Top Law Schools

My newspaper, for some reason, still hasn't arrived. So if anyone is out of bed early this Sunday morning, I will happily answer Q's.

which law school faculties do you admire the most?

If you were to start over would you go to law school again? Which law school/ and area of law interest you the most?

sophia.olive wrote:If you were to start over would you go to law school again? Which law school/ and area of law interest you the most?

Undoubtedly, I would go to law school again because it worked out well for me. That doesn't mean I think law school is a good idea for everyone, especially if you are going to go into $120,000+ debt.

I don't slobber over any particular law school. The highly reputable law schools typically have great faculties. But the professoriate is fairly individualized; it's not like admiring the Yankees.

How many hours of work do you do in an average week? What about your colleagues?

johnnyutah wrote:How many hours of work do you do in an average week? What about your colleagues?

At this point in my career, 50-70 hours a week. That's typical for most junior level scholars. My impression is that the senior level profs may spend as little as 20 hours a week or as much as 60-70.

What advice do you have someone who wants to enter legal academia but didn't make law review? I'm on a secondary journal and have pretty good grades. any advice would be appreciated.

vyelps wrote:What advice do you have someone who wants to enter legal academia but didn't make law review? I'm on a secondary journal and have pretty good grades. any advice would be appreciated.

I have the same question. Assume good grades (around top 10%) at CCN.

What tips can you give for prospective law school students in terms of study methods and preparing for the exams?

Can you briefly describe your career path? Approximate school rank? Clerkship? Firm? When you went on the meat market? How many publications you had by then? Approximate rank of school where you're employed? Etc.

Also, if you have the time, I'm curious about when/why you decided to become a law professor? If it has lived up to your expectations? What you like about it?

Thank you!

Would you mind disclosing your subject area?

angiej wrote:What tips can you give for prospective law school students in terms of study methods and preparing for the exams?

Also, what grading criteria do you generally use for exams? What factors commonly differentiate an A from a B?

....I guess he got his paper.....

summerstar wrote:....I guess he got his paper.....

If you search you will see other threads exactly the same where he answers some questions, he shows up occasionally.

"What tips can you give for prospective law school students in terms of study methods and preparing for the exams?"

It's interesting that law students often view professors as being experts on how to study. We generally did well in law school, but we have no magic tricks. Everyone has different ways of learning. I can't tell you whether flash cards or outlining or multi colori-highlighting best for you.

When I was a student, I would read the casebook, then read the E&E and do the questions, and then look to a hornbook on some finer points. YMMV.

vyelps wrote:What advice do you have someone who wants to enter legal academia but didn't make law review? I'm on a secondary journal and have pretty good grades. any advice would be appreciated.

Law review is always nice, but your publications and scholarly potential are the most important thing. Your failure to make law review absolutely will not bar your entry into academia. Write a note for your current journal and follow up with some post-law school publications.

spondee wrote:Can you briefly describe your career path? Approximate school rank? Clerkship? Firm? When you went on the meat market? How many publications you had by then? Approximate rank of school where you're employed? Etc.

Also, if you have the time, I'm curious about when/why you decided to become a law professor? If it has lived up to your expectations? What you like about it?

Thank you!

I had a fairly standard track -- top 10 law school, top quarter or so in my class (nothing special), no clerkship, a few years in a govt agency related to my field of research (transactional area). I'm at a T50 school.

I became a law professor because I wanted to be my own boss, write on topics that interested me, and work my own schedule. The benefit is that I can do all those things. The drawback is that I'm somewhat isolated from the "real world," although I'm hoping to gradually work myself back in by, e.g., becoming a member of the bar in the state I teach, taking pro bono cases, and so on.

Also, although people think that law professors only have to show up for class 4 hours a week and spend the remaining 164 hours of the week on the beach, that really isn't true, unless you're a jerk. I'm advising numerous students on their research papers, writing rec letters, working on scholarship, working on committees, and so on. It's actually a lot of work. If you were a total curmudgeon you might avoid it, but most pre-tenure law professors work 45-60 hours a week. The beauty is that you work when and where you want to work, and generally aren't under someone else's thumb, which is wonderful.

summerstar wrote:....I guess he got his paper.....

Sorry about that. With the start of the semester, I've been very busy. I try to check this forum every few weeks. If you post a question and don't get an immediate response, I will probably check in at some point and respond.

As the weird timestamps probably show, I usually check this site when I can't sleep. As the semester gets underway and stress builds, this will unfortunately happen with increasing frequency.

Thanks for your time...whatever time it is!

Just curious about blind grading...my profs hand around our sign- in/attendance sheet which have our names next to our student I.D.'s. How can they NOT know who we are at exam time?

Do you have any students that you absolutely detest?

Am I the only one here who is very skeptical that this poster is actually a law professor?

(the comma splices, reference to "working on scholarship", and generally generic answers make me suspicious.)

summerstar wrote:Thanks for your time...whatever time it is!

Just curious about blind grading...my profs hand around our sign- in/attendance sheet which have our names next to our student I.D.'s. How can they NOT know who we are at exam time?

You'll be given an anonymous number to put on all your exams. The only person who can match an anonymous number to a student is the registrar. Professors don't know who got what grade until the registrar has released that information to them.

OP, what is the snarkiest thing you can remember saying to a student?

What is the most annoying or disrespectful thing you can remember a student saying to you? I know you must have some stories.

Question

Is it that big of a deal for me to try and go to as high of a ranked school as possible to get ahead career
Wise or do you think that non ivy leagues teach the material in pretty much a similar Manner. I ask this because in my mind I can learn so much more from teachers at a high ranked school than one like university of Houston. Or something similarly ranked.

Burger in a can wrote:Am I the only one here who is very skeptical that this poster is actually a law professor?

(the comma splices, reference to "working on scholarship", and generally generic answers make me suspicious.)

And that he stays up posting on a forum like this. Yeah kinda strange. But I guess we're all just looking for someone to answer our questions

merc280 wrote:. I ask this because in my mind I can learn so much more from teachers at a high ranked school than one like university of Houston. Or something similarly ranked.

your mind is incorrect.