Harvard Class of 2012 Forum

[Objection]

140

[Objection]

I'm getting excited about doing an Independent Clinical during 2L.

--LinkRemoved--

The California Innocence Project that someone worked for during Winter 2008 sounds amazing. I would love to do something similar Winter 2L, or do a full semester at a more local innocence project (New England IP).

What would be your ideal clinical schedule?

Mine would be:

2L Fall - not sure
2L Winter: California Innocence Project (or equiv)
2L Spring: Sports Law
3L Fall: Supreme Court and Appellate Practice
3L Winter: Supreme Court Litigation
3L Spring: Supreme Court And Appellate Practice

[iagolives]

I'm getting excited about doing an Independent Clinical during 2L.

--LinkRemoved--

The California Innocence Project that someone worked for during Winter 2008 sounds amazing. I would love to do something similar Winter 2L, or do a full semester at a more local innocence project (New England IP).

What would be your ideal clinical schedule?

Mine would be:

2L Fall - not sure
2L Winter: California Innocence Project (or equiv)
2L Spring: Sports Law
3L Fall: Supreme Court and Appellate Practice
3L Winter: Supreme Court Litigation
3L Spring: Supreme Court And Appellate Practice

I'm not going to map the whole thing out but I agree with you that, if you could swing it, the three supreme court clinics would be AWESOME. For 2L, I think the government lawyering clinic and the war crimes prosecution clinic look very interesting.

Another thing to consider: if you do the JD/LLM program in Cambridge, that will seriously affect your clinical plans.

[hopeful09]

I'm also really excited about the Supreme Court clinics. I think they sound like such a great opportunity.

[Pumpkin]

you guys are giving me a bit of a complex! i'm just trying to figure out where to go and you all are picking out classes for next year and the year after!!

[iagolives]

you guys are giving me a bit of a complex! i'm just trying to figure out where to go and you all are picking out classes for next year and the year after!!

It's more like, when you are struggling with as big of a transition as law school and this weird acceptance cycle, something like picking classes is familiar to latch onto for sanity's sake.

[Objection]

you guys are giving me a bit of a complex! i'm just trying to figure out where to go and you all are picking out classes for next year and the year after!!

It's more like, when you are struggling with as big of a transition as law school and this weird acceptance cycle, something like picking classes is familiar to latch onto for sanity's sake.

TCR.

Also, I like looking at my options more practically and seeing what I'd be able to do at one school vs another school.

Another thing to consider: if you do the JD/LLM program in Cambridge, that will seriously affect your clinical plans.

Definitely would. I may forego the idea of doing the JD/LLM and simply do a semester study abroad if I feel I have a shot at the SCOTUS clinics.

[dueprocess14]

you guys are giving me a bit of a complex! i'm just trying to figure out where to go for ASWs and you all are picking out classes for next year and the year after!!

fixed. I am so behind you guys it's not even funny! Inspiring, though. Maybe by May I'll be ready to open the course guide! =)

[iagolives]

Definitely would. I may forego the idea of doing the JD/LLM and simply do a semester study abroad if I feel I have a shot at the SCOTUS clinics.

OOOOH.... There's a good "Would You Rather:" Get SCOTUS clinic or go LLMing.

If only I am lucky enough to have that choice.

Oh, and zab, if I were in your position, I would be calling the schools and telling them to send someone over to open the catalogues for you.

[dueprocess14]

Iago, who knows, you're just a couple of phone calls away as well. Maybe in a week you'll be planning a ridiculous criss-cross journal as well!

As far as HLS offerings go, yes, both the Supreme Court and War Crimes clinics seems awesome. I'm less sold on the JD/LLM, because I'm not sure what the practical advantage to having an LLM is other than some time in the *other* Cambridge (which is admittedly pretty beautiful), and I think you take a hit for clerkships by being away during hiring season (were anyone lucky enough to be part of such a process). Also, I've seen few positions where an LLM is required if you got a JD at a top US law school. Just my take...

[iagolives]

Iago, who knows, you're just a couple of phone calls away as well. Maybe in a week you'll be planning a ridiculous criss-cross journal as well!

As far as HLS offerings go, yes, both the Supreme Court and War Crimes clinics seems awesome. I'm less sold on the JD/LLM, because I'm not sure what the practical advantage to having an LLM is other than some time in the *other* Cambridge (which is admittedly pretty beautiful), and I think you take a hit for clerkships by being away during hiring season (were anyone lucky enough to be part of such a process). Also, I've seen few positions where an LLM is required if you got a JD at a top US law school. Just my take...

However, I can see it as an advantage if you do clerkships a year later than everyone else. If you do the LLM, come back and then begin applying for the year after you graduate (work as a research assistant or something in the spring), I can think of it as a benefit. Especially if you apply with one of the more internationally-oriented justices, I can see having the LLM as being a plus. I could be completely off-the-mark though. I'm still at that "I HOPE this is true" stage...

[homestyle]

Where are people staying during the Harvard ASW? Does everyone just get hotel rooms?

[dueprocess14]

Where are people staying during the Harvard ASW? Does everyone just get hotel rooms?

I'm staying with a friend who's currently at Harvard.

Oh, and anyone else enjoy the "if you're seriously considering another school (aka Yale, Stanford or scholarships at NYU and Columbia) please contact us so we can put you in touch with a long list of current students who turned those options down" email? Looks like they want that yield to go up!

[iagolives]

Just read that email. I don't know about Yale or Stanford, but Harvard sure knows how to do things right. I'm impressed.

[totalidiot]

Just read that email. I don't know about Yale or Stanford, but Harvard sure knows how to do things right. I'm impressed.

This is definitely the credited response. Stanford has been okay to me, and while I haven't heard from Yale, they seem to be sort of out of it (e.g. don't have an admitted students site etc): Harvard has really been pretty amazing since the day I was accepted.

[ndnlawdc]

I'm staying with a friend who's currently at Harvard.

Oh, and anyone else enjoy the "if you're seriously considering another school (aka Yale, Stanford or scholarships at NYU and Columbia) please contact us so we can put you in touch with a long list of current students who turned those options down" email? Looks like they want that yield to go up!

Just saw that email. I might ask for folks who turned down the Darrow. I'll see if they can give me a non-douche bag, who can give me real substantive reasons.

I also got an email for Rhodes, Marshall, Truman, and Fulbright Scholars. They're having a dinner April 26, and are offering a $500 travel subsidy to attend. A dinner? Really? I wish they had given me the money for ASW!

[joshikousei]

.

[Objection]

I took advantage of Ms. Buttnebaum's offer right away and ask to speak with people currently in my situation.

I was hoping to speak to an alum, however. She did not have a list of alums who had been in my position.

I want a real world idea of the debt. Hearing a 1L's decision process is nice, but it doesn't tell me what it's like facing $200k in debt.

Either way, I'm glad she offered.

I emailed Michigan requesting something similar but they never responded. Surprised me, since Michigan has always been so friendly and forthcoming.

[dueprocess14]

I took advantage of Ms. Buttnebaum's offer right away and ask to speak with people currently in my situation.

I was hoping to speak to an alum, however. She did not have a list of alums who had been in my position.

I want a real world idea of the debt. Hearing a 1L's decision process is nice, but it doesn't tell me what it's like facing $200k in debt.

Either way, I'm glad she offered.

I emailed Michigan requesting something similar but they never responded. Surprised me, since Michigan has always been so friendly and forthcoming.

I think that's really smart (to get an alum, not a current student - what difference will the debt make to them while they're still in law school?). And wow, she's fast!

[iagolives]

Just read that email. I don't know about Yale or Stanford, but Harvard sure knows how to do things right. I'm impressed.

stanford already did its due diligence and had a current student (with similar background) reach out. it's doing a good job. same for h too, the impersonal prof letters were a nice touch.

Lol, I wouldn't know about Stanford's "due diligence" as I am still in the black hole of adcomm limbo. I wasn't trying to say anything bad about Yale or Stanford (which, I assume, do a good part on their end too), I was just impressed with Harvard so far. Thanks for the info about Stanford, though. Makes me even more excited to imagine me getting in!

[Objection]

I took advantage of Ms. Buttnebaum's offer right away and ask to speak with people currently in my situation.

I was hoping to speak to an alum, however. She did not have a list of alums who had been in my position.

I want a real world idea of the debt. Hearing a 1L's decision process is nice, but it doesn't tell me what it's like facing $200k in debt.

Either way, I'm glad she offered.

I emailed Michigan requesting something similar but they never responded. Surprised me, since Michigan has always been so friendly and forthcoming.

I think that's really smart (to get an alum, not a current student - what difference will the debt make to them while they're still in law school?). And wow, she's fast!

Yeah, but alas, she said she didn't have a list of alums who had made this decision. I may ask to be put in touch with an alum that took on a significant amount of debt, but as that information may be privileged, I doubt she'll be able to.

[dueprocess14]

Just read that email. I don't know about Yale or Stanford, but Harvard sure knows how to do things right. I'm impressed.

stanford already did its due diligence and had a current student (with similar background) reach out. it's doing a good job. same for h too, the impersonal prof letters were a nice touch.

Lol, I wouldn't know about Stanford's "due diligence" as I am still in the black hole of adcomm limbo. I wasn't trying to say anything bad about Yale or Stanford (which, I assume, do a good part on their end too), I was just impressed with Harvard so far. Thanks for the info about Stanford, though. Makes me even more excited to imagine me getting in!

My experience suggests SLS's DD isn't perfect: my alum could NOT have had more opposite interests (business, business, business) from mine (academia & gov't). Before he asked my interests, he actually volunteered that he didn't even apply to Yale because it was "too theoretical and academic"...HAH. I wrote my PS about how much I love theory, and how I want to go into academia...clearly there was a disconnect in the admissions office somewhere.

[excitedutterance]

The HLS alum I've been talking to--who didn't even enjoy HLS when he was there around 10 years ago--has been unwavering in his suggestion that I go there over Butler at Columbia and various scholarships elsewhere. And he's in academia. That's been pretty encouraging to me whenever I think about the reality of $200,000 of debt.

[joshikousei]

.

[joshikousei]

.