Harvard Student(s) Answering Your Questions Forum

[kcam1991]

i do not troll. As to the substance of your response rather than the ad hominem attack:

i mean its all on a curve anyway so how are any classes materially easier than others? just because the other kids in the class are dumber? don't see how this applies at a place like HLS

Seminars and smaller classes are not curved.

Does this count for 2L classes? Are all upperclass courses curved if they are past a certain size?

[robotrick]

As I do some last minute reordering of my preferences, I'll ask here; has anyone had Bar-Gill as a professor? He's either new or visiting and there isn't much info on him. I did post in the NYU thread also, since he was there previously. I'm specifically wondering about the workload for Law, Econ & Psych if anyone could comment on that.

[Person1111]

Hey folks. I've used the search function, and have found some info, but not a ton.

Analytical Methods w/ Cope. People are giving me conflicting information.

Is it easy? Is it hard? Does a finance background help? Or do a ton of finance-background people come into it thinking they too will have an advantage, and mess w/ the curve? Do firms/government/judges look down on you for taking it, especially if it's clear you had a finance background coming into LS?

In other words, is it a dumb strategy to take this class thinking it will help lighten my 1L Spring?

It's shockingly easy and actually sort of useful. There are some people with a finance background but you absolutely don't need one to get an H. I think it's a perfect 1L spring class.

[Pneumonia]

i do not troll. As to the substance of your response rather than the ad hominem attack:

i mean its all on a curve anyway so how are any classes materially easier than others? just because the other kids in the class are dumber? don't see how this applies at a place like HLS

Just stop

[heythatslife]

Hey folks. I've used the search function, and have found some info, but not a ton.

Analytical Methods w/ Cope. People are giving me conflicting information.

Is it easy? Is it hard? Does a finance background help? Or do a ton of finance-background people come into it thinking they too will have an advantage, and mess w/ the curve? Do firms/government/judges look down on you for taking it, especially if it's clear you had a finance background coming into LS?

In other words, is it a dumb strategy to take this class thinking it will help lighten my 1L Spring?

It's shockingly easy and actually sort of useful. There are some people with a finance background but you absolutely don't need one to get an H. I think it's a perfect 1L spring class.

One 2L I know has strongly recommended it; another seemed on the fence; another said you might consider Business Strategy for Lawyers instead if you have some background already.

[Fred012]

Hey folks. I've used the search function, and have found some info, but not a ton.

Analytical Methods w/ Cope. People are giving me conflicting information.

Is it easy? Is it hard? Does a finance background help? Or do a ton of finance-background people come into it thinking they too will have an advantage, and mess w/ the curve? Do firms/government/judges look down on you for taking it, especially if it's clear you had a finance background coming into LS?

In other words, is it a dumb strategy to take this class thinking it will help lighten my 1L Spring?

It's shockingly easy and actually sort of useful. There are some people with a finance background but you absolutely don't need one to get an H. I think it's a perfect 1L spring class.

One 2L I know has strongly recommended it; another seemed on the fence; another said you might consider Business Strategy for Lawyers instead if you have some background already.

will it reflect poorly though? if your background clearly shows you didn't need to take this course

[rathgra]

As previously discussed (I generally agree with delusional on the repeat questions issue, but these posts are from a month ago), employers at EIP care significantly more about how many Hs you have than what you took for your spring elective.

somebody told me that OCI employers look at your 1L elective and ask about it? seems like corporations would be good for someone trying to sell a transactional interest then, no?

This never came up in any of my interviews. This despite that my elective was my only H in the Spring and it had no direct connection to corporate or transactional law (although, I guess if you try hard enough, it's all connected).

The only time electives came up was when, in a couple of interviews, recent HLS alums asked why I hadn't taken Negotiation Workshop and whether I had applied.

somebody told me that OCI employers look at your 1L elective and ask about it? seems like corporations would be good for someone trying to sell a transactional interest then, no?

No.

ETA: I initially hesitated to add this because I didn't do EIP, so I could be wrong, but I'm sure people will jump in if I am. It is easier to sell yourself to firms (/employers generally) if you have a narrative about why you want to work there. I would think taking a class in an area where you have an established interest can only help you with that, provided the firm practices in that area. And even if you end up going to a firm that does nothing in that area, given prior discussion on this thread, I don't think having the elective would in itself harm you.

[robotrick]

At the risk of sounding like Fred ( ), I'm going to ask another question. Would it be crazy to take Admin (with Stephenson, so full of gunners and I'd probably get a P) as a 1L elective just because I might want to try for DC at EIP and it might somehow bolster my "reasons" for doing so?

[Person1111]

Yes, that's a crazy decision. That class may have the single hardest curve at the law school and I think it's a suicide mission to take it as a 1L when you have three other doctrinal courses + LRW.

[robotrick]

Yes, that's a crazy decision. That class may have the single hardest curve at the law school and I think it's a suicide mission to take it as a 1L when you have three other doctrinal courses + LRW.

That's just the validation I needed.
Movin' it on down the list.

[tomwatts]

At the risk of sounding like Fred ( ), I'm going to ask another question. Would it be crazy to take Admin (with Stephenson, so full of gunners and I'd probably get a P) as a 1L elective just because I might want to try for DC at EIP and it might somehow bolster my "reasons" for doing so?

Admin with Stephenson is, as I understand it, worth taking if you have any interest in administrative law (i.e., if you're taking Leg Reg right now and like the subject matter). Stephenson is well-regarded as a teacher.

That being said, it's reasonable to choose that you want to take it but you don't want to take it this coming spring. Admin is not an easy class, even as doctrinal classes go. I think "single hardest curve at the law school" and "suicide mission" are exaggerations, but you'd have to be prepared to do a fair amount of work.

[tomwatts]

i do not troll. As to the substance of your response rather than the ad hominem attack:

i mean its all on a curve anyway so how are any classes materially easier than others? just because the other kids in the class are dumber? don't see how this applies at a place like HLS

Seminars and smaller classes are not curved.

Does this count for 2L classes? Are all upperclass courses curved if they are past a certain size?

Yes, the grade distribution applies to classes with over 30 students, regardless of year.

[Fred012]

can u guys share some courses with notoriously easy curves?

[rathgra]

can u guys share some courses with notoriously easy curves?

I've never heard of any and I'd be surprised if there are any classes where it is generally truly easy to do well. As you have alluded to previously, your classmates tend to be pretty bright.

The common wisdom is that taking a seminar is a good strategy for having an easier workload second-semester 1L - those classes are not curved. Just a note that ymmv as far as experience, especially if you are someone who dislikes or struggles with writing papers.

[094320]

..

[Fred012]

so i assume these 4 exams will determine everybody's chances at Wachtell/feeder clerkships?

[TripTrip]

so i assume these 4 exams will determine everybody's chances at Wachtell/feeder clerkships?

Ten. Fall and spring semesters, counting LRW. It's not dispositive, but at a few places yes these exams are a huge part of what matters.

[Person1111]

At the risk of sounding like Fred ( ), I'm going to ask another question. Would it be crazy to take Admin (with Stephenson, so full of gunners and I'd probably get a P) as a 1L elective just because I might want to try for DC at EIP and it might somehow bolster my "reasons" for doing so?

Admin with Stephenson is, as I understand it, worth taking if you have any interest in administrative law (i.e., if you're taking Leg Reg right now and like the subject matter). Stephenson is well-regarded as a teacher.

That being said, it's reasonable to choose that you want to take it but you don't want to take it this coming spring. Admin is not an easy class, even as doctrinal classes go. I think "single hardest curve at the law school" and "suicide mission" are exaggerations, but you'd have to be prepared to do a fair amount of work.

You are correct that taking Stephenson's class is not literally a "suicide mission" and will not result in your death. It is an extraordinarily tough curve. I took it in the fall of 2011 (when I was a 2L). It had just under 120 people, and 30-something were on HLR. Many of the folks who were not on HLR graduated magna, were in the Ames semis/finals, ended up clerking for feeder judges, etc. It's possible that it is not the single toughest curve at the law school - although I still maintain that it is - but it's an unusually tough course and I think that a "fair amount of work" may not get you an H (it didn't for me).

That said, it's a great class and I do think it's worth taking - just not as a 1L.

[jbagelboy]

so i assume these 4 exams will determine everybody's chances at Wachtell/feeder clerkships?

you can't possibly be real.

[Pneumonia]

so i assume these 4 exams will determine everybody's chances at Wachtell/feeder clerkships?

you can't possibly be real.

It's like he read the entire thread, made a list of the most frequently asked and comprehensively answered questions, and has been asking one question/day from that list ever since.

Like, I'd take BlessedAssurance at his most stubborn over this guy pretty much any day.

[fats provolone]

better than ten pages of people asking how much financial aid they're going to get

[jbagelboy]

so i assume these 4 exams will determine everybody's chances at Wachtell/feeder clerkships?

you can't possibly be real.

It's like he read the entire thread, made a list of the most frequently asked and comprehensively answered questions, and has been asking one question/day from that list ever since.

Like, I'd take BlessedAssurance at his most stubborn over this guy pretty much any day.

I mean the way the content of this question and the way it is phrased makes it painfully obvious this person is screwing with you.

[tomwatts]

I'm going to try to say this delicately. It has become clear that replying to bad posts only generates more bad posts. I encourage all of us collectively to decide that when someone is posting in a manner that is undesirable, we not reply.

Put another way, don't feed the troll.

[lawschool22]

How do wait lists work? It says I'm #2 on a waitlist for my top-choice seminar. Will they only offer spots out of the five available 1L slots? Or if it doesn't fill up with 2Ls and 3Ls, do they open it up to anyone? Just curious as to whether there is typically much movement with seminars. I can't imagine any 1L is going to drop the course to make room for me.

[NEdelton1987]

What are clinics known to have light workloads?