Indiana University - Bloomington students taking questions Forum

[Spoonmanners]

Tortzilla was made by at least one student for Gjerdigans class. It has been passed down for years.

[danquayle]

Tortzilla is how I learned Torts. Gjerdy was easily my least favorite 1L professor.

Commercial outlines in general work. They always tell you not to use them... thats all I ever did was study those. (Though prepared outlines of other students are better).

[Bankhead]

I thought TORTZILLA was created by Don G himself, likely the product of a botched wills and trust/men's fashion fusion research experiment.

[Spoonmanners]

This is all part of the mystery surrounding tortzilla. Not sure if anyone knows it's true origins.

[SportsFanatic]

How do us 1L's get our hands on it? I would like to take a looky.

[agentcom]

Ask and you shall receive. But seriously, don't be looking at stuff like that yet. Wait until you are actually taking the course. There is no benefit to pre-studying before law school. It will be widely circulated by the time you get halfway through the semester. Everyone who took dirty Gjerdi's class will have it, including PGAs.

Use it. That shit is still the best outline I have ever seen put together. If anything, you will find out how an outline should look, and you will never reach that level.

Not sure about this analysis. I would say it's a study guide. It's not an outline, it's a detailed summary of the course. You won't have time to really look at it during his final (if he even goes back to open book this year). It is a great thing to study from, but the outline that you should memorize/bring into the test should be significantly shorter.

Edit for those that haven't seen it: Tortzilla is something like 100 pages long. I don't think outlines should reach 50 pages unless you have a great internal referencing system. There are even some that say outlines shouldn't be 20 pages long.

[OneShotFinch128]

I hope that a One L might be able to answer this question.... I got an e- mail from a Ms. Clark asking if I'm interested in attending Fall 2010 ( I'm currently on the wait list). I replied that, of course, I am still interested and she replied that someone from the Dean of Students would get in contact with me to set up an interview. Do you know any one who was in this position last year and what the outcome was?? I haven't seen anyone on TSL that received this e-mail and was wondering if anyone had any insight and/or advise?????Thanks

[narkizopoint]

Name is pronounced Jur-di-gan. Or maybe Jur-di-gin.

The first brief is totally unnecessary. He likened them to being written by drunken grizzlies

WHAT?! He didn't write that just for us, just re-issued his things you should know essay? Here I thought we were special, haha.

Didn't mention it earlier but congrats Kings on UCLA, went there myself for undergrad. If you have any super general questions about the area or campus I'd be glad to try to answer them (Parking is the absolute worst thing about UCLA and they have some of the highest parking ticket fines I have ever seen! And meters that are (were when I was going) 0.25 for 8 minutes. It might have gone up...get a bus pass.

[Bankhead]

I hope that a One L might be able to answer this question.... I got an e- mail from a Ms. Clark asking if I'm interested in attending Fall 2010 ( I'm currently on the wait list). I replied that, of course, I am still interested and she replied that someone from the Dean of Students would get in contact with me to set up an interview. Do you know any one who was in this position last year and what the outcome was?? I haven't seen anyone on TSL that received this e-mail and was wondering if anyone had any insight and/or advise?????Thanks

This was how I gained admission last year. A few days later they sent me an e-mail accepting me.

[OneShotFinch128]

I hope that a One L might be able to answer this question.... I got an e- mail from a Ms. Clark asking if I'm interested in attending Fall 2010 ( I'm currently on the wait list). I replied that, of course, I am still interested and she replied that someone from the Dean of Students would get in contact with me to set up an interview. Do you know any one who was in this position last year and what the outcome was?? I haven't seen anyone on TSL that received this e-mail and was wondering if anyone had any insight and/or advise?????Thanks

This was how I gained admission last year. A few days later they sent me an e-mail accepting me.

Thanks for the insight, it would be nice if this works out for me as well!!!!!did you actually interview??? Was it a long interview if you did have one or something kind of informal?

I'm kind of nervous now....

[Bankhead]

I hope that a One L might be able to answer this question.... I got an e- mail from a Ms. Clark asking if I'm interested in attending Fall 2010 ( I'm currently on the wait list). I replied that, of course, I am still interested and she replied that someone from the Dean of Students would get in contact with me to set up an interview. Do you know any one who was in this position last year and what the outcome was?? I haven't seen anyone on TSL that received this e-mail and was wondering if anyone had any insight and/or advise?????Thanks

This was how I gained admission last year. A few days later they sent me an e-mail accepting me.

Thanks for the insight, it would be nice if this works out for me as well!!!!!did you actually interview??? Was it a long interview if you did have one or something kind of informal?

I'm kind of nervous now....

Hmm... an interview is not something that they asked me to do. They just called me up and asked me if I was still interested. I said that I was and they accepted me a few days later via email.

It was right around this time last year too.

[OneShotFinch128]

I hope that a One L might be able to answer this question.... I got an e- mail from a Ms. Clark asking if I'm interested in attending Fall 2010 ( I'm currently on the wait list). I replied that, of course, I am still interested and she replied that someone from the Dean of Students would get in contact with me to set up an interview. Do you know any one who was in this position last year and what the outcome was?? I haven't seen anyone on TSL that received this e-mail and was wondering if anyone had any insight and/or advise?????Thanks

This was how I gained admission last year. A few days later they sent me an e-mail accepting me.

Thanks for the insight, it would be nice if this works out for me as well!!!!!did you actually interview??? Was it a long interview if you did have one or something kind of informal?

I'm kind of nervous now....

Hmm... an interview is not something that they asked me to do. They just called me up and asked me if I was still interested. I said that I was and they accepted me a few days later via email.

It was right around this time last year too.

Yea and I don't know of any one that this happen to last year and i cant find any 0L's that are wait listed that received and e-mails like that.....so i guess ill keep you posted....i have some questions but i would rather find out if I got in before i start jumping the gun

[heraper1003]

I noticed that during the 2009-2010 cycle that just about everyone that applied to Indiana University - Bloomington's Law School got a full scholarship if they had at least a 164 LSAT and a 3.8 GPA. Is this a trend that will continue for the 2010-2011 cycle? I am basing this statement off of the graph on the website of http://www.lawschoolnumbers.com.

[Spoonmanners]

Not sure about this analysis. I would say it's a study guide. It's not an outline, it's a detailed summary of the course. You won't have time to really look at it during his final (if he even goes back to open book this year). It is a great thing to study from, but the outline that you should memorize/bring into the test should be significantly shorter.

Edit for those that haven't seen it: Tortzilla is something like 100 pages long. I don't think outlines should reach 50 pages unless you have a great internal referencing system. There are even some that say outlines shouldn't be 20 pages long.

You are referring to Son of Tortzilla, which is just Tortzilla with 75 useless pages added on to it. The first 30 pages is the original Tortzilla, which is the only useful part.

As for the question about the interview, they don't waste their time interviewing someone if they wouldn't accept them. You are likely right on the line, and if you manage to not drool on yourself or deny the holocaust you should get an offer.

As far as scholarships, I have heard from a few on here and other places that that seems to be pretty close. They really like the high GPA people, and 164 seems to be a type of bottom line on GPA. I would expect significant scholarships if one is in or above that range.

[Bankhead]

Yeah, I think your chances are very good if you interview decently well. Just don't act like, umm... Tortzilla, or something...

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Rising 2Ls: What recommendations do you guys have for folks moving in next month and getting set up for their first year in Bloomington? If you could revisit your first week or two in town, is there anything you didn't do that you would've done, or vice versa?

[Bankhead]

Go out and socialize more early on.

[downstream]

Need housing advice- someone please recommend someplace nice within reasonable walking distance of the law school. I don't mind paying over 1000, just want something nice- none of the subdivision stuff that requires a drive.

[heraper1003]

My university that I am attending to obtain my bachelors degree does not grade on a +/- scale but instead is on a 10-point scale as indicated by the following 100-90 = A, 89-80 = B, 79-70 = C, 69-60 = D, and 59 and below is F. How will such a grading scale compute when it is presented to be converted into my LSDAS. My gpa by the way is a 3.94. Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

[narkizopoint]

two days into it (summer start torts) cant imagine doing this cold with 5 classes. Is that feeling you missed your exit and are now driving the wrong way from your destination normal as your plowing through the case book pretty much on your own? hehe.

[fenderjsm88]

Any update on how many and which firms will be at OCI this coming year? Or can I view this information on my own now that I have an IU login?

[kings84_wr]

For firms, if they give you a symplicity account you can check it out, Im not sure if they do or not. There are a few changes, but I don't think anything too drastic.

Its been a bit enlightening getting to see other schools OCI firms in comparison.

and as for the 5 classes in the fall, its kind of hell haha. I was very very busy first semester, it was a pretty tough work load.

[fenderjsm88]

For firms, if they give you a symplicity account you can check it out, Im not sure if they do or not. There are a few changes, but I don't think anything too drastic.

Its been a bit enlightening getting to see other schools OCI firms in comparison.

and as for the 5 classes in the fall, its kind of hell haha. I was very very busy first semester, it was a pretty tough work load.

Okay, thanks, I'll check it out.

Apparently you did good as a 1L though since you're transferring to UCLA. Any tips?? haha. I just finished Getting to Maybe. Hopefully it helps come exam time.

Also, why do you say it's been enlightening to see other school's OCI rosters? Are most (peer) schools doing worse or better than us? I know Notre Dame only has about 30 firms as well.

[kings84_wr]

I believe Illinois and Wisconsin are about the same too, Midwest State schools are getting hit the hardest. CHicago biglaw just isn't taking anyone outside of NU and Chi.

Now I realize UCLA isn't a peer school, but there are 180 firms at OCI this year.

and as far as the advice goes, I think we can get together a collaboration with some of the other guys on here to come up with a few good posts. Next time Im free, Ill make sure to get it there.

Getting to maybe is good, It helped understand some things, but don't just rely solely on it, adjust to the prof style.

[fenderjsm88]

180 firms at UCLA's OCI? Are you allowed to participate in that as a transfer? If so, that's awesome and good luck!

Right now, I'm reading the first few chapters of the Contracts E&E (also ordered the other 3 E&Es for fall semester from Amazon,) just so I have some grounding the first few weeks of classes. I hear a lot of good things about LEEWS, but it's $160. Worth it? I might also look into Delaney's books.