Harvard Student(s) Answering Your Questions Forum

[randytheaviator]

Does HLS award summa cum laude regularly?

I googled "summa cum laude Harvard Law" and the search came up with only several people got summa, ever (like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Sargentich), which is contradictory with the official info on HLS site that shows that it is being awarded to the top student every year.

[tomwatts]

What are clinics known to have light workloads?

As far as I know, none. Clinics in general are a ton of work, and there's a weekly hours requirement for the number of credits you're taking.

[tomwatts]

Does HLS award summa cum laude regularly?

I googled "summa cum laude Harvard Law" and the search came up with only several people got summa, ever (like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Sargentich), which is contradictory with the official info on HLS site that shows that it is being awarded to the top student every year.

Yes, but it didn't under the old grades. Awarding summa every year was part of the grade reform, so there have been only 5 summa awards since then.

[jayohtee]

Anyone know anything about Barnes' Law and Policy of Federal Funding Flows? Would it be a bad idea to take for 1L spring if I haven't had Admin Law?

[fats provolone]

Does HLS award summa cum laude regularly?

I googled "summa cum laude Harvard Law" and the search came up with only several people got summa, ever (like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Sargentich), which is contradictory with the official info on HLS site that shows that it is being awarded to the top student every year.

Yes, but it didn't under the old grades. Awarding summa every year was part of the grade reform, so there have been only 5 summa awards since then.

yea i sat next to a summa bro at the bar exam. very intimidating

[t-14orbust]

Can I send outgoing packages through the mail center?

[Mr. Elshal]

Can I send outgoing packages through the mail center?

I know you can send letters if they're already stamped. Haven't tried a package but you could ask.

[tomwatts]

Anyone know anything about Barnes' Law and Policy of Federal Funding Flows? Would it be a bad idea to take for 1L spring if I haven't had Admin Law?

Admin Law almost certainly has nothing to do with it.

Can I send outgoing packages through the mail center?

Yes.

Individuals may arrange shipment of packages through the HLS Residential Mail Center. There is a scale in the Pound Mail Center that can be used to weigh packages to be shipped. Individuals must contact UPS, provide them with the required information (including weight of each package), arrange for payment, and leave the packages to be shipped. UPS will pick up packages at that location. For more information please ask the staff.

Presumably the reference to the "Pound" Mail Center is outdated and they mean the one in Wasserstein.

[Fred012]

what r the most elite 1L jobs

[NEdelton1987]

what r the most elite 1L jobs

Ones that are hardest to get (i.e., those that pays $2000+/week).

[BlakcMajikc]

what r the most elite 1L jobs

none.

[Fred012]

firms?

[EdSaid]

Any recommendations for a good supplement for Admin law? I'm in Sunstein's right now (it's nowhere near as bad as people made it out to be, btw), but would like some recommendations if anyone has any. I already have the case brief book that's keyed to our textbook, but anything else people found helpful would be awesome.

[fats provolone]

i liked that class. i didn't use any supplements but you can have my outline if you want.

https://db.tt/Fk0i8Oqr

[wwwcol]

Anyone know anything about Barnes' Law and Policy of Federal Funding Flows? Would it be a bad idea to take for 1L spring if I haven't had Admin Law?

I've heard it's as boring as it sounds. Horribly, horribly boring.

Can I send outgoing packages through the mail center?

I know you can send letters if they're already stamped. Haven't tried a package but you could ask.

Yes you can send prepaid UPS/FedEx/USPS

what r the most elite 1L jobs

Ones that are hardest to get (i.e., those that pays $2000+/week).

Shame on you NEdelton for feeding the troll.

[TripTrip]

Any recommendations for a good supplement for Admin law? I'm in Sunstein's right now (it's nowhere near as bad as people made it out to be, btw), but would like some recommendations if anyone has any. I already have the case brief book that's keyed to our textbook, but anything else people found helpful would be awesome.

Isn't there an E&E for admin law?

[NEdelton1987]

How much are research assistants paid on a hourly basis? Around $12/hour?

[ph14]

How much are research assistants paid on a hourly basis? Around $12/hour?

$11.50, if i'm recalling correctly.

[malleus discentium]

For someone with median grades, is going to HLS alone enough ties for Boston? What about if I summer in another city for 1L? I have ties to nowhere but my home state, and I don't want to go back there yet. I'm not sold on working in NYC, so I've concluded that I need to use my 1L summer to create ties somewhere. I like Boston so far, and so if HLS is enough for ties here, I'd like to summer somewhere else so my options are: NYC, Boston and 1L summer city.

As a related question, I am a dumb and do not know how to start looking for PI things in Chicago. Any advice on where and what to look for? TYIA

[pupshaw]

For someone with median grades, is going to HLS alone enough ties for Boston? What about if I summer in another city for 1L? I have ties to nowhere but my home state, and I don't want to go back there yet. I'm not sold on working in NYC, so I've concluded that I need to use my 1L summer to create ties somewhere. I like Boston so far, and so if HLS is enough for ties here, I'd like to summer somewhere else so my options are: NYC, Boston and 1L summer city.

As a related question, I am a dumb and do not know how to start looking for PI things in Chicago. Any advice on where and what to look for? TYIA

Can't speak to to Boston question, but on the second question you should go talk to OPIA. They're really helpful.

[094320]

..

[tomwatts]

I have heard that Boston firms think you're a flight risk if your only tie is HLS. Can't speak to this from my own experience, but I wouldn't be surprised if you got a lot of skepticism for staying in Boston if your only tie was HLS.

If I had to guess, I'd guess that that skepticism could be overcome with a good story about why you want to stay in Boston.

But given the heavy caveats to every sentence I just posted, I'll defer to someone else's greater information.

[despina]

I know a lot of folks who graduated over the last few years currently working in Boston firms with no ties beyond HLS. Not sure what an individual's odds are, but it's definitely common.

As for "PI things in Chicago" -- what kind of public interest? As you probably know, PI isn't really a category, so you might get more specific ideas if you tell us what you want to do. Legal services? Public defender / prosecutor's office? Impact litigation? Policy stuff? Or if you're not sure what type of work you want to do, is there a topic (environmental law, housing, etc) or population (immigrants, DV survivors, etc) that interests you? Thinking through this will also help OPIA help you. There's a TON of info on their website, so the more you can read through before you talk to them, the more they can tailor their advice to your plans.

[Person1111]

WRT Boston, I think it depends on whether you are targeting RG/WH/GP or firms like Nutter, Choate, etc. I think it also depends on whether you have a plausible reason you want to practice in and stay in Boston. If you really want to shore up your ties, you can always spend 1L summer in Boston - it's a good way to signal that you're serious about practicing law here.

[delusional]

WRT Boston, I think it depends on whether you are targeting RG/WH/GP or firms like Nutter, Choate, etc. I think it also depends on whether you have a plausible reason you want to practice in and stay in Boston. If you really want to shore up your ties, you can always spend 1L summer in Boston - it's a good way to signal that you're serious about practicing law here.

IME it could go either way. The smaller firms might be more anal about ties for "culture" reasons but they also rarely have a chance to hire a median Harvard student*, while Ropes, Wilmer and Goodwin can simply choose the forty interviewees who have ties.
I also think that it depends on the particular person or maybe the particular firm. I have heard straight from hiring partners' mouths that if you are interviewing with them, they assume you probably want to stay there. I have also heard enough rumors of people being dinged for "ties" to think there's something to it.

WRT the original question about median and Boston firms, I have heard that Wilmer is the most grade selective. I have also heard that median alone without other "shortcomings" (LOL) like poor interviewing or deficient resume or toenail fungus are not enough to make Boston difficult. I have many friends working in Boston, but oddly, none of them are the ones whose grades I know.

*(Which is unfortunate. And before you make assumptions about alumni you run across, I had a couple classmates who chose those firms after having offers from Wilmer, Ropes etc.)