Vanderbilt 1L Taking Questions Forum

[kurama20]

How are the 1L semesters divided up at Vandy? 3 doctrinal classes and LRW? Is LRW graded?

[gogators]

How are the 1L semesters divided up at Vandy? 3 doctrinal classes and LRW? Is LRW graded?

First semester is three regular classes and LRW. Unfortunately Vanderbilt is like one of the only top 20 schools to have a graded class (which sucks, believe me). In the spring semester you have 4 classes plus LRW.

[kurama20]

How are the 1L semesters divided up at Vandy? 3 doctrinal classes and LRW? Is LRW graded?

First semester is three regular classes and LRW. Unfortunately Vanderbilt is like one of the only top 20 schools to have a graded class (which sucks, believe me). In the spring semester you have 4 classes plus LRW.

Yeah that does suck. Thanks for answering the question though!

[vhalcyon]

I actually interviewd with an alumni from Vandy and he loved the school....
The only thing I'm very worried about is the job prospect. I know all the schools have been hit pretty hard, but it seems like Vandy places most(?) of its students in Atlanta which was hit extra hard by the economy. I know you just started school there, but do you get any senses on the job situation for recent Vandy graduates?

i'm not sure that i would say that vandy places most of its students in atlanta. i dont have the list in front of me from the class of 2009 (rez, you out there?) but i know that this year's 2Ls that are employed in DC, NY, LA, Nashville, Houston, Columbus, etc. next summer. the job market is not great but vandy still does well.

[gogators]

I actually interviewd with an alumni from Vandy and he loved the school....
The only thing I'm very worried about is the job prospect. I know all the schools have been hit pretty hard, but it seems like Vandy places most(?) of its students in Atlanta which was hit extra hard by the economy. I know you just started school there, but do you get any senses on the job situation for recent Vandy graduates?

i'm not sure that i would say that vandy places most of its students in atlanta. i dont have the list in front of me from the class of 2009 (rez, you out there?) but i know that this year's 2Ls that are employed in DC, NY, LA, Nashville, Houston, Columbus, etc. next summer. the job market is not great but vandy still does well.

I would agree with this. Vandy places very well compared to other schools in the market right now. In fact, California is our 5th biggest market.

[rezipsa]

agreed.

see lawschooltransparency.com to see the firms where past vandy grads have placed.

[gogators]

Bringing this up again as an opportunity for anyone new to ask questions about Vanderbilt from a current 1L. I found it very helpful when applying so shoot away.

[jms1987]

What kind of jobs are available in Tennessee? Any bigger firms?

[gogators]

What kind of jobs are available in Tennessee? Any bigger firms?

Nashville is obviously huge in Entertainment law, but also has the biggest IP firm for most of the South. Bottom line though is that most people aren't looking to stay in TN after law school and so are looking more toward Atlanta or Washington. I guess the bottom line is that if you're looking to stay in TN, Vanderbilt will certainly help get the job, but I don't know how much better really it is than UT.

[jms1987]

Thanks for the reply. I didn't think most grads would stay in Tennessee, but just thought I'd ask since Vandy is one of my forst choices. How well does it place in Texas with UT as competition there?

[Biglawl1L]

Thanks for taking questions. Has there been any talk of Vandy revising its LRAP to dovetail with IBR like some of its competitors have done (UCLA, GTown, NU, etc)?

Also, how did the PI kids (those interested in PI careers) do at OCI this past year?

[beesknees]

Hey Gator, thanks for being willing to answer more questions.

Anyway, I know you said that one of the reasons you chose Vandy was for its laid back atmosphere. My question, though, is is there a sense of community in the law school or does it feel more like a "commuter" type school (people go there for classes but then go back to their lives after). I will be visiting for Vandy's ASD, but I figured I'd get an extra perspective on that.

Also, according to the recent employment data, it seems that (at least for the c/o 2009) Vandy has been kicking ass and taking names, especially considering its non-T14 status. Do you get that sense, having searched for 1L summer employment and from 2L friends or is the economy really taking its toll? I know that a single perspective doesn't say much, but its all we have to go on since c/o 2010 and your class numbers won't be released until we are already in LS.

[gogators]

Thanks for the reply. I didn't think most grads would stay in Tennessee, but just thought I'd ask since Vandy is one of my forst choices. How well does it place in Texas with UT as competition there?

I don't have exact numbers, but I believe that around 25% of our class goes to the Southwest so clearly we must be doing well. I will caveat that with the fact that I haven't really heard any classmates saying that they want to go to Texas to practice law (although I'm sure most would take any job in this market). After talking with alumni, the Vandy name is really going places outside of the southeast and I wouldn't be too afraid of going to Vandy to go back to Texas although I'm sure that if you want to stay in Texas your best bet would still probably be to go to UT.

[gogators]

Thanks for taking questions. Has there been any talk of Vandy revising its LRAP to dovetail with IBR like some of its competitors have done (UCLA, GTown, NU, etc)?

Also, how did the PI kids (those interested in PI careers) do at OCI this past year?

No, I don't think that they've really talked about the LRAP much. Instead, they've been focusing on figuring out how to give all the law students summer stipends since getting a summer job is tough. That being said, I've gotten offers and I know students at other law schools who can't even get someone on the phone.

Also, sorry but I don't have any info on PI for OCI

[gogators]

Hey Gator, thanks for being willing to answer more questions.

Anyway, I know you said that one of the reasons you chose Vandy was for its laid back atmosphere. My question, though, is is there a sense of community in the law school or does it feel more like a "commuter" type school (people go there for classes but then go back to their lives after). I will be visiting for Vandy's ASD, but I figured I'd get an extra perspective on that.

Also, according to the recent employment data, it seems that (at least for the c/o 2009) Vandy has been kicking ass and taking names, especially considering its non-T14 status. Do you get that sense, having searched for 1L summer employment and from 2L friends or is the economy really taking its toll? I know that a single perspective doesn't say much, but its all we have to go on since c/o 2010 and your class numbers won't be released until we are already in LS.

For the first question, it's definitely not a commuter school. A large portion of the class actually lives within walking distance and people definitely don't just come to class and go home right afterward. Being that we're a relatively small school we are definitely a tight knit community and something that is appealing to the student body.

Secondly, 1L's across the board here seem to have OPTIONS for the summer, which compared to other friends attending law school seems to be crazy. Granted, there are positions that aren't paying and non-profit/government work, but the law school has a really good summer stipend program to give you $5000 for the summer if you take one of those jobs. For 2L's, yes there is still the excuse to a degree that the economy is taking a toll compared to previous years, but I haven't met a 2L yet who doesn't have a job for the summer yet. Now, some of those students had to go beyond OCI and go to career fairs, etc. but the point is that they have good paying jobs for this summer and clearly based on the numbers we're seeing its pretty good compared to others.

[beesknees]

Secondly, 1L's across the board here seem to have OPTIONS for the summer, which compared to other friends attending law school seems to be crazy. Granted, there are positions that aren't paying and non-profit/government work, but the law school has a really good summer stipend program to give you $5000 for the summer if you take one of those jobs. For 2L's, yes there is still the excuse to a degree that the economy is taking a toll compared to previous years, but I haven't met a 2L yet who doesn't have a job for the summer yet. Now, some of those students had to go beyond OCI and go to career fairs, etc. but the point is that they have good paying jobs for this summer and clearly based on the numbers we're seeing its pretty good compared to others.

That definitely makes me excited to visit Vandy! It fluctuates between my first and second choice (the other being Michigan). If Vandy comes through with a decent financial aid package, I just might give the finger to the USNWR rankings (unlike so many people I see on here). I originally thought it'd be Cornell vs Michigan, but Vandy truly seems to be on par, if not better than Cornell, especially for someone like me who will prefer to work in the south. And considering how strongly Vandy seems to place in the south, I'm not sure all that extra debt (and potential sleepless nights nearing graduation) for Michigan would be worth it.

[chicoalto0649]

I loved vanderbilt when I visited.

That is all.

[gogators]

Secondly, 1L's across the board here seem to have OPTIONS for the summer, which compared to other friends attending law school seems to be crazy. Granted, there are positions that aren't paying and non-profit/government work, but the law school has a really good summer stipend program to give you $5000 for the summer if you take one of those jobs. For 2L's, yes there is still the excuse to a degree that the economy is taking a toll compared to previous years, but I haven't met a 2L yet who doesn't have a job for the summer yet. Now, some of those students had to go beyond OCI and go to career fairs, etc. but the point is that they have good paying jobs for this summer and clearly based on the numbers we're seeing its pretty good compared to others.

That definitely makes me excited to visit Vandy! It fluctuates between my first and second choice (the other being Michigan). If Vandy comes through with a decent financial aid package, I just might give the finger to the USNWR rankings (unlike so many people I see on here). I originally thought it'd be Cornell vs Michigan, but Vandy truly seems to be on par, if not better than Cornell, especially for someone like me who will prefer to work in the south. And considering how strongly Vandy seems to place in the south, I'm not sure all that extra debt (and potential sleepless nights nearing graduation) for Michigan would be worth it.

I was torn between Vandy and Cornell last year. After visiting Cornell twice and now being a student at Vandy, my QOL I'm sure is MUCH higher than it would have been at Cornell. Not to mention that Cornell really only has an advantage over firms in NY and if yoiu go outside the northeast Vandy can be just as good or better. Michigan is a great school though and really that situation seems to come down to a preference thing in the end (and the $$$ of course)

[pleasetryagain]

How tolerable is living in Nashville? Does the gimmicky touristy nonsense get to you eventually? Will someone who hates country music be able to find respite from it? On a scale of 1-10 what is the level of redneck that you experience regularly (I live in the south and where I am it is definitely a 7-9)? How is the diversity? How is the food - is there a place where you can get a good sandwich (unlike everywhere else I've been in Tennessee)? Are there lots of young people or do you have to seek them out?

This may seem a bit insincere but they are all concerns of mine.

[gogators]

How tolerable is living in Nashville? Does the gimmicky touristy nonsense get to you eventually? Will someone who hates country music be able to find respite from it? On a scale of 1-10 what is the level of redneck that you experience regularly (I live in the south and where I am it is definitely a 7-9)? How is the diversity? How is the food - is there a place where you can get a good sandwich (unlike everywhere else I've been in Tennessee)? Are there lots of young people or do you have to seek them out?

This may seem a bit insincere but they are all concerns of mine.

1 - I never see tourists unless I go down to Broadway (which is rare since there are a million bars around the University)
2 - Nashville is actually a liberal city compared to the rest of TN (haven't had a non-Democrat mayor in like 75 years)
3 - My friends are huge food buffs and while I don't particularly care much about where I get food, they seem to rave about the immense variety of options. Don't know much more about it though.
4 - I don't like country music very much but its definitely something that doesn't come up especially if you don't go down to Broadway. Now, if you do go down there, there are places that aren't country but you get what you get.
5 - Nashville is a very young city, a lot of young professionals so its definitely not redneck.

Now if you go outside of Nashville all these things can change, but as a person who rarely leaves the city limits, I don't have a problem.

[turkishangora]

How are the 1L semesters divided up at Vandy? 3 doctrinal classes and LRW? Is LRW graded?

First semester is three regular classes and LRW. Unfortunately Vanderbilt is like one of the only top 20 schools to have a graded class (which sucks, believe me). In the spring semester you have 4 classes plus LRW.

is LRW graded both semesters or only the 2nd?

Also, how are the professors? Are they really friendly/willing to mentor or mostly out of sight except for teaching?

On a related question, how academically oriented are the students? Thanks!

[thickfreakness]

I loved vanderbilt when I visited.

That is all.

+1. Visited recently and absolutely loved it. The admissions staff was so friendly, honest, and helpful. Went to a few apartments and cruised around Hillsboro Village and West End for a good bit checking out apartments and the general vibes of the neighborhoods. Looks like there are some really great options that are rather close to the school.

[gogators]

How are the 1L semesters divided up at Vandy? 3 doctrinal classes and LRW? Is LRW graded?

First semester is three regular classes and LRW. Unfortunately Vanderbilt is like one of the only top 20 schools to have a graded class (which sucks, believe me). In the spring semester you have 4 classes plus LRW.

is LRW graded both semesters or only the 2nd?

Also, how are the professors? Are they really friendly/willing to mentor or mostly out of sight except for teaching?

On a related question, how academically oriented are the students? Thanks!

LRW is graded both semesters, which is good and bad depending on who you talk to. They are actually bringing in a new overall LRW professor but he's going to continue the grading system.

The professors are awesome. Here's the deal. A lot of the professors were like editor of the law review at some top ten school, clerked for blah blah, etc. And those same people are young...like in their 30's and ridiculously smart. They are clearly going to be the future professors at Harvard, Yale, Standford but we get to have them here as professors now while they are young, open to new ideas, and incredibly personable and WANTING to know their students. This was something I had no idea about coming to Vandy and now I honestly think its probably the best advantage Vandy has compared to other schools.

[turkishangora]

How are the 1L semesters divided up at Vandy? 3 doctrinal classes and LRW? Is LRW graded?

First semester is three regular classes and LRW. Unfortunately Vanderbilt is like one of the only top 20 schools to have a graded class (which sucks, believe me). In the spring semester you have 4 classes plus LRW.

is LRW graded both semesters or only the 2nd?

Also, how are the professors? Are they really friendly/willing to mentor or mostly out of sight except for teaching?

On a related question, how academically oriented are the students? Thanks!

LRW is graded both semesters, which is good and bad depending on who you talk to. They are actually bringing in a new overall LRW professor but he's going to continue the grading system.

The professors are awesome. Here's the deal. A lot of the professors were like editor of the law review at some top ten school, clerked for blah blah, etc. And those same people are young...like in their 30's and ridiculously smart. They are clearly going to be the future professors at Harvard, Yale, Standford but we get to have them here as professors now while they are young, open to new ideas, and incredibly personable and WANTING to know their students. This was something I had no idea about coming to Vandy and now I honestly think its probably the best advantage Vandy has compared to other schools.

wow that's awesome. now I can't wait to visit. just one more question though, is the library really just a room on the second floor?

[gogators]

wow that's awesome. now I can't wait to visit. just one more question though, is the library really just a room on the second floor?

[/quote]

No, the library is on the second floor but it takes up most of the second floor and has its own third floor. I've seen a fair number of other law libraries and doesn't seem all that different. Plus we have a smaller student body so there is less competition for seating space. Personally I like the third floor Tarkington Suite but I've never had a problem trying to find room to spread out.