Calling Villanova Law Students ... Forum

[FunkyJD]

Are there any Villanova Law students who are available to answer some questions from a newly admitted student?

To start with, I'm interested to know what some of your favorite professors and courses were (or are) during your 1L, and why. What's the class size like for 1L courses? Have you been able to interact much with your professors outside of class?

Also curious to know what you think of the facilities, and any other aspects of student life at Villanova that you might like to share.

For anyone working on law review ... I'm curious to know what kind of time commitment that entails, and what that experience has been like.

Also, what is the status of the legal market in Philly? Slowly rebounding? Still hurting? Are most of you looking to practice in Philly, or hoping to practice elsewhere (DC? NYC? Elsewhere?)? How do you feel, in general, about your prospects?

Finally ... If I visit Philly, what's the one thing I should do, without fail, being new to the city?

You can reply here, or PM me if you'd feel more comfortable doing that. I appreciate your thoughts.

[jayn3]

Are there any Villanova Law students who are available to answer some questions from a newly admitted student?

To start with, I'm interested to know what some of your favorite professors and courses were (or are) during your 1L, and why. What's the class size like for 1L courses? Have you been able to interact much with your professors outside of class?

Also curious to know what you think of the facilities, and any other aspects of student life at Villanova that you might like to share.

For anyone working on law review ... I'm curious to know what kind of time commitment that entails, and what that experience has been like.

Also, what is the status of the legal market in Philly? Slowly rebounding? Still hurting? Are most of you looking to practice in Philly, or hoping to practice elsewhere (DC? NYC? Elsewhere?)? How do you feel, in general, about your prospects?

Finally ... If I visit Philly, what's the one thing I should do, without fail, being new to the city?

You can reply here, or PM me if you'd feel more comfortable doing that. I appreciate your thoughts.

+1

[Kevin3960]

+1

[FunkyJD]

Bump ... Villanova, represent.

[primocobber8]

I am probably not the best person to answer all of these questions as I am in the second semester of my first year but I can answers a few of them.

The class size varies. You will have one class that is about 120-130 students (The largest classroom in the school) then a couple of classes of about 60-70. Then your writing and research classes are only 20 or so. Even with the larger classes you do have an opportunity to meet your professors. They are all very approachable and are happy to have you drop by if you have any questions or come to office hours. Most of them respond to e-mail within the hour.

The facilities are great. There is a lot of space in the new building and a variety of places to study, chat with other students, take a nap, or even watch the flat screen TV's in common areas or student lounge.

As far as your other questions go, I am from the west coast and got here just before school started so I don't know all of the things that there are to do. I'm a big sports fan so being right next to Philly is awesome.

Hope that was helpful. Let me know if you have any other questions.

[Kevin3960]

How prevalent is the socratic method?

[primocobber8]

It depends on the professor. Some use straight Socratic method while others are more volunteer based. This semester I have two classes that the professor will select a panel of "experts" that know they are on call ahead of time. So far I have been surprised at how little I get called on... but it happens enough to keep you on your toes.

[mikeyp]

I'm a 1L at villanova.

To start with, I'm interested to know what some of your favorite professors and courses were (or are) during your 1L, and why. What's the class size like for 1L courses? Have you been able to interact much with your professors outside of class?

favorite class and professor...that's easy, civil procedure with prof ravenell. i thought i would hate this class going in because it sounds boring. but it definitely got you thinking more than any other class. and prof ravenell is incredible. she is INCREDIBLY smart, excellent credentials. but she's also hysterically funny. she had us near tears on a few occasions. she really knows how to keep your attention.

Class size varies. there were two sections for crim law, so it was split in half to about 130 in each class. civ pro and torts had 3 sections each, so they were about 80. writing and research are much smaller, about 20 in each class, which is great because you get a lot of feedback.

all the professors were awesome and eager to meet with students. they were very approachable. i heard horror stories on this forum and was paranoid. trust me, it turned out to be a LOT less intimidating in this perspective. honestly, i haven't had a professor i didn't like yet (this semester included).

Also curious to know what you think of the facilities, and any other aspects of student life at Villanova that you might like to share.

the facilities are incredible. the building is a brand new, not even a year old. my class was the inaugural class. there is ample room for everyone to hang out and do work. the library has plenty of space, i've always been able to find a comfortable spot. every class room has outlets at every seat. the wireless network works great. i'd suggest going for a tour.

student life is great. my favorite part of being is actually the friends i've made. i can honestly say there isn't a single person which i can't stand (ok, maybe 1 or two ). everyone is super friendly, willing to help each other. can't say i've had any experience with "gunners" here. i've learned that those people that like to pretend they're badass and know everything, are the ones that are completely lost. everyone is very modest and easy to get along with. its a great environment!

we got to a lot of basketball games since nova is #3. tonight we have a social function at school where they serve free beer and pizza and we watch the villanova game on tv. tomorrow night is another function at school, beer pong! they actually don't use beer in the cups (some sort of law against it), but they have beer to drink on the side. they hand out prizes for best costume, haha. in short, there is PLENTY to do. can't say i've ever been bored.

For anyone working on law review ... I'm curious to know what kind of time commitment that entails, and what that experience has been like.

Obviously this doesn't apply to me since i'm still 1L, but you can search anywhere on this board for that. in essence, you'll be giving up just about all your social time.

Also, what is the status of the legal market in Philly? Slowly rebounding? Still hurting? Are most of you looking to practice in Philly, or hoping to practice elsewhere (DC? NYC? Elsewhere?)? How do you feel, in general, about your prospects?

also, not too much experience there, but i know it's been hurting just like everywhere else. there are still a lot of employers hiring from OCI, but not as much as in the past as i've been told. i originally wanted to go back to NY and practice, but i actually love this area, and now i want to stay in PA. how do i feel about my prospects? i feel fine. my grades are good enough so far, although not law review status. besides, i don't graduate for another few years

Finally ... If I visit Philly, what's the one thing I should do, without fail, being new to the city?

besides visit VLS? well vls isn't in philly, but it's only a 10 minute train ride (awesome). what you should definitely do is see a villanova basketball game at the wachovia center in philly. such a good time.

[mikeyp]

How prevalent is the socratic method?

generally adhered to, but what the other person said, depends on the professor.

last semester, all of my professors cold called (some more than others). some people got through the semester without ever getting called on. i was not that fortunate, having been called on 5 times. it's not so bad though, the profs are not going to eat your head off. they push you in the right direction when they see that you're unsure.

this semester i have one professor who goes in alphabetical order, one who has an index card for each person and when you're card comes up, you're called on, one who cold calls, and one who doesn't call on anyone (which leads to lots of awkward silences).

[bucknell09]

How big are sections?

Do you need a car?

Is there affordable housing within walking distance of the school?

How is the job market in Philadelphia? Is it even worth trying for jobs in NYC?

[mikeyp]

How big are sections?

Do you need a car?

Is there affordable housing within walking distance of the school?

How is the job market in Philadelphia? Is it even worth trying for jobs in NYC?

Depends on the class. There are two sections for crim law, so about 120 apiece. There are three sections for civ pro and torts, so about 80 apiece. There are a lot of writing sections, those are about 20 each.

Don't need a car if you live close.

Yes, there is affordable housing within walking distance. check out radnor house. there's another place next door to radnor house but i forget the name.

Job market is typical from what i gather, but i'm only a 1L so i have little experience in the matter.

[anthonyc350]

where can I find info online for Radnor House, can't seem to find anything...

[jbarl1]

What is the printing situation on campus? Is there a charge per page, like $.10? Or is it one of the lucky schools that is free printing?

[mikeyp]

where can I find info online for Radnor House, can't seem to find anything...

radnor is a condo building, so individual owners rent out their places. you can look on craigs list (which is what i did), or go to the building and ask security if you can go into the basement where they have postings. also i believe there might be some realtors posted on the vls website. also search google, you can find realtors that rent radnor places.

[mikeyp]

What is the printing situation on campus? Is there a charge per page, like $.10? Or is it one of the lucky schools that is free printing?

it's $.05 per page, or $.04 per side if double sided.

but you're given like $50 per semester included in tuition. i've never used even half of it. and there's literally like 15 printers all over the place. you print from the wireless network, then go to the printer, swipe your card, and it prints. pretty sweet.

[kartal]

Hello the Nova nation, I also have couple questions about the Villanova Law School.

1. How is the grading curve at your law school?

2. Why are you glad you chose your law school over some of the other options that you had? What were your other options?

3. Does the faculty lean more liberal or conservative? How about the student body?

4. How generous is the school in granting scholarships?

5. How would you feel at Villanova if you are not Catholic even not Christian?

Thanks in advance?

[mikeyp]

Hello the Nova nation, I also have couple questions about the Villanova Law School.

1. How is the grading curve at your law school?

2. Why are you glad you chose your law school over some of the other options that you had? What were your other options?

3. Does the faculty lean more liberal or conservative? How about the student body?

4. How generous is the school in granting scholarships?

5. How would you feel at Villanova if you are not Catholic even not Christian?

Thanks in advance?

1. Curve is 3.00.

2. I'm glad because I'm incredibly happy at the school. I love the faculty, the students, and the geographic area. Also, the facilities are AMAZING. It makes it a GREAT environment to learn in. I was between VLS and Brooklyn; I'm happy with my choice.

3. It's hard to tell with the faculty (at least the ones I have had contact with). The student body is a pretty even split.

4. I'm not sure about how much they give out total, so I can't say.

5. I'm not religious at all (if my avatar hasn't given it away already). Honestly, I would never even know the school had religious affiliations if it weren't for the crucifixes. Very few people that go here are religious, most are apathetic. So don't worry about it, it won't affect your experience here at all.

[kartal]

Hello the Nova nation, I also have couple questions about the Villanova Law School.

1. How is the grading curve at your law school?

2. Why are you glad you chose your law school over some of the other options that you had? What were your other options?

3. Does the faculty lean more liberal or conservative? How about the student body?

4. How generous is the school in granting scholarships?

5. How would you feel at Villanova if you are not Catholic even not Christian?

Thanks in advance?

1. Curve is 3.00.

2. I'm glad because I'm incredibly happy at the school. I love the faculty, the students, and the geographic area. Also, the facilities are AMAZING. It makes it a GREAT environment to learn in. I was between VLS and Brooklyn; I'm happy with my choice.

3. It's hard to tell with the faculty (at least the ones I have had contact with). The student body is a pretty even split.

4. I'm not sure about how much they give out total, so I can't say.

5. I'm not religious at all (if my avatar hasn't given it away already). Honestly, I would never even know the school had religious affiliations if it weren't for the crucifixes. Very few people that go here are religious, most are apathetic. So don't worry about it, it won't affect your experience here at all.

Thanks for the reply.

[beach_terror]

Not to be nosy, but are you at VLS with a scholarship? I'm in with no $$, and I'm not sure if VLS is a good investment at sticker (assuming I get rejected of the WL at Temple). Thanks!

[mikeyp]

Not to be nosy, but are you at VLS with a scholarship? I'm in with no $$, and I'm not sure if VLS is a good investment at sticker (assuming I get rejected of the WL at Temple). Thanks!

I'm not sure if you're asking me, but I don't want to say. I have a lot of reasons for picking VLS over Temple (i.e. facilities, alumni, reputation). Needless to say I'm VERY happy with my choice, scholarship or not.

[beach_terror]

Yeah it was directed toward you. Thanks for the reply. I'm just wondering the cost/benefit side of it all. I really really really like Villanova's facility, rep, faculty, and course offerings. Temple doesn't impress me that much other than their placement in Philly, but their tuition is 20k a year less. It's a pain in the ass decision (assuming I get off the WL). Blah

[mikeyp]

Yeah it was directed toward you. Thanks for the reply. I'm just wondering the cost/benefit side of it all. I really really really like Villanova's facility, rep, faculty, and course offerings. Temple doesn't impress me that much other than their placement in Philly, but their tuition is 20k a year less. It's a pain in the ass decision (assuming I get off the WL). Blah

Yeah, that is a rough decision. Keep in mind what you're planning on doing post-graduation. Are you looking to work in the private sector? Public defender? ADA? For example, if you're looking to work in the public sector, you're relative earnings will probably be much less, so less debt would be VERY preferable.

[beach_terror]

When I'm looking for a job I'm going to consider two things. 1) Debt and paying it off and 2) whether or not I'll enjoy what I'm doing. I don't want to go into private practice long term just for the money, I need to actually enjoy it. I honestly feel like I'd enjoy doing ADA type work, but I want to live comfortably too. Tough decision. Assuming I don't get off the WL at Temple, it's down to Syracuse @ 15k tuition (30k scholly) or Rutgers-Camden. Leaning toward Nova out of those choices though. WTB government-subsidized higher education.

[kartal]

When I'm looking for a job I'm going to consider two things. 1) Debt and paying it off and 2) whether or not I'll enjoy what I'm doing. I don't want to go into private practice long term just for the money, I need to actually enjoy it. I honestly feel like I'd enjoy doing ADA type work, but I want to live comfortably too. Tough decision. Assuming I don't get off the WL at Temple, it's down to Syracuse @ 15k tuition (30k scholly) or Rutgers-Camden. Leaning toward Nova out of those choices though. WTB government-subsidized higher education.

Excuse my ignorance. What does ADA, WL and WTB stand for? Thanks.

[bass08]

When I'm looking for a job I'm going to consider two things. 1) Debt and paying it off and 2) whether or not I'll enjoy what I'm doing. I don't want to go into private practice long term just for the money, I need to actually enjoy it. I honestly feel like I'd enjoy doing ADA type work, but I want to live comfortably too. Tough decision. Assuming I don't get off the WL at Temple, it's down to Syracuse @ 15k tuition (30k scholly) or Rutgers-Camden. Leaning toward Nova out of those choices though. WTB government-subsidized higher education.

Excuse my ignorance. What does ADA, WL and WTB stand for? Thanks.

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