No clue about joint degrees.j2d3 wrote:Know of anyone pursuing a joint degree with the school of information (jd/msi)? Its a unique opportunity - Stanford offers jd/mscs but that's the only other law school with an explicitly supported 3 yr joint jd and computer related masters.
What about class size? Do you feel lost in the crowd at all?
As for class size, it's all what you make of it.
We are divided into four large sections of 90 students each. Each large section is divided into four small sections of around 22-23 students. I have two classes with my large section, one class with my small section and one other small section out of the large section, and my legal practice with just my small section. You'll get to know your small section at least by name, I don't think it's necessary to be stuck with them. From what I understand, the dynamics vary quite a bit but small sections either tend to be really tight or really loose. Mine's loose, we don't spend that much time together as a whole section outside of class, though there are definitely cliques within my small section that do hang out a lot. You do end up getting to know most people in your large section (I know about 3/4 of them now).
Because roughly 60% of the kids live in the law quad, socializing is relatively easy and not limited in anyway to your small or large section. In fact I think most people mingle in social groups that cross section lines. This is, I think, a good thing.
Your legal practice professor by design is really accessible. If you crave that relationship, it's available.
Your relationship with your other professors tends to vary a lot depending on the personality of the professor. Professors do take the time to learn everyone's names within the first couple months, or at least they will know that you are in their class. If you talk a lot in class or have interesting shit to say, your professor is more likely to know who you are (duh). There are some who reputedly learn everyone's names before the first day of class. Seats are fixed, as in wherever you sit the first day, becomes your seat for the rest of the term. The professors then draw up seating charts with little pictures, and they use that to call on you. All of my professors do stick around after class if you have questions, etc. They are also very responsive to emails. It's not unheard of to go get drinks/coffee with professors. Some of them are really open to the idea, some are not (not correlated with their prestige...they are all insanely accomplished in their respective fields anyway).
So basically if you want to get to know your professors, you can, if you want to be lost in the crowd, you can definitely pull that off too, it's really up to you. I came from a big state school and definitely noticed a difference in interaction with professors (90 is small for me).
There are also a lot of other opportunities to get to know professors, brown bag lunches, presentations, lectures outside of regular class, etc.