Chicago Class of 2014 Forum

[Xifeng]

Looking forward to joining you all in September!

[Dany]

Looking forward to joining you all in September!

Yay!

[Xifeng]

So where are you all going to be living? I didn't get a chance to go on the housing tour yesterday, so I'm not sure where I'll end up.

[Sentry]

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 8&t=152953

[alphamoose]

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[Muenchen]

So where are you all going to be living? I didn't get a chance to go on the housing tour yesterday, so I'm not sure where I'll end up.

I would like to hear people's thoughts on this too! I was thinking I would do regents because of the location and social aspects but... I didn't hear great things about it this weekend.

P.S. I had so much fun meeting you all this weekend! Even though I kept disappearing because I'm sort of a sketchball. 98% sure I'll be joining you all in the fall!

--ImageRemoved--

[rbarcelo9]

Regents for me. Size and price are unbeatable.

[NakedPowerOrgan]

I was a little concerned about the lack of a lot of study space. Also, I heard that there is some kind of lottery in place to get a locker as a 2L/3L?

Other than that, I liked it; although at times, some of the areas seemed a little cramped and lacking of natural light.

Was also a little surprised to learn there were only two student-run secondary journals. Yeah, I know it's a small school and all that...

[Dany]

Also, I heard that there is some kind of lottery in place to get a locker as a 2L/3L?

Maybe you should get actual students to confirm (as opposed to me), but the 3L I talked to told me every student gets a locker.

[Xifeng]

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[sarahlawg]

Also, I heard that there is some kind of lottery in place to get a locker as a 2L/3L?

Maybe you should get actual students to confirm (as opposed to me), but the 3L I talked to told me every student gets a locker.

the 3L that gave us a tour said she gave hers away - I don't know if that means some are less convenient than others or if not everyone gets one and someone who didn't, wanted one.

[JFo]

Who else is super excited for coffee & wine messes? And I LOVED the Green Lounge. On Saturday when it was (finally) sunny, it was even more gorgeous. Though the mock courtroom definitely gave me vertigo.

Me!

I really loved the way the building was set up. It felt like a lot of separate places in one. Stepping into the library was like stepping into another world.

The giant auditorium gave me a headache, which I loudly announced right next to Ann Perry...

[Emma.]

Who else is super excited for coffee & wine messes? And I LOVED the Green Lounge. On Saturday when it was (finally) sunny, it was even more gorgeous. Though the mock courtroom definitely gave me vertigo.

Edit: what the hell is going on in these pictures?? http://www.facebook.com/UChicagoLaw

Second City were here filming something in support of PBS.

[Dany]

I really loved the way the building was set up. It felt like a lot of separate places in one. Stepping into the library was like stepping into another world.

[Emma.]

I was a little concerned about the lack of a lot of study space. Also, I heard that there is some kind of lottery in place to get a locker as a 2L/3L?

Are you sure they weren't talking about library carrels? I'm pretty sure I get to keep my locker next year.

Other than that, I liked it; although at times, some of the areas seemed a little cramped and lacking of natural light.

My favorite thing about the library is how much natural light there is. Almost all the study tables are right next to huge floor to ceiling windows!

Was also a little surprised to learn there were only two student-run secondary journals. Yeah, I know it's a small school and all that...

The advantage of this is that if you get on a journal it actually means something, and you don't have to feel like you have to work on a journal just because everyone else is...

[NakedPowerOrgan]

Are you sure they weren't talking about library carrels? I'm pretty sure I get to keep my locker next year.

Maybe they said lockers and meant carrels or maybe I just misunderstood.

My favorite thing about the library is how much natural light there is. Almost all the study tables are right next to huge floor to ceiling windows!

Some areas were fine and now that I think about it, maybe a lot of it had to do with how dark and gloomy the weather was while I was there.

The advantage of this is that if you get on a journal it actually means something, and you don't have to feel like you have to work on a journal just because everyone else is...

I understand this argument and felt it was the strongest counterpoint to my concerns, but I really wanted the academic experience of working on a journal and feel like my options are somewhat limited at Chicago, especially because I'm not too stoked about the Legal Forum option (one annual issue and it's centered around one topic? ehhhhh). And I also think they take less people onto law review than schools of comparable size (e.g. Duke takes 39/year and has 644 total students, Stanford takes 45/year and has 571 total students, Yale takes around 35/year and has 629 total students, Cornell takes at least 40/year and has 615 total students). If I'm reading the webpage right, Chicago Law Review only takes 29 (even though there are a total of 634 students at the school)? That seems a little crazy to me...

[Emma.]

I understand this argument and felt it was the strongest counterpoint to my concerns, but I really wanted the academic experience of working on a journal and feel like my options are somewhat limited at Chicago, especially because I'm not too stoked about the Legal Forum option (one annual issue and it's centered around one topic? ehhhhh). And I also think they take less people onto law review than schools of comparable size (e.g. Duke takes 39/year and has 644 total students, Stanford takes 45/year and has 571 total students, Yale takes around 35/year and has 629 total students, Cornell takes at least 40/year and has 615 total students). If I'm reading the webpage right, Chicago Law Review only takes 29 (even though there are a total of 634 students at the school)? That seems a little crazy to me...

Huh, I didn't know the other Law Reviews took so many. Yeah, ours is top 10% grade on and then another 5% write-on (though everyone has to at least make a good faith effort in the writing competition to get on, no matter how good your grades are) for a total ~30. I guess it just makes getting on to LR here an even bigger achievement. Doesn't Yale take pretty much anyone who cares to do it?

[Knock]

Did anyone read the "Message from the Dean" in the Spring 2011 Chicago Law School Record we got at ASW? He's talking about how flawed ranking systems are, and gives this example I found extremely interesting:

"Here's a concrete example from last year's data. In July of 2010, 89 out of 92 Stanford graduates who took the California bar exam for the first time passed- an impressive 97.8% rate. Seventeen Chicago graduates took that same test, and had a 100% passage rate. Bar exam results are a sensible basis for assessing law school quality, so it would not be crazy to compare how Stanford and Chicago graduates did on the same test. But that is not what US News does. Instead, the magazine bizarrely compares the performance of Stanford and Chicago graduates taking different tests. Because the largest number of Chicago graduates take the Illinois bar exam, US News compares the passage rates of Chicago graduates (95.1%) to the passage rates of all first-timer takers of the Illinois bar (91). It subtracts the first number from the second number to create a "differential." Because California's overall pass rate is only 71%, Stanford's differential is much greater than Chicago's. Stanford got a big rankings boost over Chicago as a result. How big? In the 2011 rankings the boost was equivalent to lowering Chicago's median LSAT score by eight points. In order to offset the boost to its US News rankings that Stanford gets from bar passage rates, Chicago would have needed 118% of its graduates to pass the Illinois bar exam on the first try."

[rbarcelo9]

Did anyone read the "Message from the Dean" in the Spring 2011 Chicago Law School Record we got at ASW? He's talking about how flawed ranking systems are, and gives this example I found extremely interesting:

"Here's a concrete example from last year's data. In July of 2010, 89 out of 92 Stanford graduates who took the California bar exam for the first time passed- an impressive 97.8% rate. Seventeen Chicago graduates took that same test, and had a 100% passage rate. Bar exam results are a sensible basis for assessing law school quality, so it would not be crazy to compare how Stanford and Chicago graduates did on the same test. But that is not what US News does. Instead, the magazine bizarrely compares the performance of Stanford and Chicago graduates taking different tests. Because the largest number of Chicago graduates take the Illinois bar exam, US News compares the passage rates of Chicago graduates (95.1%) to the passage rates of all first-timer takers of the Illinois bar (91). It subtracts the first number from the second number to create a "differential." Because California's overall pass rate is only 71%, Stanford's differential is much greater than Chicago's. Stanford got a big rankings boost over Chicago as a result. How big? In the 2011 rankings the boost was equivalent to lowering Chicago's median LSAT score by eight points. In order to offset the boost to its US News rankings that Stanford gets from bar passage rates, Chicago would have needed 118% of its graduates to pass the Illinois bar exam on the first try."

Very interesting. I love Dean Schill.

[NakedPowerOrgan]

I understand this argument and felt it was the strongest counterpoint to my concerns, but I really wanted the academic experience of working on a journal and feel like my options are somewhat limited at Chicago, especially because I'm not too stoked about the Legal Forum option (one annual issue and it's centered around one topic? ehhhhh). And I also think they take less people onto law review than schools of comparable size (e.g. Duke takes 39/year and has 644 total students, Stanford takes 45/year and has 571 total students, Yale takes around 35/year and has 629 total students, Cornell takes at least 40/year and has 615 total students). If I'm reading the webpage right, Chicago Law Review only takes 29 (even though there are a total of 634 students at the school)? That seems a little crazy to me...

Huh, I didn't know the other Law Review's took so many. Yeah, ours is top 10% grade on and then another 5% write-on (though everyone has to at least make a good faith effort in the writing competition to get on, no matter how good your grades are) for a total ~30. I guess it just makes getting on to LR here an even bigger achievement. Doesn't Yale take pretty much anyone who cares to do it?

Not entirely sure of the process that Yale uses, but I have heard from current students that it's definitely easier to get on than other law reviews.

I'm just not happy with the larger feather-in-the-cap argument for the small LR class and small journal selection. Hell, let the executive board positions serve as a feather in the cap if that's your thing. I know that chances of even getting on LR anywhere is small, but in my opinion, there is a tangible difference between 30/210 at Chicago versus 45/190 at Stanford. And it's not like anybody who hears that you're on Stanford Law Review is going to think less of you as compared to somebody who is Chicago Law Review because it's more difficult to get onto the latter.

Again, this stands a good chance of being completely irrelevant as to how everything actually plays out, but I feel like a fulfilling journal experience is going to go a long way to my happiness with my law school academics.

[Saul Goodman]

So where are you all going to be living? I didn't get a chance to go on the housing tour yesterday, so I'm not sure where I'll end up.

I would like to hear people's thoughts on this too! I was thinking I would do regents because of the location and social aspects but... I didn't hear great things about it this weekend.

P.S. I had so much fun meeting you all this weekend! Even though I kept disappearing because I'm sort of a sketchball. 98% sure I'll be joining you all in the fall!

I heard mixed reviews on regents over the weekend, and am kinda leaning away from it myself. Here is the breakdown as I see it (coming only from walking around unguided and the official housing tour)

Regents: While there are a few buildings in its vicinity (Algonquin, Twin Towers, etc) Regents pretty much dominates its location. It's location, though, is a 25 min walk from school. On the other hand, the bus stops right outside its door and UChi runs their own buses there at night till 2:30AM. Regents has many more amenities than the buildings in its immediate surroundings (indoor pool, free internet, coffee shop, serious gym, grocery store) but it also charges a premium for some of them. In addition, the "summit club," where you are supposed to be able to get some studying done is underwhelming and actually a little fake - what initially looks to be a Tiffany style light fixture is actually plastic. Similarly, the "wood paneling" is actually painted on to look like wood. Despite all the superficiality, I still liked regents more than the surrounding places, but that's personal preference. I figured once I was going to be far from school, I might as well be around of 1Ls. I could see why other people wouldn't want to take that leap.

MAC, Hunter, Dorchester, etc: There are some great options closer to campus. You won't have the safety net of students and such that Regents offers, but you'll be within real walking distance from the law school. With a bike, you might easily be able to get there in under 5 minutes. Of these, the housing tour only included the Dorchester. It was nice, had a few free parking spots, free wifi, and nice security. I wasn't soo thrilled with the apartments, though (WHY CAN'T ANY OF THESE PLACES HAVE HARDWOOD FLOORS? DO I WANNA KNOW WHAT'S DEEP IN THE SHAG OF THOSE CARPETS?) Overall, it seems like your much more on your own, but you can get some great deals.

Out of the Park: A significant number of students told me they live outside of Hyde Park. Cool choices include, but are not limited to: South Loop, Wicker Park, Gold Coast, North End, Around the Water Tower... You'll probably need a car if your going with this route. Also, in order to guarantee yourself parking near the law school, you need to show up at 8AM.

[Emma.]

I'm just not happy with the larger feather-in-the-cap argument for the small LR class and small journal selection. Hell, let the executive board positions serve as a feather in the cap if that's your thing. I know that chances of even getting on LR anywhere is small, but in my opinion, there is a tangible difference between 30/210 at Chicago versus 45/190 at Stanford. And it's not like anybody who hears that you're on Stanford Law Review is going to think less of you as compared to somebody who is Chicago Law Review because it's more difficult to get onto the latter.

Again, this stands a good chance of being completely irrelevant as to how everything actually plays out, but I feel like a fulfilling journal experience is going to go a long way to my happiness with my law school academics.

Yeah, I don't disagree that any LR is going to be viewed as a huge achievement no matter what ratio of students gets on. LR here should be more like 29 out of 185 though, our class isn't usually so large.

I'm interested to know why you think working on a journal will be a happy and fulfilling experience. It is an incredible grind.

[NakedPowerOrgan]

I'm just not happy with the larger feather-in-the-cap argument for the small LR class and small journal selection. Hell, let the executive board positions serve as a feather in the cap if that's your thing. I know that chances of even getting on LR anywhere is small, but in my opinion, there is a tangible difference between 30/210 at Chicago versus 45/190 at Stanford. And it's not like anybody who hears that you're on Stanford Law Review is going to think less of you as compared to somebody who is Chicago Law Review because it's more difficult to get onto the latter.

Again, this stands a good chance of being completely irrelevant as to how everything actually plays out, but I feel like a fulfilling journal experience is going to go a long way to my happiness with my law school academics.

Yeah, I don't disagree that any LR is going to be viewed as a huge achievement no matter what ratio of students gets on. LR here should be more like 29 out of 185 though, our class isn't usually so large.

I'm interested to know why you think working on a journal will be a happy and fulfilling experience. It is an incredible grind.

I know it's an incredible grind, but I think I would feel a sense of accomplishment from it; the people I know on different LR's have told me that while it can be a hell of workload, most people are never going to be able to experience the type of academic engagement and scholarly opportunities that you can find working for a really good journal. So yes, there's that, and also the fact that I would be able to put "Law Review" or "fill-in-the-blank top secondary journal" on my resume for the rest of my life. It would make me feel like, "damn, son, you did good." And I would have that feeling regardless of whether my school let in a quarter of its students or only a sixth.

You're right about the class - I just took the total class sizes of the schools and divided by three, e.g. Stanford might work out to be 45/170 or something if I just figured the incoming classes.

[Knock]

Any idea how we put the $50 to secure a place in Regents?

[Dany]

Any idea how we put the $50 to secure a place in Regents?

On the application there's a place for credit card number.