UVA Law Students Taking Questions Forum

[whats an updog]

Anyone have a sense of what Collins's curve usually looks like in Evidence? Will he give A+/C+ grades? Not that I expect to get either of those...

Didn't take Evidence with him but did take two other courses with him. It has been a few years but his curve was wider than most professors at UVA and I say that not just from personal experience but from going over professor specific curves back when UVA had a notebook of that data in the library. Pretty rare for him to give an A+ or a C+ but expect a good number of As and B-s if such are warranted.

Unless someone from the age of the book remembers, the best you’ll do is anecdotal evidence. I took two classes with him including evidence and it seemed B+ / A- heavy. Plus, if you’re trying to decide what class to take, Collins is an awesome professor and worth taking. OTOH if you’re just stressing about what grade you might have received last semester, chill

[albanach]

Unless someone from the age of the book remembers, the best you’ll do is anecdotal evidence. I took two classes with him including evidence and it seemed B+ / A- heavy. Plus, if you’re trying to decide what class to take, Collins is an awesome professor and worth taking. OTOH if you’re just stressing about what grade you might have received last semester, chill

I found the book to be genuinely helpful. I've said it before, but I'm still surprised that out of thousands of would-be lawyers and five or more SBAs, no one has filed a FOIA request for the information it contained.

[whats an updog]

Unless someone from the age of the book remembers, the best you’ll do is anecdotal evidence. I took two classes with him including evidence and it seemed B+ / A- heavy. Plus, if you’re trying to decide what class to take, Collins is an awesome professor and worth taking. OTOH if you’re just stressing about what grade you might have received last semester, chill

I found the book to be genuinely helpful. I've said it before, but I'm still surprised that out of thousands of would-be lawyers and five or more SBAs, no one has filed a FOIA request for the information it contained.

good call, i never thought of it when i was there

[Law2020!]

Approximately what class ranking would a 3.5 gpa be?

[ExperssioUnius]

Approximately what class ranking would a 3.5 gpa be?

Before UVA changed its curve, a 3.5 was historically just above the top 25% cutoff. Now, it would depend a decent amount on what year you are in but it should be around top 30%, maybe top 35%.

[lawcapture]

.

[nimbus cloud]

Has anyone taken Admin Law with Woolhandler? Does she teach it well? Does she have a very narrow curve?

[AZ123]

Has anyone taken Admin Law with Woolhandler? Does she teach it well? Does she have a very narrow curve?

It was super boring, but that's probably just the subject matter. She's incredibly nice though. I think she gives out a lot of B pluses but that's purely anecdotal so I could be wrong.

[whats an updog]

Has anyone taken Admin Law with Woolhandler? Does she teach it well? Does she have a very narrow curve?

It was super boring, but that's probably just the subject matter. She's incredibly nice though. I think she gives out a lot of B pluses but that's purely anecdotal so I could be wrong.

I enjoyed Admin with Woolhandler. Her preference for conservative theories of administrative law shows (anti-delegation/chevron), but not terribly so and she is super nice. During finals she was very available for questions. She does a system of rotating on-call panels and you know in advance, so you'll be on-call maybe 2 or 3 times in the semester. She also provides an outline handout for every class that I found super helpful. If you're not on call, it's usually enough to get along just by reading the outline in advance, even if you are on-call, a lot of the answers/info will be in her outline.

[Tom Joad]

Anyone have a sense of what Collins's curve usually looks like in Evidence? Will he give A+/C+ grades? Not that I expect to get either of those...

Didn't take Evidence with him but did take two other courses with him. It has been a few years but his curve was wider than most professors at UVA and I say that not just from personal experience but from going over professor specific curves back when UVA had a notebook of that data in the library. Pretty rare for him to give an A+ or a C+ but expect a good number of As and B-s if such are warranted.

Unless someone from the age of the book remembers, the best you’ll do is anecdotal evidence. I took two classes with him including evidence and it seemed B+ / A- heavy. Plus, if you’re trying to decide what class to take, Collins is an awesome professor and worth taking. OTOH if you’re just stressing about what grade you might have received last semester, chill

I took the pages of the book and scanned them as a .PDF if anybody wants it.

[LawMan16]

Anyone have a sense of what Collins's curve usually looks like in Evidence? Will he give A+/C+ grades? Not that I expect to get either of those...

Didn't take Evidence with him but did take two other courses with him. It has been a few years but his curve was wider than most professors at UVA and I say that not just from personal experience but from going over professor specific curves back when UVA had a notebook of that data in the library. Pretty rare for him to give an A+ or a C+ but expect a good number of As and B-s if such are warranted.

Unless someone from the age of the book remembers, the best you’ll do is anecdotal evidence. I took two classes with him including evidence and it seemed B+ / A- heavy. Plus, if you’re trying to decide what class to take, Collins is an awesome professor and worth taking. OTOH if you’re just stressing about what grade you might have received last semester, chill

I took the pages of the book and scanned them as a .PDF if anybody wants it.

I'd love a copy - thanks so much for offering! I'll PM you with an email address.

[LawMan16]

Pretty sure I already know the answer to this, but have a question regarding course enrollment:

I'm the only person on the waitlist for a small seminar that is filled to capacity. Would it be a major breach of etiquette to email the professor expressing interest?

Looking through this thread, it looks like most people are eventually successful getting in off of waitlists, but wondered if it would make sense to take a more direct approach for a small course like this that probably won't have much churn.

Appreciate any thoughts!

[Nagster5]

Pretty sure I already know the answer to this, but have a question regarding course enrollment:

I'm the only person on the waitlist for a small seminar that is filled to capacity. Would it be a major breach of etiquette to email the professor expressing interest?

Looking through this thread, it looks like most people are eventually successful getting in off of waitlists, but wondered if it would make sense to take a more direct approach for a small course like this that probably won't have much churn.

Appreciate any thoughts!

I don't see why this would be a breach of ettiquitte. I've known professors to expand capacity for people who show interest.

[anon sequitur]

For what it's worth, every single time I hung out on a waiting list, I eventually got in. Once it wasn't until the final add/drop deadline, but there is a lot of churn and even smaller seminars tend to have people drop out because they decide they don't really love it, or don't need the credits or whatever.

[LawMan16]

Hi all,
Two quick questions for the group:

1. Could someone reccomend a supplement to use for Kordana's Corporations? He no longer uses a casebook, so want to make sure I have the black letter law down. Is working through the relevant portions of the E&E the best option?

2. Similarly, does anyone have a sense of what his exams look like? I know he is regarded as being fairly arbitrary, and that most of the class will get a B+, but would like to get a sense of what I'm walking into.

Thanks for any guidance!

[cornerstone]

1. Could someone reccomend a supplement to use for Kordana's Corporations? He no longer uses a casebook, so want to make sure I have the black letter law down. Is working through the relevant portions of the E&E the best option?

You're doing it wrong. With Kordana, there is no such thing as "black letter law." I would try to use an old outline from the outline bank and/or ask classmates to share class notes with what Kordana said on topics about which you are confused.

An E&E will be totally useless for his class. Kordana wants you to recite the law according to Kordana, so the examples will mislead you into being realistic.

2. Similarly, does anyone have a sense of what his exams look like? I know he is regarded as being fairly arbitrary, and that most of the class will get a B+, but would like to get a sense of what I'm walking into.

His exams are pretty straightforward. There will be a few fact patterns that touch on big issues from class. You'll want to be able to argue both sides and spice your answer up with theory and random examples he gave from class. I think he is also known for giving you a quote about the law and asking you to comment on it. Just try to say something intelligent about the quote that ties in cases you discussed in class.

For 1L classes you're right that he is very B+ heavy. If you're thinking of putting a lot of work into one class in hopes of a big payoff this is not that class. I wouldn't necessarily say that he's arbitrary, though. Did you have a midterm with him and if so did he post all of his comments online? Looking at comments he gave to high (and low) scoring exams is a good way to get int his head. You might also want to go to office hours and ask about his grading strategy and how to succeed on the exam. Most profs are forthcoming with that information.

[LawMan16]

For 1L classes you're right that he is very B+ heavy. If you're thinking of putting a lot of work into one class in hopes of a big payoff this is not that class. I wouldn't necessarily say that he's arbitrary, though. Did you have a midterm with him and if so did he post all of his comments online? Looking at comments he gave to high (and low) scoring exams is a good way to get int his head. You might also want to go to office hours and ask about his grading strategy and how to succeed on the exam. Most profs are forthcoming with that information.

Thanks so much! Would you say his curve for Corporations is significanly wider then those for his doctrinal courses?

Really appreciate the guidance.

[rhododactylos]

For 1L classes you're right that he is very B+ heavy. If you're thinking of putting a lot of work into one class in hopes of a big payoff this is not that class. I wouldn't necessarily say that he's arbitrary, though. Did you have a midterm with him and if so did he post all of his comments online? Looking at comments he gave to high (and low) scoring exams is a good way to get int his head. You might also want to go to office hours and ask about his grading strategy and how to succeed on the exam. Most profs are forthcoming with that information.

Thanks so much! Would you say his curve for Corporations is significanly wider then those for his doctrinal courses?

Really appreciate the guidance.

Yes—or at least it’s easier to get an A. Kordana is open about trying to protect his 1L’s from getting stuck with a low grade in his class. He told our class that the administration asks 1L professors to curve to a 3.3, and he interprets that as “a curve that begins with 3.3,” aka 3.39. To get to that number he gives out a lot of B+’s, a fair number of A-‘s, a handful of B’s to low-scoring exams—but very few A’s.

As the last poster said, the key to success on a Kordana exam is hitting all the issues (don’t forget the remedy) and showing him that you know the law as he taught it to you. Don’t get bogged down on the precise definition of terms that he never precisely defined, and don’t be afraid to use “Kordana-isms.”

[Go Nats!]

Anyone have a sense of what Collins's curve usually looks like in Evidence? Will he give A+/C+ grades? Not that I expect to get either of those...

Didn't take Evidence with him but did take two other courses with him. It has been a few years but his curve was wider than most professors at UVA and I say that not just from personal experience but from going over professor specific curves back when UVA had a notebook of that data in the library. Pretty rare for him to give an A+ or a C+ but expect a good number of As and B-s if such are warranted.

Unless someone from the age of the book remembers, the best you’ll do is anecdotal evidence. I took two classes with him including evidence and it seemed B+ / A- heavy. Plus, if you’re trying to decide what class to take, Collins is an awesome professor and worth taking. OTOH if you’re just stressing about what grade you might have received last semester, chill

Could someone satisfy the curiosity of an alumni - when did they take away the book? That was super helpful for a guy like me who just wanted to hit that sweet B+ curve!

[rhododactylos]

Anyone have a sense of what Collins's curve usually looks like in Evidence? Will he give A+/C+ grades? Not that I expect to get either of those...

Didn't take Evidence with him but did take two other courses with him. It has been a few years but his curve was wider than most professors at UVA and I say that not just from personal experience but from going over professor specific curves back when UVA had a notebook of that data in the library. Pretty rare for him to give an A+ or a C+ but expect a good number of As and B-s if such are warranted.

Unless someone from the age of the book remembers, the best you’ll do is anecdotal evidence. I took two classes with him including evidence and it seemed B+ / A- heavy. Plus, if you’re trying to decide what class to take, Collins is an awesome professor and worth taking. OTOH if you’re just stressing about what grade you might have received last semester, chill

Could someone satisfy the curiosity of an alumni - when did they take away the book? That was super helpful for a guy like me who just wanted to hit that sweet B+ curve!

Blah blah “students should be taking classes based on academic interests, not grade strategy” blah blah. It was done with all the transparency and student input that the administration has been known for of late.

[Yardbird]

Anyone have a sense of what Collins's curve usually looks like in Evidence? Will he give A+/C+ grades? Not that I expect to get either of those...

Didn't take Evidence with him but did take two other courses with him. It has been a few years but his curve was wider than most professors at UVA and I say that not just from personal experience but from going over professor specific curves back when UVA had a notebook of that data in the library. Pretty rare for him to give an A+ or a C+ but expect a good number of As and B-s if such are warranted.

Unless someone from the age of the book remembers, the best you’ll do is anecdotal evidence. I took two classes with him including evidence and it seemed B+ / A- heavy. Plus, if you’re trying to decide what class to take, Collins is an awesome professor and worth taking. OTOH if you’re just stressing about what grade you might have received last semester, chill

Could someone satisfy the curiosity of an alumni - when did they take away the book? That was super helpful for a guy like me who just wanted to hit that sweet B+ curve!

They took it away September 2013. It was in the library for the first two weeks of that semester.

[rhododactylos]

Anyone have a sense of what Collins's curve usually looks like in Evidence? Will he give A+/C+ grades? Not that I expect to get either of those...

Didn't take Evidence with him but did take two other courses with him. It has been a few years but his curve was wider than most professors at UVA and I say that not just from personal experience but from going over professor specific curves back when UVA had a notebook of that data in the library. Pretty rare for him to give an A+ or a C+ but expect a good number of As and B-s if such are warranted.

Unless someone from the age of the book remembers, the best you’ll do is anecdotal evidence. I took two classes with him including evidence and it seemed B+ / A- heavy. Plus, if you’re trying to decide what class to take, Collins is an awesome professor and worth taking. OTOH if you’re just stressing about what grade you might have received last semester, chill

Could someone satisfy the curiosity of an alumni - when did they take away the book? That was super helpful for a guy like me who just wanted to hit that sweet B+ curve!

They took it away September 2013. It was in the library for the first two weeks of that semester.

Whoops, read that question as "why," not "when."

[Law2020!]

When are grades due?

[LawMan16]

Does anyone have a sense of whether (a) Walt usually cold calls in his Bankruptcy class, and (b) the width of his grading curve?

Appreciate any insights!

[cornerstone]

Does anyone have a sense of whether (a) Walt usually cold calls in his Bankruptcy class, and (b) the width of his grading curve?

Appreciate any insights!

I don’t think he cold called (or at least not often), but I may be wrong on that. The curve is pretty narrow from what I’ve heard.

Beyond that, my unsolicited advice is to forget about all of his academic rants about how cases should or should not have been decided. Just learn the hornbook law and you can pull above the curve. I knew someone who barely stayed awake in class and got an A-. The exam (a couple years ago now) was difficult, but surprisingly mostly just facts to law.