Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions Forum

[PKSebben]

is ann arbor a nice, safe town? is it good for families?

also, do California firms(either sf or la) OCI at UMich?

Ann Arbor is a ridiculously safe area and I would raise my family there in a heartbeat. Let that be the least of your worries. California firms certainly are represented at OCI.

[bigfesterin]

Future Lawyers Club resident here. Is it possible/recommended to rent a fridge and microwave for the duration of 1L? If so, is there a company or person in particular I should contact? Thanks!

[legaleagle9]

is ann arbor a nice, safe town? is it good for families?

also, do California firms(either sf or la) OCI at UMich?

Ann Arbor is a ridiculously safe area and I would raise my family there in a heartbeat. Let that be the least of your worries. California firms certainly are represented at OCI.

thank you so much for the reassuring reply! though im a couple years away from applying to law schools, this really helps!

[PKSebben]

Future Lawyers Club resident here. Is it possible/recommended to rent a fridge and microwave for the duration of 1L? If so, is there a company or person in particular I should contact? Thanks!

Easier just to shell out the 50 bones on craiglist and sell for 20 when you leave. This is the lawyers club way.

[Joan Hollaway]

Future Lawyers Club resident here. Is it possible/recommended to rent a fridge and microwave for the duration of 1L? If so, is there a company or person in particular I should contact? Thanks!

Easier just to shell out the 50 bones on craiglist and sell for 20 when you leave. This is the lawyers club way.

People that lived in the LC will be selling them on the listserv early on in the semester. It's a buyers market (wish I would've known this before I bought mine). I'll be one of the many attempting to sell theirs in September.

[PKSebben]

Future Lawyers Club resident here. Is it possible/recommended to rent a fridge and microwave for the duration of 1L? If so, is there a company or person in particular I should contact? Thanks!

Easier just to shell out the 50 bones on craiglist and sell for 20 when you leave. This is the lawyers club way.

People that lived in the LC will be selling them on the listserv early on in the semester. It's a buyers market (wish I would've known this before I bought mine). I'll be one of the many attempting to sell theirs in September.

You have no idea how bad I wanted to get like 10 mini fridges on May 15th last year. I don't know what I'd do with them, but they're basically giving them away.

[Cubyfan21]

My fiance and I are beginning the search for a place to live in AA. What do any of you suggest, we have been told a lot of people live in the Northwood apartments, any thoughts on this housing option? Also, we did not see their rates online, does anyone know the rates for the Northwood apartments? Otherwise, any suggestions would be welcome.

[JetstoRJC]

My fiance and I are beginning the search for a place to live in AA. What do any of you suggest, we have been told a lot of people live in the Northwood apartments, any thoughts on this housing option? Also, we did not see their rates online, does anyone know the rates for the Northwood apartments? Otherwise, any suggestions would be welcome.

I think there are more convenient and cheaper options for law students than Northwood. You might check out Woodbury Gardens, Signature Club, and Harbor House.

[dabbadon8]

Anyone have any recommendations for moving? I am coming from FL. I am going to be in the LC and will not be bringing my car up. Shipping stuff and flying is expensive, then I'd need a rental car to go get some things for the room. Driving is also going be expensive (gas, hotel for a few nights, miles on the car). Either way I cut it it looks like close to 1k in expenses to move up.

[Lawlcat]

is ann arbor a nice, safe town? is it good for families?

Ann Arbor is great. In terms of kids, I have heard repeatedly that Ann Arbor schools are top-notch, and that this is a draw for professors with children.

Safety probably depends on location within the town. I'm not in a great position to judge. Certainly I've never felt unsafe.

There was an incident last year, though, where a troll got loose in the basement of Hutchins and some 1Ls very stupidly chased after that troll. I think that was mostly their own fault, and they turned out okay in the end.

also, do California firms(either sf or la) OCI at UMich?

They do; I would expect the total number to be less than at west coast schools (just because of logistics), but I'm not sure of that. Besides, number of firms at OCI isn't all that determinative - you can definitely get callbacks from visiting over the summer, a phone call, a mail app, or whatever. I got the impression that SF firm rep attendance was down a little bit this past year, but maybe that's normal: I've heard that SF is a relatively small legal market. I'm mentally going over the list of major SF firms, and I believe they were pretty much all there.

[die Zauberflote]

I have a question for a current student:

I'm starting this Fall and have started the hunt for a rental house. At ASW, I happened to meet a realtor who said that he'd help us find a place, free of charge. I'm married with a two-year-old, so I'll need a place with 2 bedrooms and an office, or a place three bedrooms, one of which I'll use as an office. At ASW and on TLS everyone recommends Burns Park or the Old West Side.

Our Realtor buddy has been finding places for us to look at, but none of them are in the Old West Side or Burns Park. The properties he finds tend to be in West Park area, or farther down Miller Ave, others are nearer Black Pond Wood Park. We told him that we're just interested in Burns Park or the Old West Side and he said that we'll have a hard time finding something nice in those areas for under 2,000/month, he said that for graduate students being close to a bus stop is much more important than being in Burns Park or the Old West Side.

Is he right? Is he giving good advice? Should I consent to look at places outside Burns Park and the Old West Side? Would I be luck to find a suitable place in those neighborhoods for under 2k?

Thanks

[03121202698008]

I have a question for a current student:

I'm starting this Fall and have started the hunt for a rental house. At ASW, I happened to meet a realtor who said that he'd help us find a place, free of charge. I'm married with a two-year-old, so I'll need a place with 2 bedrooms and an office, or a place three bedrooms, one of which I'll use as an office. At ASW and on TLS everyone recommends Burns Park or the Old West Side.

Our Realtor buddy has been finding places for us to look at, but none of them are in the Old West Side or Burns Park. The properties he finds tend to be in West Park area, or farther down Miller Ave, others are nearer Black Pond Wood Park. We told him that we're just interested in Burns Park or the Old West Side and he said that we'll have a hard time finding something nice in those areas for under 2,000/month, he said that for graduate students being close to a bus stop is much more important than being in Burns Park or the Old West Side.

Is he right? Is he giving good advice? Should I consent to look at places outside Burns Park and the Old West Side? Would I be luck to find a suitable place in those neighborhoods for under 2k?

Thanks

I'd be much more concerned with being near a bus stop, but you need to look at the schedule. Some buses run every 30 min-1 hr. Some run every 9 min. Some will get you to school in <15 min, others will take 45+. If you will need to transfer at Blake to get the whole way, be wary of the afternoon schedules. The #6 bus from the school runs around 15-20 minutes late in the afternoon so you may miss the first round of buses heading out. Then you'll have to sit at Blake and wait for 30 minutes (or whatever) until the next round.

Living further South and driving to the State St park and ride is a decent option. That bus (#36) runs every 9-12min most of the day right to the school. Assuming you have a car though...

[JDucreux]

Hello, everybody. Thanks for doing this! A few random questions -

(1) 2L/3L fall semester program at University College London: Anyone here do this? Is the program good? Hard to get into?

(2) Anyone apply to or do internship with ICJ/ICC/IACHR/ECHR, etc.? Looking for info on how competitive these are, esp. for 1L summer, relative to other positions (fed agency, big state AG office, and so on)

(3) Anyone here do the JD/MPP at the Ford School? I spoke with one guy who's doing it during Admitted Students' Weekend but would love to hear other perspectives. (Main thing I am worried about is it crewing up the 2L/3L firm jobs or clerkships).

Thanks y'all.

[Cubyfan21]

Are there any area's to avoid in Ann Arbor? (I am scheduling appointments to look at apts.)

[03121202698008]

Are there any area's to avoid in Ann Arbor? (I am scheduling appointments to look at apts.)

Ypsilanti (technically another city)

Avoid areas that will be difficult to get to school from. The bus coverage is spotty and they run at extremely varying frequencies.

[cornellbeez]

Are there any area's to avoid in Ann Arbor? (I am scheduling appointments to look at apts.)

Not really, but I prefer living on the north side of the law quad, where you are farther away from undergrads. I like living around E. William and north of it.

[yongo]

Ok I want to have access to feminist legal theory, and so I'm comparing Columbia, which has more feminist seminars, and Michigan, which has better feminist lectures. My question is, am I going to learn much more in a lecture? And how much do professors teach in seminars?--do the students usually bring enough stuff to make it extremely worthwhile, i.e. soak up as much knowledge as you would in a lecture?

Thanks! =)

[Cravin]

Anybody have any info on living in between AA and East Lansing? Wondering about driving time in the winter, housing costs, etc. Brighton was specifically recommended but I'm curious about any others and what current students think.

[buckilaw]

For any students who had Clark for Torts, how did your score/grade on the "practice exam" in the start of the semester compare to your actual grade in the class? I'm wondering if people have noticed a correlation between the two.

[GMVarun]

For any students who had Clark for Torts, how did your score/grade on the "practice exam" in the start of the semester compare to your actual grade in the class? I'm wondering if people have noticed a correlation between the two.

I am not sure how Clark did things the year before me, but I just had him this spring term, and he did not administer a practice test. He did give us a sample question and answer late in the semester. So I can't really answer your question, outside of my guess that there will only be a weak, if that, correlation.

[buckilaw]

For any students who had Clark for Torts, how did your score/grade on the "practice exam" in the start of the semester compare to your actual grade in the class? I'm wondering if people have noticed a correlation between the two.

I am not sure how Clark did things the year before me, but I just had him this spring term, and he did not administer a practice test. He did give us a sample question and answer late in the semester. So I can't really answer your question, outside of my guess that there will only be a weak, if that, correlation.

I figured as much. Thanks for your reply.

[NZA]

I was just wondering...does anyone know how we should address postage to the Lawyer's Club?

[traehekat]

how's OCI looking?

[wolverine6]

I was just wondering...does anyone know how we should address postage to the Lawyer's Club?

Took this from the email with the lease in it:

"Mail and Packages
Your mailing address is simply your name and the address: 551 South State St. Ann Arbor MI 48109-1208. "

[Bronte]

I was just wondering...does anyone know how we should address postage to the Lawyer's Club?

Took this from the email with the lease in it:

"Mail and Packages
Your mailing address is simply your name and the address: 551 South State St. Ann Arbor MI 48109-1208. "

This is correct. If you know your room number, doesn't hurt to to do:

John Doe / A10
551 South State St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109

how's OCI looking?

There's really not much to look at that's Michigan specific. The general tone on TLS and elsewhere about OCI at all t14s is much more optimistic than it was a couple years ago. If you go into the legal employment forum, you'll read people talking about big law calmly and casually. If you look at the recession panic thread in the admissions forum, you'll see people a couple years back prognosticating the end of big law and wall street. (You might even find me telling them to chill out.)

We're coming out of the worst legal market in history. No doubt about that. But for the most part it wasn't as bad as it was made out to be in some circles. I remember every time the NLJ 250 report would come out, and it still showed figures in the 50% range for T14s (a drop, but not a devastating drop), people on TLS would explain why this NLJ report didn't really reflect the true effect of the recession. The next report would show it. Well at this point the reports pretty much cover the recessionary period, and it's clear that Michigan weathered the storm as well as any of its peers. Overall, the downturn was likely a bit exaggerated.

But maybe I'm just an optimist.