HerseyChris wrote:
Aimhigh, how did your UW and L&C visits go?
I visited CU, UW, and L&C all last week actually... a little crazy! But I liked all three schools. I think my favorite town/campus was CU, and if I didn't have family in the PNW and a desire to eventually move back there - well, I'd probably pick Boulder. I ski, hike, and climb, so it would be pretty perfect place to live for 3 years. That being said, UW was also great (I had a fantastic tour guide who hooked me up with some great info and connections), and I'm leaning in that direction. Waiting to hear about any scholarship $ from UW or CU, though. (not holding my breath on either!)
In case anyone else is comparing any of these schools, I'm going to copy below some thoughts I shared with another TLSer:
UW's new building is great. Functional, large well-lit classrooms with reasonably comfy chairs (important things!
). I went out for dinner after my visit with a recent alum and her main complaints about the building were that a) there just isn't enough space, i.e. locker shortage, office shortage, sometimes classroom shortage for meetings etc., and b) they didn't give the students an open central area to just hang out. Also, I wasn't dazzled by the law library; most of it is underground, so it lacks the airy feeling of L&C's library with its big windows. The law students I spoke with all said they spend a lot of their study time in other libraries around campus, including Suzzallo (for grad students, about a three minute walk from Gates hall) and the business school library. I also liked the location of the law school, on a corner very close to the avenue (restaurants, coffee, shops) and a little separated from the rest of campus. I spoke with several professors and current students at the open house, and I got a great impression from everyone. Very friendly and helpful.
My impression of CU was very, very good. I loved their new building and found the classrooms to be well-lit and comfortable. I also felt as though I fit right in with the student body. I sat in on a Civ Pro class with Professor Krakoff, who was great. I didn't love the library space, but otherwise really liked the building. Our 2L tour guide seemed really happy with the school and mentioned the great relationships between students, not cut-throat competitive but rather helpful and collaborative (according to everyone I talked with, this also can be said of UW). He also mentioned the bonus of Thursday night "happy hour" in the student lounge and said that many law students take advantage of their class-free Fridays by going skiing - I really liked the sound of that!
I liked L&C, though to me it felt really similar to my undergrad institution (Willamette U in Salem, OR) and I'm ready for something new. I attended a 1 1/2 hour long Contracts class with Prof. Newell that was surprisingly interesting. While the CU class felt informal, the L&C class was conducted VERY informally. Lots of interaction between professor and students made it feel like I was back in college. I loved L&C's library building, but don't care as much for the rest of their campus. Compared to CU, it felt old and dark. Also, the main classroom complex consists of four completely windowless lecture halls in a building they call "the bunker". That is exactly what it reminded me of. Don't think I would enjoy sitting there for long hours much... but maybe you get used to it.
Anyway, those are just a few quick thoughts. Feel free to PM me if you want to know anything more specific!