UVA Law Students Taking Questions Forum

[Va L Rev Stud]

<2 Months? Climb Denali

~4-6 months? Hike the AT

12 months? Hike part of the Pacific Crest Trail

Yea i would be looking more at this time frame. Mount McKinley would be pretty awesome. But would this ever make a difference in interviews? would it be a convo starter? or would they still just be looking at grades, etc.

They'll just look at grades and past work experience.

The truth of the matter is that nothing you do in a year will make any difference for OGI. That said, life experiences will make you a better student and employee.

Oh yeah?

[Frankie55]

I've read in this thread that housing goes quickly. If I wait pretty close to the deposit deadline to see if an offer from another school materializes, will I be out of luck on finding something within walking distance, or is it not that bad?

Also, paranoid question, but if there are no deadlines in a letter for your scholly award, that probably means the deadline to accept is the same as the deposit deadline, right?

[paulinaporizkova]

sooo who can tell me anything about the grad centre? (single lease for a shared apt in the 500s, so it's pretty reasonable)

i might be able to find a roommate and do ivy/jeffersonian/something, but nothing is set in stone now, so just in case i am coming in as a loner, what can you tell me?

[omg]

Assumption--If you want employers to be impressed, you need to do something that you can legitimately put near the top of your resume. So, while climbing Denali or playing in the world series of poker would be awesome life experiences (and potentially much more worthwhile overall than what I'm about to suggest, haha, I'm just trying to answer your question from the employment perspective...), they would only be little blurbs that you could put at the bottom of your resume, if at all.

The two things that every interviewer at OGI asked me about were my senior thesis--specifically because it has a really eye-catching title--and past internships that were really substantive but not necessarily run-of-the-mill law student stuff. Most interviewers were also interested in the fact that I had a publication history in a fairly interesting academic area.

I think the international court idea sounds perfect for this kind of thing. Maybe you won't get it as a 0L, but it doesn't hurt to apply. And I don't know how much of a writer you are, but if you can get something published, that would be worth it in my opinion. It doesn't have to be anything legal or even academic, just something interesting and respectable.

Again, these aren't BIGGEST THING IN YOUR LIFE type experiences, haha, but are just some more ideas to consider.

[turkeysub]

If you want the WSOP to be of any use at all, you basically need to win a bracelet. Any scrub with a few K sitting around can play in an event.

[showNprove]

If you want the WSOP to be of any use at all, you basically need to win a bracelet. Any scrub with a few K sitting around can play in an event.

False. The experience, regardless of results, would be enough to spark a conversation that could build the connection with the interviewer, which is really all you need to get the job (once you get into the door).

I would suggest choosing your deferral year activity based on (a) something you enjoy, and (b) something a lot of people would find interesting. I know people with work experience and publication history who can't get the jobs they want because the attorneys simply don't want to be around them for an extended period of time. Use law school to build up your resume (grades, journals, moot court, Dillard, 1L summer gig, etc.). Use your time before law school to enjoy life, and do something that would catch a normal person's attention. After all, most lawyers are normal people.

If I one day end up on the hiring committee at my firm--which is something I'd like to do--I can tell you right now that I would more excited to talk to the guy who entered the WSOP than the guy who wrote an academic paper (assuming other credentials are similar).

[Cavalier]

sooo who can tell me anything about the grad centre? (single lease for a shared apt in the 500s, so it's pretty reasonable)

i might be able to find a roommate and do ivy/jeffersonian/something, but nothing is set in stone now, so just in case i am coming in as a loner, what can you tell me?

It's a decent place to live, but a lot depends on the other people in the apartment.

[Va L Rev Stud]

If you want the WSOP to be of any use at all, you basically need to win a bracelet. Any scrub with a few K sitting around can play in an event.

False. The experience, regardless of results, would be enough to spark a conversation that could build the connection with the interviewer, which is really all you need to get the job (once you get into the door).

I would suggest choosing your deferral year activity based on (a) something you enjoy, and (b) something a lot of people would find interesting. I know people with work experience and publication history who can't get the jobs they want because the attorneys simply don't want to be around them for an extended period of time. Use law school to build up your resume (grades, journals, moot court, Dillard, 1L summer gig, etc.). Use your time before law school to enjoy life, and do something that would catch a normal person's attention. After all, most lawyers are normal people.

If I one day end up on the hiring committee at my firm--which is something I'd like to do--I can tell you right now that I would more excited to talk to the guy who entered the WSOP than the guy who wrote an academic paper (assuming other credentials are similar).

You'd rather talk about poker than the niceties of substantive due process? For what purpose?

[arism87]

What's the deal with football games and law students?

[Frankie55]

sooo who can tell me anything about the grad centre? (single lease for a shared apt in the 500s, so it's pretty reasonable)

i might be able to find a roommate and do ivy/jeffersonian/something, but nothing is set in stone now, so just in case i am coming in as a loner, what can you tell me?

It's a decent place to live, but a lot depends on the other people in the apartment.

don't you share a bedroom with someone there, as in copeley?

[pjo]

What's the deal with football games and law students?

+1, I'm hoping we can get cheap student tickets. I think the football program is potentially on the upswing. They were able to recruit a lot of top players in this years draft class (I believe they were a top 15 draft team by ESPN) and I think London is a great coach and just generally a good guy. I know he did a lot for Richmond's program and was really active with the student body as a whole. Still, it's gonna be tough in the ACC with FSU.

[Cavalier]

sooo who can tell me anything about the grad centre? (single lease for a shared apt in the 500s, so it's pretty reasonable)

i might be able to find a roommate and do ivy/jeffersonian/something, but nothing is set in stone now, so just in case i am coming in as a loner, what can you tell me?

It's a decent place to live, but a lot depends on the other people in the apartment.

don't you share a bedroom with someone there, as in copeley?

No, you have your own bedroom and bathroom. You share a large room with a kitchen and a couch with three other people.

What's the deal with football games and law students?

+1, I'm hoping we can get cheap student tickets. I think the football program is potentially on the upswing. They were able to recruit a lot of top players in this years draft class (I believe they were a top 15 draft team by ESPN) and I think London is a great coach and just generaly a good guy. I know he did a lot for Richmond's program and was really active with the student body as a whole. Still, it's gonna be tough in the ACC with FSU.

Football (and basketball) games are free for all UVA students.

[sundance95]

^ Free? Nice.

[arism87]

What's the deal with football games and law students?

+1, I'm hoping we can get cheap student tickets. I think the football program is potentially on the upswing. They were able to recruit a lot of top players in this years draft class (I believe they were a top 15 draft team by ESPN) and I think London is a great coach and just generally a good guy. I know he did a lot for Richmond's program and was really active with the student body as a whole. Still, it's gonna be tough in the ACC with FSU.

heh, I don't really care if they're any good- it just feels more legitimate to tailgate if I at least show up for the first quarter..

[5ky]

Football (and basketball) games are free for all UVA students.

Baseball as well. The baseball stadium is quite close to the law school, and UVa is currently #3 in the country.

[sundance95]

This sounds great, although it will be tough to get used to the *ping* of aluminum bats.

[arism87]

This sounds great, although it will be tough to get used to the *ping* of aluminum bats.

+1, but UVA baseball = home of Ryan Zimmerman, my future husband. I'll get over it.

[gladiator]

All UVA student tickets are free.
Basketball has a lottery system but demand almost always exceeds supply (perhaps this will change if our team lives up to expectations next year).
Our soccer, lacrosse, tennis, and baseball teams are all very good and theoretically football and basketball will be getting better over time.

[005618502]

Any UVA current students who recieved need based aid, I would love a PM! I am curious if it is really only loans? Or do they give decent grants for need, and about how much.

[5ky]

Any UVA current students who recieved need based aid, I would love a PM! I am curious if it is really only loans? Or do they give decent grants for need, and about how much.

Professional school bro, all loans, schools don't foot the bill for it for the most part. A good chunk of people are now financially independent from their parents; law schools/fed. govt would be giving massive grants if that were the case.

[005618502]

Any UVA current students who recieved need based aid, I would love a PM! I am curious if it is really only loans? Or do they give decent grants for need, and about how much.

Professional school bro, all loans, schools don't foot the bill for it for the most part. A good chunk of people are now financially independent from their parents; law schools/fed. govt would be giving massive grants if that were the case.

Not true. Friend got a 25,000 dollar need based grant from Penn (over 50,000 for the 3 years). Is this just because it is private?

[Doritos]

Any UVA current students who recieved need based aid, I would love a PM! I am curious if it is really only loans? Or do they give decent grants for need, and about how much.

Professional school bro, all loans, schools don't foot the bill for it for the most part. A good chunk of people are now financially independent from their parents; law schools/fed. govt would be giving massive grants if that were the case.

Not true. Friend got a 25,000 dollar need based grant from Penn (over 50,000 for the 3 years). Is this just because it is private?

Has to be. It's almost impossible for my reported income to be any lower and still have shelter and food and I got 0 need-based.

[paulinaporizkova]

Any UVA current students who recieved need based aid, I would love a PM! I am curious if it is really only loans? Or do they give decent grants for need, and about how much.

didn't you get this info already? everyone's came out a couple weeks ago via email from the school

[dailygrind]

Any UVA current students who recieved need based aid, I would love a PM! I am curious if it is really only loans? Or do they give decent grants for need, and about how much.

Professional school bro, all loans, schools don't foot the bill for it for the most part. A good chunk of people are now financially independent from their parents; law schools/fed. govt would be giving massive grants if that were the case.

Not true. Friend got a 25,000 dollar need based grant from Penn (over 50,000 for the 3 years). Is this just because it is private?

does he have kids or heavy loans from undergrad? i don't really compare notes on this sort of thing, but i don't think i know anyone at any school who has a need based grant.

[r6_philly]

Not true. Friend got a 25,000 dollar need based grant from Penn (over 50,000 for the 3 years). Is this just because it is private?

does he have kids or heavy loans from undergrad? i don't really compare notes on this sort of thing, but i don't think i know anyone at any school who has a need based grant.

I got more from Penn and Berkeley (wow) and got 0 need based form UVA. I actually know someone who got at least 30k more need than me from Penn.