Illinois Law 1L Taking Questions Forum

[webbylu87]

I saw on the 1L course list a class called "Law Discovery." Does everyone take this?

[ChattelCat]

I saw on the 1L course list a class called "Law Discovery." Does everyone take this?

I think the UIUC "Discovery" classes are undergrad classes - as a 1L you'll have legal writing, legal research, and three other classes (either crim law, contracts, torts, or property - depending on which section you are in)

[webbylu87]

I saw on the 1L course list a class called "Law Discovery." Does everyone take this?

I think the UIUC "Discovery" classes are undergrad classes - as a 1L you'll have legal writing, legal research, and three other classes (either crim law, contracts, torts, or property - depending on which section you are in)

Oh okay. Thanks. Not sure why it's on the first year course list. Hmmm...

[sixburgher]

Thanks CCat. At this point any improvement in interviewing is encouraging to hear.

I saw this on an ND transfer thread, pertaining to Chicago SA hiring. Hopefully the most recent 256 total is a low.

Law firm name
2008 2009 2010 [2L SA class]

Baker & McKenzie LLP – Chicago
2 8 4

Banner & Witcoff, Ltd.
5 3 3

Barnes & Thornburg LLP
3 0 0

BRINKS HOFER GILSON & LIONE
7 12 1

BRYAN CAVE LLP – CHICAGO
6 3 2

Butler Rubin Saltarelli & Boyd LLP
1 1 1

Chapman and Cutler LLP
10 9 7

DLA Piper LLP (US)
18 7 5

Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
12 5 4

DYKEMA (Dykema Gossett PLLC) - CHICAGO OFFICE
6 3 2

FITCH EVEN TABIN & FLANNERY
7 1 0

FOLEY & LARDNER LLP- CHICAGO
21 9 4

Goldberg Kohn Ltd.
8 1 1

Greenberg Traurig, LLP
6 7 3

Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP
18 7 8

Holland & Knight LLP – Chicago
6 4 2

JENNER & BLOCK LLP
40 46 16

JONES DAY – CHICAGO
17 21 8

K&L Gates LLP - Chicago, IL
10 13 3

Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
29 15 5

KIRKLAND & ELLIS LLP – Chicago
54 52 32

LATHAM & WATKINS LLP – CHICAGO
25 20 9

Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP – Chicago
11 2 2

Lovells LLP
7 4 2

Marshall, Gerstein & Borun LLP
4 2 4

MAYER BROWN LLP
71 46 11

McAndrews, Held & Malloy, Ltd.
7 4 4

McDermott Will & Emery LLP
14 14 8

McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP
9 9 9

McGuireWoods LLP – Chicago
8 11 4

Michael Best & Friedrich LLP
2 2 1

Miller Shakman & Beem LLP
2 1 0

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
5 3 0

Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP
19 10 0

NIXON PEABODY LLP - Chicago, IL
2 1 2

Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP
14 5 5

Perkins Coie LLP
4 3 1

Pircher, Nichols & Meeks
3 3 3

Quarles & Brady LLP
3 3 0

Reed Smith – Chicago
6 6 2

Ropes & Gray LLP
0 6 5

Schiff Hardin LLP
12 21 8

SEYFARTH SHAW LLP – CHICAGO
9 6 0

Shefsky & Froelich Ltd
2 1 1

SIDLEY AUSTIN LLP – CHICAGO
75 43 20

SKADDEN, ARPS, SLATE, MEAGHER & FLOM LLP - CHICAGO
57 33 9

Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP
43 14 6

Thompson Coburn LLP
3 1 1

Ungaretti & Harris LLP
6 4 3

Vedder Price, P.C.
10 5 0

WILDMAN, HARROLD, ALLEN & DIXON LLP
14 17 3

Winston & Strawn LLP
67 54 22

2008 SA total= 809

2009 SA total= 581

2010 SA total= 256

2010 SA/ 2009 SA = 256/581= 44% of the SAs that were available in 2009 were available in 2010

2010 SA/2008 SA = 256/809 = 31.6% of the SAs that were available in 2008 were available in 2010

[hkm6315]

Ok, I totally just fell off the TLS earth for four months. In any case, glad to see this thread is still going!! Chattel Cat and I are 3Ls at Illinois Law, and there are a few 2Ls taking questions on here too. I have no idea how to change the name of the thread, or if that is even possible. It was started when we were 1Ls, but it is definitely now 3Ls and 2Ls taking questions. : )

In any case, if any incoming 1Ls or prospectives have any questions about life in Champaign, life at the law school, why not to be completely freaked out about starting law school... law school beer league darts or softball... etc. etc.. I'm all ears!

[yhezel]

Ok, I totally just fell off the TLS earth for four months. In any case, glad to see this thread is still going!! Chattel Cat and I are 3Ls at Illinois Law, and there are a few 2Ls taking questions on here too. I have no idea how to change the name of the thread, or if that is even possible. It was started when we were 1Ls, but it is definitely now 3Ls and 2Ls taking questions. : )

In any case, if any incoming 1Ls or prospectives have any questions about life in Champaign, life at the law school, why not to be completely freaked out about starting law school... law school beer league darts or softball... etc. etc.. I'm all ears!

When and how do the teams form for softball? Do 1L's participate and if so, would you recommend joining a team given the time demands (or so I've heard) on 1Ls?

[Kilpatrick]

thanks for continuing to answer questions!

How have you liked law school at Illinois so far?

Has anything changed your opinion since you first started this thread?

What are some things you wish you knew going into 1L year?

[ChattelCat]

Ok, I totally just fell off the TLS earth for four months. In any case, glad to see this thread is still going!! Chattel Cat and I are 3Ls at Illinois Law, and there are a few 2Ls taking questions on here too. I have no idea how to change the name of the thread, or if that is even possible. It was started when we were 1Ls, but it is definitely now 3Ls and 2Ls taking questions. : )

In any case, if any incoming 1Ls or prospectives have any questions about life in Champaign, life at the law school, why not to be completely freaked out about starting law school... law school beer league darts or softball... etc. etc.. I'm all ears!

When and how do the teams form for softball? Do 1L's participate and if so, would you recommend joining a team given the time demands (or so I've heard) on 1Ls?

YES - by all means play softball. It's on Thursday nights and not all that time consuming - and incredibly fun. No talent necessary. Teams usually form a few weeks into school. You'll get plenty of emails about it.

[ChattelCat]

I saw on the 1L course list a class called "Law Discovery." Does everyone take this?

I think the UIUC "Discovery" classes are undergrad classes - as a 1L you'll have legal writing, legal research, and three other classes (either crim law, contracts, torts, or property - depending on which section you are in)

Oh okay. Thanks. Not sure why it's on the first year course list. Hmmm...

yeah I don't know. If you're looking on Enterprise sometimes it does weird things with class listings - better to rely on the version from the law school (I don't think you guys will get your section assignments and schedule until just before orientation though)

[blurbz]

What is a typical schedule like? I assume that they try to give each section equal amounts of morning/afternoon classes, right? Or can some people get "lucky" and have all afternoon classes (or all morning classes..)?

Does softball interfere with beer league darts? I definitely want to do darts. I'm not too athletic, but if that's okay, I'd probably be up for softball as well.

Thanks!

[hkm6315]

Ok, I totally just fell off the TLS earth for four months. In any case, glad to see this thread is still going!! Chattel Cat and I are 3Ls at Illinois Law, and there are a few 2Ls taking questions on here too. I have no idea how to change the name of the thread, or if that is even possible. It was started when we were 1Ls, but it is definitely now 3Ls and 2Ls taking questions. : )

In any case, if any incoming 1Ls or prospectives have any questions about life in Champaign, life at the law school, why not to be completely freaked out about starting law school... law school beer league darts or softball... etc. etc.. I'm all ears!

When and how do the teams form for softball? Do 1L's participate and if so, would you recommend joining a team given the time demands (or so I've heard) on 1Ls?

Ok, awesome. Just realized that somehow I became unsubscribed to this topic so I wasn't getting any emails notifying me of new posts. Problem=fixed.

Cat is right. You should 100% play softball. Yes, 1L year is busy, but not too busy to have a life and have fun. Before starting law school I had trolled around on hear for about 2 years (I was admitted and deferred for a year). I completely freaked myself out gathering information from posts on here and told all of my friends and family that the first year of law school was going to be the busiest/hardest/worst year of my life, so they were pretty much not going to here from me very much for about a year. I WAS COMPLETELY WRONG. I am a life long Texan whoapplied to 26 schools all over the country, and I picked this school because 1. it is a great school and 2. it was one of the only schools I visited and felt that people somehow genuinely seemed to be happy. Contrary to my expectations, the first year of law school honestly turned out to be one of the most fun years of my life. A BIG part of that has to do with all of the opportunities the school offers you to have a balanced social life and life outside of the books. I played law school softball first semester every Thursday, and it was a ton of fun! I decided to try out beer league darts Wednedays second semester, and I decided to stick with that for the rest of my law school career because I discovered that I was much better at having a beer or two and throwing sharp objects at the wall than actually making contact with ball to bat. : ) (Not that this matters because most people have no idea how to play softball and do anyways for fun.) There are a lot of people who do both darts and softball, but I have only done what at a time because it can end up taking up most of a weekday night. So I don't know that I would recommend doing both, but a lot of people pull it off. I would also say that A HUGE percentage of the law school plays darts or softball. Over 130 people play darts, and even more than that play softball. There is also law school basketball. So I would say more than half of the law school participates in these activities. You really need 0 talent to play, and it is an awesome way to meet people, blow off steam in the middle of the week, and maybe relax and have a couple beers.

[hkm6315]

thanks for continuing to answer questions!

How have you liked law school at Illinois so far?

Has anything changed your opinion since you first started this thread?

What are some things you wish you knew going into 1L year?

1. I love it.

2. Not really. I have sort of evolved the way I think about my career, life, and law school all together since I first started this thread. That doesn't have to do with the school as much as me just figuring out what I want out of law school and life. : ) I will say that one of the main things I have realized is that it helps to have an open mind and realize that a law degree is very multi dimensional. One of the great things about Illinois is that there are SO many different course offerings. A few of the classes offere this semester are: Environmental Law and Policy, Antitrust, Law & Sexuality, Election Law, Doing Business in Japan, and Health Law. You can really explore a wide spectrum of things you are interested in and figure out what works for you. The types of law I thought I would be interested in when I first started law school are not at all what I have realized that I am actually most interested in.

3. Playing off of the question I just answered above: I wish I knew going into 1L year to not take a lot of the mass hysteria that goes on in some of these TLS threads too seriously (no offense TLSers), to not take books like Planet Law School or movies like the Paper Chase too seriously, and to just realize that the first year of law school can really be a fun, enlightening, and amazing experience that is not nearly as scary or miserable as some people make it out to be. Yes, the month before finals is not a cake walk and it is a jolting and overwhelming experience, but you get through it and the other 2 months can be a ton of fun if you want them to be! I had so much fun when I started law school playing law school sports, going to events like "Barn Dance," hanging out at peers pub in the pavilion Thursdays from 4-6 chatting with people, and being surrounded by some of the most level headed and intelligent people I have ever encountered. Honestly, I have made a ton of truly amazing friends here. I have a friend who was in my small section first year standing up to my wedding in Texas this January, and about 22 other good friends (including Cat who I have invited to my wedding. The people at Illinois are truly what makes law school so amazing. The horror stories you hear about law students being snotty and competitive, hiding books, kicking people out of study groups, or being a gunner who thinks he or she is better than everybody else just do not apply to Illinois. If someone does possess these traits, they would tend to isolate themselves quickly and have to adapt to being a decent human being. There is a real sense of civility and comraderie here. Of course it is law school and everyone wants to succeed, but people work together, have study groups, and there is none of this "back stabbing" or maliciousness.

[hkm6315]

What is a typical schedule like? I assume that they try to give each section equal amounts of morning/afternoon classes, right? Or can some people get "lucky" and have all afternoon classes (or all morning classes..)?

Does softball interfere with beer league darts? I definitely want to do darts. I'm not too athletic, but if that's okay, I'd probably be up for softball as well.

Thanks!

Some people definitely get "lucky." The do try to make it pretty equal, but I remember our section ended up having class where two days a week we would get there at 8 or 830 and have classes till 4:15, and we didn't get out till about 4:15 on Fridays. There was another section that had no Friday classes and didn't have classes before 10. While the spread of classes may sometimes look sort of unlucky, the schedules are not that bad. There is always a block of time in the middle of the day where you can study or go home if you want to. You will probably have one day a week with just one class and another day with just two classes. I was worried about long days because I have a small dog, but I have always had more than enough time to come home between classes if I need to in order to take her out.

Also, the studying is definitely manageable. You definitely have to dedicate at least a few hours a day to reading. A lot of people will take the long break between classes to read for their classes that afternoon. I briefed everything at first, which is a little more time consuming than just straight reading. Some people will continue to brief or take notes on readings through all three years of law schoool, but I stopped half way through first semester. People just learn differently. The important part is knowing how to think like you are briefing and recognize: Facts, Issue, Holding, Reasoning, Rule... Mainly rule : )... But after you have learned to think like that, you can highlight those things, write notes in your book, etc. I know one guy who has done really well through out law school, and he does not brief, nor has he ever underlined or highlighted a single thing in his books. He just sorts it out in his head. I have a rainbow of highlighting and confetti of sticky tabs all over the place. You just have to do what works for you.

[Speedzie]

Everyone listen to hkm. I, and anyone else, would tell you pretty much what she tells you here. I'm just too lazy to write as much as she does.

1L is awesome. Yes, it can be stressful, but you'll meet lots and lots of new best friends, fall in love with the law, and learn plenty about yourself in the process. The truth is I'm jealous of all of you rising 1Ls, you've got one of the best years of your life ahead of you!

[Speedzie]

Softball does not interfere with darts. All this stuff (also basketball and soccer) is student run - everyone tries to make it work.

[Tenth Usher]

As an 0L, it's great to hear the positivity from current students. What you're saying is right in line with the experience I had during the ASW.

[Tenth Usher]

Do some people start going to darts after softball is over? Dart league sounds better for the winter months

[DomerDan]

Do some people start going to darts after softball is over? Dart league sounds better for the winter months

Softball is over right around the time people start getting really serious about school. Not a lot of going out after that. Usually darts ends before that as I recall.

[blurbz]

Thanks to those of you who are answering questions! I've definitely appreciated it--and I'm sure I'll continue to utilize it!

[hkm6315]

I played softball my first semester of 1L year during the fall and it was cold, but not too cold. I am really really terrible at softball, and I even slid/fell into first base... Most people are terrible, but I just thought I would try darts spring semester and I realized darts is for me. My friends who were playing softball spring semester had to deal with A LOT of games being cancelled due to cold or rainy weather spring semester. When it finally cleared up and spring came around, it was beautiful to be outside and play. I would definitely say that less softball games get cancelled fall semester. Most people are pretty dedicated to the team they are on and just play both semesters, despite the weather. Darts never has any weather issues because we play darts in a bar : ). Both darts and softball end each semester before things start getting too crazy with finals studying.

[webbylu87]

Can any rising 2Ls or 3Ls elaborate on your experiences finding summer and more permanent employment? How are things looking on the ground so-to-speak?

[Tenth Usher]

Can any rising 2Ls or 3Ls elaborate on your experiences finding summer and more permanent employment? How are things looking on the ground so-to-speak?

This, and also do you have any job-seeking advice for incoming 1Ls?

[ChattelCat]

Can any rising 2Ls or 3Ls elaborate on your experiences finding summer and more permanent employment? How are things looking on the ground so-to-speak?

This, and also do you have any job-seeking advice for incoming 1Ls?

It's kind of hard to generalize about getting jobs because it really depends on what you want to do. Whether it be govt/public interest/biglaw the search will be different for each person. I'm happy to go into more detail about my experiences during the last two summers if you want to PM me (worked for a judge 1L summer/law firm 2L summer). I will say that no matter what you want to do, getting good grades your 1L year will really open doors down the line - although if you're spending time on TLS you probably already know that

[DomerDan]

Can any rising 2Ls or 3Ls elaborate on your experiences finding summer and more permanent employment? How are things looking on the ground so-to-speak?

To some extent it's a waste of time to worry too much about employment before you have your first semester grades in hand. You get 3 letter grades your first semester and they are probably your 3 most important grades for your entire academic experience (assuming you go on to become a lawyer). Not to put too much pressure on you. The difference between having 2 A's and a B, as apposed to 2 B's and an A is the difference between 1) being able to potentially transfer schools, or at least threatening to do so in order to blackmail U of I into giving you more financial aid, 2) the ability to get onto law review (our class sized has expanded but the spots available have not), 3) getting a 'good' job your first summer as opposed to something you have to lie about on your resume, and 4) getting a good start on having the kind of GPA that won't get you laughed out the door come OCI time. Just to name a few.

Do not worry about job stuff right now as an incoming 1L, except to motivate yourself to study. Cherish this time when all you have to worry about is grades. CHERISH IT.

If you are just trying to get a feel for what 2L's are going through right now. The deadline for bidding on early OCI's was today. There were 37 firms participating, most saying that they had between 13 and 19 positions available for the summer. Or it could have been that's how many people they were going to interview, I'm not entirely sure. Regardless, I'm still frazzled from the whole experience. I want to fast forward a year so I know whether I'll have a career or be waiting tables at Chuck E. Cheese the rest of my life.

Finding a job this summer was fairly easy I guess. I just applied to a bunch of postings on Symplicity (the online job database the college of law uses). I got a paying job in Springfield, IL, which is obviously a smaller market but a good place to get experience. I've certainly got to research a bunch of different types of law from assessment of damages to immature crops to the ins and outs of obtaining a video game gambling license as a bar owner in Illinois.

[Warhawk]

Finding a job this summer was fairly easy I guess. I just applied to a bunch of postings on Symplicity (the online job database the college of law uses). I got a paying job in Springfield, IL, which is obviously a smaller market but a good place to get experience. I've certainly got to research a bunch of different types of law from assessment of damages to immature crops to the ins and outs of obtaining a video game gambling license as a bar owner in Illinois.

If OCI goes poorly for me I may have to ask you for that information.