Columbia students taking questions Forum

[ph5354a]

Do any 3Ls have thoughts on the fall schedule, specifically Corporations (Jackson and Judge) and Evidence (Capra and Shechtman)? Is taking three black letter classes (those and Copyright), plus a 2-credit seminar or two too much, or a good balance?

Sincerely,
Bored at Summer Job Already

[MCFC]

Piggybacking of that question, are there any classes that shouldn't be taken at the same time? For instance, two tax classes at once, or corporate tax before you've taken corporations? (These might be dumb examples, I realize).

[Tiago Splitter]

How much or little do you 2Ls/3Ls think LPW actually matters? I operated under basically a minimal effort theory, and unsurprisingly, scored P's both semesters. Do judges/employers care about this if your letter grades are otherwise up to par?

I got an HP and the only OCI interviewer who noticed it didn't give me a callback (himself an LPW instructor who worked under mine and called her a tough grader), so I think you did it right.

[jbagelboy]

How much or little do you 2Ls/3Ls think LPW actually matters? I operated under basically a minimal effort theory, and unsurprisingly, scored P's both semesters. Do judges/employers care about this if your letter grades are otherwise up to par?

I got an HP and the only OCI interviewer who noticed it didn't give me a callback (himself an LPW instructor who worked under mine and called her a tough grader), so I think you did it right.

Probably YP . frightened by the obvious elegance of your prose

[Tiago Splitter]

Do any 3Ls have thoughts on the fall schedule, specifically Corporations (Jackson and Judge) and Evidence (Capra and Shechtman)? Is taking three black letter classes (those and Copyright), plus a 2-credit seminar or two too much, or a good balance?

Sincerely,
Bored at Summer Job Already

Piggybacking of that question, are there any classes that shouldn't be taken at the same time? For instance, two tax classes at once, or corporate tax before you've taken corporations? (These might be dumb examples, I realize).

I think as long as they don't list a prerequisite you should feel fine taking any class.

Everybody raves about Jackson and I'm jealous that he's finally teaching corporations in the fall. I had Judge for a different class last semester and she was pretty cool, so if you want to take corporations in the fall and can't get Jackson (the waitlist will be massive) she's a fine second choice.

3 BLL classes plus a seminar is fine. You just finished taking four BLL classes plus LRW and you're still alive. If you're on law review though I'd probably take it easy, and if you plan to write a note for any journal I'd limit your credit load first semester in part because it will be hard and in part because you can get credits for journal notes. It won't kill you to take 12 credits first semester and see how things go.

[Tiago Splitter]

How much or little do you 2Ls/3Ls think LPW actually matters? I operated under basically a minimal effort theory, and unsurprisingly, scored P's both semesters. Do judges/employers care about this if your letter grades are otherwise up to par?

I got an HP and the only OCI interviewer who noticed it didn't give me a callback (himself an LPW instructor who worked under mine and called her a tough grader), so I think you did it right.

Probably YP . frightened by the obvious elegance of your prose

Haha. This might be a good time to remind everyone not to take any OCI rejection personally. It's 20 minutes with some rando who could have any number of things going on in his or her own personal or professional life.

[KingFish]

How much or little do you 2Ls/3Ls think LPW actually matters? I operated under basically a minimal effort theory, and unsurprisingly, scored P's both semesters. Do judges/employers care about this if your letter grades are otherwise up to par?

Dude, P is par.

[jbagelboy]

How much or little do you 2Ls/3Ls think LPW actually matters? I operated under basically a minimal effort theory, and unsurprisingly, scored P's both semesters. Do judges/employers care about this if your letter grades are otherwise up to par?

Dude, P is par.

lol i'm just glad djs didn't LP us

[ph5354a]

3 BLL classes plus a seminar is fine. You just finished taking four BLL classes plus LRW and you're still alive. If you're on law review though I'd probably take it easy, and if you plan to write a note for any journal I'd limit your credit load first semester in part because it will be hard and in part because you can get credits for journal notes. It won't kill you to take 12 credits first semester and see how things go.

Good point, forgot about that little requirement. If you plan on doing a note for a journal, is it more common to do that in the fall or the spring? And the website is sort of ambiguous about this, but it still satisfies the major writing requirement even if it's not published, right? And is it just 1 credit for a journal note?

So many questions, thanks for your help, Tiago.

[scoobysnax]

How difficult is it to get into a clinic? Which ones are the more popular/competitive ones?

[Tiago Splitter]

3 BLL classes plus a seminar is fine. You just finished taking four BLL classes plus LRW and you're still alive. If you're on law review though I'd probably take it easy, and if you plan to write a note for any journal I'd limit your credit load first semester in part because it will be hard and in part because you can get credits for journal notes. It won't kill you to take 12 credits first semester and see how things go.

Good point, forgot about that little requirement. If you plan on doing a note for a journal, is it more common to do that in the fall or the spring? And the website is sort of ambiguous about this, but it still satisfies the major writing requirement even if it's not published, right? And is it just 1 credit for a journal note?

So many questions, thanks for your help, Tiago.

The usual is three credits, and I think people typically go with two in the fall and one in the spring. Typically journal notes are started in the fall and due in the early spring. My understanding is that you get a fourth credit if published, and yes you get major writing regardless of whether or not it's any good.

[illyria]

Is there a way to view the layout of your assigned apartment/building? They don't seem to provide any information aside from your room number..
Also, is 111th street a quiet area?

[AdInfinitum]

Is there a way to view the layout of your assigned apartment/building? They don't seem to provide any information aside from your room number..
Also, is 111th street a quiet area?

I was able to view mine here: https://uah.facilities.columbia.edu/

Also just got assigned to 111th street. Is this a decent spot? Luckily it's reasonably priced, I just want to be sure I'm not in a terrible area. I know almost nothing about the area/NYC.

[starrydreamz3]

Is there a way to view the layout of your assigned apartment/building? They don't seem to provide any information aside from your room number..
Also, is 111th street a quiet area?

I was able to view mine here: https://uah.facilities.columbia.edu/

Also just got assigned to 111th street. Is this a decent spot? Luckily it's reasonably priced, I just want to be sure I'm not in a terrible area. I know almost nothing about the area/NYC.

I'm on 111th now. I think it's a great street. It's pretty quiet, though of course you're close by with neighbors so you may hear music or whatnot. (Never kept me up at night.) It's an easy walk to campus and the broadway area around 111th has a good selection of restaraunts/shops. Also some pretty popular CLS bar hangouts nearby on Amsterdam (Lionshead, Pourhouse, etc.)

And it's cheap!

[ph5354a]

Is there a way to view the layout of your assigned apartment/building? They don't seem to provide any information aside from your room number..
Also, is 111th street a quiet area?

I was able to view mine here: https://uah.facilities.columbia.edu/

Also just got assigned to 111th street. Is this a decent spot? Luckily it's reasonably priced, I just want to be sure I'm not in a terrible area. I know almost nothing about the area/NYC.

I live on 111th and love it. If you're close to the Broadway side, which you probably are (either 529 or 535 W. 111th), then it's close to the 110th subway stop, Westside Market (<3), Duane Reade, chipotle (my finals diet), and a lot of other decent restaurants. There's not a whole lot of student housing on 111th or any frat houses like on 113th, so it's fairly quiet, and still only a 10 minute walk to campus.

[buffalo_]

Anyone know how they handle the housing deposit if you're waiting for loans to come through?

Also, how strict are they with the move in date and time? It makes me pick a specific day and time when I accept my offer.

[almondjoy]

Anyone know how they handle the housing deposit if you're waiting for loans to come through?

Also, how strict are they with the move in date and time? It makes me pick a specific day and time when I accept my offer.

I sent a message to UAH via the "contact us" tab on the offer page about the initial deposit because I'm in the same boat as you. Idk if that's what we're supposed to do though lol

[Monochromatic Oeuvre]

I live on 111th and love it. If you're close to the Broadway side, which you probably are (either 529 or 535 W. 111th), then it's close to the 110th subway stop, Westside Market (<3), Duane Reade, chipotle (my finals diet), and a lot of other decent restaurants. There's not a whole lot of student housing on 111th or any frat houses like on 113th, so it's fairly quiet, and still only a 10 minute walk to campus.

QFP

Live as close to Westside as is humanly possible. Hell, take a goddamn cot in there and refuse to leave until you've had your fill of fresh brisket.

[jbagelboy]

I live on 111th and love it. If you're close to the Broadway side, which you probably are (either 529 or 535 W. 111th), then it's close to the 110th subway stop, Westside Market (<3), Duane Reade, chipotle (my finals diet), and a lot of other decent restaurants. There's not a whole lot of student housing on 111th or any frat houses like on 113th, so it's fairly quiet, and still only a 10 minute walk to campus.

QFP

Live as close to Westside as is humanly possible. Hell, take a goddamn cot in there and refuse to leave until you've had your fill of fresh brisket.

Westside is 1.5-2x more expensive than trader joe's or safeway. I actually only shop there or morton williams when I need something very quickly; if you're living/paying off loans, I highly discourage making it your regular market (I know "1.5x" seems silly, but I really mean every item is significantly marked up. If you really want to undercut your budget and borrow less, do big shopping runs at trader joes or another discount grocer once every 2 wks and cook basic meals.).

My SO and I saved thousands in potential debt by avoiding casual money suck like Westside and seamless. Not to be a buzzkill or anything.

[Splitter1415]

Are there many people who want to do human rights work at Columbia? Do you ever talk to people in the LLM program? I'm trying to decide if I should ED at Columbia or NYU.


I'm a long time Manhattan Valley resident. My spouse and I shop mainly at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. Take advantage of WF's original brand products and sales if you like organic food. Garden of Eden on Broaway gives Columbia students 10% off all the time. Check out their salad bar if you're a vegetarian. It's 50% off after 8:30 every night. If you want to order food, take advantage of delivery.com. They often send you $8 off orders of $20 or more on weekends.

[almondjoy]

Does anyone have any experience with the apartments at 547 riverside? Seems kinda far according to google maps but I'm wondering if its not as bad as it seems..

[milkandcheerios]

Did anyone have any luck changing their move in date? I'm scheduled to move in on the 15th of August which seems really late to me.

I'm looking at the academic calendar but its confusing. It says 1L orientation and registration is on the 15th and 18th. Do we only need to go to one of those days or both? Because I don't see how I can possibly make it on the 15th if thats when I have to move in. It also says there's a JD intensive on Professional Responsibility starting on the 13th but does that exclude 1Ls?

[JVK]

Are there many people who want to do human rights work at Columbia? Do you ever talk to people in the LLM program? I'm trying to decide if I should ED at Columbia or NYU.

I'm a long time Manhattan Valley resident. My spouse and I shop mainly at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. Take advantage of WF's original brand products and sales if you like organic food. Garden of Eden on Broaway gives Columbia students 10% off all the time. Check out their salad bar if you're a vegetarian. It's 50% off after 8:30 every night. If you want to order food, take advantage of delivery.com. They often send you $8 off orders of $20 or more on weekends.

There definitely are, and many more who hope to do it long-term after a couple years at a firm. A lot of us are doing some pretty neat human rights work during 1L summer, though it's more difficult to know who'll be transitioning to that directly after law school given the relatively low availability of positions straight out. I do know a decent number who'll go straight to domestic human rights/immigration work right after law school.

You see people in the LLM program all the time, that's really not a problem. Some of them have pretty interesting backgrounds, from criminal defense work in Nigeria to being professors in their home country.

I'm sure NYU's fine too, but you won't be in a bad place at either one.

Did anyone have any luck changing their move in date? I'm scheduled to move in on the 15th of August which seems really late to me.

I'm looking at the academic calendar but its confusing. It says 1L orientation and registration is on the 15th and 18th. Do we only need to go to one of those days or both? Because I don't see how I can possibly make it on the 15th if thats when I have to move in. It also says there's a JD intensive on Professional Responsibility starting on the 13th but does that exclude 1Ls?

Don't sweat Professional Responsibility! It's something you have to take before you graduate, and if you haven't taken it by the time you're a 3L you can take it then. You're clear!

I'm assuming you only need to go to one day (we didn't have a two-part registration this last year), but it's worth emailing/calling in to confirm, I don't want to feed you bad information. That does seem a little bit late, though you'll have a little time after registration and all to get all your stuff together, too (the Bed Bath & Beyond trips, furnish your place if you need to, etc.).

I don't know how hard it is to change the move-in date, I didn't try last year, I'm sorry.

[lunaraeon]

How much or little do you 2Ls/3Ls think LPW actually matters? I operated under basically a minimal effort theory, and unsurprisingly, scored P's both semesters. Do judges/employers care about this if your letter grades are otherwise up to par?

Dude, P is par.

lol i'm just glad djs didn't LP us

If he was going to give anyone a LP, it would have been me.

[Splitter1415]

JVK,

Thank you for answering my questions. For some reason, I had an impression that there were not so many graduates doing PI work.