Bored GULC 3L Taking Questions Forum

[eljefe1]

ur drunk bro

[Sgtpeppernyc]

ur drunk bro

You started it.

[nhs]

Another GULC 3L here. Will answer questions if there are any left.

[nhs]

Gotcha. Makes sense.

So I read about the "Dean's Tuition Grants" that are awarded on a need base basis to ~ 1/3 of the incoming classes, and my question is this: are these really "need based" grants? Or are these grants just given out indiscriminately? And what are the average award sizes, if you know that information.


thanks, yo.


ohhh. also, do those who get "Deans grants" have a difficult time renewing them from year to year?

Yes, they are really need-based. I think they just automatically renew, with some contraction if you have a 2L SA. No idea on average size.

[nhs]

lol.

you know anyone that got a clerkship?

I know some of them. What do you want to know?

[BillPackets]

Billpackets, I don't know what kind of point you're trying to prove by rehashing this good fellows level of sobriety.

What we need to be concerned with right now is the identities of the top 10% at GULC, and how dangerous they may be.

eljefe1, I just like to quote things that make me lol. That line made me lol. I'll keep that ish private from now on.

now i'm just upset that I didn't make you lol.

Oh, I'll make you lol alright.

[hichvichwoh]

Gotcha. Makes sense.

So I read about the "Dean's Tuition Grants" that are awarded on a need base basis to ~ 1/3 of the incoming classes, and my question is this: are these really "need based" grants? Or are these grants just given out indiscriminately? And what are the average award sizes, if you know that information.


thanks, yo.


ohhh. also, do those who get "Deans grants" have a difficult time renewing them from year to year?

Yes, they are really need-based. I think they just automatically renew, with some contraction if you have a 2L SA. No idea on average size.

how much did yours contract with SA? Please don't say 30k

[nhs]

Gotcha. Makes sense.

So I read about the "Dean's Tuition Grants" that are awarded on a need base basis to ~ 1/3 of the incoming classes, and my question is this: are these really "need based" grants? Or are these grants just given out indiscriminately? And what are the average award sizes, if you know that information.


thanks, yo.


ohhh. also, do those who get "Deans grants" have a difficult time renewing them from year to year?

Yes, they are really need-based. I think they just automatically renew, with some contraction if you have a 2L SA. No idea on average size.

how much did yours contract with SA? Please don't say 30k

They use a formula. Email them to ask what it is for planning purposes. I think it was around 30%? They take how much you're projected to make over the summer, subtract some generous allowance for living + taxes over the summer (18.5k?), multiply the remainder by 65% (?), subtract another 2k (?), and the result is the amount the lower your grant by. Those numbers are imprecise, but ballpark-reasonable.

So say you have a 30k grant. We're talking 8k that they expect you to contribute or so off the top of my head.

[hichvichwoh]

Gotcha. Makes sense.

So I read about the "Dean's Tuition Grants" that are awarded on a need base basis to ~ 1/3 of the incoming classes, and my question is this: are these really "need based" grants? Or are these grants just given out indiscriminately? And what are the average award sizes, if you know that information.


thanks, yo.


ohhh. also, do those who get "Deans grants" have a difficult time renewing them from year to year?

Yes, they are really need-based. I think they just automatically renew, with some contraction if you have a 2L SA. No idea on average size.

how much did yours contract with SA? Please don't say 30k

They use a formula. Email them to ask what it is for planning purposes. I think it was around 30%? They take how much you're projected to make over the summer, subtract some generous allowance for living + taxes over the summer (18.5k?), multiply the remainder by 65% (?), subtract another 2k (?), and the result is the amount the lower your grant by. Those numbers are imprecise, but ballpark-reasonable.

So say you have a 30k grant. We're talking 8k that they expect you to contribute or so off the top of my head.

hm, ok, thanks for the info

[panharmonix]

It sounds like it's pretty easy to get experience during the school year as a GULC student. Would you recommend ppl who are aiming for BigLaw to take advantage of govt work experience or just focus on grades? Seems like TLS consensus is that having other sector experience can be either a red flag to BigLaw employers or simply irrelevant.

thanks for doing this!

[nhs]

It sounds like it's pretty easy to get experience during the school year as a GULC student. Would you recommend ppl who are aiming for BigLaw to take advantage of govt work experience or just focus on grades? Seems like TLS consensus is that having other sector experience can be either a red flag to BigLaw employers or simply irrelevant.

thanks for doing this!

If you want BigLaw, you should only focus on grades 1L year. Period. You'll have plenty of time during 2L and 3L to extern wherever you want.

[Sgtpeppernyc]

Plus nobody externs during 1L year anyway.

That said, what a lot of people do is extern during the first semester of 2L year. That way, you can at least tell firms that you have already been accepted and plan to extern during the semester. This can be a huge asset in certain cases (FCC for communications law, SEC for securities / corporate, DOJ pretty much across the board, etc.).

[gmenagerie]

Ah I see. Thanks so much!
Do 1Ls who are gunning for PI/govt usually extern?

[nhs]

Ah I see. Thanks so much!
Do 1Ls who are gunning for PI/govt usually extern?

I know very, very few people who externed during 1L. Incidentally, they're both going to V5 firms now. I think that regardless of your career path, the focus should be on acclimating to law school and grades during 1L. In addition, you can't get credit for externing during 1L year, while you can during 2L and 3L.

[nhs]

Yes, they are really need-based. I think they just automatically renew, with some contraction if you have a 2L SA. No idea on average size.

how much did yours contract with SA? Please don't say 30k

They use a formula. Email them to ask what it is for planning purposes. I think it was around 30%? They take how much you're projected to make over the summer, subtract some generous allowance for living + taxes over the summer (18.5k?), multiply the remainder by 65% (?), subtract another 2k (?), and the result is the amount the lower your grant by. Those numbers are imprecise, but ballpark-reasonable.

So say you have a 30k grant. We're talking 8k that they expect you to contribute or so off the top of my head.

hm, ok, thanks for the info

Let me just edit this to say that I had it a touch backwards last night; the 30k number threw me off (by using it both as the grant number and the income number). The amount they take off your grant is basically constant, regardless of how much the total is, so long as you make a BigLaw summer income and you're in a big city. If either of those things are different, they take off/expect you to contribute less.

[TheSpanishMain]

Title says it all. 3L, 'bout to graduate, biglaw offer lined up. Let 'em rip.

How much debt are you in, and, being in the best scenario possible upon graduation from GULC, for how long do you think you will humor misery, and at that time how do you think you'll go out (by layoff or attrition)?

What's your plan after BigLaw spits you out, if any?

Dig the pointlessly antagonistic tone, bro.

Starting at GULC in the fall. Any basic, general tips for 1L year? Professors to attempt to avoid if possible? I've lived in DC before, so I don't necessarily mean tips about the city, more like stuff you wish you'd known as it relates to the school itself.

[hichvichwoh]

Title says it all. 3L, 'bout to graduate, biglaw offer lined up. Let 'em rip.

How much debt are you in, and, being in the best scenario possible upon graduation from GULC, for how long do you think you will humor misery, and at that time how do you think you'll go out (by layoff or attrition)?

What's your plan after BigLaw spits you out, if any?

Dig the pointlessly antagonistic tone, bro.

Starting at GULC in the fall. Any basic, general tips for 1L year? Professors to attempt to avoid if possible? I've lived in DC before, so I don't necessarily mean tips about the city, more like stuff you wish you'd known as it relates to the school itself.

Unfortunately, you don't have any control over your professors (well, except for one elective in the spring). Probably the best thing you can do for your grades is to talk to upperclassmen who had the same professors you get.

[nhs]

Title says it all. 3L, 'bout to graduate, biglaw offer lined up. Let 'em rip.

How much debt are you in, and, being in the best scenario possible upon graduation from GULC, for how long do you think you will humor misery, and at that time how do you think you'll go out (by layoff or attrition)?

What's your plan after BigLaw spits you out, if any?

Dig the pointlessly antagonistic tone, bro.

Starting at GULC in the fall. Any basic, general tips for 1L year? Professors to attempt to avoid if possible? I've lived in DC before, so I don't necessarily mean tips about the city, more like stuff you wish you'd known as it relates to the school itself.

Unfortunately, you don't have any control over your professors (well, except for one elective in the spring). Probably the best thing you can do for your grades is to talk to upperclassmen who had the same professors you get.

This is completely accurate. Check back when they tell you what your options are for the elective.

Some other random thoughts:

The reading room kind of sucks. So does Williams generally. Check out Wolff.
Use the gym. It's really easy and pretty nice. There are OrgSync groups or Facebook pages for pickup soccer, basketball, volleyball, etc.
There are lots of events with free lunch. Keep your eyes open for flyers, or sign up for groups on OrgSync.
There's a Facebook page that people post to when they have food left over from events and leave it out for people to scavenge.
Try to get outside of Market Cafe. There are food trucks, Union Station, sandwich places, and Chinatown not that far away.
Go to professors' office hours every once in a while and chat with them, even about non-law school stuff.
Sign up to be a BarBri campus rep early on. It's one hour every two weeks and they get a free course or like $3k (if a firm pays) after 3L.[/list]

[TheSpanishMain]

Some other random thoughts:

The reading room kind of sucks. So does Williams generally. Check out Wolff.
Use the gym. It's really easy and pretty nice. There are OrgSync groups or Facebook pages for pickup soccer, basketball, volleyball, etc.
There are lots of events with free lunch. Keep your eyes open for flyers, or sign up for groups on OrgSync.
There's a Facebook page that people post to when they have food left over from events and leave it out for people to scavenge.
Try to get outside of Market Cafe. There are food trucks, Union Station, sandwich places, and Chinatown not that far away.
Go to professors' office hours every once in a while and chat with them, even about non-law school stuff.
Sign up to be a BarBri campus rep early on. It's one hour every two weeks and they get a free course or like $3k (if a firm pays) after 3L.[/list]

Market Cafe is, I'm guessing, a cafe at the law center? Is it decent and reasonably priced?

Yeah, I figured that 1L schedule was generally pretty standard. Any 1L professors who are especially good/bad? Just wondering.

[wolf]

Some other random thoughts:

The reading room kind of sucks. So does Williams generally. Check out Wolff.
Use the gym. It's really easy and pretty nice. There are OrgSync groups or Facebook pages for pickup soccer, basketball, volleyball, etc.
There are lots of events with free lunch. Keep your eyes open for flyers, or sign up for groups on OrgSync.
There's a Facebook page that people post to when they have food left over from events and leave it out for people to scavenge.
Try to get outside of Market Cafe. There are food trucks, Union Station, sandwich places, and Chinatown not that far away.
Go to professors' office hours every once in a while and chat with them, even about non-law school stuff.
Sign up to be a BarBri campus rep early on. It's one hour every two weeks and they get a free course or like $3k (if a firm pays) after 3L.[/list]

Market Cafe is, I'm guessing, a cafe at the law center? Is it decent and reasonably priced?

Yeah, I figured that 1L schedule was generally pretty standard. Any 1L professors who are especially good/bad? Just wondering.

Yeah Civ Pro with Abernathy should be mandatory!

[hichvichwoh]

Some other random thoughts:

The reading room kind of sucks. So does Williams generally. Check out Wolff.
Use the gym. It's really easy and pretty nice. There are OrgSync groups or Facebook pages for pickup soccer, basketball, volleyball, etc.
There are lots of events with free lunch. Keep your eyes open for flyers, or sign up for groups on OrgSync.
There's a Facebook page that people post to when they have food left over from events and leave it out for people to scavenge.
Try to get outside of Market Cafe. There are food trucks, Union Station, sandwich places, and Chinatown not that far away.
Go to professors' office hours every once in a while and chat with them, even about non-law school stuff.
Sign up to be a BarBri campus rep early on. It's one hour every two weeks and they get a free course or like $3k (if a firm pays) after 3L.[/list]

Market Cafe is, I'm guessing, a cafe at the law center? Is it decent and reasonably priced?

Yeah, I figured that 1L schedule was generally pretty standard. Any 1L professors who are especially good/bad? Just wondering.

Yeah Civ Pro with Abernathy should be mandatory!

They try to spread out the awesome professors so every section has a few. Spann and Gornstein were my favorite. Doran was awesome too, but he's leaving

[dardardelight]

Hey, thanks for all the advice you have shared!

I'm currently a masters student at Georgetown SFS who's studying for the LSAT and getting PT scores that would make me competitive for a Georgetown admittance. I have a couple specific questions.

1.) How helpful is the fact that I'll have a master's degree from Georgetown (In Asian Studies / Chinese Politics) help with admission? Would it give me a significant boost and even some scholarship money if I have the necessary LSAT grade (My gpa is 3.3 from a top LAC and I'd say I'm on track to get around a 169-172 LSAT score)

2.) Are there many people focusing on Energy/Environmental Law? I know about Gtown's Center for Climate Change Law, but I feel like that's more of a domestic policy type of center. My ultimate goal is to take advantage of my Chinese language/cultural skills to break into the field of US-China Energy Law. Does a field like this exist? What gov't externships could help with gaining experience in this field?

3.) I want to work in NYC biglaw after law school , but I also want to know the ins and outs of gov't stuff, the WTO, energy market regulation, etc. Would a medium 1L GPA be sufficient to score a NYC biglaw gig as a SA / LT job after school?

I just have a strange feeling that I'll be deciding between NYU at sticker and Gtown with a little bit of money . I'd love to stay in DC and build upon the contacts/friends/girls that I've come across during my grad school year here : ) Any advice would be of great help! Thanks!

[nhs]

Hey, thanks for all the advice you have shared!

I'm currently a masters student at Georgetown SFS who's studying for the LSAT and getting PT scores that would make me competitive for a Georgetown admittance. I have a couple specific questions.

1.) How helpful is the fact that I'll have a master's degree from Georgetown (In Asian Studies / Chinese Politics) help with admission? Would it give me a significant boost and even some scholarship money if I have the necessary LSAT grade (My gpa is 3.3 from a top LAC and I'd say I'm on track to get around a 169-172 LSAT score)

No idea. My head has been out of the admissions context for a few years now. My guess would be a slight boost at best.

2.) Are there many people focusing on Energy/Environmental Law? I know about Gtown's Center for Climate Change Law, but I feel like that's more of a domestic policy type of center. My ultimate goal is to take advantage of my Chinese language/cultural skills to break into the field of US-China Energy Law. Does a field like this exist? What gov't externships could help with gaining experience in this field?

Not my field of interest, but I suspect you could craft a niche like this if you worked hard throughout law school to get hooked into that legal subculture. The environmental people I know tend to be more public interest/policy-oriented. You might try to get in touch with some of the people/firms listed here: http://www.chambersandpartners.com/1278 ... torial/5/1 and here: http://www.chambersandpartners.com/60/2 ... torial/8/1 as a starting point.

Off the top of my head, internships that might help could be some Senate or House subcommittee dealing with these issues, a White House office dealing with foreign energy policy, FERC, or EPA.

3.) I want to work in NYC biglaw after law school , but I also want to know the ins and outs of gov't stuff, the WTO, energy market regulation, etc. Would a medium 1L GPA be sufficient to score a NYC biglaw gig as a SA / LT job after school?

My sense is that at median, you're going to have an uphill (though not impossible) journey for NYC BigLaw. If you can pitch yourself has having some sort of substantive subject matter expertise, that will help.

I just have a strange feeling that I'll be deciding between NYU at sticker and Gtown with a little bit of money . I'd love to stay in DC and build upon the contacts/friends/girls that I've come across during my grad school year here : ) Any advice would be of great help! Thanks!

Ultimately, the specifics matter. If you want NYC BigLaw, my advice with no other information would by NYU > GULC. I think some people underestimate the value of building a professional network for three years in law school in the city you'll ultimately practice in. It sucks to leave that all behind if you don't have to.

[politibro44]

What kind of people choose section B? What kind of jobs do they go into?

Also, is it hard to place on Capitol Hill or other gov't-related policy positions from GULC? Is it as grade dependent as Big Law? And how does GULC place in Big Law firms in DC? I always hear that it's a tough market to crack, does being from the city give you advantage?

Thanks for your time.

[TheSpanishMain]

And how does GULC place in Big Law firms in DC?

Also wondering about this.