UVA Law Students Taking Questions Forum

[omg]

I always heard Legislation w/ Nelson was really tough. Cavalier, how come you come out differently on that one?

It is pretty tough. At the least, it's filled with law review kids, so the curve is tough. I definitely know people who put in a lot more than minimal effort and didn't do as well as they had hoped.

[vamedic03]

I always heard Legislation w/ Nelson was really tough. Cavalier, how come you come out differently on that one?

It is pretty tough. At the least, it's filled with law review kids, so the curve is tough. I definitely know people who put in a lot more than minimal effort and didn't do as well as they had hoped.

I'm going to echo omg here and say that Legislation with Nelson is a tough class. That said, if you're going to take Legislation, take it with Professor Nelson. He's an awesome professor and he's really a star in statutory interpretation (granted, he's a rockstar in fed courts research as well).

[barry]

Interested in comparing these professors for doctrinals, please post any thoughts on the laptop use policy or the final exam style if its weird.

Brown vs Spellman for evidence in the fall. Lawweb says that Brown does not allow laptops at all and I hear his exams are closed book; nothing about Spellman and laptops, does anyone know if she allows them for her evidence section, and what her exam style is? Noticed she only meets twice a week, would prefer that unless it is a problem to cover all the material?

Fed courts: Jeffries first semester vs Nelson or Woolhandler second semester, or avoid until 3L? If one wants to clerk is it really important to take during 2L?

Criminal Investigations: Armacost first semester or Coughlin second semester?

Legislation: Nelson first semester or Armacost second semester?

Admin law: Magill first semester vs Duffy or Fischman second semester?

Had Nelson and Jeffries last year and know both are great, interested in how the others compare.

Thanks all, will edit down if people already covered these upthread

Brown is a pretty bad teacher, his class is boring and the lecture/powerpoint tends to be rambling/confusing/irrelevant

[Cavalier]

I always heard Legislation w/ Nelson was really tough. Cavalier, how come you come out differently on that one?

Statutory interpretation is all rather intuitive, I think. The curve is tough in Nelson's legislation, of course, but I don't think you need to spend a lot of time studying for it. Legislation is the course I've put the least effort into so far in law school, and things turned out OK.

[ReelectClayDavis]

ReelectClayDavis wrote:
Brown vs Spellman for evidence in the fall. Lawweb says that Brown does not allow laptops at all and I hear his exams are closed book; nothing about Spellman and laptops, does anyone know if she allows them for her evidence section, and what her exam style is? Noticed she only meets twice a week, would prefer that unless it is a problem to cover all the material?

The only correct answer is Michael Collins in the spring. Sorry.

Yeah, unfortunately I can't wait any longer for Evidence since I want to take Trial Advocacy in the spring so that I can clinic next year. Guess I'll go with Spellman unless she prohibits laptops or has a really odd exam.

Is it just my interests making me think this, or are there objectively more interesting courses available in the Spring? Feeling like in order to do all I want in the Spring, I will have to make compromises first semester to get reqs in.

[Morgan12Oak]

LR results come out... tomorrow... monday... already? Thoughts?

[memaha]

LR results come out... tomorrow... monday... already? Thoughts?

already

[joeshmo39]

Brown is a pretty bad teacher, his class is boring and the lecture/powerpoint tends to be rambling/confusing/irrelevant

I have a very different view. I really liked Brown, but you do have to get his sense of humor. Evidence is a dry class, it's not going to be super fun, but his class was fine. The powerpoints were good, they had just the information he needed on them and weren't chock full of garbage. He didn't read from them at all. I found him really likeable but it may be a personality thing because I think he's a little anti-gunner. Also, I just took evidence from him this spring and everyone had laptops so unless that changed this summer he allows them.

[dailygrind]

Yeah, unfortunately I can't wait any longer for Evidence since I want to take Trial Advocacy in the spring so that I can clinic next year. Guess I'll go with Spellman unless she prohibits laptops or has a really odd exam.

Does anyone know how helpful clinics are if one wants to go into litigation? If I litigated (still undecided) I'd probably be most interested in general commercial stuff or perhaps securities/antitrust, and I don't see anything that seems directly applicable (to my 2L eye).

[Cavalier]

Yeah, unfortunately I can't wait any longer for Evidence since I want to take Trial Advocacy in the spring so that I can clinic next year. Guess I'll go with Spellman unless she prohibits laptops or has a really odd exam.

Does anyone know how helpful clinics are if one wants to go into litigation? If I litigated (still undecided) I'd probably be most interested in general commercial stuff or perhaps securities/antitrust, and I don't see anything that seems directly applicable (to my 2L eye).

If you want to do those types of litigation I don't think the clinics will be all that helpful. The clinics give you client interaction and courtroom experience, which is not what a typical antitrust, securities, or general commercial litigation case (at a large law firm) is likely to involve for a junior associate. That said, I'm sure a clinic would be a great experience; it may not be relevant to your first couple years of legal practice, but it definitely could come in handy later on. And I think it would beat taking another exam-based lecture course when you're a bored 3L.

[barry]

Brown is a pretty bad teacher, his class is boring and the lecture/powerpoint tends to be rambling/confusing/irrelevant

I have a very different view. I really liked Brown, but you do have to get his sense of humor. Evidence is a dry class, it's not going to be super fun, but his class was fine. The powerpoints were good, they had just the information he needed on them and weren't chock full of garbage. He didn't read from them at all. I found him really likeable but it may be a personality thing because I think he's a little anti-gunner. Also, I just took evidence from him this spring and everyone had laptops so unless that changed this summer he allows them.

I took him for Crim, so maybe he runs a better evidence class

[dailygrind]

Yeah, unfortunately I can't wait any longer for Evidence since I want to take Trial Advocacy in the spring so that I can clinic next year. Guess I'll go with Spellman unless she prohibits laptops or has a really odd exam.

Does anyone know how helpful clinics are if one wants to go into litigation? If I litigated (still undecided) I'd probably be most interested in general commercial stuff or perhaps securities/antitrust, and I don't see anything that seems directly applicable (to my 2L eye).

If you want to do those types of litigation I don't think the clinics will be all that helpful. The clinics give you client interaction and courtroom experience, which is not what a typical antitrust, securities, or general commercial litigation case (at a large law firm) is likely to involve for a junior associate. That said, I'm sure a clinic would be a great experience; it may not be relevant to your first couple years of legal practice, but it definitely could come in handy later on. And I think it would beat taking another exam-based lecture course when you're a bored 3L.

Good points, thanks.

[mattattack911]

What classes are we likely to have trouble getting into/might fill up quickly/might we want to put at the top of our list?

[Cavalier]

What classes are we likely to have trouble getting into/might fill up quickly/might we want to put at the top of our list?

Obviously classes with fewer spots--so if you want a seminar, put it high. Beyond that, classes that are taught by the great professors tend to go quickly, as well as essential classes (e.g. corporations and evidence) that are being taught by the best available professor. For example, if corporations is being taught by just Kitch and Kordana one semester, the Kordana corporations will go quickly because Kordana is a lot more popular than Kitch.

[gladiator]

If it's a big class that you're dying to get into, in most cases, you can eventually get in off the waitlist if you're willing to stick with it, even the most popular ones with long waitlists.

[mattattack911]

Thanks. You guys are so helpful.

[mattattack911]

No sarcasm, btw. I really mean it! Haha

[Badgers2012]

I'm sorry but can anyone speak to the kind of girls/attractiveness that are law students at UVA? Prospective student and honestly just wondering for social aspects/dating - not meant in a demeaning way at all. Thanks.

[dgouzoul]

I'm sorry but can anyone speak to the kind of girls/attractiveness that are law students at UVA? Prospective student and honestly just wondering for social aspects/dating - not meant in a demeaning way at all. Thanks.

i have broken down the class of 2013's women by the common 10 scale for you-

10- 0
9 - 2
8 - 5
7 - 11
6- 29
5- 67
4- 43
3- 20
2- 5
1- 0

I might be off on a couple of those figures though

[Badgers2012]

If this was serious then thanks haha. Helps a little. Is it common for people to date within UVA law?

[Cavalier]

I'm sorry but can anyone speak to the kind of girls/attractiveness that are law students at UVA? Prospective student and honestly just wondering for social aspects/dating - not meant in a demeaning way at all. Thanks.

According to the University, there are 14,039 undergraduates, 56% of which are women. Undergraduate women, unlike law school women, generally will not grow up to be lawyers, which makes them more preferable, as lawyers are all terrible people (myself included). So your curiosity is unwarranted.

[billyez]

Most of the better-looking gals are taken already anyway or so it seemed.

Brown is a pretty bad teacher, his class is boring and the lecture/powerpoint tends to be rambling/confusing/irrelevant

I have a very different view. I really liked Brown, but you do have to get his sense of humor. Evidence is a dry class, it's not going to be super fun, but his class was fine. The powerpoints were good, they had just the information he needed on them and weren't chock full of garbage. He didn't read from them at all. I found him really likeable but it may be a personality thing because I think he's a little anti-gunner. Also, I just took evidence from him this spring and everyone had laptops so unless that changed this summer he allows them.

Brown does not allow laptops in Crim. He's refreshingly honest about his paternalistic reasoning for doing so.

[5ky]

Brown bans laptops for 1L mandatory classes, but not his others.

[jawsthegreat]

Brown bans laptops for 1L mandatory classes, but not his others.

That's cuz he doesn't care about his others.

[soullesswonder]

Most of the better-looking gals are taken already anyway or so it seemed psycho.

FTFY