UC Hastings Students Taking Questions Forum

[kapital98]

My fall semester was excellent:

Monday-Thursday: 10-12am Class; 1-3pm Class.
LRW on Monday nights.

Spring semester was all screwed up. I can't remember it off the top of my head.

Didn't we have civ pro on friday mornings or something?

Maybe. I can't remember at this point. I do remember that our Fall semester was neatly lined up. Our spring semester was a little more hectic.

[caligirl8]

I have a question regarding housing...

I submitted my deposit and my housing application for the tower on the 15th. As a 1L, what do you think my chances are of getting a spot in the tower? I've emailed Pansy but she hasn't been able to give me a straight answer since she will be processing the 2L and 3L applications first. Anyone know of people applying around this same time in past years get a spot? Thanks!

[kapital98]

I have a question regarding housing...

I submitted my deposit and my housing application for the tower on the 15th. As a 1L, what do you think my chances are of getting a spot in the tower? I've emailed Pansy but she hasn't been able to give me a straight answer since she will be processing the 2L and 3L applications first. Anyone know of people applying around this same time in past years get a spot? Thanks!

I applied in late May for housing. I know a lot of other people who were just as late. We all got housing but our options were somewhat limited.

Pansy gave me 2 choices and basically said, "this is all we can offer you. Pick one or else it will go to the next person on the list."

Iirc, I got my roommate from TLS. I can't remember if we used his or my room offer. We had a 1-bedroom -- I used the bedroom and he lived in the living room.

[caligirl8]

I have a question regarding housing...

I submitted my deposit and my housing application for the tower on the 15th. As a 1L, what do you think my chances are of getting a spot in the tower? I've emailed Pansy but she hasn't been able to give me a straight answer since she will be processing the 2L and 3L applications first. Anyone know of people applying around this same time in past years get a spot? Thanks!

I applied in late May for housing. I know a lot of other people who were just as late. We all got housing but our options were somewhat limited.

Pansy gave me 2 choices and basically said, "this is all we can offer you. Pick one or else it will go to the next person on the list."

Iirc, I got my roommate from TLS. I can't remember if we used his or my room offer. We had a 1-bedroom -- I used the bedroom and he lived in the living room.

Fantastic! I was worried I had applied too late. Do you happen to remember about when Pansy notified you of your options? Thanks!

[kapital98]

Fantastic! I was worried I had applied too late. Do you happen to remember about when Pansy notified you of your options? Thanks!

Thank gmail for being awesome. I sent in my housing application on May 24th. I got an immediate response saying she'd be in touch around June or July. On June 21st she sent me a formal offer for a one bedroom apartment. I then talked to another student and we agreed to share it.

[Moonlight]

Someone was telling me that law schools cut first year students? Is that true?

How does that work?

[Cal Trask]

Someone was telling me that law schools cut first year students? Is that true?

How does that work?

wut. you might flunk out, but that's pretty hard to do in law school.

[kapital98]

Someone was telling me that law schools cut first year students? Is that true?

How does that work?

wut. you might flunk out, but that's pretty hard to do in law school.

Two things happen:

1) A large number of people wind up near the bottom of the class and drop out. Probably 10% of my class dropped out after the second semester. Honestly, I don't blame them. They are cutting their losses and moving on. Others don't like the idea of practicing law and realize coming to law school was a mistake (normally their grades reflect this).

2) It is possible to flunk out but not in your first year. If you do poorly (bottom 10%) Hastings will put you in a special "legal analysis" (or something) course. This can be a black mark socially. Most people do moot court their second semester. These people don't. It's somewhat awkward to bring up moot court to random people because of the small chance that they are not doing moot court.

I had a roommate that ended up in "legal analysis" but swore that he didn't know it was for the bottom of the class when he signed up. I have no idea if he was lying but I don't see why he would.

---

I'm not sure how it works at Hastings but at Cornell there are procedures to flunk people out. After your third semester you are put on academic probation if you have a GPA below 2.8 (or something). If you are below a GPA of 2.5 after the fourth semester they will kick you out of school. You have to graduate with a GPA of 2.5 or higher. I was pretty surprised to find this out. I assume Hastings has something similar.

[a male human]

Someone was telling me that law schools cut first year students? Is that true?

How does that work?

wut. you might flunk out, but that's pretty hard to do in law school.

Two things happen:

1) A large number of people wind up near the bottom of the class and drop out. Probably 10% of my class dropped out after the second semester. Honestly, I don't blame them. They are cutting their losses and moving on. Others don't like the idea of practicing law and realize coming to law school was a mistake (normally their grades reflect this).

2) It is possible to flunk out but not in your first year. If you do poorly (bottom 10%) Hastings will put you in a special "legal analysis" (or something) course. This can be a black mark socially. Most people do moot court their second semester. These people don't. It's somewhat awkward to bring up moot court to random people because of the small chance that they are not doing moot court.

I had a roommate that ended up in "legal analysis" but swore that he didn't know it was for the bottom of the class when he signed up. I have no idea if he was lying but I don't see why he would.

---

I'm not sure how it works at Hastings but at Cornell there are procedures to flunk people out. After your third semester you are put on academic probation if you have a GPA below 2.8 (or something). If you are below a GPA of 2.5 after the fourth semester they will kick you out of school. You have to graduate with a GPA of 2.5 or higher. I was pretty surprised to find this out. I assume Hastings has something similar.

Yuck, now I'm remembering how I bombed 1L spring semester. Got an invitation to take the Legal Analysis class in August of 2L.

There are also two Critical Studies classes for 3L bar prep (took the first one). I think they invite the bottom quarter of the class according to the prof (I hope I wasn't in the bottom 10%). But at least my transcript looks like a spectrum of Bs/Cs to As showing a marked improvement over time.

[Moonlight]

So sounds like if we keep good standing then at worst we will be humiliated if we end up in bottom 10%, but nothing that will get us cut in 1st year?

Anyone know what the GPA is needed to graduate? I fully intend not to be anywhere near that line but would like to know.

[Cal Trask]

So sounds like if we keep good standing then at worst we will be humiliated if we end up in bottom 10%, but nothing that will get us cut in 1st year?

Anyone know what the GPA is needed to graduate? I fully intend not to be anywhere near that line but would like to know.

2.2

http://uchastings.edu/about/admin-offic ... S13-14.pdf

905.b

[Moonlight]

So sounds like if we keep good standing then at worst we will be humiliated if we end up in bottom 10%, but nothing that will get us cut in 1st year?

Anyone know what the GPA is needed to graduate? I fully intend not to be anywhere near that line but would like to know.

2.2

http://uchastings.edu/about/admin-offic ... S13-14.pdf

905.b

Perfect

[hiima3L]

So sounds like if we keep good standing then at worst we will be humiliated if we end up in bottom 10%, but nothing that will get us cut in 1st year?

Anyone know what the GPA is needed to graduate? I fully intend not to be anywhere near that line but would like to know.

If you are in the bottom 10% after 1L and don't drop out, you have much, much bigger problems than just being humiliated.

[Moonlight]

So sounds like if we keep good standing then at worst we will be humiliated if we end up in bottom 10%, but nothing that will get us cut in 1st year?

Anyone know what the GPA is needed to graduate? I fully intend not to be anywhere near that line but would like to know.

If you are in the bottom 10% after 1L and don't drop out, you have much, much bigger problems than just being humiliated.

Haha yea, but I was surprised to learn some schools force drop. I wonder if thats an over-enrollment issue?

[hiima3L]

So sounds like if we keep good standing then at worst we will be humiliated if we end up in bottom 10%, but nothing that will get us cut in 1st year?

Anyone know what the GPA is needed to graduate? I fully intend not to be anywhere near that line but would like to know.

If you are in the bottom 10% after 1L and don't drop out, you have much, much bigger problems than just being humiliated.

Haha yea, but I was surprised to learn some schools force drop. I wonder if thats an over-enrollment issue?

It's a way for them to have a lot of 1Ls (i.e., more $$$) and to protect their bar passage rates--there is a very strong association between bad grades and failing the bar. Something like 90%+ of first time bar takers from decent schools who fail are in the bottom 1/3 of the class. If you do poorly as a 1L at, say, GGU, you're probably not smart or hardworking enough to pass the bar.

[Moonlight]

It's a way for them to have a lot of 1Ls (i.e., more $$$) and to protect their bar passage rates--there is a very strong association between bad grades and failing the bar. Something like 90%+ of first time bar takers from decent schools who fail are in the bottom 1/3 of the class. If you do poorly as a 1L at, say, GGU, you're probably not smart or hardworking enough to pass the bar.

Makes sense. Not the most ethical business model but smart one nonetheless.

Haha yea I would agree. It should be easier to rise to the top at a less demanding school.

[rollininthedeep]

1) A large number of people wind up near the bottom of the class and drop out. Probably 10% of my class dropped out after the second semester. Honestly, I don't blame them. They are cutting their losses and moving on. Others don't like the idea of practicing law and realize coming to law school was a mistake (normally their grades reflect this).

2) It is possible to flunk out but not in your first year. If you do poorly (bottom 10%) Hastings will put you in a special "legal analysis" (or something) course. This can be a black mark socially. Most people do moot court their second semester. These people don't. It's somewhat awkward to bring up moot court to random people because of the small chance that they are not doing moot court.

I had a roommate that ended up in "legal analysis" but swore that he didn't know it was for the bottom of the class when he signed up. I have no idea if he was lying but I don't see why he would.

---

Grr, I couldn't remember what my old username was so I had to make a new account. I'm a Hastings '11. I graduated in the top third of my class. I took legal analysis for a purely strategic reason: I spoke with some attorneys at the biglaw firm I eventually agreed to work for and they said that I should do what I could to maintain my 1L GPA and to defer any distractions till the later years that may cause me to drop my GPA. Since I knew I did not want to do litigation ever, I had no problem with taking moot court late. I petitioned my way into the course and not one administrator had an issue with that. I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one that did that because the other person that I recognized now works for a large regional firm here in the City.

I took it so I wouldn't need to stress about one class my second semester No one from school tells you that's an option, though.

[hiima3L]

1) A large number of people wind up near the bottom of the class and drop out. Probably 10% of my class dropped out after the second semester. Honestly, I don't blame them. They are cutting their losses and moving on. Others don't like the idea of practicing law and realize coming to law school was a mistake (normally their grades reflect this).

2) It is possible to flunk out but not in your first year. If you do poorly (bottom 10%) Hastings will put you in a special "legal analysis" (or something) course. This can be a black mark socially. Most people do moot court their second semester. These people don't. It's somewhat awkward to bring up moot court to random people because of the small chance that they are not doing moot court.

I had a roommate that ended up in "legal analysis" but swore that he didn't know it was for the bottom of the class when he signed up. I have no idea if he was lying but I don't see why he would.

---

Grr, I couldn't remember what my old username was so I had to make a new account. I'm a Hastings '11. I graduated in the top third of my class. I took legal analysis for a purely strategic reason: I spoke with some attorneys at the biglaw firm I eventually agreed to work for and they said that I should do what I could to maintain my 1L GPA and to defer any distractions till the later years that may cause me to drop my GPA. Since I knew I did not want to do litigation ever, I had no problem with taking moot court late. I petitioned my way into the course and not one administrator had an issue with that. I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one that did that because the other person that I recognized now works for a large regional firm here in the City.

I took it so I wouldn't need to stress about one class my second semester No one from school tells you that's an option, though.

Moot court is P/NP. And as a former moot court TA, I know that you will pass unless you completely and utterly blow it in a serious way.

[lisavj]

It may be objectively true that everyone passes moot court...but given the 10 error rule, that passing is never without stress. I'm still missing some hair over that rule.

[a male human]

1) A large number of people wind up near the bottom of the class and drop out. Probably 10% of my class dropped out after the second semester. Honestly, I don't blame them. They are cutting their losses and moving on. Others don't like the idea of practicing law and realize coming to law school was a mistake (normally their grades reflect this).

2) It is possible to flunk out but not in your first year. If you do poorly (bottom 10%) Hastings will put you in a special "legal analysis" (or something) course. This can be a black mark socially. Most people do moot court their second semester. These people don't. It's somewhat awkward to bring up moot court to random people because of the small chance that they are not doing moot court.

I had a roommate that ended up in "legal analysis" but swore that he didn't know it was for the bottom of the class when he signed up. I have no idea if he was lying but I don't see why he would.

---

Grr, I couldn't remember what my old username was so I had to make a new account. I'm a Hastings '11. I graduated in the top third of my class. I took legal analysis for a purely strategic reason: I spoke with some attorneys at the biglaw firm I eventually agreed to work for and they said that I should do what I could to maintain my 1L GPA and to defer any distractions till the later years that may cause me to drop my GPA. Since I knew I did not want to do litigation ever, I had no problem with taking moot court late. I petitioned my way into the course and not one administrator had an issue with that. I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one that did that because the other person that I recognized now works for a large regional firm here in the City.

I took it so I wouldn't need to stress about one class my second semester No one from school tells you that's an option, though.

This is literally a good idea. MC took up so much of my time and stress (esp because my prof gave us next to 0 guidance and most of us had no idea wtf was going on) and probably contributed to my bombing spring semester.

I passed and got a certificate in something, though (which was later removed from my resume anyway).

[OneMoreLawHopeful]

1) A large number of people wind up near the bottom of the class and drop out. Probably 10% of my class dropped out after the second semester. Honestly, I don't blame them. They are cutting their losses and moving on. Others don't like the idea of practicing law and realize coming to law school was a mistake (normally their grades reflect this).

2) It is possible to flunk out but not in your first year. If you do poorly (bottom 10%) Hastings will put you in a special "legal analysis" (or something) course. This can be a black mark socially. Most people do moot court their second semester. These people don't. It's somewhat awkward to bring up moot court to random people because of the small chance that they are not doing moot court.

I had a roommate that ended up in "legal analysis" but swore that he didn't know it was for the bottom of the class when he signed up. I have no idea if he was lying but I don't see why he would.

---

Grr, I couldn't remember what my old username was so I had to make a new account. I'm a Hastings '11. I graduated in the top third of my class. I took legal analysis for a purely strategic reason: I spoke with some attorneys at the biglaw firm I eventually agreed to work for and they said that I should do what I could to maintain my 1L GPA and to defer any distractions till the later years that may cause me to drop my GPA. Since I knew I did not want to do litigation ever, I had no problem with taking moot court late. I petitioned my way into the course and not one administrator had an issue with that. I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one that did that because the other person that I recognized now works for a large regional firm here in the City.

I took it so I wouldn't need to stress about one class my second semester No one from school tells you that's an option, though.

This is literally a good idea. MC took up so much of my time and stress (esp because my prof gave us next to 0 guidance and most of us had no idea wtf was going on) and probably contributed to my bombing spring semester.

I passed and got a certificate in something, though (which was later removed from my resume anyway).

The real problem is that it's a graduation requirement, so you're delaying the stress instead of avoiding it.

Sure, your 1L grades matter more (so putting off moot court might be worth it), but you're probably busier 2L year (no one does journal/works part time/externs/whatever during their 1L year), so you might just create stress for yourself later on.

[scottiescruff]

When does the loan refund show up in your account? I heard the Friday before classes. Does that affect your book/supplies purchases, or did you find that you had enough time to get everything squared away?

How is 1L orientation? Daunting? Semi-fun?

[shazi]

When does the loan refund show up in your account? I heard the Friday before classes. Does that affect your book/supplies purchases, or did you find that you had enough time to get everything squared away?

How is 1L orientation? Daunting? Semi-fun?

Good questions. Friday before classes sounds accurate. Definitely don't want to wait until then to get your books. Hastings doesn't have a walk in book store any more so you gotta order everything online. To be ready for the first day of class, you for sure want to find away to order all your books without having to wait for your student loan. So it's a good idea to borrow money so you can be sure to have your books by the first day of class. It would suck to not have your books for the first reading assignment. Your textbook is likely to be reserved at the library, but it might not be the most updated version so it's probably not a good idea to depend on the library.
If someone else has a different take on this please add in.

Orientation feels reaaaallly long. I wouldn't really consider it daunting. Mostly just long and boring. However everyone is really friendly since they want to make friends and good impressions. So in that case it might be "semi-fun." A decent amount of people I know ended up becoming really good friends after meeting during orientation.

[scottiescruff]

When does the loan refund show up in your account? I heard the Friday before classes. Does that affect your book/supplies purchases, or did you find that you had enough time to get everything squared away?

How is 1L orientation? Daunting? Semi-fun?

Good questions. Friday before classes sounds accurate. Definitely don't want to wait until then to get your books. Hastings doesn't have a walk in book store any more so you gotta order everything online. To be ready for the first day of class, you for sure want to find away to order all your books without having to wait for your student loan. So it's a good idea to borrow money so you can be sure to have your books by the first day of class. It would suck to not have your books for the first reading assignment. Your textbook is likely to be reserved at the library, but it might not be the most updated version so it's probably not a good idea to depend on the library.
If someone else has a different take on this please add in.

Orientation feels reaaaallly long. I wouldn't really consider it daunting. Mostly just long and boring. However everyone is really friendly since they want to make friends and good impressions. So in that case it might be "semi-fun." A decent amount of people I know ended up becoming really good friends after meeting during orientation.

Thanks, shazi!

[Jchance]

If you do poorly (bottom 10%) Hastings will put you in a special "legal analysis" (or something) course. This can be a black mark socially.

I heard Loyola LA also force-enrolls people in the bottom 25% into a similar class.