In at Stanford! Forum

[crackberry]

@Kretzy: The History Department is terrific (I'm currently majoring in it), and the Masters candidates are a fascinating group. PM me if you want details.

Yeah, Kretzy, I was also a History major at Stanford so I know a thing or two about the department and its professors if you want some more information.

[ndnlawdc]

No love for the brutalist SLS building?

FWIW, the law library (where you'll spend a lot of time) is actually very nice, and way less crowded than that of other schools. The new building also looks to be quite nice.

And some would argue that architecture matters less than palm trees.

Also, Stanford's gym and athletic facilities in general are about 10 million times better than its peers', for what that's worth.

1) I know you can do some MA/JDs in 3 years flat. I'm not really looking to do a joint degree, so I'm not the best person to ask. The most popular, or at least most discussed, option for a joint degree is the public policy program (MAPP).

2) The gym is nice, but there's no locker room in the same building, which is super annoying.

[crackberry]

Also, Stanford's gym and athletic facilities in general are about 10 million times better than its peers', for what that's worth.

2) The gym is nice, but there's no locker room in the same building, which is super annoying.

True, and no showers. There's some strange urban legend about why Arrillaga decided not to allow showers in the non-varsity athlete gym, but I forget what the story is.

That said, the facilities themselves are awesome, plus you've got more basketball courts, sand volleyball pits, tennis courts and just plain old playing fields than you could ever use. And you can use them all year long (outside), which is more than you can say for any school East of California and North of Texas.

[rowlf]

Am at my folks' away from mail and stuff, didn't bring anything with me. When is the ASW? Trying to think about coordinating that stuff at that time. Thanks. You can pm me if you want.

[Kretzy]

Am at my folks' away from mail and stuff, didn't bring anything with me. When is the ASW? Trying to think about coordinating that stuff at that time. Thanks. You can pm me if you want.

Gosh, I can't believe I'm on TLS on Christmas. My family is just that crazy, I suppose.

And ASW is the weekend of April 17th, I think the 17th to the 19th (Saturday-Monday). It's the weekend right after Berkeley's ASW.

[rowlf]

Am at my folks' away from mail and stuff, didn't bring anything with me. When is the ASW? Trying to think about coordinating that stuff at that time. Thanks. You can pm me if you want.

Gosh, I can't believe I'm on TLS on Christmas. My family is just that crazy, I suppose.

And ASW is the weekend of April 17th, I think the 17th to the 19th (Saturday-Monday). It's the weekend right after Berkeley's ASW.

Thanks, Kretzy.

Hey, I was on TLS on Christmas! I also found out that I got into UMich via status checker, haha. Christmas is a pretty low key day for us. I was chilling with my mom surfing the internet while she read a book, for a while. We were listening to Cake.

Happy Holidays, all!

[somewhatwayward]

True, and no showers. There's some strange urban legend about why Arrillaga decided not to allow showers in the non-varsity athlete gym, but I forget what the story is.

is that the gym with the squash courts in it? i don't think it has any showers. it also has this huge yoga/exercise room that is a couple stories tall with floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides. i got the distinct impression while i was there that there was a bigger focus on fitness than most top schools. i guess it is known for that.

[crackberry]

True, and no showers. There's some strange urban legend about why Arrillaga decided not to allow showers in the non-varsity athlete gym, but I forget what the story is.

is that the gym with the squash courts in it? i don't think it has any showers. it also has this huge yoga/exercise room that is a couple stories tall with floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides. i got the distinct impression while i was there that there was a bigger focus on fitness than most top schools. i guess it is known for that.

Yeah, same one. There is a huge emphasis on fitness at Stanford, at least among the UGs. I think it has something to do with the students' obsession with perfection and the famous Stanford Duck Syndrome, whereby every student appears calm, relaxed, tan and fit above the water but is churning like mad to keep up that appearance beneath the surface.

[Maroon+Cardinal]

Hi. I was admitted back in 2008, and deferred two years to teach (Teach For America) (I got waitlisted at HLS and YLS, but withdrew those after visiting Stanford). I'll be at SLS next Fall. I think I lost my t-shirt in the move out of college, though.

[somewhatwayward]

Yeah, same one. There is a huge emphasis on fitness at Stanford, at least among the UGs. I think it has something to do with the students' obsession with perfection and the famous Stanford Duck Syndrome, whereby every student appears calm, relaxed, tan and fit above the water but is churning like mad to keep up that appearance beneath the surface.

heh, i can see it. my sis is an UG there, so i will have to tease her about being a duck. she did become even more exercise-focused after she began at stanford. she also started wearing a lot more revealing clothing....

[crackberry]

Yeah, same one. There is a huge emphasis on fitness at Stanford, at least among the UGs. I think it has something to do with the students' obsession with perfection and the famous Stanford Duck Syndrome, whereby every student appears calm, relaxed, tan and fit above the water but is churning like mad to keep up that appearance beneath the surface.

heh, i can see it. my sis is an UG there, so i will have to tease her about being a duck. she did become even more exercise-focused after she began at stanford. she also started wearing a lot more revealing clothing....

California FTW

[Kretzy]

If anyone kayaks or hikes, I'm probably going to be looking for some folks to head out with into the mountains next year.

I'd also like to start a whiskey group and watch some Steelers game with folks. Lemme know

[crackberry]

If anyone kayaks or hikes, I'm probably going to be looking for some folks to head out with into the mountains next year.

I'd also like to start a whiskey group and watch some Steelers game with folks. Lemme know

So does the Chicago news today affect anything Kretzy? Also, I love hiking/backpacking. People always talk about SLS and Boalt being close to Tahoe and while Tahoe is awesome, Yosemite is awesome too and it's just as close.

[CardinalRules]

If anyone kayaks or hikes, I'm probably going to be looking for some folks to head out with into the mountains next year.

I'd also like to start a whiskey group and watch some Steelers game with folks. Lemme know

So does the Chicago news today affect anything Kretzy? Also, I love hiking/backpacking. People always talk about SLS and Boalt being close to Tahoe and while Tahoe is awesome, Yosemite is awesome too and it's just as close.

I'm not the hiking type, but Yosemite has some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. In general, California features extremely varied terrain, so you'll find just about anything that you could want there.

[Kretzy]

If anyone kayaks or hikes, I'm probably going to be looking for some folks to head out with into the mountains next year.

I'd also like to start a whiskey group and watch some Steelers game with folks. Lemme know

So does the Chicago news today affect anything Kretzy? Also, I love hiking/backpacking. People always talk about SLS and Boalt being close to Tahoe and while Tahoe is awesome, Yosemite is awesome too and it's just as close.

Well, it gives me admission to my #2, and seems to be where I'd wind up if I don't like SLS. Stanford remains my #1 though, and I'm planning on being there come this August.

And I've never hiked Yosemite, though I hear some of the trails hold their own in comparison to Rocky Mountain and Glacier, so I'm excited.

[crackberry]

If anyone kayaks or hikes, I'm probably going to be looking for some folks to head out with into the mountains next year.

I'd also like to start a whiskey group and watch some Steelers game with folks. Lemme know

So does the Chicago news today affect anything Kretzy? Also, I love hiking/backpacking. People always talk about SLS and Boalt being close to Tahoe and while Tahoe is awesome, Yosemite is awesome too and it's just as close.

Well, it gives me admission to my #2, and seems to be where I'd wind up if I don't like SLS. Stanford remains my #1 though, and I'm planning on being there come this August.

And I've never hiked Yosemite, though I hear some of the trails hold their own in comparison to Rocky Mountain and Glacier, so I'm excited.

Yeah, they definitely do. I actually worked in Yosemite the summer after my sophomore year of college. It's my favorite place on the planet. For my money, it's the best hiking/backpacking in the country, though I'm obviously biased.

[crackberry]

Anyone else just get a very lengthy email with a very personalized first paragraph from Dean Kramer?

[CardinalRules]

Anyone else just get a very lengthy email with a very personalized first paragraph from Dean Kramer?

No, and I'm jealous.

[crackberry]

Anyone else just get a very lengthy email with a very personalized first paragraph from Dean Kramer?

No, and I'm jealous.

Hmm interesting. A buddy of mine who was Stanford '07 also got it. The text (minus the personalized first paragraph):

Dear Crackberry,

Let me introduce myself: I’m a constitutional law professor who came to Stanford six years ago to become the Dean. Before joining Stanford, I was on the faculties of the University of Chicago, the University of Michigan, and NYU. I also spent time as a visiting professor at Columbia and Harvard. So I’ve seen a lot of law schools in my twenty-four years of teaching. I came to Stanford because I think it’s an exciting and special place. I’m certain you will too.

Start with some things I suspect you already know about us: You probably already know that Stanford Law School is small and selective, with one faculty member for every eight students and the kind of community where students and faculty know and care about each other. You probably also know that SLS is part of one of the world’s great research Universities, located in the heart of the nation’s most vital and enterprising science, technology, and business community. You know it’s in California, the nation’s largest, most diverse, and most dynamic, innovative state. And you know it’s in a stunningly beautiful location, where students can study outdoors and mix indoor and outdoor activities all year long.

But did you know that Stanford law students are as friendly and collegial as they are brilliant and accomplished? They are the most personally and intellectually happy law students I have encountered. They are also the most enterprising. Maybe it’s something about being in the west, where tradition and “the way things have always been done” weigh less heavily. Or it may just be something in the air or water. Whatever the reason, Stanford students are innovators and originators, and every year our students initiate new ideas and programs that make us a better place: whether starting a project to develop a curriculum for law schools in Afghanistan, beginning a documentary film project, or creating a nationwide organization to “Build a Better Legal Profession.” But you can and should see this yourself, which I hope you’ll do by coming to our admitted students weekend.

Did you know how committed our faculty is to teaching? Really teaching: so that you gain mastery of the law and can hit the ground running when you leave. Stanford has brilliant scholars, but its faculty cares about teaching even more. The average quality of the teaching here is by far the highest I have seen, and the faculty are closer to and spend more time with students than at any other school of which I am aware. At Stanford, research is something you can share in creating, not just read or hear about in class.

Nor are your educational opportunities confined to the Law School. More so than any other law school in the country, Stanford takes full advantage of the resources available through the rest of the University—giving our students not just an unparalleled range of opportunities, but opportunities that involve working with students and faculty from other schools and departments (every one as highly ranked as our law school). In addition to easy access to courses, seminars, and research programs across the whole campus, we have inaugurated 27 new joint degree programs—most of which can be completed in three years—and a variety of specially designed, problem-solving courses that team law students with students from business, engineering, medicine, and the sciences and humanities to work on problems at the intersection of their different disciplines. Our interdisciplinary program is qualitatively, not just quantitatively, different from the one you’ll find at other law schools. So much so that, as you think about where to attend law school, the comparison is no longer between Stanford Law School and Law School X or Y; it is between Stanford University . . . and Law School X or Y.

This is as true for research as it is for coursework. You might not yet know just how many centers and programs we have, all on cutting-edge legal topics: internet and society, e-commerce, biolaw, cyberlaw, international development, constitutional law, criminal justice, corporate governance, environmental policy, the legal profession, and negotiation and conflict resolution—to name but a few. These, too, draw in faculty and students from around the University, just as law students and faculty play a role in research centers in other parts of Stanford. In short, we have managed to retain the intimacy and camaraderie of a small school while offering you the same range of choices as a large one (but choices at the level of excellence one finds in the other parts of a truly great research university).

Interested in a business career? We have one of the best corporate, tax, and commercial law faculties anywhere, working with and alongside faculty and students from one of the best business schools in the country. Being located in the heart of the Silicon Valley adds yet another dimension, as students meet and rub shoulders with the men and women who pioneered so many innovative business practices. Our students and graduates do deals, start companies, and invest venture capital. It’s no accident that the founding or current general counsels of Microsoft, Apple, Oracle, Cisco, Google, EBay, Yahoo, Qualcomm, Genentech, and Autodesk–to name only a few!–are all graduates of Stanford Law School. This semester, the legal department of Google is team teaching a course on “Internet Business Law and Policy”: it’s a kind of course you can find only at a school like Stanford.

Interested in hands-on experience? Stanford has the most diverse and dynamic clinical program in the country, led by some of the best lawyers in the country. We offer you the opportunity to represent real clients in a wide range of areas, from copyright to environmental law to employment benefits to immigration law to education. You can work in a prosecution clinic or on criminal defense matters. This year, our Supreme Court clinic has six cases in the U.S. Supreme Court, making a total of 85 cases since Spring 2004, and Stanford Law students will prepare the petitions and write the briefs that the Justices use to decide these cases. Only the Solicitor General of the United States has had more cases.

Nor are our clinics limited to litigation. Stanford law students advise documentary filmmakers about copyright and fair use, provide general counsel services to a wide array of non-profits, work on legislation and public policy proposals in such areas as energy, education, immigration, and do much, much more. On the international front, our students have worked in Ghana, Namibia, and South Africa helping to protect the rights of refugees, to secure legislation against torture or to help fight AIDS, to establish health care and legal aid facilities, and more. Stanford law students are working in Afghanistan to develop the country’s first modern law school curriculum and in Bhutan to train mediators to resolve the kinds of disputes that accompany economic development. The Stanford clinical program is unique not only in its variety of opportunities, but in its emphasis on teamwork and interdisciplinarity, and students in our ten clinics work with each other and with students and faculty from other, relevant schools as part of one integrated operation.

Public interest work? Our students are consistently awarded a disproportionate number of the most highly competitive public interest fellowships. The idea of loan repayment was pioneered at Stanford Law School, and we still maintain the nation’s most generous loan repayment program for graduates who work in public service. We recently kicked off the John and Terry Levin Center for Public Service and Public Interest Law to expand student opportunities to work during the school year and summers, to do pro bono work, and to do research on topics of interest with students and faculty around the University. Public service is not just another specialty here. It is something all our students are encouraged to share in–without regard for political ideology or ultimate career aspirations.

Law teaching? Stanford has produced the third largest number of law professors of any law school in the nation. We are second if size is taken into account, and first when it comes to yield (that is, the percentage of graduates who obtain teaching positions from those who seek one). Our faculty provides mentorship to prospective law teachers at every step, beginning the first year in law school and continuing through the process of entering the job market. Many of our students return after graduation as teaching and research fellows in Law School programs that have been designed to generate opportunities to work on research and prepare for teaching. And the myriad new opportunities to work and study across disciplines make Stanford the ideal place to prepare for a successful career in the academy.

International or comparative law? Three of our newest faculty members worked at major international institutions, and we have an increasingly international student body thanks to four graduate programs for foreign lawyers. Both faculty and students from the law school participate and do research in Stanford University’s acclaimed Freeman-Spogli Institute of International Studies, and the University’s ongoing “International Initiative” is generating and multiplying a myriad of new opportunities. On the course front, there are, if anything, too many international law courses to take, on everything from international trade and development to international human rights to national security law. And our students work not only in traditional areas of international concern, but also on cutting edge issues such as the intersection of energy, environment, and security.

I could go on (and on). For now, suffice it to say (as I hope you can tell) that I am incredibly excited to be at Stanford and want you to share that excitement with me. It is a cliche, but no less true for that, to say that the world is changing. Legal education must change with it if our graduates are to meet the challenges ahead. Very much in the spirit of California, with its long history and deep culture of innovation, Stanford University and Stanford Law School are working together to reshape what we do in a way that matches the needs of tomorrow’s lawyers and leaders. While taking care to preserve our traditional strengths, we have adapted to provide students countless new opportunities to receive an education that is truly three-dimensional. Beyond all the hype, beyond the polls and rankings, beyond the conventional wisdom, this much is certain: It’s a unique moment in history, and this is the place to come if you want to be part of the changes that will set new patterns for the century to come.

Let me stop here, for now. Feel free to write me with any questions so I can answer them directly. Our students, faculty and alumni will be happy to talk with you, too. Or better still, come see for yourself at our Admit Weekend the third weekend in April—you’ll receive information very soon. I hope to welcome you to Stanford then and again next fall.

Best,

Larry Kramer

[CardinalRules]

Anyone else just get a very lengthy email with a very personalized first paragraph from Dean Kramer?

No, and I'm jealous.

Hmm interesting. A buddy of mine who was Stanford '07 also got it.

Just kidding about the jealousy. It's a very cool thing to do, although probably unnecessary as far as recruiting you.

EDIT: Thanks for including the information from it.

[crackberry]

Anyone else just get a very lengthy email with a very personalized first paragraph from Dean Kramer?

No, and I'm jealous.

Hmm interesting. A buddy of mine who was Stanford '07 also got it.

Just kidding about the jealousy. It's a very cool thing to do, although probably unnecessary as far as recruiting you.

Definitely true.

[joshikousei]

i have a special place in my heart for stanford - the school definitely provided the most personalized attention during last year's cycle.

congratulations to those who were admitted!

[CardinalRules]

What was in the subject line of the email? Was it something recognizable as Stanford, or did it look like a potential spam?

[joshikousei]

What was in the subject line of the email? Was it something recognizable as Stanford, or did it look like a potential spam?

"Congratulations" from Larry D Kramer

[crackberry]

What was in the subject line of the email? Was it something recognizable as Stanford, or did it look like a potential spam?

"Congratulations" from Larry D Kramer

Yep. This.