Wake Law Students taking Questions!!! Forum

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lishi

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Wake Law Students taking Questions!!!

Post by lishi » Thu Dec 18, 2008 6:28 pm

Since all of us Wake students are so experienced now that we are done with our finals, I figure now will be a great time to start helping prospective students with any questions they have.

Fire away!!!

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screech

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Re: Wake 1L's taking Questions!!!

Post by screech » Thu Dec 18, 2008 6:31 pm

Just waitin on my decision from them. When did you get yours?

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wiseowl

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Re: Wake 1L's taking Questions!!!

Post by wiseowl » Thu Dec 18, 2008 7:08 pm

Am I really going to have to wait until March to get scholarship info?

I need to have time to get my wife a job so if March is what it's going to be, then it's going to be hard to get me there, particularly if other schools sent me stuff in Jan/Feb.

Edit: the letter does say by March 1. It seems like the other thread thought it started March 1.

DelawareGeneral

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Re: Wake 1L's taking Questions!!!

Post by DelawareGeneral » Thu Dec 18, 2008 7:20 pm

do they offer any expense money for open house weekend?

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lishi

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Re: Wake 1L's taking Questions!!!

Post by lishi » Thu Dec 18, 2008 7:23 pm

screech wrote:Just waitin on my decision from them. When did you get yours?
I got my decision in late January, and my scholarship came with my acceptance. So it is definitely possible that you will know before March. And if you really need to know before March then I would say sometime next year contact Wake and let them know that you are very interested in Wake but need to have scholarship information because of your significant other, and I'm sure they will work with you.
DelawareGeneral wrote:do they offer any expense money for open house weekend?
For my open house weekend they didn't offer travel expenses to anyone. The most you got was a discount at local hotels.

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sladegalute

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Re: Wake 1L's taking Questions!!!

Post by sladegalute » Fri Dec 19, 2008 5:43 pm

How helpful are the career services with finding jobs for your 1L summer and also 2L (although this is still in front of you) how are the job prospects looking for Wake students in the current economy?

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waytofailself

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Re: Wake 1L's taking Questions!!!

Post by waytofailself » Sat Dec 20, 2008 1:31 am

sladegalute wrote:How helpful are the career services with finding jobs for your 1L summer and also 2L (although this is still in front of you) how are the job prospects looking for Wake students in the current economy?
Honestly, job recruitment stuff for 1Ls doesn't really kick into high gear until Spring semester. Like most 1Ls, there is plenty of work available if you're willing to do it for free, and there's a lot of public interest work out there. I can't speak much more than that at the moment because it hasn't really started. However, I doubt it's terribly different from other non t14 schools in that it's more about who you know and who you network with than your grades/standing.

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micahtaylor

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Re: Wake 1L's taking Questions!!!

Post by micahtaylor » Fri Jan 02, 2009 6:51 pm

How competitive were your classmates?
I am a rising 1L gunner and would like a sense of how much time people spent studying/how obsessed with exams people are.
Did your professors have previous exams?
How much did you study per day/week?
Thank you.

snotrocket

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Re: Wake 1L's taking Questions!!!

Post by snotrocket » Fri Jan 02, 2009 6:52 pm

What made you pick Wake over your other choices?

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aed9

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Re: Wake 1L's taking Questions!!!

Post by aed9 » Fri Jan 02, 2009 9:53 pm

Hello- I was accepted to Wake right before Christmas, so I appreciate your taking questions. I am considering visiting Wake this month, as opposed to their ASW, since I will (hopefully) have others to attend then and I live in NC anyway. Are there any particular things I should do or questions I should get answered during my visit?

Also, how many grads stay in NC? What is housing like in the area? Are there reasonably priced apartments nearby? And I am curious about their event re housing: did you attend, as it helpful and did you find a roommate there?

Thanks so much!

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whenpigsfly

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Re: Wake 1L's taking Questions!!!

Post by whenpigsfly » Sat Jan 03, 2009 12:52 am

snotrocket wrote:What made you pick Wake over your other choices?
I was really attracted by the small class size. We have 147 in our 1L class, which makes for about 36 people in a section. Coming from a big school, I missed out on getting to know both my professors and a majority of my classmates, and I was looking for a change. I think the small class size contributes greatly to the learning experience as a whole, and when your professor actually knows your name, it is a lot easier to walk into their office to ask a question, or just chat. And our professors really are just fantastic, too.

Also, ACC Basketball, warmer weather, and a reasonably priced cost of living. But mainly, I just wanted to go to school with lishi. :D
aed9 wrote: I am considering visiting Wake this month, as opposed to their ASW, since I will (hopefully) have others to attend then and I live in NC anyway. Are there any particular things I should do or questions I should get answered during my visit?
I'd recommend sitting in on a class. My section had 4 or 5 visitors this fall, so it is common practice, and I think sitting in would give you a better feel for the school, more than just checking out the building and the library (which you should do too!).
aed9 wrote:What is housing like in the area? Are there reasonably priced apartments nearby? And I am curious about their event re housing: did you attend, as it helpful and did you find a roommate there?
Housing is reasonably priced. A good percentage of the law students live in one of the three Crowne complexes nearby (http://www.crownepartners.com/), which are all within five minutes from the law school. If you're coming to school with more than just you (spouse, etc.), mortgages on houses seem to be pretty cheap in the area (right, waytofailself?).

And if you choose to attend Wake, go to House Hunt! It was really helpful for me, as I was not familiar with the area at all. They drive you around to the major complexes in the area, and the night before they take you to a minor league baseball game, complete with free food and beer, which makes the socializing easier. I live alone, so no finding a roommate for me, but many of my classmates met at the event and decided to live together, and the pairings have seemed to work well for almost everyone. It was also really nice to meet some of my classmates in June, v. the beginning of school. It took away some of the "zOMG I'm going to law school and I don't know anyone!!!1!" panic.

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micahtaylor

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Re: Wake 1L's taking Questions!!!

Post by micahtaylor » Tue Jan 06, 2009 8:03 am

bump

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thexfactor

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Re: Wake 1L's taking Questions!!!

Post by thexfactor » Thu Jan 08, 2009 4:52 pm

Hey guys, I am kind of interested in Wake Forest. I just had a couple questions for you guys...

How competitive are the classes?

I heard that Wake has excellent professors. Is that generally true?

What do you think about the Winston-Salem region?

last questions.. lol I promise....

How diverse are your classmates? Do you think there is a lack of racial and social diversity on campus and at the law school?
Last edited by thexfactor on Thu Jan 08, 2009 11:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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waytofailself

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Re: Wake 1L's taking Questions!!!

Post by waytofailself » Thu Jan 08, 2009 10:30 pm

whenpigsfly wrote:mortgages on houses seem to be pretty cheap in the area (right, waytofailself?).
Housing is a buyer's market right now anyway, but NC is well known for having a much lower land value compared to other places. For instance, I was seriously looking at moving to Baltimore (or outside of it) to go to law school at UMD, and I was looking at a nice, though not too big, townhouse in the 1400-1900/month range. I ended up in Winston Salem with a house that is twice as large and less than 700/month. Now that I think about it, another 1L here has a great house that's on a nearly three acre lot, and she likely pays less than I do (but has to drive further) based on where she lives (on the border of an adjacent county).

Of course, there is a problem with purchasing a house in this economy. The value of my purchase has dipped by more than I want to think about. But rates are the lowest on record right now (seriously, check it out), so if buying a house is something you're planning on doing when going to law school, prices throughout NC are hard to beat if you don't mind driving 10-15 minutes to school.

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waytofailself

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Re: Wake 1L's taking Questions!!!

Post by waytofailself » Thu Jan 08, 2009 10:46 pm

I can try this one on...
dychen85 wrote:Hey guys, I am kind of interested in Wake Forest. I just had a couple questions for you guys...
1) How competitive are the classes?
I never felt threatened, and at least in my section no one was every really a douchebag or anything. There is certainly an undercurrent of competitiveness, but people are cordial. Of course, some people did look at me very dubiously when I gave my notes from an evening review session without second thought to a classmate who showed up at the very end (he had to take care of his kid for crying out loud!)

2) I heard the Wake has excellent professors. Is that generally true?
I can only speak from my limited experience, but yes YES YES. If you come to visit, feel free to sit in on a class by Rose, Foy, Taylor, or Taha. They're all good, though all quite different. None of them are purely socratic. If you're looking for that, check out Peeples (from what I've heard, I'm sure there are other more socratic ones out there, but he's pretty funny too)

3) What do you think about the Winston-Salem region?
I've lived here for 4 years now. My disdain for it comes more from wanting desperately to get out of NC because I've lived here since I was 5. Winston Salem is a small city that has everything you need, but most things close at 9 PM every night. There are a few bars and plenty of students frequent them. Pretty much, small city with no traffic issues.

4) How diverse are your classmates? Do you think there is a lack of racial and social diversity on campus and at the law school?
This is one major disappointment with the university. There is a big lack of racial diversity (though having LLMs in classes with 1Ls helps some). From where the building is located you don't have much contact with the rest of the campus, but from what I've known living here and my gf having previously taught at WFU, the undergrad campus makes the law school look like it is one of the leading universities for diversity according to USNWR. That's just as much of a comment on the law school's diversity as Wake's as a whole, but at least I can say that I never really noticed it being a problem where people weren't accepted or were shunned. Then again, that's easy for me to say: I'm a fat whopping WASP with a lineage of being on the bad side of slavery and oppression (and not proud).

Social diversity is an interesting question. There is your mix of over privileged platinum spoon in your mouths and people who come from families with little. However, if you're not used to it be prepared for some culture shock. I've definitely heard some people talk like everyone has money, we all got to summer across Europe as a graduation present (from HS and UG), and because the 'rents got another beach house for themselves they're buying me a shiny new Lexus SUV. They're in the minority, but it does make for fun stories to tell my non law school friends.

Overall I'd say the law school is pretty harmonious, even if it isn't as diverse as I would like. (edit because I got on a rant and forgot to mention) However, one of the major draws to Wake for me was Dean Morant, and I was very impressed with his desire to increase diversity at the law school. It will take a few years to see how much progress is made though.
Last edited by waytofailself on Thu Jan 08, 2009 11:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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thexfactor

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Re: Wake 1L's taking Questions!!!

Post by thexfactor » Thu Jan 08, 2009 11:30 pm

Thanks for answering all my questions.

I am very attracted to the small size of Wake's 1L class. Being a Midwesterner and an Asian American... I have never actually spent any time in the south ( excluding Florida). I am just a little worried about fitting in on campus.


One good part about going to Wake is the fact that I can play golf 10 months out of the year!( I hope I have time to play golf during law school...)

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waytofailself

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Re: Wake 1L's taking Questions!!!

Post by waytofailself » Fri Jan 09, 2009 12:01 am

dychen85 wrote:Thanks for answering all my questions.

I am very attracted to the small size of Wake's 1L class. Being a Midwesterner and an Asian American... I have never actually spent any time in the south ( excluding Florida). I am just a little worried about fitting in on campus.


One good part about going to Wake is the fact that I can play golf 10 months out of the year!( I hope I have time to play golf during law school...)
You'll find plenty of people to play golf with. I understand the apprehension, but like I said I don't think anyone at the law school is harsh or biased towards other races (or they're really good at hiding it), but it isn't that diverse of an atmosphere either (unless I'm mistaken, there are only two asians in our entire 1L class). Still, fitting in shouldn't be a problem.

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lishi

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Re: Wake 1L's taking Questions!!!

Post by lishi » Fri Jan 09, 2009 9:23 am

Well I'm a minority student and I haven't had any problems fitting in. Everyone is really welcoming and I don't think I've ever heard a racist remark in general. I really don't think you will have any problem fitting in.

Hope you come!!! Also I semi answered this question in the Choosing Your School thread. oops.

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Re: Wake 1L's taking Questions!!!

Post by bhut13 » Thu Jan 22, 2009 3:36 am

How difficult would it be to work on the west coast graduating from Wake?

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lishi

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Re: Wake 1L's taking Questions!!!

Post by lishi » Thu Jan 22, 2009 9:38 am

I guess I would be best to answer this one, since I'm from the west coast and have applied to firms there this year. I only applied to small and some mid-size firms but I seemed to get a good response and a couple on interviews while I was home for the break. I won't be working there this summer, but that is because of personal choice with everything that I have going on this summer.

I've also talked to a good amount of lawyers in California, and found that almost all of them knew a lot about Wake Forest, and I really think that is because of our Dean. He's really traveling and getting out to the west coast and other places to get our name out. We also have a pretty strong alumni base and I was contacted by a few lawyers in my region asking if I had any questions. Of course I think attending a west coast school similarly ranked to Wake would be better for you, but I certainly don't think that I'll struggle as much as it may seem when looking for jobs in California.

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thexfactor

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Re: Wake 1L's taking Questions!!!

Post by thexfactor » Thu Jan 22, 2009 12:18 pm

Hey Lishi

Thanks for responding so promptly to our questions.

When you were applying for the companies in cali, did you just apply online or was it through the career center?
Do you know anything about how strong wake is at placing their students in Atlanta?

Thanks!

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Re: Wake 1L's taking Questions!!!

Post by scaredstiff165 » Thu Jan 22, 2009 12:27 pm

Thanks for answering questions, yall!

Back to diversity: about what's the breakdown of students? Male to female/ White, African American, Asian, South Asian, etc....

I tried finding the latter online but didn't see anything. I know most undergrad institutions usually have a breakdown...

I'm not looking for actual numbers/stats though. Just you guys' opinions of the breakdown in your classes...

I was pretty involved in South Asian groups in undergrad and minority organizations and wanted to know if there were opps for that at Wake Law. I asked Depaul about this yesterday and they have a large number of South Asian law students.

THANKS AGAIN!

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The Zeppelin

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Re: Wake 1L's taking Questions!!!

Post by The Zeppelin » Thu Jan 22, 2009 12:31 pm

scaredstiff165 wrote:Thanks for answering questions, yall!

Back to diversity: about what's the breakdown of students? Male to female/ White, African American, Asian, South Asian, etc....

I tried finding the latter online but didn't see anything. I know most undergrad institutions usually have a breakdown...

I'm not looking for actual numbers/stats though. Just you guys' opinions of the breakdown in your classes...

I was pretty involved in South Asian groups in undergrad and minority organizations and wanted to know if there were opps for that at Wake Law. I asked Depaul about this yesterday and they have a large number of South Asian law students.

THANKS AGAIN!
You can find a nice breakdown on LSAC.

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thexfactor

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Re: Wake 1L's taking Questions!!!

Post by thexfactor » Thu Jan 22, 2009 12:45 pm

damn i have too many questions.

Did any of you guys apply to the joint MBA/JD program?

Thanks

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lishi

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Re: Wake 1L's taking Questions!!!

Post by lishi » Thu Jan 22, 2009 1:18 pm

When I applied for firms in Cali I just did it on my own with a cover letter and a resume. But I've been working with Career Services for jobs here in NC, and they have given me contacts to get in touch with in California, but since I know I don't want to work there this summer I didn't really do it.

As far as diversity, I think there are more males than females, but I'm not sure. I'm sure someone else knows more than I do. As far as diversity our 1L class isn't that diverse. Most of the Asians are LLM students but I have a couple Asians in my JD classes. I think there are only 7 black students, but that may be low for the school because there are about 20+ black 2L students. But I think the Asian population is low in all the classes.

Also here are the "Fast Facts" so maybe that can give you a broader guide of reference: --LinkRemoved--

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