Harvard Student(s) Answering Your Questions Forum

[wonka]

Post removed.

[yomisterd]

Regarding SPO selection process, what do people do if they definitely want to get involved with an SPO but are applying to a more competitive one such as Defenders or PLAP? Is it assumed that one will do the SPO if accepted, or is it common for people to apply to more than one with the intention of only doing one if accepted to both?

PLAP doesn't have a selection process. They just take everyone. A lot of people who do PLAP also do Defenders.

It is generally assumed that you will do Defenders if you're accepted, but you don't have to.

Before it's misunderstood, though, the fact that Defenders is more difficult to get into doesn't mean it's more "prestigious." They're only able to rep in certain districts and thus have a comparatively small number of cases to staff. They don't want to spread too many people over too few cases. That's why they bother with the interviews; they don't need as many people so they can afford to be more selective about it.

also, defenders has a one-case-per-semester obligation, plus two hours of commitments a week. so they don't necessarily want to take on a bunch of 1Ls who won't show up or take on a case (which unfortunately happens occasionally anyways)

[Mr. Elshal]

Anyone been involved with the Harvard Law Entrepreneurship Project and wouldn't mind talking more about it via PM?

PM me, I'll give you everything you need to know

ETA: Just read more posts and it looks like a few people want more info on HLEP. I'll try to write a detailed post but I'm not sure when I'll be able to get around to it. If anyone wants more info about HLEP, PM me and I'll either send you a lot of information or get on the phone with you to discuss it. I love the organization and have dedicated more time to HLEP than almost any other activity at HLS* (including most classes), so I can answer any and all questions you have.

*Not because it requires a very large time commitment. I just really enjoy it.

[LS2515]

.

[robotrick]

Can we start a list of faculty that are best to know in terms of their connections and willingness to help students out with career opportunities (clerkships, job, academia, etc.)? Fully recognize this will be very different than A) the best professors from a teaching perspective or even B) the best professors to work for.

Some that kind to mind are:

Lazarus
Manning
Minow
Tribe


Who else?

All or most professors at HLS are going to be willing and able to help you with those things if you connect with them in some way. Figure out which profs work in areas that interest and try to talk to them about it. If you have them for class that's great; if not you can still ask to stop by their office to chat or offer to be a research assistant.

[codyoneill]

Can we start a list of faculty that are best to know in terms of their connections and willingness to help students out with career opportunities (clerkships, job, academia, etc.)? Fully recognize this will be very different than A) the best professors from a teaching perspective or even B) the best professors to work for.

Some that kind to mind are:

Lazarus
Manning
Minow
Tribe


Who else?

All or most professors at HLS are going to be willing and able to help you with those things if you connect with them in some way. Figure out which profs work in areas that interest and try to talk to them about it. If you have them for class that's great; if not you can still ask to stop by their office to chat or offer to be a research assistant.

I'm going to disagree a little with Robotrick, but I also think the question might need to be more specific.

I think the answer to what professors are best for career opportunities is really going to depend on what specific career opportunities you are talking about.

If you're talking about big law, congrats, you don't need any help from your professors.

If you're talking about clerkships, some professors are more connected to the federal judiciary than others and they each have different circles of friends that they can call. While most professors will be willing to write a recommendation letter, what you really want are professors who are close with judges and are willing to pick up the phone and give the judge a call. The best clerkship advice I got here was to try to connect with a professor in their prime (not too old, not too young, highly regarded) who goes to bat for their students. Professors like Lazarus, Jackson, or Manning are great for this. Especially with the exploded timeline for clerkship hiring and the need to get rec's after 1L, if you have Lazarus as 1L professor and are interested in clerking, go to his office hours and get to know him. He really makes a strong push for his students.

If you're talking about academia, maybe look to professors who are willing to co-publish with their students? I know Hanson does this.

If you're talking about public interest, it is going to be pretty self evident based on field. Connect with the professor that used to have the job you want to have.

[Indifference]

If you're talking about public interest, it is going to be pretty self evident based on field. Connect with the professor that used to have the job you want to have.

Good to know this is the best way to go about it -- do you just show up at their office hours, even if they are not a professor of yours? Any other ideas?

[codyoneill]

If you're talking about public interest, it is going to be pretty self evident based on field. Connect with the professor that used to have the job you want to have.

Good to know this is the best way to go about it -- do you just show up at their office hours, even if they are not a professor of yours? Any other ideas?

Making an appointment to meet with them at office hours is fine.

The best route is to try to be a Research Assistant for them. Most professors are happy to hire students they haven't had in class. You could discuss research opportunities during office hours, apply to an RA posting, or email them about it. For what it is worth, most professors aren't interested in hiring RA's until after first semester of 1L because they prefer students to have LRW skills. But there are exceptions.

[despina]

If you're talking about public interest, it is going to be pretty self evident based on field. Connect with the professor that used to have the job you want to have.

Good to know this is the best way to go about it -- do you just show up at their office hours, even if they are not a professor of yours? Any other ideas?

Making an appointment to meet with them at office hours is fine.

The best route is to try to be a Research Assistant for them. Most professors are happy to hire students they haven't had in class. You could discuss research opportunities during office hours, apply to an RA posting, or email them about it. For what it is worth, most professors aren't interested in hiring RA's until after first semester of 1L because they prefer students to have LRW skills. But there are exceptions.

My experience was that the clinical faculty are your go-to's for public interest. They're still working in the field and connected to it. They have a network of HLS alums who have gone into the field. They know you way better than someone who knows you from cold-calls /awkward office hour conversations. Lots of them hire research assistants, too, but obviously clinical work is the most direct way to get to know them.

On average they're not as famous / prestigious as the podium faculty, but for public interest that's rarely what matters. You want somebody know knows folks in the field, and can vouch for your particular skills and passion in action.

[Indifference]

If you're talking about public interest, it is going to be pretty self evident based on field. Connect with the professor that used to have the job you want to have.

Good to know this is the best way to go about it -- do you just show up at their office hours, even if they are not a professor of yours? Any other ideas?

Making an appointment to meet with them at office hours is fine.

The best route is to try to be a Research Assistant for them. Most professors are happy to hire students they haven't had in class. You could discuss research opportunities during office hours, apply to an RA posting, or email them about it. For what it is worth, most professors aren't interested in hiring RA's until after first semester of 1L because they prefer students to have LRW skills. But there are exceptions.

My experience was that the clinical faculty are your go-to's for public interest. They're still working in the field and connected to it. They have a network of HLS alums who have gone into the field. They know you way better than someone who knows you from cold-calls /awkward office hour conversations. Lots of them hire research assistants, too, but obviously clinical work is the most direct way to get to know them.

On average they're not as famous / prestigious as the podium faculty, but for public interest that's rarely what matters. You want somebody know knows folks in the field, and can vouch for your particular skills and passion in action.

Thanks guys, that's a huge help. I was lucky enough to be put in touch with the professor I am most interested in gluing myself to during the admissions process, but I doubt the professor will remember that, haha. I'll use that as a springboard come the Fall, though, and then work that into the Spring.

[lawschool22]

Another good strategy as a 1L is to see if a certain professor is doing a 1L reading group. That can be a good way to start developing a relationship with a professor of interest.

[robotrick]

I have a housing question as a 2L:

How much do dorm waitlists move at the end of the summer? I lived in the dorms last year and really wanted to get an apartment this year, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen for me. I'm high up on the waitlist for all the most common types of dorm rooms (high as in top 3). Do I have a good shot at getting one? If so, will I need to find some place else to stay for EIP and the rest of the month of August?

[lookingforHLSroom]

Got a rental question for you off campus people. If I get a 12 month lease on a crappy (we're talking old and in the basement) studio in a good location, will I be eating the summer rent or will I likely be able to find a tenant to sublease to? If I do find someone, will they probably want to pay less than school's-in-session market rates?

[TripTrip]

Got a rental question for you off campus people. If I get a 12 month lease on a crappy (we're talking old and in the basement) studio in a good location, will I be eating the summer rent or will I likely be able to find a tenant to sublease to? If I do find someone, will they probably want to pay less than school's-in-session market rates?

As long as your lease allows it, finding subletters isn't hard. And usually the price of your rent is acceptable.

The catch is that there's a good chance your subletters will be 18 and host a bunch of parties, trash your stuff, and get you threatened with eviction. That doesn't happen to the vast majority of people, but I've heard enough first hand horror stories that it would feel negligent not to bring up.

So, you know, get a deposit.

[nothingtosee]

Can anyone confirm that all the LR calls have gone out?

[lawschool22]

Can anyone confirm that all the LR calls have gone out?

As far as I know they are finished.

[Indifference]

What's a reasonable amount of time to wait for an email response from SFS before following up? They've been really responsive in the past, so this is weird..
ETA: Turns out I was being neurotic, and the forms I was worried about are not due till September.

[ChemEng1642]

Nooooooo I need to get some medical Qs answered but Connie is out for like 2 weeks...is there anyone else I could contact?

[Indifference]

Nooooooo I need to get some medical Qs answered but Connie is out for like 2 weeks...is there anyone else I could contact?

Did you try calling Health Services directly? (not being snide, genuinely wondering). Also who is Connie?

[Pneumonia]

Wondering how/when I see who made LR. Didn't write the comp; just wondering who to congratulate/console. Does the Review put up masthead anytime soon?

[codyoneill]

Wondering how/when I see who made LR. Didn't write the comp; just wondering who to congratulate/console. Does the Review put up masthead anytime soon?

Volume 130

Zaki Anwar

Ahson Azmat

Kaitlin Beach

Amanda Brown-Inz

Jacob Chefitz

Chris Danello

Avishai Don

Colin Doyle

Andrew Ferguson

Kayla G. Ferguson

Will Ferraro

Katie Flanagan

Ben Gifford

Joseph Goldstein

Carys Golesworthy

Timothy Goh

Josh Halpern

Carys Johnson

Helen Klein

Gabe Krimm

Maria Lacayo

Andrew Lewis

Alex Miller

Courtney Millian

Cassie Mitchell

Greg Muren

Alexander Pettingell

Michael Scott Proctor

John Rady

Mollie Reiss

Nick Ruge

Cody Rutowski

Max Schulman

Alicia Solow-Niederman

Max Straus

Hywote Taye

Maia Usui

Trenton Van Oss

Kisho Watanabe

Daniel G. West

Steven Wilfong

Jing Yan

Michael Ye

Chris Young

Mengjie Zou

Michael Zuckerman

[ChemEng1642]

Nooooooo I need to get some medical Qs answered but Connie is out for like 2 weeks...is there anyone else I could contact?

Did you try calling Health Services directly? (not being snide, genuinely wondering). Also who is Connie?

No haven't called yet - but no response from the general email. Guess I should do that...Connie was my point of contact from Health Services

[Indifference]

Nooooooo I need to get some medical Qs answered but Connie is out for like 2 weeks...is there anyone else I could contact?

Did you try calling Health Services directly? (not being snide, genuinely wondering). Also who is Connie?

No haven't called yet - but no response from the general email. Guess I should do that...Connie was my point of contact from Health Services

Ahh, gotcha. Go ahead and call - they were super responsive when I did that earlier.

[Indifference]

Sorry for the double post, but this is unrelated. Just wondering if nerves are normal... With orientation approaching I find myself increasingly nervous. Not really the type to be nervous about this kind of stuff, so it's disconcerting.

[lawlorbust]

Wondering how/when I see who made LR. Didn't write the comp; just wondering who to congratulate/console. Does the Review put up masthead anytime soon?

Is there a similar BSA list?