trying to finish strong but not look like a total slacker Forum

[jkech]

im a graduating 3L at a TTT in the top 5 students, and i was lucky enough to snag a federal clerkship next year. I don't have a job lined up after I clerk, and coming from my school i don't expect to have anything handed to me even having been a clerk. at school, i was always one to protect my GPA by evenly spreading my workload and never taking too many blackletter classes per term. as a result, I haven't taken Corporations (although I did take Agency/Unincorp. Business Entities), Estates/Trusts, Crim Pro, Fed Courts, Admin Law, Tax. I have room in my schedule in for two of these, but obviously as a 3L, I have dwindling motivation and I'm concerned about finishing strong (being able to say you were in the top 5 students goes a lot further than saying you were in the top 25 or 30, which might happen if i were to get a B in one or two of those courses). I was planning on taking Corporations and the rest easier electives (not "____ & the Law" classes, but classes that do have some substance but are not cores (i.e. Elder Law, Insurance Law)). Still, I wonder if I am screwing myself either for the bar or for future employment purposes by not taking at least one more of these classes.

thoughts??? and more specifically, thoughts on corps. vs. crim pro vs. estates/trusts?

[TTH]

As I understand it, Fed. Courts and Admin Law are mainly must-takes when trying to land a clerkship, which you've already done. (Congrats btw)

Taking corporations is the right idea, since you'll probably use it in practice at some point and it's on the bar. If you feel like you absolutely have to take another one of the courses off that list, I'd go with Trusts and Estates since it's on the bar and I've heard it's not that hard of a class.

I agree that finishing strong should probably be your primary concern. If you're worried about your transcript looking slack, maybe take one of the UCC courses if you haven't finished them all yet.

[UT1502]

Having just taken Trusts, let me assure you that it's hopelessly boring, but not that hard. I heard from a DC Circuit judge that Tax is pretty critical to what his clerks do. I can pretty well guarantee that that one's not easy, though.

[TTH]

Oh shit. I missed where you said you hadn't taken tax. Take tax. I'm in it now and find it perversely interesting, plus it's one of the few law school courses you'll use in your everyday life.

[03121202698008]

Oh shit. I missed where you said you hadn't taken tax. Take tax. I'm in it now and find it perversely interesting, plus it's one of the few law school courses you'll use in your everyday life.

This. Tax drives everything...from how settlements are structured to how transactional deals are negotiated and structured.

[Always Credited]

I opened this this thread and about 15 seconds into it, thanked God that I'm going into criminal law.

[ben4847]

Dude: if you are the top 5 students, you should be able to hack a couple of hard courses. Just take them.