Iowa 2012 Forum

[Dellyo]

@lsb
The Vault rankings only poll private practice recruiters. This should answer your question (quantitatively):

http://www.vault.com/wps/portal/na/!ut/ ... EdFAIxWlXo!/

[lsb]

@lsb
The Vault rankings only poll private practice recruiters. This should answer your question (quantitatively):

http://www.vault.com/wps/portal/na/!ut/ ... EdFAIxWlXo!/

Thanks for the links. I found the "salary calculator" helpful. I am, however, skeptical of the vault rankings link. How in the hell is IU higher up than Cornell? I find it very hard to believe that an employer would be more impressed with an IU grad than a Cornell grad. Also, how is Yale ranked 10?

Are you going to Iowa? How difficult is it to land a decent job in Chicago with a JD from Iowa.

[lkw713]

Thanks for the heads up, isustudent.

And Brick, yep, I'm (at least as of now) in section 9. And as for title for best section, 9 is higher than 1, so doesn't that automatically put us in the lead?

Well, 1 comes 8 spaces before 9, which does not sound like 9 is in the lead.

I'm not worried.

[mikeytwoshoes]

@lsb
The Vault rankings only poll private practice recruiters. This should answer your question (quantitatively):

http://www.vault.com/wps/portal/na/!ut/ ... EdFAIxWlXo!/

Thanks for the links. I found the "salary calculator" helpful. I am, however, skeptical of the vault rankings link. How in the hell is IU higher up than Cornell? How is Yale ranked 10?

Are you going to Iowa? How difficult is it to land a decent job in Chicago with a JD from Iowa.

It would depend on your class rank but I've spoken with people at about the top 1/3 (even top 1/2) with good jobs in Chicago. If you land Oder of the Coif at Iowa, you may even have a national mobility. You would have a better chance at a good job in Minneapolis. Other schools will give you these opportunities lower in the class.

Are you an Iowa resident? If so, you pay half what out of staters pay.

[mikeytwoshoes]

@lsb
The Vault rankings only poll private practice recruiters. This should answer your question (quantitatively):

http://www.vault.com/wps/portal/na/!ut/ ... EdFAIxWlXo!/

Thanks for the links. I found the "salary calculator" helpful. I am, however, skeptical of the vault rankings link. How in the hell is IU higher up than Cornell? I find it very hard to believe that an employer would be more impressed with an IU grad than a Cornell grad. Also, how is Yale ranked 10?
Are you going to Iowa? How difficult is it to land a decent job in Chicago with a JD from Iowa.

The Vault rankings only poll private sector employers. Cornell is a very small schoo as is Yalel. It is quite likely that many firms have never had a Cornell grad. Yale, on the other hand, pushes its students towards clerkships and academia.

[lsb]

@lsb
The Vault rankings only poll private practice recruiters. This should answer your question (quantitatively):

http://www.vault.com/wps/portal/na/!ut/ ... EdFAIxWlXo!/

Thanks for the links. I found the "salary calculator" helpful. I am, however, skeptical of the vault rankings link. How in the hell is IU higher up than Cornell? I find it very hard to believe that an employer would be more impressed with an IU grad than a Cornell grad. Also, how is Yale ranked 10?
Are you going to Iowa? How difficult is it to land a decent job in Chicago with a JD from Iowa.

The Vault rankings only poll private sector employers. Cornell is a very small schoo as is Yalel. It is quite likely that many firms have never had a Cornell grad. Yale, on the other hand, pushes its students towards clerkships and academia.

To answer your questions in your last post - No, unfortunately I'm not an Iowa resident and I'm not too crazy about not being able to establish residency throughout all three years (per Ken's article).

As for the vault rankings, I still think that they're flawed big time if they depend on the size of the school. If two grads, one from Cornell and one from IU, with similar class ranks apply to a law firm (lets say in Chicago) there is a VERY good chance that they will hire the Cornell grad rather than the IU grad.

[mikeytwoshoes]

@lsb
The Vault rankings only poll private practice recruiters. This should answer your question (quantitatively):

http://www.vault.com/wps/portal/na/!ut/ ... EdFAIxWlXo!/

Thanks for the links. I found the "salary calculator" helpful. I am, however, skeptical of the vault rankings link. How in the hell is IU higher up than Cornell? I find it very hard to believe that an employer would be more impressed with an IU grad than a Cornell grad. Also, how is Yale ranked 10?
Are you going to Iowa? How difficult is it to land a decent job in Chicago with a JD from Iowa.

The Vault rankings only poll private sector employers. Cornell is a very small schoo as is Yalel. It is quite likely that many firms have never had a Cornell grad. Yale, on the other hand, pushes its students towards clerkships and academia.

To answer your questions in your last post - No, unfortunately I'm not an Iowa resident and I'm not too crazy about not being able to establish residency throughout all three years (per Ken's article).

By working as a research assistant, you would only pay the resident tuition for 2L and 3L. The vast majority of out of state students are able to find an RA job.

[crystalhawkeye]

Section 1 > All other sections.

[mikeytwoshoes]

Section 1 > All other sections.

Ridiculously false.

[rainmaker614]

Section 1 > All other sections.

Sounds right.

[Brick Tamland]

Section 1 > All other sections.

Sounds right.

And the competitive mindset begins...

[mikeytwoshoes]

Section 1 > All other sections.

Sounds right.

And the competitive mindset begins...

Section 1 = Gunner Section

[lkw713]

Section 1 > All other sections.

Sounds right.

And the competitive mindset begins...

Section 1 = Gunner Section

Now mikey, it's okay to be intimidated by the formidible force known as Section 1. However, your own insecurities are no reason for namecalling.

[mikeytwoshoes]

Sounds right.

And the competitive mindset begins...

Section 1 = Gunner Section

Now mikey, it's okay to be intimidated by the formidible force known as Section 1. However, your own insecurities are no reason for namecalling.

We shall see.

[mikeytwoshoes]

I went to the ASG in Minneapolis. Several 2Ls and 3Ls attended but I did not see another admitted student.

I had been researching gray plant mooty and one of the interviewers they normally send to Iowa was their (Iowa Alumnus). I told him that their website says GPM sends more interviewers to Iowa than every other school but Minnesota. He told me they have been very successful recruiting Iowa students.

Interestingly enough, Faegre has its own brand of bottled water.

[mikeytwoshoes]

I think we had a virtual consensus on Wedge for our sitdown. What about the date and time? I’ll suggest Friday 14 August at 3 pm. Is everyone ok with that? If not, what works for you?

[theghostofDrewTate]

Here are my professors. I have heard a few things about each and will share them with you all in case any of you are wondering.

Sheldon Kurtz, Property:Sheldon Kurtz, Property: Very engaging and an extremely nice person. Not sure about how tough he is.

Enrique Carrasco, Contracts: Good guy but tests are very difficult. Also a stong believer in the Socratic Method so always be prepared and have your books.

Herbery Hovenkamp, Torts: Another great guy but rumor is that his tests aren't as difficult as some of the other professors'. Many people say he is the best in the college.

Caroline Sheerin, Legal Analysis and Writing Research: Very helpful but extremely hard grader. Yay...

I am an Iowa grad and I have to tell you that you should have to pay double in tuition for this lineup of profs. Kurtz is an expert on Trusts and Estates, he wrote a big chunk of the Iowa Code on it, I believe. He's a great teacher. Hovenkamp is probably the most famous prof at Iowa, he is one of the nation's foremost experts on antitrust and is a brilliant guy. I only had him for antitrust my 3rd year and I skipped half of the classes (still got an A), but I thought he was one of the better profs there.

Now Carrasco, that guy is the man. My favorite prof from LS period. The guy will roll into class the first day and just undress some poor sap, as long as it is not you, it is hilarious to watch, yet frightening at the same time. A little word of advice for you. Don't waltz in there with some 10 word issue for the cases you read - he'll shred you. When he says "Mr. Tambland, tell me the issue in Finders v. Keepers" don't respond with "Whether finder or keeper gets to keep the property." It has to be robust and include a brief recitation of the facts, like "whether finder, who found a chattel abandoned at a train station, may keep the chattel, when keeper has ..." I seem to recall the bookstore having a book with all the briefs for the cases. Buy that book. Start with the issues presented in there, but beef them up with facts and then hopefully you won't get pantsed as bad in class.

I don't know anything about Sheerin. It seems like they've changed the curriculum a bit since I left, you used to have 4 substantive classes first semester and legal writing was tied into one of the core first year classes. I guess that's different now.

Sorry, I didn't read this whole thread, so maybe this is duplicative, but you guys gotta hang out at Hillcrest dining hall. If you go before 10:30, you only pay like $4 (maybe inflation has kicked in) and you can stay as long as you want. They have all kinds of newspapers and it is absolutely crawling with freshmen gals from Iowa and suburban Chicago. Seeing them before they gain the freshman 15 that IC puts on them is a real treat.

You've gotta get football tickets, too. I was lucky, when I was in LS the Hawks only lost one home game. The atmosphere at Kinnick on gameday is so awesome that I still have season tickets. Don't be the douche who sits in the law library while 100,000 people are getting loaded within 500 yards of the LS on Saturdays. Make them your day off so you don't burn out.

Good luck everyone.

[scott82]

I think we had a virtual consensus on Wedge for our sitdown. What about the date and time? I’ll suggest Friday 14 August at 3 pm. Is everyone ok with that? If not, what works for you?

Works for me. Quit my job yesterday, so I'm free till LS starts.

[Brick Tamland]

Here are my professors. I have heard a few things about each and will share them with you all in case any of you are wondering.

Sheldon Kurtz, Property:Sheldon Kurtz, Property: Very engaging and an extremely nice person. Not sure about how tough he is.

Enrique Carrasco, Contracts: Good guy but tests are very difficult. Also a stong believer in the Socratic Method so always be prepared and have your books.

Herbery Hovenkamp, Torts: Another great guy but rumor is that his tests aren't as difficult as some of the other professors'. Many people say he is the best in the college.

Caroline Sheerin, Legal Analysis and Writing Research: Very helpful but extremely hard grader. Yay...

I am an Iowa grad and I have to tell you that you should have to pay double in tuition for this lineup of profs. Kurtz is an expert on Trusts and Estates, he wrote a big chunk of the Iowa Code on it, I believe. He's a great teacher. Hovenkamp is probably the most famous prof at Iowa, he is one of the nation's foremost experts on antitrust and is a brilliant guy. I only had him for antitrust my 3rd year and I skipped half of the classes (still got an A), but I thought he was one of the better profs there.

Now Carrasco, that guy is the man. My favorite prof from LS period. The guy will roll into class the first day and just undress some poor sap, as long as it is not you, it is hilarious to watch, yet frightening at the same time. A little word of advice for you. Don't waltz in there with some 10 word issue for the cases you read - he'll shred you. When he says "Mr. Tambland, tell me the issue in Finders v. Keepers" don't respond with "Whether finder or keeper gets to keep the property." It has to be robust and include a brief recitation of the facts, like "whether finder, who found a chattel abandoned at a train station, may keep the chattel, when keeper has ..." I seem to recall the bookstore having a book with all the briefs for the cases. Buy that book. Start with the issues presented in there, but beef them up with facts and then hopefully you won't get pantsed as bad in class.

I don't know anything about Sheerin. It seems like they've changed the curriculum a bit since I left, you used to have 4 substantive classes first semester and legal writing was tied into one of the core first year classes. I guess that's different now.

Sorry, I didn't read this whole thread, so maybe this is duplicative, but you guys gotta hang out at Hillcrest dining hall. If you go before 10:30, you only pay like $4 (maybe inflation has kicked in) and you can stay as long as you want. They have all kinds of newspapers and it is absolutely crawling with freshmen gals from Iowa and suburban Chicago. Seeing them before they gain the freshman 15 that IC puts on them is a real treat.

You've gotta get football tickets, too. I was lucky, when I was in LS the Hawks only lost one home game. The atmosphere at Kinnick on gameday is so awesome that I still have season tickets. Don't be the douche who sits in the law library while 100,000 people are getting loaded within 500 yards of the LS on Saturdays. Make them your day off so you don't burn out.

Good luck everyone.

Thanks a lot for the info! If you don't mind me asking, what kind of law did you end up in and where in the country??

[IpunchedCharlieRose]

Moving is so not fun, but now it's done. Hello Iowa City!

Also, awesome post Drew. Thanks for the info.

[mikeytwoshoes]

Is everyone ok with the 14th at 3 pm at Wedge?

[theghostofDrewTate]

Thanks a lot for the info! If you don't mind me asking, what kind of law did you end up in and where in the country??

I am a corporate lawyer at a big firm in Chicago. My two pieces of advice for anyone going to Iowa right now are (1) get really good grades and (2) pray for the economy to turn around by this time next year (that is when you will be interviewing for jobs during summer between second and third years).

[mikeytwoshoes]

Thanks a lot for the info! If you don't mind me asking, what kind of law did you end up in and where in the country??

I am a corporate lawyer at a big firm in Chicago. My two pieces of advice for anyone going to Iowa right now are (1) get really good grades and (2) pray for the economy to turn around by this time next year (that is when you will be interviewing for jobs during summer between second and third years).

How far into the class at Iowa does your firm hire in a good economy?

[theghostofDrewTate]

How far into the class at Iowa does your firm hire in a good economy?

It's hard to say. The recruiting department gives everyone a score based on GPA, so theoretically, you could overcome a bad (but not horrific) GPA if you are on LR, interview well and have something else that impresses the interviewer (IP background or CPA for example). That said outside the top 10%, you're definitely fighting an uphill battle. Most people who get offers are in the top 5% range.

[lsb]

How far into the class at Iowa does your firm hire in a good economy?

It's hard to say. The recruiting department gives everyone a score based on GPA, so theoretically, you could overcome a bad (but not horrific) GPA if you are on LR, interview well and have something else that impresses the interviewer (IP background or CPA for example). That said outside the top 10%, you're definitely fighting an uphill battle. Most people who get offers are in the top 5% range.

So would you say that you need to be in the top 10% to get an offer at a decent firm (not necessarily biglaw)?