Stanford's 5k PI stipend you have to commit to doing 10 weeks of PI work. I know several 1L's that are splitting either between PI and a firm or two PI jobs. The ones going to firms will lose the 5k, generally. OCS also advised that only 5-6 weeks at one job isn't the best way for you to feel each other out and that you won't have time for an extended summer because you'll want to be back for OCI. Most 1Ls are happy with just 1 job and the 5k. But, yes, this is normally done by talking to both of the employers.

[chup]

To clarify on the PI Fellows question: I know about 90% of the people in the PDF and the reason so many of them split is because 1L summer (2009) was the year that SLS switched from semesters to quarters. Exams ended in May and classes didn't start up again until the end of September, so we had something like a 15-week summer. Not to say that you can't split (and obviously a number of them did their 2L summer), but it was considerably more prevalent during that summer in particular.

Also re: lottery classes. Supposedly Admin is the only class ever in danger of actually not accepting people. I was on the secondary waitlist last quarter and still got in. Basically, you keep showing up and you're in.

[random924]

How many classes do students usually take during a semester after first semester 1L year? I'm interested to know if an average semester at Stanford has fewer classes than at another school, or if it's the same amount of work squeezed in to a smaller period of time. Thanks!

[BioEBear2010]

How many classes do students usually take during a semester after first semester 1L year? I'm interested to know if an average semester at Stanford has fewer classes than at another school, or if it's the same amount of work squeezed in to a smaller period of time. Thanks!

During winter quarter, all students take Federal Litigation, Constitutional Law, Property, and an elective. In spring, students continue with Fed Lit, but take either 3 or 4 electives (depending on the # of units). The minimum unit load is 9, with most students opting to take between 11 and 13 (a typical schedule would include a 2, two 3's, and a 4).

Every quarter during 2L and 3L year students are free to take what they please. Clinics take an entire quarter, and are worth 12 units.

I think 3-4 classes is the norm at most law schools. Classes here are just shorter, and accordingly cover less material.