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Aside from putting it on your resume and web bio, what are the benefits of being a member of the Coif? As far as "prestige" goes, doesn't latin honor (i.e., magna cum laude) do the same thing?

omegaomega wrote:Aside from putting it on your resume and web bio, what are the benefits of being a member of the Coif? As far as "prestige" goes, doesn't latin honor (i.e., magna cum laude) do the same thing?

Some schools cut off at different percentages for latin honors, so order of the coif can be an additional indicator of performance because I believe it's universally top 10%, e.g., magna cum laude is top 15%

If you are at a school that doesn't rank its students (or doesn't permit its students to put their class ranks on their resumes), coif signals that you are in the top 10% of your class. Otherwise, there is no substantive benefit.

omegaomega wrote:Aside from putting it on your resume and web bio, what are the benefits of being a member of the Coif? As far as "prestige" goes, doesn't latin honor (i.e., magna cum laude) do the same thing?

At my law school, absolutely nothing. There are no events or anything. We pay the fee to put it on our resume. However, I think it is a good investment for the price. Resumes count for a lot where legal employment, including clerkships, are concerned.

Avian wrote:

omegaomega wrote:Aside from putting it on your resume and web bio, what are the benefits of being a member of the Coif? As far as "prestige" goes, doesn't latin honor (i.e., magna cum laude) do the same thing?

Some schools cut off at different percentages for latin honors, so order of the coif can be an additional indicator of performance because I believe it's universally top 10%, e.g., magna cum laude is top 15%

Shit! Magna is 15% at your school. My school cut magna off at about 7%. Just to get cum laude you had to be like top 15-20%. I finished right outside coif and got cum laude. T1 for reference.

ihadadream wrote:

omegaomega wrote:Aside from putting it on your resume and web bio, what are the benefits of being a member of the Coif? As far as "prestige" goes, doesn't latin honor (i.e., magna cum laude) do the same thing?

At my law school, absolutely nothing. There are no events or anything. We pay the fee to put it on our resume. However, I think it is a good investment for the price. Resumes count for a lot where legal employment, including clerkships, are concerned.

There's a fee? I thought it was just something that happens. And how would there be school events since you don't know until after graduation

The actual coif you get afterwards in the mail though is pretty cool

it can mitigate puncture damage from most arrow attacks and bladed weaponry

WinSome wrote:

Avian wrote:

omegaomega wrote:Aside from putting it on your resume and web bio, what are the benefits of being a member of the Coif? As far as "prestige" goes, doesn't latin honor (i.e., magna cum laude) do the same thing?

Some schools cut off at different percentages for latin honors, so order of the coif can be an additional indicator of performance because I believe it's universally top 10%, e.g., magna cum laude is top 15%

Shit! Magna is 15% at your school. My school cut magna off at about 7%. Just to get cum laude you had to be like top 15-20%. I finished right outside coif and got cum laude. T1 for reference.

No, that was just an example. But your school is another example of why order of the coif might matter versus magna cum laude.

Capitol_Idea wrote:The actual coif you get afterwards in the mail though is pretty cool

it can mitigate puncture damage from most arrow attacks and bladed weaponry

sublime wrote:

ihadadream wrote:

omegaomega wrote:Aside from putting it on your resume and web bio, what are the benefits of being a member of the Coif? As far as "prestige" goes, doesn't latin honor (i.e., magna cum laude) do the same thing?

At my law school, absolutely nothing. There are no events or anything. We pay the fee to put it on our resume. However, I think it is a good investment for the price. Resumes count for a lot where legal employment, including clerkships, are concerned.

There's a fee? I thought it was just something that happens. And how would there be school events since you don't know until after graduation

They wrote us a formal letter offering membership. We had to pay a fee. I can't remember show much it was. It was certainly less than $100, though perhaps in the ballpark of $50.