WUSTL Recent Grad (and others) Taking Questions Forum

[romothesavior]

Just some other random thoughts:

-Find the supplements that people say work for each class. For example, anything by Glannon for Civ Pro, Chemerinsky for Con Law, Dressler for Crim, etc.
-I like to use old outlines as guides for my own outline. You can find old outlines on the SBA Student Commons. There are usually some good ones on there.
-Continue to use TLS. Seriously, I have gotten so much help on TLS for class (not to mention for jobs, and just for my general sanity).
-Talk to upperclassmen who had your professor before. They will often be able to give you important insight.
-DO PRACTICE TESTS! Seriously, they are the best way to test your knowledge, see how good your outline is and where it has holes, and it helps you "put it all together." Knowing individual rules is nice, but knowing how it all works together is essential. The best way to learn how to do this is to do some old practice exams and then talk it out with a friend (hopefully someone who is as smart/smarter than you)

If I think of anything else, I'll let you know.

[PSUFB1114]

Invaluable information, thanks to all. Wash U 1L's seem to work hard and love life, can't wait!

[ktg808]

I honestly love this thread. Thanks Romo and Jcougar! I'm a little sad I won't be at WUSTL this fall though.

[Hannibal]

Good luck to Romo, Stratocophic, Rock Chalk, JCougar and everyone else on finals.

[beachbum]

Dude, Romo, that was seriously one of the most helpful posts I have read in almost two years on TLS. Major props.

[stratocophic]

Good luck to Romo, Stratocophic, Rock Chalk, JCougar and everyone else on finals.

Much appreciated. I'm going to need it this semester, as I've been a lazy POS. Here's to hoping last semester had nothing to do with the approach and everything to do with inherent talent

[You Gotta Have Faith]

i heard a rumor that anyone in the top 10% at the end of the year without a scholarship gets a 10k scholarship?
Can anyone confirm or deny that? Has anyone else heard that?

It is not the top 10%. It is the top 10 people. You do not have to be without a scholarship either. However, the school will not give out money (i.e., if you are going for only $7K/year, you will go for free, but will not receive an additional $3K/year. If you have a full ride, you will get nothing for being one of the top 10 people).

[fl0w]

Good luck to Romo, Stratocophic, Rock Chalk, JCougar and everyone else on finals.

Much appreciated. I'm going to need it this semester, as I've been a lazy POS. Here's to hoping last semester had nothing to do with the approach and everything to do with inherent talent

Mr. Stratocophic, do you recall that case? bwahaha

[fl0w]

Invaluable information, thanks to all. Wash U 1L's seem to work hard and love lifewant to die in a fire, can't wait!

fixed that for you.
finals = /wrists

[stratocophic]

Good luck to Romo, Stratocophic, Rock Chalk, JCougar and everyone else on finals.

Much appreciated. I'm going to need it this semester, as I've been a lazy POS. Here's to hoping last semester had nothing to do with the approach and everything to do with inherent talent

Mr. Stratocophic, do you recall that case? bwahaha

The answer, after today? No. I can definitively say "no."

Invaluable information, thanks to all. Wash U 1L's seem to work hard and love lifewant to die in a fire, can't wait!

fixed that for you.
finals = /wrists

TCR

[bigmnstyle]

I know I could go on the website for at least this first part, but this will be quicker

What are the required first year classes and does Wash U give the option of picking one elective your first year?

How does the 2nd year generally work? Are you required to take a few classes and then get to pick the rest with "electives?" We were allowed to take one elective at my school, and I was wondering(although doubting) if it would transfer over (Criminal Procedure).

[romothesavior]

I know I could go on the website for at least this first part, but this will be quicker

What are the required first year classes and does Wash U give the option of picking one elective your first year?

How does the 2nd year generally work? Are you required to take a few classes and then get to pick the rest with "electives?" We were allowed to take one elective at my school, and I was wondering(although doubting) if it would transfer over (Criminal Procedure).

Torts, Contracts, Property, Constitutional Law, Civil Procedure, and Criminal Law are the 6 core classes, and we have legal research and legal practice (essentially legal writing). We aren't allowed to pick an elective during the first year. Second year is completely up to you. There are a few classes that you must take before graduation (ethics, a legal profession class, maybe some others), but none that you have to take as a 2L, at least to my knowledge. No idea how transferring class credits works.

[fl0w]

Geeze.
I just realized I'm president of the IP Law Society... I should probably think about how that's gonna work at some point.

[PSUFB1114]

Which professors rock and which ones should we look out for?

[romothesavior]

Which professors rock and which ones should we look out for?

I am pretty outed on here, so I won't tell you who to avoid (I'll leave that to others, or you can PM me). But I'll tell you who rocks.

Brian Tamanaha is arguably the best professor I've ever had. He is brand new at WUSTL (just came here last spring) and he's already developed a huge group of fans among students. He's a heavy hitter in academia (especially in the area of jurisprudence), but he's also great in the classroom. Everyone who had him in my section for torts absolutely loved him (save for one person, but whatever). He is really intimidating at first, but you'll get used to it. He has an absolute contempt for stupid comments, which is awesome because it shuts up the gunners and the people with silly hypos (I wish all profs did this, it would make class so much more tolerable). He's also very nice outside of the classroom and he's a pretty funny guy. He doesn't fill the class with needless fluff... he just tells it like it is, and doesn't hide the ball. He really understands the plight of law students and the scam of law school, and he's written a couple of good articles on it: http://balkin.blogspot.com/2010/11/my-d ... peech.html, http://balkin.blogspot.com/2010/06/wake ... rs-to.html, and http://balkin.blogspot.com/2010/10/irre ... hools.html. I highly recommend you read them before you go to law school.

I also really love Pauline Kim for Civil Procedure. She is a little bit dry at times (hey, it's civ pro), but she is really straightforward and does a good job of conveying the important information. She's very approachable and friendly and will do whatever she can to help you in office hours. Her tests are also very straightforward, which is good because if you do the PTs, you know what to expect. I liked her so much this semester that I'm taking her Employment Law class in the fall.

Some other professors I've heard good things about but haven't had are: Greenfield (contracts), Drobak (civil procedure), and Badawi (corporations).

[Rock Chalk]

.

[myq]

Greenfield was the best professor I've ever had, although people definitely love him or hate him.

[Stephanie13]

Ditto to Romo, I loved Tamanaha. He really was one of the best professors I've had in law school so far. Also, Drobak is really great. He is an institution here at the law school and he really lives up to his reputation. He is challenging in class and he really friendly and approachable outside of class. It seems to me that the professors that challenge students the most are the ones people like. No one likes to be bored to death in class.

[romothesavior]

Ditto to Romo, I loved Tamanaha. He really was one of the best professors I've had in law school so far. Also, Drobak is really great. He is an institution here at the law school and he really lives up to his reputation. He is challenging in class and he really friendly and approachable outside of class. It seems to me that the professors that challenge students the most are the ones people like. No one likes to be bored to death in class.

I heard a lot of people didn't like Drobak in property, though. I think civ pro is more his cup of tea. Everyone says he's a great guy though, and he really seems like it.

[stratocophic]

Geeze.
I just realized I'm president of the IP Law Society... I should probably think about how that's gonna work at some point.

Suckerrrrrrrr

Which professors rock and which ones should we look out for?

Baker's the man. Funny d00d, bitches about domestic life and views it through an economic lens, plays pickup basketball if asked. Da best

[Stephanie13]

Ditto to Romo, I loved Tamanaha. He really was one of the best professors I've had in law school so far. Also, Drobak is really great. He is an institution here at the law school and he really lives up to his reputation. He is challenging in class and he really friendly and approachable outside of class. It seems to me that the professors that challenge students the most are the ones people like. No one likes to be bored to death in class.

I heard a lot of people didn't like Drobak in property, though. I think civ pro is more his cup of tea. Everyone says he's a great guy though, and he really seems like it.

Yea I heard that too. And maybe that's because he never teaches property. He is all about Civ Pro and he's definitely an expert on it.

[fl0w]

Ditto to Romo, I loved Tamanaha. He really was one of the best professors I've had in law school so far. Also, Drobak is really great. He is an institution here at the law school and he really lives up to his reputation. He is challenging in class and he really friendly and approachable outside of class. It seems to me that the professors that challenge students the most are the ones people like. No one likes to be bored to death in class.

Love of tamanaha couldn't have anything to do with the fact that every female 1L that had him wants to have his babies? Yeah, I heard the rumors. I see the longing eyes in the halls when he walks by.

[fl0w]

Which professors rock and which ones should we look out for?

Look at it this way... the advice doesn't really matter because you don't get to pick them your first year. One less thing to worry about?

Just tryin to make it easy for you. But everyone's comments above are valid. I love Baker and Levin. Goldwasser is awesome, so is Hughes. Magarian is a gentlemen and a scholar (and a freakin' ConLaw genius, seriously). Heck Starck and Field for LR/LP were great too.

I've probably only had one professor that I didn't like, and I don't know it was because of the class, or the way she taught it.

[romothesavior]

Also, Jane Moul for Legal Practice is awesome. She's really straightforward with teaching legal writing. She's also a really nice lady (and a good looking one too), and she is so helpful outside of class.

[Rock Chalk]

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