Proper Etiquette for 0L Meeting with Professor? Forum

[Pressenda]

Hi everyone,

I'm an 0L meeting with an international law professor tomorrow to talk about the law school, that particular field of law, and career opportunities. I'm wondering if there is proper etiquette? Is there anything I definitely should NOT do or something I should? I'm worried he'll dislike me before I even start law school!

[Anonymous Loser]

Is there anything I definitely should NOT do

Do not mention that you started a thread on an online forum because you were unsure of how to conduct yourself during the meeting.

[Cleareyes]

I'm worried he'll dislike me before I even start law school!

You will do just fine in law school!

Law professors are like anybody else, just a lot more full of themselves. If you ask the prof about his research and for his advice he will probably be happier than can be. Assuming you know how to conduct yourself in a semi-formal situation you will be fine. In terms of things you should absolutely not do, the only thing I'd keep away from would be exuding arrogance. That doesn't seem to be a problem you have.

[Pressenda]

I'm worried he'll dislike me before I even start law school!

You will do just fine in law school!

Law professors are like anybody else, just a lot more full of themselves. If you ask the prof about his research and for his advice he will probably be happier than can be. Assuming you know how to conduct yourself in a semi-formal situation you will be fine. In terms of things you should absolutely not do, the only thing I'd keep away from would be exuding arrogance. That doesn't seem to be a problem you have.

Thanks for your advice!

[dextermorgan]

Is there anything I definitely should NOT do?

Ask about international law.

[kalvano]

Don't waste his time. Have some questions ready, and not the generic "tell me about the school" BS. Have some real questions for him.

[Nat1018]

Is there anything I definitely should NOT do?

Ask about international law.

You don't think OP should ask about international law when speaking to an international law professor?

[futurelawyer413]

I'm assuming its the school you will be attending this fall. Just relax and be yourself, you're gonna be there for 3 yrs (assuming you aren't doing PT or doing an accelerated JD or want to transfer) - first impressions are important though, so good luck and more importantly, have fun!

[dextermorgan]

Is there anything I definitely should NOT do?

Ask about international law.

You don't think OP should ask about international law when speaking to an international law professor?

I don't think anyone should ask about international law when speaking to anyone.

[Teoeo]

Is there anything I definitely should NOT do?

Ask about international law.

You don't think OP should ask about international law when speaking to an international law professor?

I don't think anyone should ask about international law when speaking to anyone.

+1000000 =)

[Nat1018]

...lol you guys make me laugh

[Antipodean]

Is there anything I definitely should NOT do?

Ask about international law.

You don't think OP should ask about international law when speaking to an international law professor?

I don't think anyone should ask about international law when speaking to anyone.

To clarify for the original poster -

Try not to talk about "international law" as if it were a coherent field of study. The basic divide - and when I say divide, I mean gulf - is between "public" international law and "private" international law. The former is the domain of the UN, ICC, and so forth; it deals with human rights, treaty obligations, and so forth. The latter is the domain of large corporations seeking to strike deals on an international basis; mainly transactional work, along with arbitration when deals break down.

That's a gross simplification, of course (there's always the situation of a private company involved in arbitration over a deal it struck with a nation-state, in reliance on said nation-state's international treaty obligation...) but so long as you don't come across as completely ignorant of the huge variety of areas encompassed by the phrase "international law", you'll probably be fine.

[MURPH]

Download one of his recent papers from SSRN. Read it. If it is something you'd be interested in researching then ask about it.

[engineer]

L0L

Don't act like you know anything. Mention you're interested in International Law. Mention that you've looked at a few of his articles. Ask him about issues in his articles. Avoid anything that you can easily find out for yourself.

[Knock]

L0L

Don't act like you know anything. Mention you're interested in International Law. Mention that you've looked at a few of his articles. Ask him about issues in his articles. Avoid anything that you can easily find out for yourself.

Agree. Do some research and come prepared. I wrote up a big list of questions I could interject if at any point I needed to say something, make sure they're intelligent, and the things you are steering the conversation are something that only that a law professor, or even better that specific professor would be able to answer. Above all don't waste his or her time.

[creamedcats]

How'd your meeting go? I know the guy you're talking about but didn't have a chance to meet him.

[Neo]

Hi everyone,

I'm an 0L meeting with an international law professor tomorrow to talk about the law school, that particular field of law, and career opportunities. I'm wondering if there is proper etiquette? Is there anything I definitely should NOT do or something I should? I'm worried he'll dislike me before I even start law school!

I wouldn't throw feces...but that's just a general guideline for good hygiene.

Seriously though, I imagine law professors being like every other professor, they really enjoy hearing themselves talk.
So come ready with some questions, get answers to things you are really interested in knowing. And then ask about him and his research. He will really love that (I would probably ask that at the end though and then let that lead into other topics).

[BriaTharen]

While if you are interested in International Law I can see bringing that up in the meeting could be a quick and easy way to make an impression (and being familiar with an article or two as well), I think trying to talk about any of them is a terrible idea. It's the same reason law schools don't want to hear you talk about the law/legal system- 7-9/10, you're going to mix something up and sound like an idiot. Keep that kind of academic conversation to something the professor would expect a 0L to know.

General interview/meeting tips:
+ Dress appropriately
+ Be polite
+ Have a copy of your resume on hand (never know if the professor may want to see it)
+ As other posters have said, prep out your questions. Don't waste their time.
+ Good luck!

[Fark-o-vision]

Is there anything I definitely should NOT do?

Ask about international law.

Say you want to bang his son.

[prezidentv8]

Is there anything I definitely should NOT do?

Don't forget to bring a towel!

[Pressenda]

How'd your meeting go? I know the guy you're talking about but didn't have a chance to meet him.

Hey, you're probably thinking of Michael Scharf, the head of the international law center, but I met with Richard Gordon who deals more with private/business aspects of international law.

Also, thanks everyone for the advice. Reading his bio really freaked me out, but he was friendly and very approachable. It ended up being a really great conversation and helped solidify my decision in attending in the fall.

[BigA]

ask him what kind of jobs there are in international law

[Pressenda]

I did. We mainly talked about international law within a corporate setting. My goal is in-house counsel at a corporation/bank that deals with international business transactions.

[Fark-o-vision]

How many times did you touch your nipples?