Harvard Student(s) Answering Your Questions Forum

[wonka]

Has anyone taken Civil Rights Litigation by Scott Michelman?

IMO good class and an excellent class if you want to do that type of work. It's a solid, useful black-letter course--essentially a supplemental fed courts course for people interested in civil rights lit. Be prepared for a lot of reading. I skimmed all of the reading in the 2-3 hours before each class (it meets once a week) and managed an H but ideally you should be prepared to spend more time doing it. He really incorporated a lot of material from very different areas of civil rights practice, arguably too much, but it was all pretty useful doctrine to learn. Strongly recommend you take Con Law: 14 before or concurrently.

Great info, thanks. Maybe not the best choice for the 1L elective?

[malleus discentium]

Any comment on these 1L intl law electives? Can’t find much info in the thread. I have little interest in international law, so I really just want a course with less work to do. It would be great if coupled with relatively engaging materials. Thanks!

International Law and Human Rights - Professor Samuel Moyn
International Law in the US Legal System - Professor Jack Goldsmith
Comparative Law: Why Law? Lessons from China - Professor William Alford
International Economic Law - Professor Odette Lienau
Law and the International Economy - Professor Mark Wu
Public International Law - Professor Kenneth Anderson
Public International Law - Professor Gabriella Blum

Besides, is it a bad idea to take evidence 1L spring? The Honorable Peter Rubin teaches in the spring. It meets for two hours a week so doesn't seem like a big time commitment. Though the judge is rated "LP" in Dope for unknown reasons...

I had Blum and I do think the hype is deserved--she's a very strong teacher. If you can't get her, I recommend the other public international law class for the subject matter. It's a useful overview of international law as a thing, and an overview is really all you need. It also provides important connections to things you'll learn in Fourteenth and such. I suspect Goldsmith's class will also serve that goal as well, though.

[o0o0o0o]

Has anyone taken Civil Rights Litigation by Scott Michelman?

IMO good class and an excellent class if you want to do that type of work. It's a solid, useful black-letter course--essentially a supplemental fed courts course for people interested in civil rights lit. Be prepared for a lot of reading. I skimmed all of the reading in the 2-3 hours before each class (it meets once a week) and managed an H but ideally you should be prepared to spend more time doing it. He really incorporated a lot of material from very different areas of civil rights practice, arguably too much, but it was all pretty useful doctrine to learn. Strongly recommend you take Con Law: 14 before or concurrently.

Great info, thanks. Maybe not the best choice for the 1L elective?

I don't know how the 1Ls in the class felt about it. I imagine that I would have found it challenging as a 1L, in large part because one won't have already taken Con Law.

[Veronica2015]

Has anyone taken Civil Rights Litigation by Scott Michelman?

IMO good class and an excellent class if you want to do that type of work. It's a solid, useful black-letter course--essentially a supplemental fed courts course for people interested in civil rights lit. Be prepared for a lot of reading. I skimmed all of the reading in the 2-3 hours before each class (it meets once a week) and managed an H but ideally you should be prepared to spend more time doing it. He really incorporated a lot of material from very different areas of civil rights practice, arguably too much, but it was all pretty useful doctrine to learn. Strongly recommend you take Con Law: 14 before or concurrently.

Great info, thanks. Maybe not the best choice for the 1L elective?

I don't know how the 1Ls in the class felt about it. I imagine that I would have found it challenging as a 1L, in large part because one won't have already taken Con Law.

Thanks for the info! I guess 1Ls are advised against taking blackletter course generally...
BTW, what's the preferencing strategy for it? Is it popular?

[pupshaw]

Has anyone taken Civil Rights Litigation by Scott Michelman?

IMO good class and an excellent class if you want to do that type of work. It's a solid, useful black-letter course--essentially a supplemental fed courts course for people interested in civil rights lit. Be prepared for a lot of reading. I skimmed all of the reading in the 2-3 hours before each class (it meets once a week) and managed an H but ideally you should be prepared to spend more time doing it. He really incorporated a lot of material from very different areas of civil rights practice, arguably too much, but it was all pretty useful doctrine to learn. Strongly recommend you take Con Law: 14 before or concurrently.

Great info, thanks. Maybe not the best choice for the 1L elective?

I don't know how the 1Ls in the class felt about it. I imagine that I would have found it challenging as a 1L, in large part because one won't have already taken Con Law.

Thanks for the info! I guess 1Ls are advised against taking blackletter course generally...
BTW, what's the preferencing strategy for it? Is it popular?

Personally, I don't think there is anything wrong with taking a black letter course for your 1L elective if you're interested in it. In particular, I think taking Con Law as a 1L can be really helpful.

[Nonconsecutive]

I can see the use of a BLL class during 1L, however I took a blow-off seminar (in a subject area I was interested in, but still blow-off), did essentially no work in it all semester, got the H and haven't regretted it for a moment.

Just a second viewpoint.

[TripTrip]

I can see the use of a BLL class during 1L, however I took a blow-off seminar (in a subject area I was interested in, but still blow-off), did essentially no work in it all semester, got the H and haven't regretted it for a moment.

Just a second viewpoint.

FWIW I wish I had done that.

[eleemosynary2]

I can see the use of a BLL class during 1L, however I took a blow-off seminar (in a subject area I was interested in, but still blow-off), did essentially no work in it all semester, got the H and haven't regretted it for a moment.

Just a second viewpoint.

I did the same thing and got a P. Regretted it for a moment, but good decision in retrospect.

[pupshaw]

I can see the use of a BLL class during 1L, however I took a blow-off seminar (in a subject area I was interested in, but still blow-off), did essentially no work in it all semester, got the H and haven't regretted it for a moment.

Just a second viewpoint.

I did the same thing and got a P. Regretted it for a moment, but good decision in retrospect.

It's also worth noting that "blow-off seminars" can, depending on your work style, be more stressful than BLL classes. I hated having to do things like weekly response papers, and I found exams a lot easier to deal with than seminar papers at the end of a semester.

[rathgra]

I can see the use of a BLL class during 1L, however I took a blow-off seminar (in a subject area I was interested in, but still blow-off), did essentially no work in it all semester, got the H and haven't regretted it for a moment.

Just a second viewpoint.

I did the same thing and got a P. Regretted it for a moment, but good decision in retrospect.

It's also worth noting that "blow-off seminars" can, depending on your work style, be more stressful than BLL classes. I hated having to do things like weekly response papers, and I found exams a lot easier to deal with than seminar papers at the end of a semester.

I've posted this before, but I think it's worth repeating: if you hated writing papers in undergrad, you will still hate writing papers in law school. I took BLL for my elective and it was absolutely the right decision - Ames was plenty of writing for me and having two major writing assignments would have stressed me out infinitely more than another exam did.

[Indifference]

Is there a general consensus on how long it takes to get memos back? Want my closed one back before I really dive in to writing the open memo...

[foxes]

Is there a general consensus on how long it takes to get memos back? Want my closed one back before I really dive in to writing the open memo...

i was told this week, but it doesn't look like that's happening (though i suppose they could go out tomorrow)

[hop]

Hi, I haven't been reimbursed for my eip interviews yet. I sent paperwork in early Sept. Does it take this long or was there a mix up? Thanks.

[20170322]

Hey, random question about LIPP.

On the Website it says "LIPP is available for Harvard Law School JD Program graduates who work in any full-time job for a government, nonprofit [501(c)(3)] or academic organization (nonprofit only) in the USA".

Does this mean one could go to Harvard Law, graduate, decide they hate law, and become a high school teacher, with all of their debt being covered by LIPP?

[leslieknope]

Hey, random question about LIPP.

On the Website it says "LIPP is available for Harvard Law School JD Program graduates who work in any full-time job for a government, nonprofit [501(c)(3)] or academic organization (nonprofit only) in the USA".

Does this mean one could go to Harvard Law, graduate, decide they hate law, and become a high school teacher, with all of their debt being covered by LIPP?

Yup! The joke about LIPP is that if all else fails, you can always go teach at Cambridge Public Schools and LIPP would cover you.

[Mack.Hambleton]

Hey, random question about LIPP.

On the Website it says "LIPP is available for Harvard Law School JD Program graduates who work in any full-time job for a government, nonprofit [501(c)(3)] or academic organization (nonprofit only) in the USA".

Does this mean one could go to Harvard Law, graduate, decide they hate law, and become a high school teacher, with all of their debt being covered by LIPP?

Yup! The joke about LIPP is that if all else fails, you can always go teach at Cambridge Public Schools and LIPP would cover you.

My backup for EIP

[jingosaur]

Hi, I haven't been reimbursed for my eip interviews yet. I sent paperwork in early Sept. Does it take this long or was there a mix up? Thanks.

I haven't gotten my reimbursement stuff either and sent it in around the same time. People on this site says it can take months.

[tomwatts]

Hey, random question about LIPP.

On the Website it says "LIPP is available for Harvard Law School JD Program graduates who work in any full-time job for a government, nonprofit [501(c)(3)] or academic organization (nonprofit only) in the USA".

Does this mean one could go to Harvard Law, graduate, decide they hate law, and become a high school teacher, with all of their debt being covered by LIPP?

Yup! The joke about LIPP is that if all else fails, you can always go teach at Cambridge Public Schools and LIPP would cover you.

I actually know someone who decided to do this (though not in Cambridge). She decided she didn't want to be a lawyer as a 2L, so as a 3L she cross-registered for poetry classes and stuff (pretty much blowing off the law), and as far as I know now she's teaching somewhere.

[Mack.Hambleton]

Do they give LPs in LRW?

Asking for a friend hahaah

[Indifference]

Do they give LPs in LRW?

Asking for a friend hahaah

Pretty sure we have to not hand shit in for that to happen.

[Orion311]

How important are class notes for 1L exams? Is it possible to succeed just by knowing rules/issues from assigned cases, and/or looking at outlines or supplements? It's embarrassing, but I never learned to take notes and have always struggled to pay attention to oral lectures, but did alright in undergrad because I had very reading/textbook based courses. I've tried to start note-taking here, but now I'm realizing I just have word documents with a few random transcribed quotes from my profs which are essentially useless.

Also - as far as exam studying goes, is the recommended method generally to be re-reading briefs/highlighted cases in conjunction with class notes and sticking the important stuff in an outline?

[radio1nowhere]

Your best friend: http://hlsdope.org/outlines

[Ericwa]

As far as EIP, anyone has any idea how international students do? Do they have significant disadvantages? Thanks!

[heythatslife]

As far as EIP, anyone has any idea how international students do? Do they have significant disadvantages? Thanks!

I have no stats to back up my claim, but everyone I know (myself included) has done pretty well, at least in major markets (but then again, international students do tend to self-select into major markets). So don't worry about your citizenship status, focus on your grades and interviewing skills, and you'll do fine.

[tomwatts]

How important are class notes for 1L exams? Is it possible to succeed just by knowing rules/issues from assigned cases, and/or looking at outlines or supplements? It's embarrassing, but I never learned to take notes and have always struggled to pay attention to oral lectures, but did alright in undergrad because I had very reading/textbook based courses. I've tried to start note-taking here, but now I'm realizing I just have word documents with a few random transcribed quotes from my profs which are essentially useless.

You might be at a small disadvantage if you're dealing with a visiting prof or someone who hasn't taught a particular class before, because you won't be able to get an outline for that particular prof, and profs do vary somewhat in what they want you to know. For anything else, you'll probably be able to be okay with an outline from a prior year, as long as you've done the reading, tried to pay attention in class (especially when a prof says that something is important), etc.

Also - as far as exam studying goes, is the recommended method generally to be re-reading briefs/highlighted cases in conjunction with class notes and sticking the important stuff in an outline?

The single most important thing, if possible, is to get ahold of old exams and exam answers from this class taught by this professor. If you can figure out what they like to test, and what they like to see in their answers, you'll be able to figure out what to study. Profs do vary, so for some, in-depth knowledge of the cases really matters, and for some, you really need to read a supplement, and for some (a lot), you really need to know what they said in class about the cases (not what the cases actually said themselves).

But yeah, putting cases/black-letter law in outlines is generally the preferred approach, once you know how you're supposed to be thinking about it. (Either making your own or reading/editing someone else's.)