PANIC!! 1L Fall Grade Waiting Thread - 2012 Forum

[Richie Tenenbaum]

Tip from a 2L: try to do something you really enjoy while you're waiting for grades. You spent 3+ months stressing, working, and barely sleeping--why not take some time now to hibernate or whatever it is that will make you feel better?

Yes, I know some of you will read this and proceed to write 5-10 panicky cover letters for the summer or press refresh about 3 times a minute, but hopefully some of you will take my advice.

^ This. Also convince yourselves that grades won't come out for another month. Self-deception can be healthy sometimes.

[Bronck]

Tip from a 2L: try to do something you really enjoy while you're waiting for grades. You spent 3+ months stressing, working, and barely sleeping--why not take some time now to hibernate or whatever it is that will make you feel better?

Yes, I know some of you will read this and proceed to write 5-10 panicky cover letters for the summer or press refresh about 3 times a minute, but hopefully some of you will take my advice.

^ This. Also convince yourselves that grades won't come out for another month. Self-deception can be healthy sometimes.

I think I've gotten to that point. Moreover, I'm pretty sure I'll be bombarded with texts and FB updates, so if there's nothing when I wake up, I feel there's no real point of checking.

[Doorkeeper]

I wake up every morning thinking about these damn grades. This wait is going to be the death of me.

+1. I'm actually checking online every day, even though I know it's entirely fruitless.

You guys have got to stop doing this. There's no point in checking. Just ignore them.

Ask a 2L or 3L when grades typically get released at your school and just forget about it until then.

[stillwater]

Getting grades back is the end of innocence. Don't ask for what you can't undo...

[swimmer11]

Keep going over and over in my head about how I messed up this exam, or how I totally misread that question, or how I switched the parties and made the victim the defendant! Fuck!

Every time I click on the grades tab, I literally have a heart-attack. Man, oh man. This is going to be the longest winter break ever.

[Dubyuhnell]

I'm so glad my school said the earliest grades will be released is jan 11 so no refreshing grades constantly... But that hasn't stopped the worrying its like the LSAT the more and more time goes by the worst I feel like I did

[dingbat]

Getting grades back is the end of innocence. Don't ask for what you can't undo...

Seriously. I get a few more weeks of thinking I'm alright and quitting my career to go to law school wasn't a dumb move

[HellOnHeels]

Getting grades back is the end of innocence. Don't ask for what you can't undo...

Seriously. I get a few more weeks of thinking I'm alright and quitting my career to go to law school wasn't a dumb move

+1

[AVBucks4239]

This thread seems to be full of gunners who are acting like they should be doing something, so just a few things to set up your second semester (optional, of course):

1. Get your resume/cover letters set up and start sending out applications/contacting any attorneys you even have a remote connection with. Getting a 1L gig is the hardest, so get as much as you can done while you're on break.
2. Get all your books ordered, preferably rent them from Amazon to save money (renting usually takes longer delivery time for whatever reason, but it's usually 1/3 the price, so do it).
3. Email professors about supplements they recommend. Order them and get it out of the way.
4. Set up OneNote/Outlook/whatever Apples have for next semester. If organization was a problem for you, set it up before you even get back to school. It shouldn't take more than 30 minutes and you'll realize that being organized saves a ton of time (here's a plug for my gunner thread about being organized: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3&t=163781).
5. Download all previous exams from your professors and save them somewhere (not to be brought out until late March/April).
6. Get your first week of reading assignments done. Preferably do one subject per day. I know last year I had a real hard time getting back in the groove of things because my procrastination led me to reading 75+ pages a day for 3-4 days right when I got back.
7. Read Getting to Maybe/8 Secrets for Top Exam Performance.
8. Any other busy work/administrative thing you can take care of now instead of later in the semester.

Point is, this is a time to relax, but I hate doing absolutely nothing for 2.5 weeks (all my friends at home work, so I had nothing to do until 5 every day). You should maybe be doing 2-3 hours of work per day, if that (definitely take weekends off, no exceptions). But I know the feeling of "Oh I should be doing something." So use that energy, do a couple of things when you get up, and you'll get off to a great start second semester, ready to go.

[Scotusnerd]

This thread seems to be full of gunners who are acting like they should be doing something, so just a few things to set up your second semester (optional, of course):

1. Get your resume/cover letters set up and start sending out applications/contacting any attorneys you even have a remote connection with. Getting a 1L gig is the hardest, so get as much as you can done while you're on break.
2. Get all your books ordered, preferably rent them from Amazon to save money (renting usually takes longer delivery time for whatever reason, but it's usually 1/3 the price, so do it).
3. Email professors about supplements they recommend. Order them and get it out of the way.
4. Set up OneNote/Outlook/whatever Apples have for next semester. If organization was a problem for you, set it up before you even get back to school. It shouldn't take more than 30 minutes and you'll realize that being organized saves a ton of time (here's a plug for my gunner thread about being organized: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3&t=163781).
5. Download all previous exams from your professors and save them somewhere (not to be brought out until late March/April).
6. Get your first week of reading assignments done. Preferably do one subject per day. I know last year I had a real hard time getting back in the groove of things because my procrastination led me to reading 75+ pages a day for 3-4 days right when I got back.
7. Read Getting to Maybe/8 Secrets for Top Exam Performance.
8. Any other busy work/administrative thing you can take care of now instead of later in the semester.

Point is, this is a time to relax, but I hate doing absolutely nothing for 2.5 weeks (all my friends at home work, so I had nothing to do until 5 every day). You should maybe be doing 2-3 hours of work per day, if that (definitely take weekends off, no exceptions). But I know the feeling of "Oh I should be doing something." So use that energy, do a couple of things when you get up, and you'll get off to a great start second semester, ready to go.

Thanks. Great advice.

[Bronck]

This thread seems to be full of gunners who are acting like they should be doing something, so just a few things to set up your second semester (optional, of course):

1. Get your resume/cover letters set up and start sending out applications/contacting any attorneys you even have a remote connection with. Getting a 1L gig is the hardest, so get as much as you can done while you're on break.
2. Get all your books ordered, preferably rent them from Amazon to save money (renting usually takes longer delivery time for whatever reason, but it's usually 1/3 the price, so do it).
3. Email professors about supplements they recommend. Order them and get it out of the way.
4. Set up OneNote/Outlook/whatever Apples have for next semester. If organization was a problem for you, set it up before you even get back to school. It shouldn't take more than 30 minutes and you'll realize that being organized saves a ton of time (here's a plug for my gunner thread about being organized: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3&t=163781).
5. Download all previous exams from your professors and save them somewhere (not to be brought out until late March/April).
6. Get your first week of reading assignments done. Preferably do one subject per day. I know last year I had a real hard time getting back in the groove of things because my procrastination led me to reading 75+ pages a day for 3-4 days right when I got back.
7. Read Getting to Maybe/8 Secrets for Top Exam Performance.
8. Any other busy work/administrative thing you can take care of now instead of later in the semester.

Point is, this is a time to relax, but I hate doing absolutely nothing for 2.5 weeks (all my friends at home work, so I had nothing to do until 5 every day). You should maybe be doing 2-3 hours of work per day, if that (definitely take weekends off, no exceptions). But I know the feeling of "Oh I should be doing something." So use that energy, do a couple of things when you get up, and you'll get off to a great start second semester, ready to go.

TYVM! Definitely going to do some of these.

[SportsFan]

Met a judges clerk (or something... Didn't get his exact job title) at the dentists office this morning lol. Should help me secure some summer employment though (and I'd wanted to work for a judge anyway). I knew it was a good idea to get to the dentists office 15 minutes early!

[Nova]

Met a judges clerk (or something... Didn't get his exact job title) at the dentists office this morning lol. Should help me secure some summer employment though (and I'd wanted to work for a judge anyway). I knew it was a good idea to get to the dentists office 15 minutes early!

Sweet random event!

[005618502]

Is it okay to not apply to judges until late January? Or do I need to do it ASAP? I would like to see what/if any offers I get for 1L SA positions first. Is this a mistake?

[atcushman]

--ImageRemoved--

[Doorkeeper]

Met a judges clerk (or something... Didn't get his exact job title) at the dentists office this morning lol. Should help me secure some summer employment though (and I'd wanted to work for a judge anyway). I knew it was a good idea to get to the dentists office 15 minutes early!

Sweet random event!

Can someone explain to me why people want to work for judges as opposed to biglaw, fed gov, or public interest stuff for 1L summer?

Serious question. I'm curious as to why people go after judges for 1L summer.

[Bronck]

Met a judges clerk (or something... Didn't get his exact job title) at the dentists office this morning lol. Should help me secure some summer employment though (and I'd wanted to work for a judge anyway). I knew it was a good idea to get to the dentists office 15 minutes early!

Sweet random event!

Can someone explain to me why people want to work for judges as opposed to biglaw, fed gov, or public interest stuff for 1L summer?

Serious question. I'm curious as to why people go after judges for 1L summer.

I've always wondered that too. I'm not applying to any since CLS only offers guaranteed summer funding for PI/Gov jobs and judges don't count. Gotta have a way to pay the rent.

[minnbills]

I think there is more of a chance you'll have a bad/worthless experience with a firm, as opposed to a judge.

[A. Nony Mouse]

Met a judges clerk (or something... Didn't get his exact job title) at the dentists office this morning lol. Should help me secure some summer employment though (and I'd wanted to work for a judge anyway). I knew it was a good idea to get to the dentists office 15 minutes early!

Sweet random event!

Can someone explain to me why people want to work for judges as opposed to biglaw, fed gov, or public interest stuff for 1L summer?

Serious question. I'm curious as to why people go after judges for 1L summer.

1) for similar reasons why people want to clerk (though obviously less so): to improve your research and writing skills, make a connection with a judge, and to find out how judges work and make decisions, which is useful information for practice (at least for litigators).
2) at least in my school's market (people tended to want to stay local), because you can - Biglaw for 1Ls is virtually nonexistent outside of diversity slots, and there's not much fedgov either. And not everyone wants to do PI (which, again, there are only so many positions).
3) my school has fairly little money for PI summer funding. So it was fairly common to split between a JI and RAing for a prof, which was one of the only ways to make money.

[2014]

I think there is more of a chance you'll have a bad/worthless experience with a firm, as opposed to a judge.

Define worthless. The amount that firms pay, even smaller firms at ~20+ an hour seems far from worthless to me.

[minnbills]

I think there is more of a chance you'll have a bad/worthless experience with a firm, as opposed to a judge.

Define worthless. The amount that firms pay, even smaller firms at ~20+ an hour seems far from worthless to me.

I'm talking about an unpaid gig where you're getting coffee and sitting around all day, basically.

[A. Nony Mouse]

I think there is more of a chance you'll have a bad/worthless experience with a firm, as opposed to a judge.

Define worthless. The amount that firms pay, even smaller firms at ~20+ an hour seems far from worthless to me.

I'm talking about an unpaid gig where you're getting coffee and sitting around all day, basically.

For some reason this has come up a ton this morning, but: for-profit employers are not supposed to have unpaid interns.

And at least at most firms you work with a number of people. If you work for a crazy/otherwise awful judge, you're kind of stuck.

[Bronck]

Is it okay to get the 3d edition of Chemerinsky's Con Law supplement (2006), or should I get the newest edition (2011)?

[5ky]

Is it okay to get the 3d edition of Chemerinsky's Con Law supplement (2006), or should I get the newest edition (2011)?

Depends on the price difference. If it's only a few bucks, I'd just buy a used copy on Amazon of the 4th edition. But there's probably not a ton you'd miss: a bit of abortion stuff (Gonzalez v. Carhart), some affirmative action stuff (Parents Involved), the gun cases (if you do them) (Heller and McDonald).

You could probably scope out those topics by checking one out from the library for a day or two, though.

[thesealocust]

Re: supplements - Con law (and arguably civ pro) are the two 1L courses you should get current materials for. They change somewhat regularly and professors often stay current and teach/test the recent developments.

Is it okay to not apply to judges until late January? Or do I need to do it ASAP? I would like to see what/if any offers I get for 1L SA positions first. Is this a mistake?

Absolutely a mistake unless you have a reason to think you in particular have a good chance at getting a particular firm job.

(1) Firms aren't going to make a decision on anything like a quick time table. I got my 1L firm job in March, if I recall correctly.

(2) 1L firm jobs are obscenely elusive. If you have ties to a small regional market, particular programs (diversity, special language, some scholarships, etc.) you can apply to, or an incredible networking tie you can make it happen. Great grades and personality and an impressive resume are not even close to sufficient.

(3) If you land a job with a judge before the firm comes through, you can ask the judge to split your summer between the judge and the firm (which is what I wound up doing).