UChi Students & Alumni Taking Questions Forum

[Emma.]

Can anyone speak to the strength and/or popularity of the clinics at the law school? What are your chances of getting into the one(s) you are most interested in?

I don't know of anyone who wasn't able to get into the clinic of their choice.

[badaboom61]

Can anyone speak to the strength and/or popularity of the clinics at the law school? What are your chances of getting into the one(s) you are most interested in?

Most people can get into the clinics of their choice. The big issue is credit for clinics. Aside from corporate lab, most clinics award credit based on the amount of hours you log in the clinic. 5 hours logged = 1 credit, up to 3 per quarter. This can be very frustrating, both for the sheer time commitment, and the fact that there isn't necessarily enough work to bill 15 hours a week in a clinic to get 3 credits out of it.

[halestorm]

Can anyone speak to the strength and/or popularity of the clinics at the law school? What are your chances of getting into the one(s) you are most interested in?

Most people can get into the clinics of their choice. The big issue is credit for clinics. Aside from corporate lab, most clinics award credit based on the amount of hours you log in the clinic. 5 hours logged = 1 credit, up to 3 per quarter. This can be very frustrating, both for the sheer time commitment, and the fact that there isn't necessarily enough work to bill 15 hours a week in a clinic to get 3 credits out of it.

I just want to make sure I understand the credit system. If I log 5 hours a week, each week of the quarter, that's worth one credit? Are typical classes worth 3 credits?

Thanks for the responses, everyone!

[badaboom61]

Can anyone speak to the strength and/or popularity of the clinics at the law school? What are your chances of getting into the one(s) you are most interested in?

Most people can get into the clinics of their choice. The big issue is credit for clinics. Aside from corporate lab, most clinics award credit based on the amount of hours you log in the clinic. 5 hours logged = 1 credit, up to 3 per quarter. This can be very frustrating, both for the sheer time commitment, and the fact that there isn't necessarily enough work to bill 15 hours a week in a clinic to get 3 credits out of it.

I just want to make sure I understand the credit system. If I log 5 hours a week, each week of the quarter, that's worth one credit? Are typical classes worth 3 credits?

Thanks for the responses, everyone!

I think that's right. This will explain it better than we can:

http://www.law.uchicago.edu/students/ha ... alprograms

[WhiteyCakes]

On campus with time to kill...where's the best place to get lunch within walking distance?

[Dany]

On campus with time to kill...where's the best place to get lunch within walking distance?

Medici!

[vzapana]

On campus with time to kill...where's the best place to get lunch within walking distance?

Medici!

Word I went there for the day in a life program, and it was baller

[WhiteyCakes]

On campus with time to kill...where's the best place to get lunch within walking distance?

Medici!

Medici is outstanding

[Mad Hatter]

Anyone know how the final grade for LRW gets calculated?

[Dany]

On campus with time to kill...where's the best place to get lunch within walking distance?

Medici!

Medici is outstanding

Glad you liked it!

[2014]

Anyone know how the final grade for LRW gets calculated?

Heard from multiple sections that its 40% memo, 60% brief and then the resulting grade is the same for all three quarters. All of the bigelows grade on different scales though so the calculation might be done differently, no clue there.

[Mal Reynolds]

On campus with time to kill...where's the best place to get lunch within walking distance?

Medici!

Medici is outstanding

Meh

[Dany]

hey now

[Mal Reynolds]

Ok it was awesome.

[Dr. Gaius Baltar]

Can anyone say which of the graduate students housing choices are thought to be desirable?

Fairfax, Shelbyrne, or Piccadilly, if you don't mind taking the bus. Remember the further west you live on 51st street, the more crowded the bus will be at busy hours. The buildings south of the Midway are only a short walk from the law school, but further south of that area can be a little sketchy and the only public transportation nearby that runs evening hours is down on 63rd street.

Thanks. Have you ever been inside them? I looked at the pics and they look great from the outside, but I've been doing research on grad school forums and I heard that many of the university housing have old and inconvenient interiors. And this article did not exactly inspire confidence, though its author claims to later come to enjoy the housing unit: --LinkRemoved--

[courtneylove]

Thanks. Have you ever been inside them? I looked at the pics and they look great from the outside, but I've been doing research on grad school forums and I heard that many of the university housing have old and inconvenient interiors.

i live in one. the interior could be called "old and inconvenient," but it's cozy and well taken care of. the hallways and public areas are clean, the super is really nice. we have to install a window air conditioner in the summer. the big buildings all have several elevators, and our apartment is huge. if you're in town you can visit the apartments; we were able to view ours a few months before move-in.

[Yardbird]

Chicago students,

I'm making a calculator to help calculate COA with tuition/COL increases but I need some data to help the project (http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 2&t=208464). The data specifically needs to come from current students who can look at their budget for the past 1-3 years. I would like to know the average rent, utilities, food, cable/internet for the following schools. If you can help out, please fill out this form. Thanks!

Link to Form (LinkRemoved)

[halestorm]

As more of a trivial question, how much free food does the law school give out? When I was doing my research for other schools, current students seemed pretty stoked about how many free lunches they could nab each week, but I don't think I've seen anyone say anything about it at Chicago.

[Dany]

As more of a trivial question, how much free food does the law school give out? When I was doing my research for other schools, current students seemed pretty stoked about how many free lunches they could nab each week, but I don't think I've seen anyone say anything about it at Chicago.

You can probably get free food at lunch every day of the week as long as you don't mind sitting through lunch talks. From like 12:15-1:30 every day, no one has class, so different student orgs or offices will put on lunch talks/panels with lunch provided. There's free breakfast on Wednesdays, and free food at wine mess on Fridays (if you get in line early enough). Lots of free food around during finals time. You also get emails decently often about free food in the Green Lounge (when it's left over from events).

So I guess the answer is "quite a bit."

[jsjd1989]

I have a question about OCI. I want to return to NYC after graduation, and so am interested in NYC firms. How does that work? Do the firms come to OCI and then you have to fly to NYC for callbacks and such?

[Emma.]

I have a question about OCI. I want to return to NYC after graduation, and so am interested in NYC firms. How does that work? Do the firms come to OCI and then you have to fly to NYC for callbacks and such?

Yup. The OCI interview process involves firms from all over the country. You choose which firms to bid on (there is no preselect process) and based on your bidding, you'll get a bunch of screening interviews (usually around 20). You can also pick up open slots with firms that haven't filled up during bidding, so if you really want to you can do 30+ interviews. After your OCI screening interviews, firms will extend callback offers. The firms will pay for all reasonable expenses on your trip. If you are interviewing with multiple firms in the same city it is usually a good idea to just stay for a few days and get a bunch of interviews done in one trip, but that isn't always possible. I had to make 3 trips (each with multiple interviews). The good thing is we go back to school so late that you are doing these trips before 2L classes have started.

[2013applicant]

I have a question about OCI. I want to return to NYC after graduation, and so am interested in NYC firms. How does that work? Do the firms come to OCI and then you have to fly to NYC for callbacks and such?

Every large NYC firm sends OCI interviewers to campus for our week of OCI. You will then fly to and stay in NYC (on the firm's dime) for callbacks.

[jsjd1989]

thanks so much!

[2013applicant]

thanks so much!

Np. Also, anecdotally, it seems like our students do well with NYC firms partially because of our smaller class size and the desire of firms to have variety in their classes.

[Xifeng]

As more of a trivial question, how much free food does the law school give out? When I was doing my research for other schools, current students seemed pretty stoked about how many free lunches they could nab each week, but I don't think I've seen anyone say anything about it at Chicago.

I rarely buy my lunch here. It's awesome.