Harvard Law School Class of 2018 Forum

stevedubs · Post by **stevedubs** » Fri Apr 24, 2015 6:00 pm

Thoughts on the HUH Graduate Commons Program? Is it worth checking the box on the HUH application?

HorseThief · Post by **HorseThief** » Fri Apr 24, 2015 6:15 pm

stevedubs wrote:Thoughts on the HUH Graduate Commons Program? Is it worth checking the box on the HUH application?

Sure. It's no cost to you, and they host a lot of events. I've only gone to a handful because I'm a 1L, but they were fun.

Nonconsecutive · Post by **Nonconsecutive** » Fri Apr 24, 2015 11:03 pm

HorseThief wrote:
stevedubs wrote:Thoughts on the HUH Graduate Commons Program? Is it worth checking the box on the HUH application?
Sure. It's no cost to you, and they host a lot of events. I've only gone to a handful because I'm a 1L, but they were fun.

Ditto, plus lots of times they have free food and booze.

Veronica2015 · Post by **Veronica2015** » Sun Apr 26, 2015 2:34 am

HorseThief wrote:
js1663 wrote:
Veronica2015 wrote:Maybe too early to think about this, but quite curious now: are summer associate positions after 1L difficult to get even at HLS? Is it harder for KJDs? Does previous internship in law firms make up for that? Thanks in advance for any input!
I'm a 0L so take it with a grain of salt, but based on my interaction with quite a few students at ASW and outside it, it does seem like it's far from guaranteed, and in fact takes a lot of hustling to get a summer associate job and even many competitive PI jobs for your 1L year. I met a few 1L's (with good grades no less!) who don't have anything lined up yet for summer and are still looking. Obviously they could be outliers or poor at applying (though none struck me in any way as socially awkward) but finding your 1L job will be a challenge even from HLS. That said HLS does offer summer public interest funding and while I don't fully understand how it works it should help for your 1L year even if you don't get an SA position.
Hi, I'll be that grain of salt.

Getting a 1L job should not be that hard. I am very, very surprised that some people still don't have jobs. Yes, getting a firm job might be difficult, but I'd guess that the people who didn't get a job only applied to the most competitive places (both in terms of law firms and location). I have plenty of friends who were able to get very good SA positions with relative ease. I even had one friend who was flown out for interviews/greasing up. If you want a SA position, you need to be willing to forgo NY/DC. If you're from a midmarket town like Atlanta, Houston, San Diego, Minneapolis, etc, it should be pretty easy to get a job with a bit if hustling. If you aren't, do some networking back home, and be willing to apply to lower ranked firms.

There are also great public interest positions available for 1L. The school will give you ~$4k in funding, which won't be enough to cover your expenses in NYC or DC, but is fairly generous for anywhere else. Getting PI jobs is also pretty easy- that Harvard name does a lot of work for you. We tend to clean up in federal jobs, especially in DC, but there are also satellite jobs all over the country that look great. For example, there are dozens of US Attorney offices across the states, they're relatively easy to get, and they look very good on your resume for 2L SA gigs.

Thanks! Things do not look good for internationals. I do not have local ties, nor can I work for the government

strugglebus · Post by **strugglebus** » Sun Apr 26, 2015 3:08 am

Withdrawing and heading to Stanford -- hope y'all have a great time wherever you end up!

stevedubs · Post by **stevedubs** » Mon Apr 27, 2015 2:28 pm

Has anyone replied to the professor who sent their book? I got mine last week and want to write a thank you/response, but noting that it's getting close to finals, I'm kind of undecided.

JohnnyHop · Post by **JohnnyHop** » Tue Apr 28, 2015 5:40 pm

I was going to reach out, but I literally can't read the signature...
Although I'm almost positive it's not the actual author of the book.
Although waiting till after finals probably isn't a terrible idea. You do have the whole summer.

radio1nowhere · Post by **radio1nowhere** » Tue Apr 28, 2015 6:08 pm

Did anyone else get Scorpions by Noah Feldman as their book? I just finished it and it was really, really good. I'm so excited.

Indifference · Post by **Indifference** » Tue Apr 28, 2015 6:19 pm

radio1nowhere wrote:Did anyone else get Scorpions by Noah Feldman as their book? I just finished it and it was really, really good. I'm so excited.

I got the penguin and leviathan. Ok so far, but wouldn't say it's really my area of interest.

Orion311 · Post by **Orion311** » Tue Apr 28, 2015 9:34 pm

radio1nowhere wrote:Did anyone else get Scorpions by Noah Feldman as their book? I just finished it and it was really, really good. I'm so excited.

I got Scorpions - haven't had the chance to start it due to finals, but I'm looking forward to it

leslieknope · Post by **leslieknope** » Tue Apr 28, 2015 9:51 pm

I got Lawrence Lessig's Republic, Lost and I like it a lot so far! Just started it, though. Scorpions looks great, I might read that next.

wonka · Post by **wonka** » Wed Apr 29, 2015 10:58 am

Post removed.

stevedubs · Post by **stevedubs** » Wed Apr 29, 2015 11:46 am

mujiali wrote:
radio1nowhere wrote:Did anyone else get Scorpions by Noah Feldman as their book? I just finished it and it was really, really good. I'm so excited.
I got the penguin and leviathan. Ok so far, but wouldn't say it's really my area of interest.

I also got the Penguin and the Leviathan. Definitely pretty close to my interest area, plus I'm big fan of Benkler, so I was pretty excited.

o0o0o0o · Post by **o0o0o0o** » Wed Apr 29, 2015 11:59 am

. . .

Indifference · Post by **Indifference** » Wed Apr 29, 2015 12:44 pm

o0o0o0o wrote:If anyone is looking for an apt, we have 1 BR available in our apt 1 block away from school. $900/mo, 1 year lease starting 6/1/15. Feel free to pm me if interested.

http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/roo/5001779289.html

Jeez that rent is good. Less than my place in Allston

TripTrip · Post by **TripTrip** » Wed Apr 29, 2015 12:57 pm

mujiali wrote:
o0o0o0o wrote:If anyone is looking for an apt, we have 1 BR available in our apt 1 block away from school. $900/mo, 1 year lease starting 6/1/15. Feel free to pm me if interested.

http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/roo/5001779289.html
Jeez that rent is good. Less than my place in Allston

Right, if you want to live with four people. I'm not sure I could handle that much human interaction at home every day.

Nonconsecutive · Post by **Nonconsecutive** » Wed Apr 29, 2015 4:26 pm

TripTrip wrote:
mujiali wrote:
o0o0o0o wrote:If anyone is looking for an apt, we have 1 BR available in our apt 1 block away from school. $900/mo, 1 year lease starting 6/1/15. Feel free to pm me if interested.

http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/roo/5001779289.html
Jeez that rent is good. Less than my place in Allston
Right, if you want to live with four people. I'm not sure I could handle that much human interaction at home every day.

Ditto to this (nothing against o0o0o0o), I don't think I could do the 4 people thing. I pay about 933$ to live with 1 person.

wonka · Post by **wonka** » Thu Apr 30, 2015 3:34 pm

Post removed.

whosinthehousejc · Post by **whosinthehousejc** » Thu Apr 30, 2015 4:46 pm

mwonka wrote:Any thoughts on the $250 CORe opportunity?

CORe looks cool to me, I just applied.

radio1nowhere · Post by **radio1nowhere** » Thu Apr 30, 2015 4:56 pm

Would anyone from up north want to tell me what sort of clothes/boots/whatever people wear up there? I've lived my entire life in the deep south and the warmest thing I own is a hoodie.

LoganCouture · Post by **LoganCouture** » Thu Apr 30, 2015 4:59 pm

strugglebus wrote:Withdrawing and heading to Stanford -- hope y'all have a great time wherever you end up!

+1, enjoy H everybody!

m_ross · Post by **m_ross** » Thu Apr 30, 2015 5:05 pm

Veronica2015 wrote:
HorseThief wrote:
js1663 wrote:
Veronica2015 wrote:Maybe too early to think about this, but quite curious now: are summer associate positions after 1L difficult to get even at HLS? Is it harder for KJDs? Does previous internship in law firms make up for that? Thanks in advance for any input!
I'm a 0L so take it with a grain of salt, but based on my interaction with quite a few students at ASW and outside it, it does seem like it's far from guaranteed, and in fact takes a lot of hustling to get a summer associate job and even many competitive PI jobs for your 1L year. I met a few 1L's (with good grades no less!) who don't have anything lined up yet for summer and are still looking. Obviously they could be outliers or poor at applying (though none struck me in any way as socially awkward) but finding your 1L job will be a challenge even from HLS. That said HLS does offer summer public interest funding and while I don't fully understand how it works it should help for your 1L year even if you don't get an SA position.
Hi, I'll be that grain of salt.

Getting a 1L job should not be that hard. I am very, very surprised that some people still don't have jobs. Yes, getting a firm job might be difficult, but I'd guess that the people who didn't get a job only applied to the most competitive places (both in terms of law firms and location). I have plenty of friends who were able to get very good SA positions with relative ease. I even had one friend who was flown out for interviews/greasing up. If you want a SA position, you need to be willing to forgo NY/DC. If you're from a midmarket town like Atlanta, Houston, San Diego, Minneapolis, etc, it should be pretty easy to get a job with a bit if hustling. If you aren't, do some networking back home, and be willing to apply to lower ranked firms.

There are also great public interest positions available for 1L. The school will give you ~$4k in funding, which won't be enough to cover your expenses in NYC or DC, but is fairly generous for anywhere else. Getting PI jobs is also pretty easy- that Harvard name does a lot of work for you. We tend to clean up in federal jobs, especially in DC, but there are also satellite jobs all over the country that look great. For example, there are dozens of US Attorney offices across the states, they're relatively easy to get, and they look very good on your resume for 2L SA gigs.
Thanks! Things do not look good for internationals. I do not have local ties, nor can I work for the government

As an international 1L, I feel your pain, but don't worry too much (which I'm only able to say now that I have a summer job... I was a ball of panic earlier in the semester). Yes, you can't work for the government, and yes, you don't have local ties. However, there are exceptions you can squeeze your way into and the HLS name provides a LOT of grease. Out of the internationals I know, a bunch are working at firms in NY/ California, one is working at a think tank in Texas (zero ties to TX, but super committed to the ideology of the organization), some are at places like the World Bank and the UN, some are working internationally (in their home countries or in places like London and Geneva), and I'm at one of those quasi-government jobs that's ok hiring non-citizens. It's definitely harder than it is for citizens, but not impossible, and OPIA and OCS know what to do with us.

zaetoroftheprotoss · Post by **zaetoroftheprotoss** » Thu Apr 30, 2015 10:13 pm

Kluge · Post by **Kluge** » Thu Apr 30, 2015 10:46 pm

mwonka wrote:Any thoughts on the $250 CORe opportunity?

I'm heavily considering it. Worried I'm just being needlessly masochistic, as I'd otherwise have a totally obligation-free summer. Anyone know if it's graded? Or do you just need to pass the exam for completion?

foxes · Post by **foxes** » Fri May 01, 2015 12:04 am

Kluge wrote:
mwonka wrote:Any thoughts on the $250 CORe opportunity?
I'm heavily considering it. Worried I'm just being needlessly masochistic, as I'd otherwise have a totally obligation-free summer. Anyone know if it's graded? Or do you just need to pass the exam for completion?

It appears to be super intensive. It is graded, and class participation is required and makes up part of your grade, too. Found this list of "learning expectations": http://hbx.hbs.edu/hbx-core/learning-expectations.html

In addition, it says that the course will take up 12-15 hours a week and, I quote:

FAQs wrote:CORe is for people who are committed to being serious learners—who are ready to fully engage in and complete all three CORe courses.

I also found a blog http://www.hbxblog.com/ featuring current Core students and it sounds pretty hardcore...

I don't know, I'm SO torn about taking this. On the one hand, it seems like it might be useful so I kind of feel obligated to take it. On the other hand, it's a huge time commitment, I won't be able to take the 2 week long vacation I've been dying to take before HLS in the fall, and it's a lot of hard work just at the moment when I want to chill out and enjoy my summer before school starts.

Can any current HLS students chime in? Have you heard anything about CORe? Does it sound useful or can I safely avoid it and enjoy my summer?