Harvard Student(s) Answering Your Questions Forum

[ph14]

Are we in rough shape for academia/a top (federal, I guess?) clerkship if we don't get on the Law Review? I'd imagine both are still possible but considerably harder.

Not necessarily. We have had SCOTUS clerks who weren't on law review and we have people with top feeder clerkships who weren't on law review.

That being said, the clerkship process is much easier if you are on HLR than if you're not. There are other qualifications that will at least partially substitute for HLR (BSA, Ames Moot Court Finalist, top 5% grades, etc.), but HLR makes it easier.

I agree.

[Doorkeeper]

Are we in rough shape for academia/a top (federal, I guess?) clerkship if we don't get on the Law Review? I'd imagine both are still possible but considerably harder.

Absolutely not.

Grades + Professors matter for clerkships.

Publishing matters for academia.

[BelugaWhale]

I know warren is the tax god but Im thinking of doing tax with Halperin, anybody know/have expierience with him?

[Doorkeeper]

I know warren is the tax god but Im thinking of doing tax with Halperin, anybody know/have expierience with him?

Don't do it. I've heard nothing but bad things from my friends in his class now.

[tomwatts]

I said this a few pages back, but I'll say it again: everyone knows Warren is great for Tax, but Kaplow gets pretty good reviews, and I strongly suspect that he's a hidden gem. The other two have awful reviews, though I have no first-hand or second-hand experience with their teaching.

[EvMont]

Can someone please explain how taking big law SA position might affect grant aid at HLS? TIA!

[tomwatts]

It increases your student contribution (which subtracts from your grant aid). For more details, go here or use the calculator.

[EvMont]

It increases your student contribution (which subtracts from your grant aid). For more details, go here or use the calculator.

Thanks for the links! I hadn't discovered these.

[BelugaWhale]

anybody taking sargentich's jurisprudence: legal ideas class? Mainly wanna know how's the workload and how are grades done (final exam, paper, etc)

[TripTrip]

anybody taking sargentich's jurisprudence: legal ideas class? Mainly wanna know how's the workload and how are grades done (final exam, paper, etc)

It's an any-day takehome exam

I love Sarge, but you have to be pretty serious about theory to take his classes and do well on his exams.

[094320]

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[BelugaWhale]

anybody taking sargentich's jurisprudence: legal ideas class? Mainly wanna know how's the workload and how are grades done (final exam, paper, etc)

It's an any-day takehome exam: http://hlsdope.org/class.php?id=102

I love Sarge, but you have to be pretty serious about theory to take his classes and do well on his exams.

thanks! looks like it's tax with Halperin then

[nunumaster]

How much would NYU have to offer in aid for you to have picked it over HLS at 85K?
Would love to hear some of your opinions http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=228145

[Searchparty]

I, without much foresight, scheduled to begin work the week of the HLR competition (vacations later). I really want to take it seriously and I think I can still put in substantial hours (although I am working 9-5), but I'm very concerned as I hear everyone works all day, every day on the competition. Is it really worth pushing my start date back and making myself look (feel) stupid to my employer? It's unpaid, and they seem very, very flexible, but I still feel badly about it.

If the question is: would you rather push your start date back by a week to get onto HLR, obviously yes.
But I think my question is: can I realistically get on HLR by working ~3-5 hours a day on it (except the weekend days I'll work more)?

[ph14]

I, without much foresight, scheduled to begin work the week of the HLR competition (vacations later). I really want to take it seriously and I think I can still put in substantial hours (although I am working 9-5), but I'm very concerned as I hear everyone works all day, every day on the competition. Is it really worth pushing my start date back and making myself look (feel) stupid to my employer? It's unpaid, and they seem very, very flexible, but I still feel badly about it.

If the question is: would you rather push your start date back by a week to get onto HLR, obviously yes.
But I think my question is: can I realistically get on HLR by working ~3-5 hours a day on it (except the weekend days I'll work more)?

I think it would be a good idea to push back your start date. But give me some more details, are you working for a judge? That could be a delicate situation that you should handle carefully, though I imagine that most judges would be very understanding.

It's impossible to say whether you could "realistically get on" working "~3-5 hours a day." I will, say, though that I think it will put you at a more than insignificant disadvantage. If it were me, I would get my job pushed back, which shouldn't really be a big issue other than a mildly embarrassing email, so that I could spend more than my spare hours on the writing competition. It's possible to get on though. People have done it while working. People have done it while simultaneously doing the writing competition for the school from which they are transferring from.

That's just my opinion, though. Others may feel different. Feel free to PM me if you want more thoughts (though keep in mind I can't give any strategic advice).

[despina]

I have no special knowledge about HLR, just wanted to second the notion that it's no big deal to politely ask your summer employer to push back your start (and end) date. The worst they can say is "no," but since you're working for free and they're lawyers, they'll probably understand "I'd like to take the Harvard Law Review competition."

Don't know anything about judges so I'd defer to ph14 on that.

[Doorkeeper]

I, without much foresight, scheduled to begin work the week of the HLR competition (vacations later). I really want to take it seriously and I think I can still put in substantial hours (although I am working 9-5), but I'm very concerned as I hear everyone works all day, every day on the competition. Is it really worth pushing my start date back and making myself look (feel) stupid to my employer? It's unpaid, and they seem very, very flexible, but I still feel badly about it.

If the question is: would you rather push your start date back by a week to get onto HLR, obviously yes.
But I think my question is: can I realistically get on HLR by working ~3-5 hours a day on it (except the weekend days I'll work more)?

No. Just no. I worked about 10-12 hours a day on it and I still ran right up to the deadline. Push back your start date.

[EvelynS]

Any recommendations on "must take" business law courses with particular professors (already took core ones like Tax, Corporations, Sec Reg, Corporate Finance, and M&A)?

[lawlorbust]

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[ph14]

maybe it's been asked (sorry - cbf'ed with the search function), but any general advice for a 0L? or to frame it in a different way, what would you, knowing all you do about HLS now with your year(s) of experience, do differently if you started from the beginning?

Thanks for searching before asking. One good piece of general advice that comes to mind is don't worry or get caught up in what everyone else is doing. Do what you think will work for you, which might be completely different than what other people in your section are doing.

[094320]

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[094320]

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[094320]

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[BelugaWhale]

I, without much foresight, scheduled to begin work the week of the HLR competition (vacations later). I really want to take it seriously and I think I can still put in substantial hours (although I am working 9-5), but I'm very concerned as I hear everyone works all day, every day on the competition. Is it really worth pushing my start date back and making myself look (feel) stupid to my employer? It's unpaid, and they seem very, very flexible, but I still feel badly about it.

If the question is: would you rather push your start date back by a week to get onto HLR, obviously yes.
But I think my question is: can I realistically get on HLR by working ~3-5 hours a day on it (except the weekend days I'll work more)?

I haven't heard of anyone finishing, let alone finishing & making law review, in that little time.

I have a friend who goes to NYU that made it onto their law review while working the first week of our SA.

[BelugaWhale]

maybe it's been asked (sorry - cbf'ed with the search function), but any general advice for a 0L? or to frame it in a different way, what would you, knowing all you do about HLS now with your year(s) of experience, do differently if you started from the beginning?

Thanks for searching before asking. One good piece of general advice that comes to mind is don't worry or get caught up in what everyone else is doing. Do what you think will work for you, which might be completely different than what other people in your section are doing.

my main piece of advice is to study for the test and this doesn't necessarily overlap with doing the readings or studying for class ( in the sense that doing all the readings meticulously, if it helps you for the final, go for it, but don't read for the sake of being prepared when getting cold called). You're grade depends only on one final, so make sure to study for that.