The University of Chicago Law School Class of 2018 Forum

[PariSiamo]

Reminds me for some reason of the South African who insisted he had a special friendship with his pet hippo... right until the point the hippo decided to clarify the power dynamic in their "relationship" and chomped him. Moral of the story, big scary animals make poor pets and even worse friends.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqKPswqyPrc

I'm thinking this could be THE solution to Russia's demographic crisis and rural exodus. Just teach the bear to drink vodka and watch crappy spinoffs of American sitcoms and you have the perfect replacement for the rural class.

...and we just started an international public policy think tank.

We are killing it with the power of nerdy humor. UChicago beckons...

[03282016]

[middlebear]

You guys, this is going to be a fun three years of hell.

[whereselizabeth]

Not to bring down any fellow PI-ers but I just read this article today:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/25/upsho ... 0002&abg=0

...so the Obama administration is proposing a PSLF cap of $57,000...if that goes through, then Chicago's LRAP is not quite as appealing I get what they're trying to do over the long term but I seriously doubt capping PSLF will encourage law schools to lower their prices. It seems more likely that lawyers will be discouraged from taking on public service jobs

[middlebear]

Not to bring down any fellow PI-ers but I just read this article today:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/25/upsho ... 0002&abg=0

...so the Obama administration is proposing a PSLF cap of $57,000...if that goes through, then Chicago's LRAP is not quite as appealing I get what they're trying to do over the long term but I seriously doubt capping PSLF will encourage law schools to lower their prices. It seems more likely that lawyers will be discouraged from taking on public service jobs

Yeah, the idea of a cap (or even just one that's below 3 figures, geez) makes almost all LRAPs less appealing. So, way to incentivize us to help our fellow man. (Need to harness special interest legislative-blocking abilities on our behalf...)

[everything_bagel]

Not to bring down any fellow PI-ers but I just read this article today:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/25/upsho ... 0002&abg=0

...so the Obama administration is proposing a PSLF cap of $57,000...if that goes through, then Chicago's LRAP is not quite as appealing I get what they're trying to do over the long term but I seriously doubt capping PSLF will encourage law schools to lower their prices. It seems more likely that lawyers will be discouraged from taking on public service jobs

This isn't new--it was in a proposed budget this spring, and tons of people freaked out about it; it wound up not happening (yet). There's a good TLS thread someone could dredge up if s/he weren't as lazy as I am. I don't think it makes all LRAPs unappealing, though...just those offered by schools that aren't wealthy enough to step into the gap if the federal cap is imposed retroactively. I've asked Chicago people about this and they are emphatic that they would come up with a stopgap measure (but others should ask too!). Similarly, YHS are all in-house. I wouldn't be so confident about a poorer school like Berkeley or GULC.

It's kind of interesting from a political economy perspective, right, because PI lawyers are a pretty firm constituency for Obama, but not a particularly appealing category to your average American voter. On some level they're right, I think: We (not to mention all the big law and big medicine people who get IBR, even if not PSLF) are way less entitled to financial assistance than your average community college student, and there is a dubious ponzi scheme aspect to the whole structure of LS fees and IBR. But the article linked above does an awesome job of pointing out how warped the whole structure is, and implicitly, I think, making it clear it would be a mistake to fix it with a stopgap measure that fell too hard on PI lawyers' laps. thanks for sharing it!

[Nothing but the Funk]

Not to bring down any fellow PI-ers but I just read this article today:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/25/upsho ... 0002&abg=0

...so the Obama administration is proposing a PSLF cap of $57,000...if that goes through, then Chicago's LRAP is not quite as appealing I get what they're trying to do over the long term but I seriously doubt capping PSLF will encourage law schools to lower their prices. It seems more likely that lawyers will be discouraged from taking on public service jobs

This isn't new--it was in a proposed budget this spring, and tons of people freaked out about it; it wound up not happening (yet). There's a good TLS thread someone could dredge up if s/he weren't as lazy as I am. I don't think it makes all LRAPs unappealing, though...just those offered by schools that aren't wealthy enough to step into the gap if the federal cap is imposed retroactively. I've asked Chicago people about this and they are emphatic that they would come up with a stopgap measure (but others should ask too!). Similarly, YHS are all in-house. I wouldn't be so confident about a poorer school like Berkeley or GULC.

It's kind of interesting from a political economy perspective, right, because PI lawyers are a pretty firm constituency for Obama, but not a particularly appealing category to your average American voter. On some level they're right, I think: We (not to mention all the big law and big medicine people who get IBR, even if not PSLF) are way less entitled to financial assistance than your average community college student, and there is a dubious ponzi scheme aspect to the whole structure of LS fees and IBR. But the article linked above does an awesome job of pointing out how warped the whole structure is, and implicitly, I think, making it clear it would be a mistake to fix it with a stopgap measure that fell too hard on PI lawyers' laps. thanks for sharing it!

Personally, I could see raising the years required for forgiveness, instead of of capping what can be forgiven. This seems more likely to reduce the amount of highly qualified candidates for public service jobs in the short run, for a chance at lowering high tuition in the long run. Especially at top schools where biglaw is an option this will result in even more people self-selecting into biglaw, at least long enough to pay down their debts.

[whereselizabeth]

bagel, who at Chicago did you talk to about this? I thought about doing the same, but wasn't sure if it was appropriate/who to approach. Regardless, thanks for the info!

And I agree with you about short run consequences, Funk. As if there wasn't enough pressure to go for BL already...

[everything_bagel]

bagel, who at Chicago did you talk to about this? I thought about doing the same, but wasn't sure if it was appropriate/who to approach. Regardless, thanks for the info!

And I agree with you about short run consequences, Funk. As if there wasn't enough pressure to go for BL already...

I asked an adcom rep when I visited, and also asked Dean Perry at a recruitment event I went to. But I think asking anyone is good--just to keep it on their radar/make sure they know people are thinking about it. Who knows what the promises are worth but they are better than nothing!

I like your solution, Funk. (Although i know a lot of PI lawyers who wouldn't -- I think its pretty stressful to see the debt sitting there even if you know it's supposed to be paid for by someone else.) Here's hoping they consider other options if or when congress ever gets around to making budgets

[03282016]

[everything_bagel]

Hey Bagel, anything you wanna share with the class?

I got a ruby you guys!!!

[03282016]

[everything_bagel]

Hey Bagel, anything you wanna share with the class?

I got a ruby you guys!!!

<3

Does this mean you're set on Chicago?

short of a brain aneurysm yes

[Mack.Hambleton]

Hey Bagel, anything you wanna share with the class?

I got a ruby you guys!!!

What admit wave were you in, first or second?

[xylocarp]

omg, congratulations!!!!!

[everything_bagel]

What admit wave were you in, first or second?

January wave

thanks all!!

[nejlas]

Congrats!! I'm so happy for you!

[LawBron James]

Hey Bagel, anything you wanna share with the class?

I got a ruby you guys!!!

Congratulations, that's amazing. Doesn't get much better than that..

[middlebear]

Hey Bagel, anything you wanna share with the class?

I got a ruby you guys!!!

<3

Does this mean you're set on Chicago?

short of a brain aneurysm yes

You're a boss.

[cc78]

Well, got the admit stuff in the mail today. Have to say the most interesting thing they included was the Glass Menagerie...Not sure why they put it in there though...

[03282016]

[cc78]

Yes, I am going to look through there hoping I can find at least one or two other old heads.

[Mack.Hambleton]

Well, got the admit stuff in the mail today. Have to say the most interesting thing they included was the Glass Menagerie...Not sure why they put it in there though...

Got the mail today too, can confirm it is not made out of glass

[LawBron James]

I just looked up menagerie, and it apparently means "a collection of wild animals kept in captivity for exhibition."

In other news this is the first time I've actually sat down and read through all the admitted students materials so I guess that means I'm excited about this place.

[03282016]