Am I taking on too much? Forum

[lurkylurk]

My 2L year I did full course load + LR + interscholastic MC + clinic, and my school does not give credit for LR or MC. You will be fine.

Also, LR >> MC >= Secondary Journal (depending on the journal, the tournament, amount of success, and experiences of the person you're talking to). Moot Court can be a phenomenal experience and stress your actual lawyering skills far more than any class or law review assignment, but it rarely seems to matter to employers.

[TTH]

I'm not as overextended as OP, but let me get your guys' opinion.

LR (I think I get 1 credit for it fall sem and 1 spring sem)
10-15 hours at firm (although they've told me they have no problem with me doing class work when it's slow)
15 hours of class, including appellate advocacy which everyone here says is a huge timesink.

My schedule
BA
Civ Pro II (the rules)
App. Ad.
Non-profit law
Negotiations and Settlements (meets once a week Monday evenings)

I'm thinking about dropping the non-profit class, but everyone says the prof who teaches it is great. However, it's an 8:30 class, which is a strong argument for dropping. That aside, am I taking on too much?

[PirateCap'n]

I'll hop in as well:
1. 15 hours (can drop to 13 if needed)
2. Law Review (1 credit hour)
3. Research Assistant and Teaching Assistant (no more than 20 hours combined)
4. Fall OCI

Opinions?

Also, if I drop my schedule to 13 hours, I would have no classes on Fridays, which might make it a bit easier to schedule callbacks on Fridays. However, 13 hours also means that I have to take 15, 16, and 16 hours my final three semesters. Worth it?

[Miller32]

Obviously can't offer any real meaningful advice because I'm the OP. I will say though that after dropping a class my schedule looks/feels a lot more manageable.

For what it's worth, the (relative) peace of mind about it going into what could be a stressful year helps.

[Wooostl2012]

I'll hop in as well:
1. 15 hours (can drop to 13 if needed)
2. Law Review (1 credit hour)
3. Research Assistant and Teaching Assistant (no more than 20 hours combined)
4. Fall OCI

Opinions?

Also, if I drop my schedule to 13 hours, I would have no classes on Fridays, which might make it a bit easier to schedule callbacks on Fridays. However, 13 hours also means that I have to take 15, 16, and 16 hours my final three semesters. Worth it?

I wouldn't plan on being able to schedule callbacks on Fridays. When firms allow it, it fills up really fast. You're going to miss class if you get callbacks, it's not a big deal.

Fall of 2L is pretty busy, but this workload doesn't seem that dramatic to me. It's essentially what I did, and it didn't end up being a problem.

[PirateCap'n]

I'll hop in as well:
1. 15 hours (can drop to 13 if needed)
2. Law Review (1 credit hour)
3. Research Assistant and Teaching Assistant (no more than 20 hours combined)
4. Fall OCI

Opinions?

Also, if I drop my schedule to 13 hours, I would have no classes on Fridays, which might make it a bit easier to schedule callbacks on Fridays. However, 13 hours also means that I have to take 15, 16, and 16 hours my final three semesters. Worth it?

I wouldn't plan on being able to schedule callbacks on Fridays. When firms allow it, it fills up really fast. You're going to miss class if you get callbacks, it's not a big deal.

Fall of 2L is pretty busy, but this workload doesn't seem that dramatic to me. It's essentially what I did, and it didn't end up being a problem.

Good to know. The only issue with missing class is that one of my professors will deduct 4 points from your grade if you miss an "above average" number of classes, and it's a 4 hour class (meaning we have class 4 days per week), which really hurts when you know you're going to have to miss class fairly often.

[Wooostl2012]

I'll hop in as well:
1. 15 hours (can drop to 13 if needed)
2. Law Review (1 credit hour)
3. Research Assistant and Teaching Assistant (no more than 20 hours combined)
4. Fall OCI

Opinions?

Also, if I drop my schedule to 13 hours, I would have no classes on Fridays, which might make it a bit easier to schedule callbacks on Fridays. However, 13 hours also means that I have to take 15, 16, and 16 hours my final three semesters. Worth it?

I wouldn't plan on being able to schedule callbacks on Fridays. When firms allow it, it fills up really fast. You're going to miss class if you get callbacks, it's not a big deal.

Fall of 2L is pretty busy, but this workload doesn't seem that dramatic to me. It's essentially what I did, and it didn't end up being a problem.

Good to know. The only issue with missing class is that one of my professors will deduct 4 points from your grade if you miss an "above average" number of classes, and it's a 4 hour class (meaning we have class 4 days per week), which really hurts when you know you're going to have to miss class fairly often.

I think my professors all had attendance policies, and each one understood when I went to them and said I had to miss for interviews (I probably missed at least 5-6 days). It's a professional school, and its primary goal is for you to end up employed, It would be surprising if professors weren't willing to understand the misses.

[spleenworship]

Get rid of moot court. I never understood the purpose of it. You most likely won't end up an appellate lawyer and it isn't much of a resume boost unless you win a competition, which, you probably won't do. If you have LR, you don't need moot court.

I tend to agree with you, but I do think that some firms looks for it. Just what I've been told. If my workload starts getting way too heavy I think I'll just blow it off and do enough to get the credit. Best of both worlds.

I have heard moot court might help for ADA/PD jobs.

[blueprint87]

Bump with my situation.

Currently 2L with a managing editor position on secondary journal (2 cr.), moot court (3cr.), USAO internship (10-15hrs/wk), Adv. Legal Writing (3 cr.), Evidence (4 cr.), and Civ Pro II (3.cr). Think I am taking on too much? If so, what are suggestions for getting rid of something?

[bmontminy]

does the speculation on value of Moot Court in this thread apply equally to Mock Trial? Or is there a difference in "value" from an employer's perspective?

[MC Southstar]

You are the best judge of what you can and cannot handle.