Boalt 1Ls taking questions Forum

[twinkletoes16]

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[WalkingPlato]

Is it possible to find an economically feasible studio apartment (to live alone) or is living with a roommate now pretty much the only option to cut costs? What would be the average monthly cost for rent and utilities of a student?

[SemperLegal]

Is it possible to find an economically feasible studio apartment (to live alone) or is living with a roommate now pretty much the only option to cut costs? What would be the average monthly cost for rent and utilities of a student?

I live alone and pay sub 1k, inclusive.

[Redamon1]

Does anyone know about Pre Orientation? I wanna attend it but i have to change my schedule to do so, so i would like to hear how the program runs. Thanks!:)

They take 40 people, but I wonder how many even end up applying. And it again sounds like something targeted at URM/special snowflakes.

I did it and found it useful. It covers concepts professors won't discuss because they assume someone else will teach it, or because it's too basic somehow. And I'm not a special snowflake. I would say do it if it sounds appealing. But don't worry about it if you can't make it - you'll be fine without it. It just eases your transition into law school.

[wert3813]

Has anyone here had Katerina Linos? Thoughts?

[Kronk]

Has anyone here had Katerina Linos? Thoughts?

She's great. Although she sort of forces you yo participate in some small way every class. Might be as small as reading a statute or Intl law rule but you WILL say something each class lol.

[Gary]

thanks for taking questions!

I've been admitted to Berkeley and I was wondering if having no ties to California (other than attending Boalt) will hurt me during OCI when interviewing with Cali firms? Or is going to Boalt already a strong enough tie?

[sap]

I'm from CA and have lived here forever, so I can't really give you super solid advice here. But from what I've seen, going to Boalt is a strong enough tie if you're otherwise a desirable candidate - which depends on whether you get along with your interviewers and whether you did well your 1L year. The truth is, SF/SV is a tight market, and there aren't enough BigLaw jobs around here to make sure all of the Stanford/Berkeley people who want to stay in the area get a BigLaw job. I have friends from around here at Boalt that are going to New York, even though they'd rather be here, and friends from other states who are summering in California. I bet that, on the margins, between two equally likeable Boalties with the same grades, if one is from around here, that one probably gets the job. But I don't think that scenario exists often.

Frankly, the summer class at the bay area firm I'm going to is almost EXCLUSIVELY bay area law school kids. Like, a harvard kid and the rest are bay area kids. I'm not sure what the classes look like at other firms, but just from glancing at that, I'd say that if you want to be in the bay area, even coming from another T14, you won't do as well as Berkeley/Stanford kids unless you're coming from HY. And people w/ adequate grades have no trouble getting NY biglaw from here, so you won't be worse off for going to Berkeley as far as the largest market goes, and you'll be much better off for getting a Cali job than you would anywhere but Stanford.

[brotherdarkness]

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[mushybrain]

thanks for taking questions!

I've been admitted to Berkeley and I was wondering if having no ties to California (other than attending Boalt) will hurt me during OCI when interviewing with Cali firms? Or is going to Boalt already a strong enough tie?

What sap said is spot on, though I will tell you that I was definitely asked about my desire to practice in California in callback interviews because law school is my first time ever living here. I did work in the Bay Area my 1L summer, and I think it would have hurt me significantly had I returned home instead. Be prepared to gush about how you refuse to leave California and just love it. That's not a hard narrative when California's so lovable anyway!

[Redamon1]

FWIW I'm not from CA and I didn't work in CA during my 1L summer. I still got several SF offers (with decent but not stellar grades). Yeah I got some questions about why I wanted to work in SF, but I also got those questions for the other big markets I applied to. Just have a good answer for why you want to work in the Bay Area and the geography factor should be taken care of.

[MissouriMisery]

Hello current Boalt students! Thank you for taking questions.

I posted a question/poll yesterday in "Choosing a law school", http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... w=viewpoll. I have specific career/geographical interests (see thread) and would appreciate some input in that thread from some of you current students...particularly anybody who truly understands the PI market in the Bay Area. I will ask current Harvard students as well.

Thanks for your time, and I will not post any more about my choice here because I know it is not the focus of this page

[lawschoolboundfuture]

Does anyone have an outline for Linos? She is a visiting professor for my public international class

[NYC2012]

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[Dignan]

Hi all! I read back like 20 pages and didn't see anyone asking this, sorry if someone already answered. Just based on your anecdotal evidence, how difficult is it for people at Berkeley to get jobs in LA/OC/SD? I am positive I want to live in Southern California (near family) but am nervous about Berkeley's big law placement in So Cal compared to UCLA's - though some of it could be self selection, I know lots of people love the bay area!

Based on anecdotal observation, I'd say that Boalties targeting SoCal have an easier time than Boalties targeting NorCal. Perhaps others will disagree, but I think that Southern California is the best market for Boalt grads. If my goal was big law in SoCal, I'd definitely choose Berkeley unless you have a huge scholarship at UCLA.

[worldtraveler]

Hi all! I read back like 20 pages and didn't see anyone asking this, sorry if someone already answered. Just based on your anecdotal evidence, how difficult is it for people at Berkeley to get jobs in LA/OC/SD? I am positive I want to live in Southern California (near family) but am nervous about Berkeley's big law placement in So Cal compared to UCLA's - though some of it could be self selection, I know lots of people love the bay area!

Yeah this is pretty much self selection. All the so cal natives I know of had no problem going back home if they wanted to. It's a different question though of whether you want to be away from your family for 3 years or whether Berkeley is worth any extra debt.

[NYC2012]

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[MissouriMisery]

Hey boalters! Thanks for taking our questions.

If I choose boalt this fall, my SO will have a job in San Francisco. Clearly the commute will be bad for one of us. I have heard of 2L and 3Ls living in SF, but would that be crazy as a 1L? The reverse commute of SF to Berkeley is clearly easier traffic wise than the commute for my SO from berkeley to SF...

Anybody with experience doing either of these commutes? Muni/Bart/Walk combo look like they would take about an hour each way and cost $7.80 round trip every day... While bridge is 4 bucks or so but includes the issue of parking?

My SO would be getting to work around 7am and leaving around 6 pm-- if commuting from berkeley to SF and back, how is the traffic at those hours?

Any input is appreciated! Thanks!

[worldtraveler]

Hey boalters! Thanks for taking our questions.

If I choose boalt this fall, my SO will have a job in San Francisco. Clearly the commute will be bad for one of us. I have heard of 2L and 3Ls living in SF, but would that be crazy as a 1L? The reverse commute of SF to Berkeley is clearly easier traffic wise than the commute for my SO from berkeley to SF...

Anybody with experience doing either of these commutes? Muni/Bart/Walk combo look like they would take about an hour each way and cost $7.80 round trip every day... While bridge is 4 bucks or so but includes the issue of parking?

My SO would be getting to work around 7am and leaving around 6 pm-- if commuting from berkeley to SF and back, how is the traffic at those hours?

Any input is appreciated! Thanks!

Transbay buses are free with the student pass. The F comes right to the law school. Look up your options to do a commute that way and that would be the cheapest.

[MissouriMisery]

Hey boalters! Thanks for taking our questions.

If I choose boalt this fall, my SO will have a job in San Francisco. Clearly the commute will be bad for one of us. I have heard of 2L and 3Ls living in SF, but would that be crazy as a 1L? The reverse commute of SF to Berkeley is clearly easier traffic wise than the commute for my SO from berkeley to SF...

Anybody with experience doing either of these commutes? Muni/Bart/Walk combo look like they would take about an hour each way and cost $7.80 round trip every day... While bridge is 4 bucks or so but includes the issue of parking?

My SO would be getting to work around 7am and leaving around 6 pm-- if commuting from berkeley to SF and back, how is the traffic at those hours?

Any input is appreciated! Thanks!

Transbay buses are free with the student pass. The F comes right to the law school. Look up your options to do a commute that way and that would be the cheapest.

Thanks, yeah that sounds like a good option and have looked into it as well. Really for our 1st year we are primary concerned about convenience and traffic patterns -- neither of us want to have an absolutely miserable commute. Also, as a 1L if I lived in SF, concerned that it would tricky attending all of the different meetings/groups/etc that I want to, making friends, going out as typicaly 1Ls do, etc.

[trojandave]

Hey guys, I know it's not the usual request, but I've currently got a professor who's visiting from Berkeley (and the nature of a visiting professor means we're all in the dark come exam time.) Would anyone with access to an exam bank be willing to check if there are materials on file for this class that can be shared? Of course I'll do what I can in return if possible! If so shoot me a PM. And thanks for the help

[SemperLegal]

Hey guys, I know it's not the usual request, but I've currently got a professor who's visiting from Berkeley (and the nature of a visiting professor means we're all in the dark come exam time.) Would anyone with access to an exam bank be willing to check if there are materials on file for this class that can be shared? Of course I'll do what I can in return if possible! If so shoot me a PM. And thanks for the help

PM me with his name.

[drumstickies]

Super excited to have Berkeley as a possibility. Can anyone speak to Berkeley's strength in placing grads without technical backgrounds into IP law? Also, can you get the law and technology certificate without having a tech background? Would it even be useful? Thanks!

[SemperLegal]

Super excited to have Berkeley as a possibility. Can anyone speak to Berkeley's strength in placing grads without technical backgrounds into IP law? Also, can you get the law and technology certificate without having a tech background? Would it even be useful? Thanks!

I have a decent number of friends (all with great grades) who have top IP firms without a tech background. I have a few other friends who are active in the non-biglaw IP community (i.e. published and prestigious summer work), though I honestly don't know if they are on the road to employment

You can have a Law and Tech Cert with no science background.

I don't see it being entry-level useful, since no one knows what it is, and you will already (hopefully) have an offer waayyy before you even know if you will qualify for it.

[shmalinsky]

I'm applying to Boalt come September. My GPA is a 3.6 (history major, philosophy minor) and my LSAT score is a 169 (97th percentile for that particular test.) I have some solid extra-curricular activities and letters of recommendation. What are my chances of gaining acceptance?