Harvard Student(s) Answering Your Questions Forum

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Piggy11

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Re: Harvard Student(s) Answering Your Questions

Post by Piggy11 » Tue Jan 21, 2020 7:56 pm

Well, the HLS fall grades were released today, ~9 days earlier than last year. Color me surprised.

Libya

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Re: Harvard Student(s) Answering Your Questions

Post by Libya » Tue Jan 21, 2020 10:19 pm

Piggy11 wrote:Well, the HLS fall grades were released today, ~9 days earlier than last year. Color me surprised.
I was shocked

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RictusErectus

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Re: Harvard Student(s) Answering Your Questions

Post by RictusErectus » Mon Jan 27, 2020 1:06 am

Pneumonia wrote:
Dcc617 wrote:
pi.radians wrote:Does anyone know where I stand with 3 Hs in 1L (including 1 DS), and 3 Hs (out of 4 classes) so far in 2L? I'm curious what approximate percentile that places me at. My guess is somewhere between top 30-40 percent. Is that a good estimate?

Thanks.
My understanding is that cum laude is around 3.6.
me too

eta: you'll get better answers at the new site.
What new site are you referring to?

The Lsat Airbender

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Re: Harvard Student(s) Answering Your Questions

Post by The Lsat Airbender » Mon Jan 27, 2020 11:43 am

RictusErectus wrote:
Pneumonia wrote:
Dcc617 wrote:
pi.radians wrote:Does anyone know where I stand with 3 Hs in 1L (including 1 DS), and 3 Hs (out of 4 classes) so far in 2L? I'm curious what approximate percentile that places me at. My guess is somewhere between top 30-40 percent. Is that a good estimate?

Thanks.
My understanding is that cum laude is around 3.6.
me too

eta: you'll get better answers at the new site.
What new site are you referring to?
"top-law-schools.com", of course

PopcornSeason555

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Re: Harvard Student(s) Answering Your Questions

Post by PopcornSeason555 » Fri Jan 31, 2020 12:30 am

Hopeful HLS student here. Thanks for taking the time out to do this. With the right LSAT and GPA, how much would you say resume matters in getting admitted? I'm feel confident about LSAT and I graduated with a GPA that is at HLS's median for this current cycle, but I fear that my lackluster resume might hold me back. I have no big names of companies I have interned for or worked with.

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Dcc617

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Re: Harvard Student(s) Answering Your Questions

Post by Dcc617 » Sat Feb 01, 2020 2:22 am

Still largely a numbers game. I think that if your numbers are in range, Harvard cares more that you did something, as opposed to something super prestigious. I’m basing on the resumes of my old classmates. A few had phenomenal resumes, and a decent number had very impressive ones, but most had normal resumes (normal for college-educated people). A few had total bs resumes, and maybe more did and didn’t talk about them.

Libya

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Re: Harvard Student(s) Answering Your Questions

Post by Libya » Thu May 07, 2020 2:33 pm

A bit of an odd question, but does anyone know how people are notified about winning the best brief in their LRW section for 1L Ames? Is it just the DS or a separate thing? Curious because I've seen it on some Linkedin accounts.

FrenchPrince

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Re: Harvard Student(s) Answering Your Questions

Post by FrenchPrince » Wed Jul 22, 2020 10:02 pm

Really dumb 0L questions:

1. What separates a DS exam from an H? From what little I know, I get that issue spotting is a unique skill, it’s not about facts but about application, etc. but how is it so finely tuned at the top that profs can distinguish between good (spotted all the issues, discussed them well) and DS-level? I could be missing something super simple.

2. How come there’s not much online buzz about the external clinics? A bunch sounded really cool, e.g. the USAO office.

RedNewJersey

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Re: Harvard Student(s) Answering Your Questions

Post by RedNewJersey » Thu Jul 23, 2020 3:39 pm

adoniscr33d wrote:
Wed Jul 22, 2020 10:02 pm
Really dumb 0L questions:

1. What separates a DS exam from an H? From what little I know, I get that issue spotting is a unique skill, it’s not about facts but about application, etc. but how is it so finely tuned at the top that profs can distinguish between good (spotted all the issues, discussed them well) and DS-level? I could be missing something super simple.

2. How come there’s not much online buzz about the external clinics? A bunch sounded really cool, e.g. the USAO office.
1. A few answers. First, the super simple thing you're missing is that nobody spots all the issues. In many exams, the best person spots maybe 80%, and, again, nobody discusses all the issues they find well. For one of my 1L classes, the professor said the top student got about 60% of the total possible points on the professor's rubric. Most law school exams have incredibly high ceilings, and the difference between the best and second best is often much clearer than between 2 and 3, and so on. It's fairly easy to spot the extremely excellent top exams--the P/H line is much, much harder, because only a point or two separates them. There are exceptions--especially for take-home exams with tight word limits--but generally a low spread means the professor made a bad exam. Second, if you read a number of exams--which you should, as part of your practice--you'll pretty quickly see what DS answers look like compared to H answers. It's like any other written test.

2. No idea. The USAO clinic was amazing (though it takes a lot of time).

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april_ludgate

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Re: Harvard Student(s) Answering Your Questions

Post by april_ludgate » Thu Jul 23, 2020 3:48 pm

RedNewJersey wrote:
Thu Jul 23, 2020 3:39 pm
adoniscr33d wrote:
Wed Jul 22, 2020 10:02 pm
Really dumb 0L questions:

1. What separates a DS exam from an H? From what little I know, I get that issue spotting is a unique skill, it’s not about facts but about application, etc. but how is it so finely tuned at the top that profs can distinguish between good (spotted all the issues, discussed them well) and DS-level? I could be missing something super simple.

2. How come there’s not much online buzz about the external clinics? A bunch sounded really cool, e.g. the USAO office.
1. A few answers. First, the super simple thing you're missing is that nobody spots all the issues. In many exams, the best person spots maybe 80%, and, again, nobody discusses all the issues they find well. For one of my 1L classes, the professor said the top student got about 60% of the total possible points on the professor's rubric. Most law school exams have incredibly high ceilings, and the difference between the best and second best is often much clearer than between 2 and 3, and so on. It's fairly easy to spot the extremely excellent top exams--the P/H line is much, much harder, because only a point or two separates them. There are exceptions--especially for take-home exams with tight word limits--but generally a low spread means the professor made a bad exam. Second, if you read a number of exams--which you should, as part of your practice--you'll pretty quickly see what DS answers look like compared to H answers. It's like any other written test.

2. No idea. The USAO clinic was amazing (though it takes a lot of time).
I mean, I'm sure this is true in some cases, but certainly not all. I once asked a prof why I got an H instead of a DS (yes, I know, lol) and he stared at my exam for a while and just said he didn't know, that it was a really good exam

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Re: Harvard Student(s) Answering Your Questions

Post by RedNewJersey » Thu Jul 23, 2020 3:53 pm

april_ludgate wrote:
Thu Jul 23, 2020 3:48 pm
I mean, I'm sure this is true in some cases, but certainly not all. I once asked a prof why I got an H instead of a DS (yes, I know, lol) and he stared at my exam for a while and just said he didn't know, that it was a really good exam
Yeah, true--I should've said "law school exams are sometimes inexplicable and random, but the DS/H distinction in particular is no harder to make than others, and is sometimes easier."

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april_ludgate

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Re: Harvard Student(s) Answering Your Questions

Post by april_ludgate » Thu Jul 23, 2020 3:59 pm

RedNewJersey wrote:
Thu Jul 23, 2020 3:53 pm
april_ludgate wrote:
Thu Jul 23, 2020 3:48 pm
I mean, I'm sure this is true in some cases, but certainly not all. I once asked a prof why I got an H instead of a DS (yes, I know, lol) and he stared at my exam for a while and just said he didn't know, that it was a really good exam
Yeah, true--I should've said "law school exams are sometimes inexplicable and random, but the DS/H distinction in particular is no harder to make than others, and is sometimes easier."
agreed

Libya

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Re: Harvard Student(s) Answering Your Questions

Post by Libya » Thu Jul 23, 2020 4:11 pm

adoniscr33d wrote:
Wed Jul 22, 2020 10:02 pm
Really dumb 0L questions:

1. What separates a DS exam from an H? From what little I know, I get that issue spotting is a unique skill, it’s not about facts but about application, etc. but how is it so finely tuned at the top that profs can distinguish between good (spotted all the issues, discussed them well) and DS-level? I could be missing something super simple.

2. How come there’s not much online buzz about the external clinics? A bunch sounded really cool, e.g. the USAO office.
It depends on the professor. As rednewjersey explained, on some exams it is just a function of the DS answers spotting more issues than the rest; these tend to be the more "meritocratic" exams. For some professors, however, it is about being able to think about the issues the way the professor does; and in my experience, often these professsors are not explicit in class about their thoughts on the doctrine. For some professors writing quality/organization may matter, while for others, a 7,000 word essay that hits a bunch of issues but is littered with typos and borderline-incoherent may get a DS.

There is an arbitary aspect to the cutoffs between DS and H, or H and P; sometimes the best H exam is pretty similar to the worst DS (and I think it would more often than not be tough to tell the worst H apart from the best P).

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Dcc617

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Re: Harvard Student(s) Answering Your Questions

Post by Dcc617 » Thu Jul 23, 2020 6:27 pm

Sometimes it's clear, a lot of times it's not. My only DS in law school came in a class that I went to 5 times and did virtually no reading for. Sometimes it's just random and professors have to look at a big pile of similar essays and sort them.

Not to say there's no pattern. The people who get like straight DSs are generally just really good at taking LS exams.

Veil of Ignorance

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Re: Harvard Student(s) Answering Your Questions

Post by Veil of Ignorance » Wed Aug 05, 2020 5:21 pm

Anyone have Kraakman for Corporations? His reviews on toodope are mixed. Maybe that matters less with Zoom education though.

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Re: Harvard Student(s) Answering Your Questions

Post by adwokatbielsko » Tue Oct 27, 2020 12:21 pm

1.) How is off campus living? For someone like me that is coming from out-of-state or would it better to dorm.
2.) About campus life: is it good? or bad? maybe overrated?
3.) What are job prospects after graduation.

Please any info will be good. thanks for your time.

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Re: Harvard Student(s) Answering Your Questions

Post by Goldie » Wed Oct 28, 2020 1:30 pm

Veil of Ignorance wrote:
Wed Aug 05, 2020 5:21 pm
Anyone have Kraakman for Corporations? His reviews on toodope are mixed. Maybe that matters less with Zoom education though.
I had him five years ago and he was one of the two worst professors I've ever had.

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FrenchPrince

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Re: Harvard Student(s) Answering Your Questions

Post by FrenchPrince » Wed Dec 16, 2020 12:08 pm

Looks like 2Ls are getting grades very early in Jan. because of delayed EIP occurring before the start of the Spring. Do we think this means 1Ls will get grades around then too, or will they wait until the ~20th per usual?

allezallez21

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Re: Harvard Student(s) Answering Your Questions

Post by allezallez21 » Mon Dec 21, 2020 11:59 pm

FrenchPrince wrote:
Wed Dec 16, 2020 12:08 pm
Looks like 2Ls are getting grades very early in Jan. because of delayed EIP occurring before the start of the Spring. Do we think this means 1Ls will get grades around then too, or will they wait until the ~20th per usual?
I think 1Ls will have to wait. They have to wait in the spring when upper level grades come out several weeks faster because of graduation.

I'm wondering if 3Ls will be getting grades early too. I don't see why not, but I suppose it's possible they segregate 2L exams and only grade those early. However, they don't do that in the spring.

Sarkhan

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Re: Harvard Student(s) Answering Your Questions

Post by Sarkhan » Tue Dec 22, 2020 8:44 pm

Seems like it'd be impossible to segregate 2Ls and 3Ls in mixed classes because they have to apply the curve? I'm expecting to get my grades when the 2L ones come out, but who knows, it's a crazy year.
allezallez21 wrote:
Mon Dec 21, 2020 11:59 pm
FrenchPrince wrote:
Wed Dec 16, 2020 12:08 pm
Looks like 2Ls are getting grades very early in Jan. because of delayed EIP occurring before the start of the Spring. Do we think this means 1Ls will get grades around then too, or will they wait until the ~20th per usual?
I think 1Ls will have to wait. They have to wait in the spring when upper level grades come out several weeks faster because of graduation.

I'm wondering if 3Ls will be getting grades early too. I don't see why not, but I suppose it's possible they segregate 2L exams and only grade those early. However, they don't do that in the spring.

allezallez21

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Re: Harvard Student(s) Answering Your Questions

Post by allezallez21 » Wed Dec 23, 2020 8:19 pm

Sarkhan wrote:
Tue Dec 22, 2020 8:44 pm
Seems like it'd be impossible to segregate 2Ls and 3Ls in mixed classes because they have to apply the curve? I'm expecting to get my grades when the 2L ones come out, but who knows, it's a crazy year.
allezallez21 wrote:
Mon Dec 21, 2020 11:59 pm
FrenchPrince wrote:
Wed Dec 16, 2020 12:08 pm
Looks like 2Ls are getting grades very early in Jan. because of delayed EIP occurring before the start of the Spring. Do we think this means 1Ls will get grades around then too, or will they wait until the ~20th per usual?
I think 1Ls will have to wait. They have to wait in the spring when upper level grades come out several weeks faster because of graduation.

I'm wondering if 3Ls will be getting grades early too. I don't see why not, but I suppose it's possible they segregate 2L exams and only grade those early. However, they don't do that in the spring.
Yeah, I agree with you. Normally, and in all likelihood, upper level grades come out together. But, given how crazy things are, small chance of only 2L grades.

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23458345324523

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Re: Harvard Student(s) Answering Your Questions

Post by 23458345324523 » Thu Feb 11, 2021 1:00 pm

Have people gotten their second semester loan disbursements yet?

stupididiot

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Re: Harvard Student(s) Answering Your Questions

Post by stupididiot » Thu Feb 11, 2021 1:07 pm

23458345324523 wrote:
Thu Feb 11, 2021 1:00 pm
Have people gotten their second semester loan disbursements yet?
yeah mine came 12/16/2020

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Re: Harvard Student(s) Answering Your Questions

Post by Sarkhan » Sun Apr 04, 2021 9:13 pm

Anybody talked with the registrar and gotten a confirmation on the exact mathematical formula for the Covid latin honors calculation for 2L/3Ls? I've seen at least two different ways of doing it and haven't had the chance to get either confirmed yet.

stupididiot

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Re: Harvard Student(s) Answering Your Questions

Post by stupididiot » Sun Apr 04, 2021 10:59 pm

Sarkhan wrote:
Sun Apr 04, 2021 9:13 pm
Anybody talked with the registrar and gotten a confirmation on the exact mathematical formula for the Covid latin honors calculation for 2L/3Ls? I've seen at least two different ways of doing it and haven't had the chance to get either confirmed yet.
They announced a long time ago:
For co 2022, it is weighted average of each year with 1L grades having .5 weight and 2L and 3L grades having full weight.. i.e. : (1L*0.5+2L+3L)/2.5 .

For co 2021, they calculate it three different ways: by assigning .5 weight to your 2L grades; by assigning .6 weight to your 2L grades; or by assigning a weighting factor based on how many credits you took. If you make it under any of the three formulas, then you make it (so more than 10% can potentially make magna for example)

Seriously? What are you waiting for?

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