POLL: A fellow 1L got his laptop stolen.. what do we do? Forum

[AVBucks4239]

I voted for class notes only only because I haven't outlined any classes yet (2L).

[I.P. Daly]

Tough way to learn about backing your stuff up.

[Younger Abstention]

If he's a good friend of yours, send him both. If not, send him neither. He doesn't need notes and outlines from the entire section.

[rishabhagny]

Did he get jumped while riding his bike near school?

No. Somehow it got stolen from the top floor of the library from a table he was working at while he was off on some frivolous meander.

[dingbat]

Did he get jumped while riding his bike near school?

No. Somehow it got stolen from the top floor of the library from a table he was working at while he was off on some frivolous meander.

Then he's just stupid. Give him your notes, he won't outrank you anyway.

Seriously, though, don't be a dick. If someone sleeps all semester, I won't give them shit, but for something like that, I'd gladly give everything I've got.

[MinEMorris]

FWIW I shared my outlines/notes with anybody that was interested, and I think a good number of students in my section ended up with a copy of my outline by the end of each semester. I worked really hard on my outlines and definitely wanted to do well, so at times I wondered if I was just being dumb by "giving away" any competitive edge I might have had over other students. I managed to finish in the top of my class regardless, and after a while I realized while some people might have been helped by my outlines, it didn't appear to be a curve shifting difference (at least not relative to me). Really, the most important part of an outline is the process of building it. The process gives you perspective and understanding that generally shines through on an exam, and allows you to play on nuances that aren't contained in the writing of the outline itself. Also, I think that even though it wasn't intentional, I word things in a way that made sense to me but others would misinterpret in slight ways.

Also, being generous with my work product came back to me in different ways. I never had a problem getting notes from people if I wanted it, people would sometimes forward me responses they got to questions they asked the professor, etc. In an environment of significant mistrust (1L at any law school), it's nice to be a generally trusted person.

All of this said, I would never blame someone for being unwilling to share their outline/notes, even in extreme situations. It maybe dick, but a lot is at stake in 1L. 200k+ of debt is no joke, and for some people it's really not just about them, but about their kids or family. I really can't blame anyone who is willing to "be an ass" to protect those interests as much as possible.