UVA Law Students Taking Questions Forum

sprezz · Post by **sprezz** » Wed Dec 09, 2015 10:54 am

the impact of a 2.7 vs a 4.0 for a single credit across three years of credits is about 0.02. externships are weird enough that all the other things about them should overwhelm any grade consideration.

An0n · Post by **An0n** » Wed Dec 09, 2015 10:57 am

But do you know the answer?

Gooner91 · Post by **Gooner91** » Wed Dec 09, 2015 1:32 pm

coffee247 · Post by **coffee247** » Wed Dec 09, 2015 2:22 pm

Post removed.

Br3v · Post by **Br3v** » Wed Dec 09, 2015 2:25 pm

coffee247 wrote:Hello,

I have been admitted at UVA this cycle and am seriously considering attending. I'm thinking there is a strong possibility that I will want to work in NYC after law school. Is it really as feasible as people say to get a firm job in New York with a Virginia degree? Or only for grads who graduated at the top of their class? Thanks in advance.

I think that around median (including slightly below), NY biglaw is the norm.

albanach · Post by **albanach** » Wed Dec 09, 2015 4:55 pm

xylocarp wrote:
Mrs Featherbottom wrote:Anyone here have experience moving to Charlottesville with an SO looking for local employment? UVA's pretty high on my list right now, but the small economy is kind of a concern for her job search. She's in marketing btw.
Your SO should start looking right away. Like, now. I know one student whose wife is gainfully employed in Charlottesville in her chosen field, and she looked for months before they had planned to move to Charlottesville, and I believe she was willing to move at any time if that was what it took. There are jobs, but you have to be willing to actively search for a long time in some cases.

From a post I made a long time ago in this thread, here are some of the largest local employers. These would be a good place to start, though it's possible some have left or changed substantially in the past few years.

GE
Northrop Grumman (who had just laid off staff when I posted)
Crutchfield
UVA and the UVA hospital
another hospital (Martha Jefferson)
Lexis Nexis
the CFA Institute
the National Ground Intelligence Center

albanach · Post by **albanach** » Wed Dec 09, 2015 4:57 pm

hypetrain wrote:Has anyone taken Rhetoric Seminar? How does the curve work in that class?

From my experience , almost every seminar had a heavy B+ curve. Usually you can tell the one or two in the class who will get a B or B-. If you can't identify them, it may be you.

Legal_Padawan · Post by **Legal_Padawan** » Wed Dec 09, 2015 8:17 pm

Mrs Featherbottom wrote:Anyone here have experience moving to Charlottesville with an SO looking for local employment? UVA's pretty high on my list right now, but the small economy is kind of a concern for her job search. She's in marketing btw.

My SO found a job using a staffing agency. There are a few in the area. They placed her in a temp job within a few weeks after she signed up, and after she had been there for a few months it turned into a permanent job.

On an unrelated note, my profile picture has become tragic and out of date.

rhododactylos · Post by **rhododactylos** » Sat Dec 12, 2015 4:24 pm

Varrus wrote:Does anyone have information on the neighborhood of the Order of the Coif (top 10%) GPA cutoff for the Class of 2015? Thanks.

It was just under 3.72 for clerkship applicants at the end of their 2L year (TY, Ruth Payne). Possible slight uptick from there since the curve moves upward, offset by the downward adjustment you need to make to account for the fact that the clerkship applicant pool is top-heavy.

sprezz · Post by **sprezz** » Sat Dec 12, 2015 6:19 pm

no downward adjustment needed for top heavy composition as long as you're using whatever ruth labeled the class percentile column

monsterman · Post by **monsterman** » Sat Dec 12, 2015 6:21 pm

Does anyone have a Hayashi Fed tax outline they would be willing to share? I feel so fucked for that class

Br3v · Post by **Br3v** » Sat Dec 12, 2015 8:49 pm

sprezz wrote:no downward adjustment needed for top heavy composition as long as you're using whatever ruth labeled the class percentile column

This.

But where is the upward pressure coming from? Gunners taking gunner classes with higher means and gunning?

Also, is the ATL leaked info (which was c/o '15 as 2Ls right?) the same curve as we have now? In other words, when did our current curve start? While class of '15 was 2Ls (meaning their 1L grades were on the old presumably "harder" curve) or the start of c/o 15's 1L year (meaning they were always on the current curve)?

5ky · Post by **5ky** » Sat Dec 12, 2015 9:08 pm

i believe it started spring semester of 2013, so class of 2015 wouldve had it for half of their 1L, and class of 2016 would be the first to have it for all of 1L

Br3v · Post by **Br3v** » Sat Dec 12, 2015 10:12 pm

5ky wrote:i believe it started spring semester of 2013, so class of 2015 wouldve had it for half of their 1L, and class of 2016 would be the first to have it for all of 1L

So, because 15's fall semester would have had 0 inflated curves anyways, we can imagine that their grades are comparable to today's students?

Still don't get why we might expect percentiles to rise since the leak (i.e. why 15 3L percentiles would be higher than the leak of their 2L grades). Ive heard the gunner's gonna gun theory, which would suggest some sort of bimodal grade distribution. But have also heard that by the time 3L comes along, peoples grades have regressed back to the mean.

sprezz · Post by **sprezz** » Sat Dec 12, 2015 11:58 pm

it's simpler than that. the mechanism for GPA rising for '15 from ruthghazi to graduation is just that 1L doctrinal classes are still subjected to the old curve. as more credits on higher curve roll in, they tug the GPA upward. the class's grades go from an allocation of 100% at the 3.3 curve (end 1st semester) to slightly lower than that (end 2nd semester) to slightly below 50% 3.3 curve (end 2L) to slightly below 33% 3.3 curve (end 3L). so you're going from roughly 0% -> 50% -> 67% total credits amassed at the higher curve, and that skews the numbers higher generally.

Br3v · Post by **Br3v** » Sun Dec 13, 2015 12:10 am

sprezz wrote:it's simpler than that. the mechanism for GPA rising for '15 from ruthghazi to graduation is just that 1L doctrinal classes are still subjected to the old curve. as more credits on higher curve roll in, they tug the GPA upward. the class's grades go from an allocation of 100% at the 3.3 curve (end 1st semester) to slightly lower than that (end 2nd semester) to slightly below 50% 3.3 curve (end 2L) to slightly below 33% 3.3 curve (end 3L). so you're going from roughly 0% -> 50% -> 67% total credits amassed at the higher curve, and that skews the numbers higher generally.

I am sure a stat major could tell us whether "generally" is correct (I have no idea). I guess the new curve can only help, so no counteracting negatives.

But ok, assuming that is true, the class of 2015 was graded in the exact same way as 2016 (and presumably 17 and 18 will be) because regardless of whether the new curve was in effect during 2015 1L fall, it would have had no effect on 1L doctrinal classes.

UVAIce · Post by **UVAIce** » Sun Dec 13, 2015 12:36 am

sprezz wrote:it's simpler than that. the mechanism for GPA rising for '15 from ruthghazi to graduation is just that 1L doctrinal classes are still subjected to the old curve. as more credits on higher curve roll in, they tug the GPA upward. the class's grades go from an allocation of 100% at the 3.3 curve (end 1st semester) to slightly lower than that (end 2nd semester) to slightly below 50% 3.3 curve (end 2L) to slightly below 33% 3.3 curve (end 3L). so you're going from roughly 0% -> 50% -> 67% total credits amassed at the higher curve, and that skews the numbers higher generally.

You're assuming all professors follow the "inflated curve." My understanding is that it was up to the professor. It would also make sense that that, given how law school works, students 1L and 2L grades would get the most pop (people care) and it would simply dampen the regression to the mean as a 3L as students would be less likely to get really damaging grades like a B-.

sprezz · Post by **sprezz** » Sun Dec 13, 2015 5:42 am

yes, a stats major could say what he's already said... no shots fired, but the last post makes no sense. my point makes no such assumption. if profs can (and want to) be choosy then that's reflected in the impact on 2L grades. the option itself still raises all tides. there's only curve upside post-1L, no downside, and no reason to believe it's asymmetrically allocated as between certain subsets of post-1L credits. if yall wanna build in your own assumptions about 3L "pop," ok. do you, boo.

Br3v · Post by **Br3v** » Sun Dec 13, 2015 9:35 am

sprezz wrote:yes, a stats major could say what he's already said... no shots fired, but the last post makes no sense. my point makes no such assumption. if profs can (and want to) be choosy then that's reflected in the impact on 2L grades. the option itself still raises all tides. there's only curve upside post-1L, no downside, and no reason to believe it's asymmetrically allocated as between certain subsets of post-1L credits. if yall wanna build in your own assumptions about 3L "pop," ok. do you, boo.

But there is plenty reason to believe its asymmetrically allocated as between certain subjects. The traditional gunner classes will have an increased median, while the other classes (or large 60+ classes) will not. I appreciate your help though as I'm relativity clueless about it

coffee247 · Post by **coffee247** » Wed Dec 16, 2015 7:26 pm

Post removed.

candidlatke · Post by **candidlatke** » Thu Dec 17, 2015 12:22 am

kinda a broad question but just wondering, those of you who attended/are attending...

do you guys like it there?
overall pleasurable experience?

kinda torn on whether or not to ED or to ride the cycle out

albanach · Post by **albanach** » Thu Dec 17, 2015 3:45 pm

candidlatke wrote:kinda a broad question but just wondering, those of you who attended/are attending...

do you guys like it there?
overall pleasurable experience?

kinda torn on whether or not to ED or to ride the cycle out

I'm a '14 graduate, but unless things have changed dramatically, law students at UVA generally have a great time. I know I loved my three years at the school, as did many of my classmates. I expect current students would say much the same. While you're graded on a curve, the atmosphere is non-competitive among classmates. People are generally happy to share notes, studying strategies and outlines.

I didn't apply to any other school, but my understanding is that others may be more competitive in nature. You might want to ask your question on some other school posts too.

asundialwatch · Post by **asundialwatch** » Thu Dec 17, 2015 7:20 pm

candidlatke wrote:kinda a broad question but just wondering, those of you who attended/are attending...

do you guys like it there?
overall pleasurable experience?

kinda torn on whether or not to ED or to ride the cycle out

I'm halfway through and I've loved it so far. Met a lot of great friends and have enjoyed the whole law school thing. Charlottesville is a nice city to spend a few years. I would recommend thinking about your goals before deciding whether to ED though. What are you looking for?

steakout319 · Post by **steakout319** » Thu Dec 17, 2015 7:51 pm

Moving to Charlottesville around April to start w/ the class of '19. Significant w/e and looking to lay low with the family for a few months prior to classing up. However, I'm a bit worried about complete boredom. Does anyone have suggestions for places to do some real chill work a few days/evenings each week? Ideally, I'd pour drinks (at a non-college bar) or something of the sort.

Wahoowa18 · Post by **Wahoowa18** » Sat Dec 26, 2015 10:28 pm

candidlatke wrote:kinda a broad question but just wondering, those of you who attended/are attending...

do you guys like it there?
overall pleasurable experience?

kinda torn on whether or not to ED or to ride the cycle out

Tough to tell anyone to ED and attend without looking at scholarship/financial aid offers unless their family is wealthy and the cost of law school is entirely irrelevant. But I can tell you that I had a lot of fun first semester at UVA and based on discussions with friends at other top schools (Columbia, UChi) it seems like I definitely had A LOT more fun than them and that UVA students on the whole seem to go out quite a bit. Also, Charlottesville is a fun place to be for three years, there's a lot more things to do here than people who are unfamiliar with Charlottesville would imagine.