CLEO 2010 Forum

[JDO]

Hello Kimmie,

The school that nominated me is a CLEO member school with only two nominations... Is there any way to find out if their nomination is an automatic admit?

[kimmie]

Hey JDO,

The only way to find that out is to ask the school that is nominating you. That is how I found out, the school will be more helpful right now then anyone at CLEO. CLEO is busy trying to make final decisions and I think they are getting pushed further behind each time they have to take a call so I wouldn't advise anyone to call CLEO at this time.

I hope this was helpful

[centricisgreat1908]

I received a letter from Mrs. Williams via email today and the tenor of the message has changed a lot *read it was very warm and welcoming* . In the email she states that this will be an exceptional year and reiterates the benefits of the CLEO program by attaching the sheet that came with the acceptance packet. It seems as if we will receive monthly emails updating us on logistical aspects of the program. Something to note is that she specifically states "We anticipate that the class will be completed before April 30, 2010" I take that to mean they are still working to complete the class (at least at FIU's location) so keep hope alive. I contacted one of the schools where I was admitted and upon speaking with the admissions counselor was connected to a woman that is currently a 3L and participated in CLEO. She is open to discussing her experience with me and we set up a phone conversation for Sunday, if I learn anything that hasn't been shared here already I will post.

Cheers,

[JDO]

I didn't receive an email... could this be bad news?

[JDO]

Nvm, I thought you were waiting on a decision... Thanks for the info tho, definitely feels good to kno they are still selecting people...

[kimmie]

I got accepted to CLEO today! I am very excited and grateful. As for JDO, don't take anything as bad news because they are working on each application individually. You still might get an email with a status update.

Best Wishes

[JDO]

I got accepted to CLEO today! I am very excited and grateful. As for JDO, don't take anything as bad news because they are working on each application individually. You still might get an email with a status update.

Best Wishes

Congratulations Kimmie! When you checked with your school did they tell you that your nomination would certainly get you into CLEO? How many nominations/acceptances/waitlists did you send in? Thanks in advance. And again, Congratulations!

-JDO

[kimmie]

Thanks JDO,

Yes, their nomination did guarantee me a seat in the program. I only sent in one waitlist letter and one acceptance letter.

Kimberly

[YourExcellence-ness]

Still havnt heard anything from CLEO since I sent that guap!

[YourExcellence-ness]

Well.. I got an e-mail today. Guess I'll go ahead a book my ticket too Missouri. Everyone else have fun in Miami

[kimmie]

What did the email say Your Excellence-ness?

[Allsmiles08]

I got into CLEO today, they mailed me an acceptance. I was nominated by a school that I did not want to commit to so after speaking with CLEO, I was offered a general seat! I don't know what location I will be at. Is this included somewhere in the letter? Anyways I'm excited!

[Allsmiles08]

Sorry I meant they EMAILED me an acceptance. But I was actually told over the phone first lol

[YourExcellence-ness]

What did the email say Your Excellence-ness?

TO: Prospective CLEO Fellows:

FROM: Thomasine M. Williams
CLEO Six Week Summer Institute
Director of Admissions

We are pleased to welcome you to the 42nd year of the Council on Legal Education Opportunity program. This is going to be an exceptional year. We have made a number of changes that will help you as you transition into law school. Come prepared to be challenged to learn new material, and possibly have an enriching time that will be memorable for the rest of your life!

Attached please find my first memo, and a reminder of what you will receive as a CLEO Fellow. Also attached is travel information to Columbia, MO. The University of Missouri is currently on Spring break! You will hear from me next month.

Best wishes and Happy Spring! Mrs. Williams

[mschina]

I received a call from Mrs. Williams on Tuesday saying that one of the schools that I applied to nominated me for the Six Week Program. I was also accepted into the school. She offered me a seat in the program but I turned it down because I will be attending another school instead of the one that nominated me. With that said, she is going to refer my application to the Attitude is Essential Program which I hope to attend. Good luck to those who are still waiting.

[magdalaws]

Hi guys! Congratulations to all who have been nominated and accepted. Keeping hope alive for those who are still waiting. I’m one of the waiters. Hoping for FIU’s nomination. I scored 145 on the lsat. For those who have been nominated and/or accepted, what do you guys think my chances are for a FIU nomination?

[Allsmiles08]

FIU JUST sent CLEO applicants to their CLEO rep so nominations may take a while

[wizoz]

I'm going to AIE ATL...any1 else?

[imacpa]

Hello, all.

I attended the six week institution last year. What I want to address is the concern for CLEO to assist in placing you in a law school (or a better one). If you already have a law school acceptance, I encourage you to not go in expecting to be placed at a better or higher ranked school. We didn't have any Ivy League schools come to recruit last year. I think the highest ranked school that came to recruit last year was Iowa. Most of the schools that came were schools that were ranked respectively high (mid 30s) to 3rd tier. They were all well respected programs but they came to recruit either because a student asked the host school or the school itself voluntarily approached CLEO to interview students.

I can't say what the recruiting climate will be this year given the high level of applications this year. There's a chance, however, there may be some movement in some schools due to people withdrawing their acceptances, etc. It's not all uncommon for some schools to still fill seats as late as a day before school starts! That will, therefore, open up an opportunity to get into your dream school. All I'll say from personal experience is to not rely solely on CLEO to make it happen but to take the initiative to contact the school yourself and inform them of your acceptance and that you want your application to be reevaluated if you've been rejected or waitlisted previously. All they can say is either yes or no. I have known some of my colleagues who got accepted into a school they wanted as late as July or August but that was because they were persistent in reaching out to the school in expressing their interest in attending.

I will also say to be realistic, too. There are some schools that may extend an opportunity to a marginal student with a low LSAT and/or GPA despite a decent performance in the CLEO summer program. But please don't go in expecting to get into Stanford, Penn, or Harvard because those scores still manner in terms of those schools trying to maintain their medians up (which impacts their USNWR rankings). Be realistic and flexible. If you have not been accepted to any schools by the time you start CLEO then be flexible to interview or attend a school that may not necesarily be highly ranked but is an ideal fit for what you need. Perhaps you may want to consider attending a law school that has an academic support program to ensure that you’re doing well (some or most of the top tiers don’t offer this service). Or you may want to consider a lower ranked school that has a strong reputation in a particular program that you might be interested in (ie business law, intellectual property law, etc). Or consider a program that is outside of your ideal regional locale. The bottom line is to get in somewhere with the purpose of graduating and passing the bar. Not everyone is successful in applying to law school (often with better scores) but getting into CLEO does enhance your chances.

Lastly, if you are concerned with getting a Biglaw job and you feel that attending a lower ranked school may hurt your chances, think again. I can tell you as a 1L of a 3d tier school in the Midwest that law firms are trying hard to recruit minorities into their law firms. If you perform well in school, then you have a good chance of getting consideration for a summer job with a law firm as a 2L with the possibility of a job offer by the time you graduate. I’m talking about local, national, and international law firms. But as a caveat, I will say that grades may not be enough in some cases. You really have to network and establish a relationship with the key contacts in the firms. At my school, there has been a number of law firm mixers….some of which were geared specifically to recruit minorities. Make it a point to go to these events if they are offered by your law school. Make an effort to get to know the people at the firm and establish a relationship with them. Just having that relationship can sometimes make a difference between being selected over a candidate who may have a stronger GPA. In summary, don’t let the ranking of a school deter you from achieving your dream!

CLEO is confusing.. hope it all just comes full circle. Now that they have my money they have gotten too quiet for comfort. I called them today to inform them about a school I applied to that is affiliated so that they can have record and possibly make contact with said school.. The lady said very rudely "We don't need to know that information anymore" ... what this means? I have NO idea. I was simply trying to make sure that the CLEO knows where I am applying.. in order that they might assist. CLEARLY they don't care.

they probably don't care about maintaining relationships for you. It's probably best that you speak with the school's admissions office and make them aware of your CLEO acceptance. If you can get through someone past the front desk in CLEOs DC office, and speak to someone who matters, you might have better luck.

I think that it is really important that we as candidates/participants manage our expectations of the CLEO program appropriately, based on everything I have read in past CLEO forums, speaking with former Fellows, etc. CLEO Summer Institute does not make a point to actually place candidates in schools as a result of the summer program, if it happens, it is on a haphazard basis. The point of the Summer Institute is to simulate the 1L year by allowing students to take 3-4 classes from actual instructors that teach how to read and brief cases, craft examination answers , etc. Based on all the information I have gathered, going into the summer institute expecting law school placement is a grave error, it happens in very rare instances and isn't the main objective of the program despite the language that states "many students with low LSAT scores and GPAs would not be admitted to law school without the benefit of CLEO". With regards to the attitude of the individuals in the program office, I have had the same negative experiences. At this point, I just hope they send me the necessary information before i have to drive 1,000+ miles to get to the program.

[YourExcellence-ness]

Hello, all.

I attended the six week institution last year. What I want to address is the concern for CLEO to assist in placing you in a law school (or a better one). If you already have a law school acceptance, I encourage you to not go in expecting to be placed at a better or higher ranked school. We didn't have any Ivy League schools come to recruit last year. I think the highest ranked school that came to recruit last year was Iowa. Most of the schools that came were schools that were ranked respectively high (mid 30s) to 3rd tier. They were all well respected programs but they came to recruit either because a student asked the host school or the school itself voluntarily approached CLEO to interview students.

I can't say what the recruiting climate will be this year given the high level of applications this year. There's a chance, however, there may be some movement in some schools due to people withdrawing their acceptances, etc. It's not all uncommon for some schools to still fill seats as late as a day before school starts! That will, therefore, open up an opportunity to get into your dream school. All I'll say from personal experience is to not rely solely on CLEO to make it happen but to take the initiative to contact the school yourself and inform them of your acceptance and that you want your application to be reevaluated if you've been rejected or waitlisted previously. All they can say is either yes or no. I have known some of my colleagues who got accepted into a school they wanted as late as July or August but that was because they were persistent in reaching out to the school in expressing their interest in attending.

I will also say to be realistic, too. There are some schools that may extend an opportunity to a marginal student with a low LSAT and/or GPA despite a decent performance in the CLEO summer program. But please don't go in expecting to get into Stanford, Penn, or Harvard because those scores still manner in terms of those schools trying to maintain their medians up (which impacts their USNWR rankings). Be realistic and flexible. If you have not been accepted to any schools by the time you start CLEO then be flexible to interview or attend a school that may not necesarily be highly ranked but is an ideal fit for what you need. Perhaps you may want to consider attending a law school that has an academic support program to ensure that you’re doing well (some or most of the top tiers don’t offer this service). Or you may want to consider a lower ranked school that has a strong reputation in a particular program that you might be interested in (ie business law, intellectual property law, etc). Or consider a program that is outside of your ideal regional locale. The bottom line is to get in somewhere with the purpose of graduating and passing the bar. Not everyone is successful in applying to law school (often with better scores) but getting into CLEO does enhance your chances.

Lastly, if you are concerned with getting a Biglaw job and you feel that attending a lower ranked school may hurt your chances, think again. I can tell you as a 1L of a 3d tier school in the Midwest that law firms are trying hard to recruit minorities into their law firms. If you perform well in school, then you have a good chance of getting consideration for a summer job with a law firm as a 2L with the possibility of a job offer by the time you graduate. I’m talking about local, national, and international law firms. But as a caveat, I will say that grades may not be enough in some cases. You really have to network and establish a relationship with the key contacts in the firms. At my school, there has been a number of law firm mixers….some of which were geared specifically to recruit minorities. Make it a point to go to these events if they are offered by your law school. Make an effort to get to know the people at the firm and establish a relationship with them. Just having that relationship can sometimes make a difference between being selected over a candidate who may have a stronger GPA. In summary, don’t let the ranking of a school deter you from achieving your dream!]

[/quote]

Thanks imacpa.. general question: What king of fun things did you do while at CLEO? Did everyone have a roomate.. and honestly how rigorous was the course work? Oh and lastly.. how did you get along/interact with the other participants of the program?

[imacpa]

Hello, all.

I attended the six week institution last year. What I want to address is the concern for CLEO to assist in placing you in a law school (or a better one). If you already have a law school acceptance, I encourage you to not go in expecting to be placed at a better or higher ranked school. We didn't have any Ivy League schools come to recruit last year. I think the highest ranked school that came to recruit last year was Iowa. Most of the schools that came were schools that were ranked respectively high (mid 30s) to 3rd tier. They were all well respected programs but they came to recruit either because a student asked the host school or the school itself voluntarily approached CLEO to interview students.

I can't say what the recruiting climate will be this year given the high level of applications this year. There's a chance, however, there may be some movement in some schools due to people withdrawing their acceptances, etc. It's not all uncommon for some schools to still fill seats as late as a day before school starts! That will, therefore, open up an opportunity to get into your dream school. All I'll say from personal experience is to not rely solely on CLEO to make it happen but to take the initiative to contact the school yourself and inform them of your acceptance and that you want your application to be reevaluated if you've been rejected or waitlisted previously. All they can say is either yes or no. I have known some of my colleagues who got accepted into a school they wanted as late as July or August but that was because they were persistent in reaching out to the school in expressing their interest in attending.

I will also say to be realistic, too. There are some schools that may extend an opportunity to a marginal student with a low LSAT and/or GPA despite a decent performance in the CLEO summer program. But please don't go in expecting to get into Stanford, Penn, or Harvard because those scores still manner in terms of those schools trying to maintain their medians up (which impacts their USNWR rankings). Be realistic and flexible. If you have not been accepted to any schools by the time you start CLEO then be flexible to interview or attend a school that may not necesarily be highly ranked but is an ideal fit for what you need. Perhaps you may want to consider attending a law school that has an academic support program to ensure that you’re doing well (some or most of the top tiers don’t offer this service). Or you may want to consider a lower ranked school that has a strong reputation in a particular program that you might be interested in (ie business law, intellectual property law, etc). Or consider a program that is outside of your ideal regional locale. The bottom line is to get in somewhere with the purpose of graduating and passing the bar. Not everyone is successful in applying to law school (often with better scores) but getting into CLEO does enhance your chances.

Lastly, if you are concerned with getting a Biglaw job and you feel that attending a lower ranked school may hurt your chances, think again. I can tell you as a 1L of a 3d tier school in the Midwest that law firms are trying hard to recruit minorities into their law firms. If you perform well in school, then you have a good chance of getting consideration for a summer job with a law firm as a 2L with the possibility of a job offer by the time you graduate. I’m talking about local, national, and international law firms. But as a caveat, I will say that grades may not be enough in some cases. You really have to network and establish a relationship with the key contacts in the firms. At my school, there has been a number of law firm mixers….some of which were geared specifically to recruit minorities. Make it a point to go to these events if they are offered by your law school. Make an effort to get to know the people at the firm and establish a relationship with them. Just having that relationship can sometimes make a difference between being selected over a candidate who may have a stronger GPA. In summary, don’t let the ranking of a school deter you from achieving your dream!]

Thanks imacpa.. general question: What king of fun things did you do while at CLEO? Did everyone have a roomate.. and honestly how rigorous was the course work? Oh and lastly.. how did you get along/interact with the other participants of the program? [/quote]

Fun things? You’ll have plenty of opportunities to have fun. You’ll have opportunities to do some recreational stuff. On the weekends, we usually would go dine out, visit a local club to listen to live music, or simply go out drinking. Some of the faculty members from the hosting school also hosted dinners and get togethers at their own homes. We also had lunch with a federal judge at the court house.
Yes, you will have a roommate (sorry). However, I was fortunate to have a great roommate and we still stay in contact. I think most of the people in our program got along with their roommates.
The course work was comparable to that of a typical law school schedule. You have classes during the day and reading assignments at night and midterm and final exams. It was rigorous and you will be expected to work. But it was beneficial and it really helped me to prepare for law school.
Personally, I got along with everyone. In fact, our entire group was very close. Most of the time you will, at some point, interact with all of your classmates. But there will be some people you will obviously feel closer to than others. It was a very positive experience for me and one I’ll never forget.

[YourExcellence-ness]

imacpa this is really good stuff. What should one bring with them to CLEO? And now that you can look back on your experience what would you have wanted someone to advise you of before you arrived for the summer?

[imacpa]

imacpa this is really good stuff. What should one bring with them to CLEO? And now that you can look back on your experience what would you have wanted someone to advise you of before you arrived for the summer?

I would advise you to bring, at minimum, a dress outfit and shoes for school interviews and other formal functions. That is the one thing you must not forget. And obviously, bring enough clothes to last you for the six weeks. Business casual is fine. Jeans, too. I also recommend that you bring some workout gear because you may be eating well too!

A laptop helps but it’s not recommended. But it’s nice to have when you need web access from your room.

As for what I wish I was advised on prior to CLEO? I can’t really say because I pretty much knew what to expect before I got there and I didn’t experience any problems. But the one thing that I will definitely advise you and others reading this is to maintain a good reputation with your peers and the staff at the hosting school. Remember, the start of your reputation as a lawyer actually starts once you get to CLEO (as well as law school). People have long memories so the way you treat your peers now may either come back to help you or haunt you later in your career. That person you had a strong dislike for could very well be the judge you’ll have to stand before in representing your client one day. Keep that in mind!

You may be evaluated during the six weeks. How you conduct yourself is very important --- in classroom and out. Keep your nose clean and don’t do anything that will discredit you and be a problem for character and fitness purposes. Obviously, you will be expected to do some academic work at CLEO. Like law school, you will be expected to follow an honor code. This means no cheating or sabotaging your classmates from library resources. If you get caught doing something unethical (ie cheating), then CLEO may report that info in your evaluation which may reach itself to your law school and, perhaps, your state’s bar. You dont want to risk your law school career over stupid stuff. It's not worth it.

For the most part, people will behave themselves accordingly so there’s no need to worry.

[SportsFanatic]

I was accepted into Cleo last week... Can you only go to CLEO if you're nominated by a member school? Meaning if you don't go to a member school, you can't participate in CLEO at all? Sorry if this has already been addressed. I'm still a little confused.

[centricisgreat1908]

[quote="imacpa"]Hello, all.

I attended the six week institution last year. What I want to address is the concern for CLEO to assist in placing you in a law school (or a better one). If you already have a law school acceptance, I encourage you to not go in expecting to be placed at a better or higher ranked school. We didn't have any Ivy League schools come to recruit last year. I think the highest ranked school that came to recruit last year was Iowa. Most of the schools that came were schools that were ranked respectively high (mid 30s) to 3rd tier. They were all well respected programs but they came to recruit either because a student asked the host school or the school itself voluntarily approached CLEO to interview students.

I can't say what the recruiting climate will be this year given the high level of applications this year. There's a chance, however, there may be some movement in some schools due to people withdrawing their acceptances, etc. It's not all uncommon for some schools to still fill seats as late as a day before school starts! That will, therefore, open up an opportunity to get into your dream school. All I'll say from personal experience is to not rely solely on CLEO to make it happen but to take the initiative to contact the school yourself and inform them of your acceptance and that you want your application to be reevaluated if you've been rejected or waitlisted previously. All they can say is either yes or no. I have known some of my colleagues who got accepted into a school they wanted as late as July or August but that was because they were persistent in reaching out to the school in expressing their interest in attending.

I will also say to be realistic, too. There are some schools that may extend an opportunity to a marginal student with a low LSAT and/or GPA despite a decent performance in the CLEO summer program. But please don't go in expecting to get into Stanford, Penn, or Harvard because those scores still manner in terms of those schools trying to maintain their medians up (which impacts their USNWR rankings). Be realistic and flexible. If you have not been accepted to any schools by the time you start CLEO then be flexible to interview or attend a school that may not necesarily be highly ranked but is an ideal fit for what you need. Perhaps you may want to consider attending a law school that has an academic support program to ensure that you’re doing well (some or most of the top tiers don’t offer this service). Or you may want to consider a lower ranked school that has a strong reputation in a particular program that you might be interested in (ie business law, intellectual property law, etc). Or consider a program that is outside of your ideal regional locale. The bottom line is to get in somewhere with the purpose of graduating and passing the bar. Not everyone is successful in applying to law school (often with better scores) but getting into CLEO does enhance your chances.

Lastly, if you are concerned with getting a Biglaw job and you feel that attending a lower ranked school may hurt your chances, think again. I can tell you as a 1L of a 3d tier school in the Midwest that law firms are trying hard to recruit minorities into their law firms. If you perform well in school, then you have a good chance of getting consideration for a summer job with a law firm as a 2L with the possibility of a job offer by the time you graduate. I’m talking about local, national, and international law firms. But as a caveat, I will say that grades may not be enough in some cases. You really have to network and establish a relationship with the key contacts in the firms. At my school, there has been a number of law firm mixers….some of which were geared specifically to recruit minorities. Make it a point to go to these events if they are offered by your law school. Make an effort to get to know the people at the firm and establish a relationship with them. Just having that relationship can sometimes make a difference between being selected over a candidate who may have a stronger GPA. In summary, don’t let the ranking of a school deter you from achieving your dream!











Amen to this post, that is all I was trying to say in my message.