Indiana University - Bloomington students taking questions Forum

[Spoonmanners]

Just a quick gloss over:

LEEWS isn't worth it, unless you hate yourself and have too much time. I have about one page of general pointers, and they only work for some tests.

Transfers get full reaping of OCI, but may be looked at as "outsiders". Even under blind OCI. I'm sure it won't hurt kings.

Not sure bout the Chicago comment, but the bigger markets have been terrible. Lots of schools feed into Chicago, but I don't think its as bad as NY and LA market.

If I missed something, let me know. Some posts are from my phone.

[kings84_wr]

Yeah I can participate in bidding, its actually in three weeks crazy enough

My Chicago comment was meant to say more that the schools like INdiana and Illinois are struggling there, the Chicago market on the whole still can handle Mich, NU, and CHicago.

[danquayle]

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.

Seriously, don't prep too much or you'll burn yourself out. Though, I didn't even know what a tort was for the first month of law school, so maybe I'm an aberration in my lack of prep...

As far as supplements, I always liked Emanuel Crunch Time books... they were short and to the point. Plus they employed a lot of diagrams which helped the visual learners like myself.

[fenderjsm88]

Okay, don't worry, I'm not strenuously prepping or anything, I read like an hour every other day haha. I'll check out the crunchtime series...and avoid LEEWS.

I imagine Chicago biglaw is gonna be real tough to get from IU for the next few years. Indiana sends a good amount of grads to Indianapolis, though. It's not a huge market, but they still have 3 nlj250 firms (all of which are gonna be at this year's OCI, I believe.)

[downstream]

How many credits do you have at the end of 1L?

Also, out of curiosity, what schools have some previous IUB folks transferred to that you know of?

[kings84_wr]

How many credits do you have at the end of 1L?

Also, out of curiosity, what schools have some previous IUB folks transferred to that you know of?

I think we had a list of them a few pages back from last year but quick from memory: Harvard, Columbia, Texas, Vandy, Penn, UCLA.

I haven't stayed up to date on everyone this year who is transferring, Bankhead probably has more info, but I know there have been a few people leaving like me.

31 units at the end of the year.

[downstream]

Thank you Kings.

So I basically dont know of any other school that has their students take 5 classes first semester of 1L, is it pretty insane? Seems like it would be insane, how did you all deal with that? Is Legal Writing pass/fail?

[kings84_wr]

Thank you Kings.

So I basically dont know of any other school that has their students take 5 classes first semester of 1L, is it pretty insane? Seems like it would be insane, how did you all deal with that? Is Legal Writing pass/fail?

LRW is P/F, its a solid 17 units but IMO its the easier classes in the fall- Torts, Contracts and Civ pro are sooo much easier to handle then Property and Con Law. And I actually did better first semester then 2nd haha, so who knows. 1L is about learning how to do law school, so I probably worked wayyyy harder first semester.

[pu_golf88]

Isn't there a summer start option? Know anyone that has done it and how they felt it helped/hurt?

[Cats By 90 UK]

Is IU Law Mac-friendly? I'm thinking of selling my PC and getting a Mac before I start there in August, but I want to make sure the systems used at IU will work fine with a Mac..

[fenderjsm88]

What do you rising 2Ls think about case briefing? I've heard that it's a common mistake for 1Ls to spend too much time on briefing, but I've also heard that it is necessary for class participation (btw, is class participation part of the grade?) Are the professors really tough on unprepared students called on in class?

Also, any tips on the outlining process? Everyone says you need to start making an outline right away, but I'm not even sure what a law school outline would look like haha.

[Spoonmanners]

1. Yes, there is summer start. It's awesome, and I'd recommend it. It's starting right now. However, it's been addressed to death here.

2. Yeah, but the Mac's require a little more work to use examsoft correctly, which relates to about an hour a semester extra of work to put in.

3. Yes, whatever your brief says, it's too damn long. I remember one of my first brief being around two pages long. You need a SHORT summary of the facts. Think two to three sentences. Unless you have Bradley, then prepare to have very detailed facts. Class participation does not. In circumstances of stellar or the most terrible class participation, the grade can be moved up or down just a bit, but it seems like the teachers don't like to do it because it's a pain in the ass. Some teachers are harder than the others. You really shouldn't be too worried about it. It's too hard to tell you what you need for an outline... and 90% of the class will be struggling to finish their outlines a week before the final. I'd recommend just from the start summarizing the rule from each case, and worry about organization later. I don't even want to recommend tortzilla to you, but you can follow the same organization as the chapters of the book as you do in the outline. Remember, the outline should be short, and no more than 20-30 pages at the end of the semester.

[narkizopoint]

rumor is going around they are going to have a mac version of exam soft this fall (the validity of which I have not investigated since I avoided the whole headache by getting a PC).

if you do summer start briefing may not be such a waste of time. I can see how if you have 4 classes with cases from all of them briefing would become all too consuming to do if you weren't already doing it like spoon says (super short - to the point). With summer start you can start off briefing everything but you definitely get into the good habit of cutting out the crap early on.

Quick question for you spoon, does the length of outline (20-30 pages) change drastically in relation to whether you are expecting a close book exam vs. an open book? I heard it should be shorter for close book and tends to be longer for open book. Any thoughts?

[downstream]

Any word on when we are given our sections and schedules and whatnot? Is it over orientation or before?

[kings84_wr]

Any word on when we are given our sections and schedules and whatnot? Is it over orientation or before?

No traditional sections really, I think we got classes a couple week before classes started last year

[Spoonmanners]

Oh, obviously, a note free exam should have less pages. You should try and get away with 10-20 and not 20-30. No real set number or anything, but shorter obviously.

[fenderjsm88]

Here's another question - more a general law school question than an IU question. When it comes time to apply for 1L summer jobs, for those of us that may be working away from Indiana, do we schedule a trip back to Chicago (or wherever) and try to schedule all of our interviews during that trip? Or do they interview out-of-state applicants by phone? Or do most 1Ls only get 1 or 2 interviews so the trip isn't that big of a deal? I've been curious about this for a long time.

[kings84_wr]

Here's another question - more a general law school question than an IU question. When it comes time to apply for 1L summer jobs, for those of us that may be working away from Indiana, do we schedule a trip back to Chicago (or wherever) and try to schedule all of our interviews during that trip? Or do they interview out-of-state applicants by phone? Or do most 1Ls only get 1 or 2 interviews so the trip isn't that big of a deal? I've been curious about this for a long time.

I got my job back home in CA over a phone interview. Honestly I think its best to apply right after finals, if you are out of state, that way you can put on your cover letter I'll be here until jan x, and try and interview then. If not you may have to go back and do an interview, and yeah A trip would work out.

[Bankhead]

If you want to get an internship with a federal judge, or attempt to work at a large firm, make sure you get your applications out very soon after your first set of finals ends (over winter break).

For everything else, you have plenty of time. I'd urge you not to rush -- some of the best options came in April after everyone else had accepted summer positions.

So how is summer start going for everyone (anyone?) who is currently doing it?

[danquayle]

1. Yes, there is summer start. It's awesome, and I'd recommend it. It's starting right now. However, it's been addressed to death here.

2. Yeah, but the Mac's require a little more work to use examsoft correctly, which relates to about an hour a semester extra of work to put in.

3. Yes, whatever your brief says, it's too damn long. I remember one of my first brief being around two pages long. You need a SHORT summary of the facts. Think two to three sentences. Unless you have Bradley, then prepare to have very detailed facts. Class participation does not. In circumstances of stellar or the most terrible class participation, the grade can be moved up or down just a bit, but it seems like the teachers don't like to do it because it's a pain in the ass. Some teachers are harder than the others. You really shouldn't be too worried about it. It's too hard to tell you what you need for an outline... and 90% of the class will be struggling to finish their outlines a week before the final. I'd recommend just from the start summarizing the rule from each case, and worry about organization later. I don't even want to recommend tortzilla to you, but you can follow the same organization as the chapters of the book as you do in the outline. Remember, the outline should be short, and no more than 20-30 pages at the end of the semester.

Well, the reason you brief is is really the same reason you outline: to force you to read the material and to help you reorganize all the ideas in a way that fleshes with how you think. But I agree, a good brief should maybe be half a page, prob a little short. A lot of 1Ls make the mistake of focusing too much on a case details... just know the concepts. The case details/facts are only useful if they help you remember the concept. I'm convinced thats why they focus on silly stuff like Palsgraf and "hairy hand"....

Of course this is coming from a guy who never outlined and rarely read, let alone brief. I guess someone has to make outlines...

[OneShotFinch128]

Hey, just got in off the wait list on Thursday, I actually had a question about services at the university. As a law student, do you guys get access to some of the other services at the university ( I.e. The gym, health center, etc...) that are primarily for the undergrad students? Also, are their any services that you particularly used often that might help me as an 1L.


Extremely excited to be part of the Indiana law family btw!!!!!!!

[Bankhead]

^ Yes, you have access to all of the University facilities. I can't think of any, other than the gym (to clear your head), that are of immediate importance.

Congratulations on your acceptance.

[fenderjsm88]

Anyone going to the IU Law event in Chicago next Wednesday? I just got an email from Dani about it. Might go depending on my work schedule.

[Spoonmanners]

Didn't realize there was an event, but no way I can make it.

What's going on at the event? I'm curious.

[del]

Where should a guy get his hair cut in Bloomington?