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| | If I pass on the things you're "supposed" to do in law school (take corporations and evidence, be on a journal) and instead make the experience one I'll enjoy, what will the consequences be? (ErikaKrystian) |
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> | What do judges look for when selecting clerks straight out of law school? More generally, what are the pros and cons of clerking straight out of law school as opposed to trying to practice for a few years first? (WardBenson) |
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< | What do judges look for when selecting clerks straight out of law school? More generally, what are the pros and cons of clerking straight out of law school as opposed to trying to practice for a few years first? |
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> | What are the benefits and drawbacks of taking classes at other schools (journalism, business, etc)? (AmandaRichardson? ) |
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< | -- WardBenson - 20 May 2008
What are the benefits and drawbacks of taking classes at other schools (journalism, business, etc)?
-- AmandaRichardson - 22 May 2008 |
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Finding Opportunities to Collaborate |
| | I often find that it's hard to garner up the courage to avoid the firm track and pursue the things I want to do. I feel that I often lack the social/financial/institutional support. But if students with similar interests here actually pair up maybe our combined skills and dedication can actually move us away from Big Law. For example, if some of us don't have the courage (or the capital) to open up our own firms immediately upon graduating, maybe with one or two other qualified lawyers we could. How can law school be structured so as to facilitate such collaboration and networking? (CaseyBoyle) |
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> | Who wants to start a "We aren't doing EIP" support group? (AmandaRichardson) |
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< | Who wants to start a "We aren't doing EIP" support group?
-- AmandaRichardson - 22 May 2008 |
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The Workings of a Law School |
| | As an associate, we are told, one does not get a lot of in court practice (assume litigation practice). How does one gain the knowledge pertaining to 1) how to file a motion 2) where to file that motion 3) the other nuts and bolts of practicing that we don't learn when looking at the "big" picture in our other classes? (AdamGold? ) |
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| | Finding Mentors
How can we find mentors outside of the law school who have done work that we are interested in? (JenniferBurke) |
| | When I search for jobs in fields that interest me (for instance, in education law or policy), they all say 2-3 years of "experience" is necessary. What does this mean? How do I break into this field? Do I enter the private sector first? Would I get proper training at a firm? (CaseyBoyle) |
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> | How possible is it to shift from firm work to government work--that is, how much professional back-and-forth is there? (RyanMcDevitt) |
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< | How possible is it to shift from firm work to government work--that is, how much professional back-and-forth is there?
-- RyanMcDevitt - 21 May 2008 |
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Finding One's Niche |
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< | What are good ways of finding niches that need filling in the legal world? What if you don’t have special skills? (KateVershov) (ChristinaYoun) |
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> | What are good ways of finding niches that need filling in the legal world? What if you don't have special skills? (KateVershov) (ChristinaYoun) |
| | As for graduating with clients - are there really that many specialties that we can jump into with little or no experience? (KateVershov) |
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< | I keep getting the feeling that if law school was Ben & Jerry’s, the only flavors within my sight are vanilla (corporate law), chocolate (public interest) and maybe strawberry (clerkship). I hate feeling like there’s Chubby Hubby, Cherry Garcia and a whole host of other flavors out there that are more interesting and complex and might fit me perfectly, yet I can’t even see them. Where can I find out about all these other flavors and get away from the two plain options that I’m presented with right now? (WhytneBrooks) (JonathanBoustani) |
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> | I keep getting the feeling that if law school was Ben & Jerry's, the only flavors within my sight are vanilla (corporate law), chocolate (public interest) and maybe strawberry (clerkship). I hate feeling like there's Chubby Hubby, Cherry Garcia and a whole host of other flavors out there that are more interesting and complex and might fit me perfectly, yet I can't even see them. Where can I find out about all these other flavors and get away from the two plain options that I'm presented with right now? (WhytneBrooks) (JonathanBoustani) |
| | How do I go about finding what areas of law I really care about between now and when I have to find employment? (WendyHuang) |
| | Resources |
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< | I am more worried about how to work outside a big firm and have the resources to compete with such a firm. I would love to be a public defender, but they frequently don't have the resources to win their cases. At a firm, I’d get to take fewer pro bono cases, but I'd likely win more of the cases I got to take. That might be an oversimplification, but my question would be: What is the comparison between the resources of a law firm and other resources available, and how much does it affect success rates in court? (OluwafemiMorohunfola) |
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> | I am more worried about how to work outside a big firm and have the resources to compete with such a firm. I would love to be a public defender, but they frequently don't have the resources to win their cases. At a firm, I'd get to take fewer pro bono cases, but I'd likely win more of the cases I got to take. That might be an oversimplification, but my question would be: What is the comparison between the resources of a law firm and other resources available, and how much does it affect success rates in court? (OluwafemiMorohunfola)
- I am at the Bronx Defenders this summer. Their acquittal rate is pretty impressive and, having watched our attorneys go toe to toe against ADAs this past week, it is clear that the Bronx Defenders' attorneys have what they need to be successful. I have no experience with other defenders services and so I would suggest that you investigate any particular place you are interested in working.
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| | Is it true that I need public interest work experience to get a public interest job? (WendyHuang) |
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> | How important are internships to public interest work? Is it really important to essentially begin a career now? (AmandaRichardson? ) |
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< | How important are internships to public interest work? Is it really important to essentially begin a career now?
-- AmandaRichardson - 22 May 2008 |
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Starting Your Own Organization |
| | Nuts and Bolts
Aren't the criticisms of law firms (broken compensation structure) valid for salaried public interest jobs as well? (WendyHuang) |
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- I think there are two main differences. First, at a public interest job, you are doing work you believe in and so, presumably, don't begrudge doing. People are less likely to be forced to work for hours on end, instead, they want to be there. Second, there is more flexibility in hours at a public interest job (I got shoed out of the office yesterday at 5:00 and my supervising attorneys looked at me like I was crazy when I asked for more assignements late in the afternoon).
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< | Is it the same in public interest as corporate law that it’s more about who you know in the industry than your objective skills as an applicant? How Important is networking? (WhytneBrooks)(CaseyBoyle) |
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> | Is it the same in public interest as corporate law that it's more about who you know in the industry than your objective skills as an applicant? How Important is networking? (WhytneBrooks)(CaseyBoyle) |
| | At a panel about whether or not to do EIP, a few panelists strongly suggested that many public interest firms look down their noses at applicants who have dabbled in corporate law, and vice versa. Unless I have the luxury of figuring out what area in which I want to practice before I graduate, it would be to my benefit to dabble in different areas, but it angers me that doing this (in an effort to make myself the best lawyer I can be) causes me to lose points with whatever institution I end up choosing. If this phenomenon is true, how can I avoid looking wishy-washy yet explore all of my options? (WhytneBrooks) |
| | Why Join a Firm |
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< | Considering the way we’ve framed the realm of corporate law, is it possible for someone to have a valid reason for purposely making that the goal of their career? I suppose at this point, a similar question is why do EIP (rather than how), and no one could give me a reason why one might go in that direction, other than 1) they have no other plans or 2) they want money/networking. So, is there a good affirmative reason to subject oneself to corporate law to begin with? (WhytneBrooks) (MichaelBrown) |
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> | Considering the way we've framed the realm of corporate law, is it possible for someone to have a valid reason for purposely making that the goal of their career? I suppose at this point, a similar question is why do EIP (rather than how), and no one could give me a reason why one might go in that direction, other than 1) they have no other plans or 2) they want money/networking. So, is there a good affirmative reason to subject oneself to corporate law to begin with? (WhytneBrooks) (MichaelBrown) |
| | How do I distinguish between levels of social harm? The schools I have attended have big endowments, operate like corporations and do things that don't further my personal goals towards social change. What makes a law firm different? Is the issue whether or not I utilize them(these schools & a firm) for what they give me to get where I want? Is the question whether the ends justify the means? (MichaelBrown) |
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< | Why do law firms spend so much money on 1L receptions and events? Couldn’t the money be redirected for additional associates, pro bono efforts, or to provide scholarships for law students who want to pursue public interest work and social good? (CarlForbes) |
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> | Why do law firms spend so much money on 1L receptions and events? Couldn't the money be redirected for additional associates, pro bono efforts, or to provide scholarships for law students who want to pursue public interest work and social good? (CarlForbes) |
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- I'm not sure that this is the only response to this, but at one of the few receptions I went to I actually spoke with a partner about this very question, and her response was that as soon as even one top firm does a 1L firm reception then it sparks a sort of cold war-esque arms buildup where every other firm then has to do one. In this environment, therefore, each firm is constantly trying to outdo all the others, leading to the massive 1L firm reception cycle we see today. So maybe another question to ask along these same lines is is there anything we as students can do to convince the law firms not to spend money on receptions but instead put it to better use? Or like in the story Eben told us about the push in the 80's to switch to a non-graded first term do you think the majority of students would rise up against this and demand the continuation of the free-food gravy train? (AlexLawrence)
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| | Why do law firms (and many other types of businesses) choose to overwork associates rather than hire additional workers to make up the hours? Couldn’t a firm hire 20% more associates and have each of them bill 40 rather than 50 hours (for 20% less pay)? (EdwardNewton) |
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> | I think health insurance, retirement benefits, transaction costs of hiring and office space are factors in that, but it still seems that there is a point at which they could hire more people for each person to do less. (AndrewWolstan) |
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< | I think health insurance, retirement benefits, transaction costs of hiring and office space are factors in that, but it still seems that there is a point at which they could hire more people for each person to do less.
-- AndrewWolstan - 22 May 2008 |
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Being Successful at a Firm |