Northwestern 1L/2L/3L/Grads Taking Questions and Challenges Forum

[terriers]

Horwich is at around 50 anyways.

[lgleye]

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[Snape]

Did they allow Cameron to teach property again this year? If so, I guarantee he was more than happy to give out as many Cs as possible….if the school likes job placement then he should never teach a 1L class.

Median IL GPA is 3.26 at NU…at UVA its 3.4, Columbia is around 3.4…NYU the same….NU needs to realize its time to get rid of the B- requirement (several other T14 do not have this) and heavily restrict the Cs which high and mighty Profs like Cameron freely give out.

Grades are inflated, period! There is no doubt….besides UCHI, NU is behind on the realization of inflated grades and if the school ever wants to keep up with its peers it needs to change the curve. Would anybody be hurt if next year there was a new curve that only mandated a low grade of B and slightly increased the % for A+, A, A-? NO, More NU kids would have 3.5+ at OCI and get more jobs…its not that complicated. (of course ignoring the much better approach of P/F)

Its time for the NU staff and admin to get over themselves and what they think law school should be, realize who their clients are (students), and quit trying to fit into the T-14 mold as it is/was and instead create their own mold in the new law school economy of the post-2008 21st century.

[whereskyle]

Did they allow Cameron to teach property again this year? If so, I guarantee he was more than happy to give out as many Cs as possible….if the school likes job placement then he should never teach a 1L class.

Median IL GPA is 3.26 at NU…at UVA its 3.4, Columbia is around 3.4…NYU the same….NU needs to realize its time to get rid of the B- requirement (several other T14 do not have this) and heavily restrict the Cs which high and mighty Profs like Cameron freely give out.

Grades are inflated, period! There is no doubt….besides UCHI, NU is behind on the realization of inflated grades and if the school ever wants to keep up with its peers it needs to change the curve. Would anybody be hurt if next year there was a new curve that only mandated a low grade of B and slightly increased the % for A+, A, A-? NO, More NU kids would have 3.5+ at OCI and get more jobs…its not that complicated. (of course ignoring the much better approach of P/F)

Its time for the NU staff and admin to get over themselves and what they think law school should be, realize who their clients are (students), and quit trying to fit into the T-14 mold as it is/was and instead create their own mold in the new law school economy of the post-2008 21st century.

Does NU disclose the median GPA at OCI? Is there literally no justification for the B- requirement?

[bdubs]

Does NU disclose the median GPA at OCI? Is there literally no justification for the B- requirement?

NU discloses the mandatory curve, and basically all big law employers know the medians and rough distributions of grades at each of the T14 schools.

http://www.law.northwestern.edu/registr ... ingpolicy/

I know Cameron is an a$$hole when it comes to grading, but I was under the impression that NU had one of the most generous curves in the T14. I think that might come from having way more A+'s given out than our peers though and not from generosity at the bottom of the curve.

[bjsesq]

Does NU disclose the median GPA at OCI? Is there literally no justification for the B- requirement?

NU discloses the mandatory curve, and basically all big law employers know the medians and rough distributions of grades at each of the T14 schools.

http://www.law.northwestern.edu/registr ... ingpolicy/

I know Cameron is an a$$hole when it comes to grading, but I was under the impression that NU had one of the most generous curves in the T14. I think that might come from having way more A+'s given out than our peers though and not from generosity at the bottom of the curve.

This is pretty much true. NU has high inflation, and Cameron is a douche grader. What will really bake your noodle is how decent he is to talk to when you aren't in his class. Become his student? BAM. Retard.

[Bumi]

Median IL GPA is 3.26 at NU…at UVA its 3.4, Columbia is around 3.4…NYU the same

Citation needed. I don't think that's what it is. Wikipedia says that, but the source on wikipedia is broken.

Also, we all remember that something like half the damn class graduated with honors last year, right? I do not think lack of grade inflation is a big problem for us fortunately. Individual profs are jerks, but you'll see that anywhere.

[Georgia Avenue]

Median IL GPA is 3.26 at NU…at UVA its 3.4, Columbia is around 3.4…NYU the same

Citation needed. I don't think that's what it is. Wikipedia says that, but the source on wikipedia is broken.

Also, we all remember that something like half the damn class graduated with honors last year, right? I do not think lack of grade inflation is a big problem for us fortunately. Individual profs are jerks, but you'll see that anywhere.

Yep. Half the class getting to put latin honors on their resume for the rest of their life is more than a fair trade for however (allegedly) low the 1L GPA is.

[09042014]

Nu median at 1L is probably closer to 3.4 than 3.26. Depends on how profs deal with the curve. Id guess straight b+ average is median.

I don't think any school that does grades, doesn't have b-.

[bjsesq]

Nu median at 1L is probably closer to 3.4 than 3.26.

Yes.

[Icculus]

So is anyone here going to take a challenge or what?

Always taking challenges here. That's the northwestern difference.


So what kind of grader is Lupo supposed to be? Specifically in Remedies.

Lupo is a pretty decent grader in his uncurved classes, but last year all the 1Ls knew this/had him for contracts and pushed the class over 40. No matter how easy a prof is a curved class is still curved so from what I know of him and people who were in remedies last year and the year before it's only worth it if it stays under the curve.

[Icculus]

Definite bullshit. If it helps, there was a prof last year who gave out 4 discretionary C's (not C+'s, C's) in first semester 1L. I know 2 people that received them and they both have really solid firm jobs this summer, so all is definitely not lost.

WHAT???? Holy shit that is fucked up. Do you mind PMing me the prof name?

I wanna say I heard Cameron for property. Also, people should feel free to out profs that are asshole graders. They deserve it.

Cameron definitely gave out Cs in my property class 1L. Great guy outside of class though. And from what I hear in tax and other non-1L classes he is pretty decent and actually doesn't screw people over. I think he just hates 1Ls.

[parkslope]

Definite bullshit. If it helps, there was a prof last year who gave out 4 discretionary C's (not C+'s, C's) in first semester 1L. I know 2 people that received them and they both have really solid firm jobs this summer, so all is definitely not lost.

WHAT???? Holy shit that is fucked up. Do you mind PMing me the prof name?

I wanna say I heard Cameron for property. Also, people should feel free to out profs that are asshole graders. They deserve it.

Cameron definitely gave out Cs in my property class 1L. Great guy outside of class though. And from what I hear in tax and other non-1L classes he is pretty decent and actually doesn't screw people over. I think he just hates 1Ls.

I am just guessing here, but do profs hand out Cs because they are vindictive or because students actually merit it? I imagine the effort level of the bottom 5 students in any section is going to be pretty low.

[LRGhost]

I am just guessing here, but do profs hand out Cs because they are vindictive or because students actually merit it? I imagine the effort level of the bottom 5 students in any section is going to be pretty low.

I imagine people who get B-'s, aka the bottom five students, don't expend 'low effort'. I can't think of anyone in my section who would 'deserve' or had 'earned' that.

[bdubs]

I am just guessing here, but do profs hand out Cs because they are vindictive or because students actually merit it? I imagine the effort level of the bottom 5 students in any section is going to be pretty low.

I imagine people who get B-'s, aka the bottom five students, don't expend 'low effort'. I can't think of anyone in my section who would 'deserve' or had 'earned' that.

Cameron had absurdly high standards for property. He gave a midterm during first semester of 1L which he graded and returned. The average was a ridiculously low number like 15 out of 70 (no letter grades, just very low numbers). He was pretty harsh during his midterm review session and scared the crap out of the entire section. He did tell some people at one point that he hated the curve because most of the people who he "had" to give A+/A's to didn't deserve them.

The vast majority of 1L profs appear to "max out" the curve by giving as many high grades as they are allowed. Some, like Cameron, seem not to want to do this which really puts their students at a disadvantage relative to their peers and to students from other schools (since the recruiters' expectation is that NU students basically get the full benefit of the curve).

[feralinfant]

I am just guessing here, but do profs hand out Cs because they are vindictive or because students actually merit it? I imagine the effort level of the bottom 5 students in any section is going to be pretty low.

I imagine people who get B-'s, aka the bottom five students, don't expend 'low effort'. I can't think of anyone in my section who would 'deserve' or had 'earned' that.

+1.

Although tbf it's possible our section may also be an anomaly in not having at least one or two clear slackers. i.e. see Pfander sometimes handing out C's but maxing out the curve last semester.

ETA-This cameron person sounds like a nightmare. Do. Not. Want.

[Roll Fizzlebeef]

Definite bullshit. If it helps, there was a prof last year who gave out 4 discretionary C's (not C+'s, C's) in first semester 1L. I know 2 people that received them and they both have really solid firm jobs this summer, so all is definitely not lost.

WHAT???? Holy shit that is fucked up. Do you mind PMing me the prof name?

I'm late to the party, but I'm 95% sure that was Pfander.

[cookiejar1]

Sorry if this question has already been asked (I couldn't search this thread for "TA" (less than 4 characters)):

How does one pick up a teaching assistant position? Do professor's come to you? Do you come to the professor? Is an A+ a prerequisite to TA or can you TA with an A? What are the perks other than getting to spend even more time with your 1L professors during your 2L year? Also, why would any one even want to TA for CLR?

[Kikero]

Mostly they come to you, although I believe I remember one professor last year sending out an email or something to the effect that he was looking for a TA. Also, you get some money for being a TA.

[franklyscarlet]

Sorry if this question has already been asked (I couldn't search this thread for "TA" (less than 4 characters)):

How does one pick up a teaching assistant position? Do professor's come to you? Do you come to the professor? Is an A+ a prerequisite to TA or can you TA with an A? What are the perks other than getting to spend even more time with your 1L professors during your 2L year? Also, why would any one even want to TA for CLR?

re: Perks:
If you want to apply for clerkships, being a TA is a really great way to build a relationship with a professor as a recommendation.

[lgleye]

.

[crumpetsandtea]

Heehee 'Radish'

[franklyscarlet]

Oh I didn't catch that; I wouldn't do it for CLR. If you can, though, it's minimal effort/potential good returns to do it for a doctrinal class as long as the prof doesn't give anything you have to grade.

[cookiejar1]

Thanks for the input, all. I'm dying to TA with this one doctrinal professor but I don't want to be shamelessly aggressive if I don't need to be. Do professors usually contact students for TA positions in these following weeks or during the summer?

[Roll Fizzlebeef]

Thanks for the input, all. I'm dying to TA with this one doctrinal professor but I don't want to be shamelessly aggressive if I don't need to be. Do professors usually contact students for TA positions in these following weeks or during the summer?

I've also heard of students reaching out to profs more often than vice versa. Shoot the prof an email saying that you loved the class, etc. etc. and would like to TA, and if they haven't filled the spot you hope they'll keep you in mind. What's the worst that could happen?