WUSTL Recent Grad (and others) Taking Questions Forum

[stratocophic]

I know this was touched on briefly earlier ITT, but I just got another email from Wash U about a diversity scholarship with Thompson Coburn. The deadline to apply was the 15th, but it says that they will continue to accept applications for "a short while." I'll be shooting an email off to the person in charge to ask her how long "a short while" means as soon as I figure out how to address it. I know someone said earlier that it might be worth it to apply as a boring white male if you can find something diverse about you to write about since they didn't fill the class easily last summer and ended up taking some students who don't fit the typical notion of "diverse."

Why I'm looking at it seriously this time is that it seems it hasn't in fact filled since they're accepting late applications, and because I noticed a section on the app for LSAT score. This excites me because it's basically the best achievement I could list on a resume, but I would never include it without it being specifically asked because it's pretty much a douchetastic thing to do. If I can craft something halfway decent about being the first to go to law school in my extended family (barring second cousins I've never met) or about growing up in a military family, would this be worth scrambling to apply for? Going to be at a family reunion this weekend and be doing ~12 hours of driving each way, but I figure I can be working on draft ideas in my head if it's worth it. Otherwise, I'd rather just enjoy my vacation. Anyone have any educated opinions?l

Ain't gonna happen, IMO. I know one of last year's finalists for the scholarship and you'd have been annihilated. There's only one scholarship IIRC, so filling the class isn't an issue - all they need is one. Law school is full of breakable 'deadlines' - this is probably just one more. If you've got the free time, go ahead, but I don't think it's gonna happen, man.

[blackmambakatana]

Thanks for the grading insights. Anybody have a list of professors that they really enjoyed having and what each professor was really looking for in their exams?

How are the exams set up in Wash U and what would be an ideal timeline to study for them?

[Kabuo]

I know this was touched on briefly earlier ITT, but I just got another email from Wash U about a diversity scholarship with Thompson Coburn. The deadline to apply was the 15th, but it says that they will continue to accept applications for "a short while." I'll be shooting an email off to the person in charge to ask her how long "a short while" means as soon as I figure out how to address it. I know someone said earlier that it might be worth it to apply as a boring white male if you can find something diverse about you to write about since they didn't fill the class easily last summer and ended up taking some students who don't fit the typical notion of "diverse."

Why I'm looking at it seriously this time is that it seems it hasn't in fact filled since they're accepting late applications, and because I noticed a section on the app for LSAT score. This excites me because it's basically the best achievement I could list on a resume, but I would never include it without it being specifically asked because it's pretty much a douchetastic thing to do. If I can craft something halfway decent about being the first to go to law school in my extended family (barring second cousins I've never met) or about growing up in a military family, would this be worth scrambling to apply for? Going to be at a family reunion this weekend and be doing ~12 hours of driving each way, but I figure I can be working on draft ideas in my head if it's worth it. Otherwise, I'd rather just enjoy my vacation. Anyone have any educated opinions?l

Ain't gonna happen, IMO. I know one of last year's finalists for the scholarship and you'd have been annihilated. There's only one scholarship IIRC, so filling the class isn't an issue - all they need is one. Law school is full of breakable 'deadlines' - this is probably just one more. If you've got the free time, go ahead, but I don't think it's gonna happen, man.

Thanks for the info. I don't know where I thought I read it, but I thought I read that they took 5 from each of the participating schools. Now that I think about it though, that would be absurd. Oh well, enjoying vacation works for me.

[romothesavior]

Thanks for the grading insights. Anybody have a list of professors that they really enjoyed having and what each professor was really looking for in their exams?

How are the exams set up in Wash U and what would be an ideal timeline to study for them?

There was a discussion about profs a few pages back, but my favorites were Tamanaha for Torts (awesome times a million) and Kim for Civil Procedure. Exams really vary from prof to prof. Once you guys learn who your profs are, post it ITT and we 2Ls can give our opinions and insights.

Exams here are very similar to any other school, and the ideal timeline for ramping up the studying is usually a month before. I typically start really outlining about a month before, and I gradually increase my workload from there. By the 2 week mark, I'm studying 8-10 hours a day, and the week before through the end of finals I'm studying all day.

[PSUFB1114]

Personal preference I'm sure, but Mac or PC? What programs do you recommend for note-taking?

[romothesavior]

Personal preference I'm sure, but Mac or PC? What programs do you recommend for note-taking?

PC for me, and I used One Note back when I still took notes. I don't think I wrote more than 5 pages of notes second semester.

[PSUFB1114]

Thanks, One Note seems to be the TLS favorite. Do a good number of students use Macs? Have you ever heard any complaints?

[myq]

Thanks, One Note seems to be the TLS favorite. Do a good number of students use Macs? Have you ever heard any complaints?

I use a Mac. So do a lot of students. We don't need One Note. I've never used it and it might be cool and all, but I did fine just using a simple word processor.

I've heard some people talk about a program called "Notebook" by Circus Ponies or something, but I really think a simple word processor is all you need.

[myq]

Thanks for the grading insights. Anybody have a list of professors that they really enjoyed having and what each professor was really looking for in their exams?

How are the exams set up in Wash U and what would be an ideal timeline to study for them?

There was a discussion about profs a few pages back, but my favorites were Tamanaha for Torts (awesome times a million) and Kim for Civil Procedure. Exams really vary from prof to prof. Once you guys learn who your profs are, post it ITT and we 2Ls can give our opinions and insights.

Exams here are very similar to any other school, and the ideal timeline for ramping up the studying is usually a month before. I typically start really outlining about a month before, and I gradually increase my workload from there. By the 2 week mark, I'm studying 8-10 hours a day, and the week before through the end of finals I'm studying all day.

Yeah +1. Once people get professors list them and we can talk about them. Kim was great, and Greenfield was the best professor I've ever had.

[seatown12]

All you 0Ls should make it a condition of your matriculation that you refuse to take any class taught by David Law.

[TatteredDignity]

Personal preference I'm sure, but Mac or PC? What programs do you recommend for note-taking?

PC for me, and I used One Note back when I still took notes. I don't think I wrote more than 5 pages of notes second semester.

Care to expound on why?

[Hannibal]

So...

Does anyone have any knowledge about the Monticello, Fairmont or West End City buildings? Also, is the area around Waterman north of the DeBaliviere metro ok?

For obvious subtle reasons, I need to know by sometime tomorrow o.o

[Total Litigator]

Personal preference I'm sure, but Mac or PC? What programs do you recommend for note-taking?

PC for me, and I used One Note back when I still took notes. I don't think I wrote more than 5 pages of notes second semester.

Care to expound on why?

Yes Please do... I'm signed up for a class with him this coming Fall and I know nothing about him... Except for the fact his name is Professor Law. Which I thought was cool.

[stratocophic]

So...

Does anyone have any knowledge about the Monticello, Fairmont or West End City buildings? Also, is the area around Waterman north of the DeBaliviere metro ok?

For obvious subtle reasons, I need to know by sometime tomorrow o.o

I liked Monticello. Decent location (close enough to all of the CWE action that'll go on during the year), good price, and the studios weren't bad at all. If West End City are the buildings on Union, I didn't like them as much. Probably nicer than Monticello (except the studios, which were terrible), but the location's odd and it was too pricey for my tastes. Don't remember the Fairmont.

[romothesavior]

Personal preference I'm sure, but Mac or PC? What programs do you recommend for note-taking?

PC for me, and I used One Note back when I still took notes. I don't think I wrote more than 5 pages of notes second semester.

Care to expound on why?

Yes Please do... I'm signed up for a class with him this coming Fall and I know nothing about him... Except for the fact his name is Professor Law. Which I thought was cool.

I think you quoted the wrong person.

Anyways, I've just never been a big note taker. 5 pages is probably a bit of a low exaggeration, but I didn't take many. I know people who took more notes in one class session than I would the whole semester. The only times I felt I needed to write something down was when a professor said something really important, or outlined something, or I was making a mental note to remember something in the future. Most of my learning came during the last month, and it didn't come from the professor's mouth. Supplements FTW.

And I've heard Law is atrocious.

[romothesavior]

So...

Does anyone have any knowledge about the Monticello, Fairmont or West End City buildings? Also, is the area around Waterman north of the DeBaliviere metro ok?

For obvious subtle reasons, I need to know by sometime tomorrow o.o

Don't know much about those buildings, but the general consensus is the avoid the complexes in the CWE. And Waterman north of DeBaliviere is no bueno.

[Total Litigator]

Personal preference I'm sure, but Mac or PC? What programs do you recommend for note-taking?

PC for me, and I used One Note back when I still took notes. I don't think I wrote more than 5 pages of notes second semester.

Yes Please do... I'm signed up for a class with him this coming Fall and I know nothing about him... Except for the fact his name is Professor Law. Which I thought was cool.

I think you quoted the wrong person.

Anyways, I've just never been a big note taker. 5 pages is probably a bit of a low exaggeration, but I didn't take many. I know people who took more notes in one class session than I would the whole semester. The only times I felt I needed to write something down was when a professor said something really important, or outlined something, or I was making a mental note to remember something in the future. Most of my learning came during the last month, and it didn't come from the professor's mouth. Supplements FTW.

And I've heard Law is atrocious.

Lol, sorry Romo, I misclicked. But for the sake of conversation, I have the same note taking strategy as you. 5 pages of notes per class ends up meaning nothing to me weeks later.

I really want to find out why Law is atrocious though.... He's the only prof teaching federal jurisdiction fall semester.....

[Total Litigator]

All you 0Ls should make it a condition of your matriculation that you refuse to take any class taught by David Law.

Why?!?... I'm signed up for a class with him this coming Fall and I know nothing about him... Except for the fact his name is Professor Law. Which I thought was cool

[seatown12]

I had him for ConLaw. He was utterly unable (I think unwilling actually) to answer any question in class. Rather than teach us doctrine he spent a good chunk of his time ranting about the Supreme Court. He called on the LLMs in the class to answer obscure questions about American political/legal history, and when they predictably struggled he stayed with them creating long awkward moments and wasting everyone's time. One kid ended up dropping due to this. I do not feel like I learned ConLaw I at all and almost felt like I should retake from a real professor.

Maybe he'll be better in the class you're taking. I definitely got the sense he felt ConLaw I was beneath him. Also, he is not universally hated; I know of one person who thought his class was okay. When I saw he was teaching Federal Jurisdiction I felt bad for everyone looking to take that (pretty important) class though.

Oh yea, he also showed up 25 minutes late one day with no explanation at all. Actually if you can get over the fact that he is an awful professor and you will have to learn everything yourself, his clownishness is pretty entertaining. We got a lecture one day about how it was inappropriate for us to attempt to add him on facebook.

[myq]

I had him for ConLaw. He was utterly unable (I think unwilling actually) to answer any question in class. Rather than teach us doctrine he spent a good chunk of his time ranting about the Supreme Court. He called on the LLMs in the class to answer obscure questions about American political/legal history, and when they predictably struggled he stayed with them creating long awkward moments and wasting everyone's time. One kid ended up dropping due to this. I do not feel like I learned ConLaw I at all and almost felt like I should retake from a real professor.

Maybe he'll be better in the class you're taking. I definitely got the sense he felt ConLaw I was beneath him. Also, he is not universally hated; I know of one person who thought his class was okay. When I saw he was teaching Federal Jurisdiction I felt bad for everyone looking to take that (pretty important) class though.

Oh yea, he also showed up 25 minutes late one day with no explanation at all. Actually if you can get over the fact that he is an awful professor and you will have to learn everything yourself, his clownishness is pretty entertaining. We got a lecture one day about how it was inappropriate for us to attempt to add him on facebook.

His JD is from Harvard, and I've heard that he uses the line "Come on guys, I know this isn't Harvard, but..."

[TatteredDignity]

I had him for ConLaw. He was utterly unable (I think unwilling actually) to answer any question in class. Rather than teach us doctrine he spent a good chunk of his time ranting about the Supreme Court. He called on the LLMs in the class to answer obscure questions about American political/legal history, and when they predictably struggled he stayed with them creating long awkward moments and wasting everyone's time. One kid ended up dropping due to this. I do not feel like I learned ConLaw I at all and almost felt like I should retake from a real professor.

Maybe he'll be better in the class you're taking. I definitely got the sense he felt ConLaw I was beneath him. Also, he is not universally hated; I know of one person who thought his class was okay. When I saw he was teaching Federal Jurisdiction I felt bad for everyone looking to take that (pretty important) class though.

Oh yea, he also showed up 25 minutes late one day with no explanation at all. Actually if you can get over the fact that he is an awful professor and you will have to learn everything yourself, his clownishness is pretty entertaining. We got a lecture one day about how it was inappropriate for us to attempt to add him on facebook.

His JD is from Harvard, and I've heard that he uses the line "Come on guys, I know this isn't Harvard, but..."

Gross.

[Total Litigator]

I had him for ConLaw. He was utterly unable (I think unwilling actually) to answer any question in class. Rather than teach us doctrine he spent a good chunk of his time ranting about the Supreme Court. He called on the LLMs in the class to answer obscure questions about American political/legal history, and when they predictably struggled he stayed with them creating long awkward moments and wasting everyone's time. One kid ended up dropping due to this. I do not feel like I learned ConLaw I at all and almost felt like I should retake from a real professor.

Maybe he'll be better in the class you're taking. I definitely got the sense he felt ConLaw I was beneath him. Also, he is not universally hated; I know of one person who thought his class was okay. When I saw he was teaching Federal Jurisdiction I felt bad for everyone looking to take that (pretty important) class though.

Oh yea, he also showed up 25 minutes late one day with no explanation at all. Actually if you can get over the fact that he is an awful professor and you will have to learn everything yourself, his clownishness is pretty entertaining. We got a lecture one day about how it was inappropriate for us to attempt to add him on facebook.

His JD is from Harvard, and I've heard that he uses the line "Come on guys, I know this isn't Harvard, but..."

Gross.

Jesus... Damn I really want to take Federal Jurisdiction but he sounds awful. Do you think he grades preferentially to LLM to JD's?

Sometimes classes like that work out for me though... I hit the supplements hard while everone tries to figure what the hell the prof is getting at lol

[Rock Chalk]

.

[blackmambakatana]

Hmm Prof. Law sounds pretty bad. Do you guys know where I could find the supplements that everyone is talking about? I'm just curious and would like to read over them this summer.

[Kabuo]

Could any of you provide a rough breakdown of employment prospects at various percentiles in the class? This is what I gather based on TLS browsing, but I would love to be corrected.

Top 1% (I imagine the world is their oyster)
Top 5% (close to top 1, less prestigious firms/clerkships?)
Top 10% (maybe makes sense to transfer if no LR?)
Top 25% (reasonable shot at biglaw?)
Top 33% (hustle/connections might land biglaw?)
Median (Small law/midlaw if lucky, and probably hustle a lot?)
Below Median (Go back to your hometown and take any job you can get?)

I also have no idea what cutoffs would be for PI/DOJ stuff. Is PI less about grades and more about you doing lots of PI in school/internships?