\
  The most prestigious law school admissions discussion board in the world.
BackRefresh Options Favorite

UChicago Alum/COA Clerk Taking Questions (MTG76)

I was back discussing clerkships in another thread (http://w...
Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive
  09/07/09
what are you doing next year? what firm did you spend 2L su...
lavender corner
  09/07/09
I split 2L summer between a DC firm and a Texas firm. I'm s...
Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive
  09/07/09
did you like susman? What didn';t you like about the DC fi...
lavender corner
  09/07/09
Didn't summer at Susman, but I know a fair amount about the ...
Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive
  09/07/09
what's bad about susman besides the hours? seems jr associat...
Sienna keepsake machete
  09/07/09
The hours alone are enough. You do get substantial work, bu...
Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive
  09/07/09
dude, it's not slip and falls but plaintiff side 1st amendme...
Sienna keepsake machete
  09/07/09
Just because the legal issues are complex doesn't mean the w...
Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive
  09/07/09
You are insufferable. As if defending corporations is honora...
Disrespectful mood windowlicker
  09/07/09
titcr. wtf
magenta bull headed site trust fund
  09/08/09
I don't want to get sidetracked, but I agree there is sleazy...
Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive
  09/09/09
Even this is wrong, because your base assumption seems to be...
fighting really tough guy
  09/09/09
Your premise is false.
Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive
  09/09/09
no u
fighting really tough guy
  09/09/09
The "bad guy"? I don't think anyone's accusing St...
jet-lagged whorehouse
  09/08/09
"sleazy corporate shakedowns" love how you just...
talking kink-friendly locale factory reset button
  09/08/09
crazy
Vibrant french chef resort
  09/09/09
lol
lemon medicated indian lodge
  09/09/09
I echo the above question about susman. Also, why is DC's w...
lavender corner
  09/07/09
Don't know anything about NYC. I never considered the marke...
Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive
  09/07/09
in one sentence, what made the work higher quality in DC?
angry address stain
  09/07/09
At least as a summer associate, in DC I got the kind of high...
Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive
  09/07/09
How many applications did your judge get this year?
dull jewess
  09/07/09
I couldn't tell you exactly. My judge only hires rising 3Ls...
Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive
  09/07/09
Dude you're really kinda outing yourself here.
Galvanic toaster plaza
  09/08/09
TITCR. I posted this yesterday as well. It's blatantly obv...
Slate friendly grandma
  09/09/09
He's been out of the closet for about 3 years now.
green flirting athletic conference
  09/09/09
If you haven't known MTG's name for several years, you are a...
jet-lagged whorehouse
  09/09/09
Or forgetful like me.
cerebral preventive strike theatre
  09/12/09
i've had a few clerkship interviews. am i likely to get moa...
bossy glittery knife doctorate
  09/07/09
I don't know about supreme courts, but I have friends who go...
Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive
  09/07/09
ty. so i could get calls in late fall? do you think i'm ...
bossy glittery knife doctorate
  09/07/09
Correct. And if you have a good enough app to get three int...
Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive
  09/07/09
ty
bossy glittery knife doctorate
  09/07/09
I don't mean to out you, but it's pretty damn obvious which ...
Slate friendly grandma
  09/07/09
sup dude. Fighting off spics and nigs left and right?
rusted thriller clown range
  09/07/09
what's chance up to? clerking or biglaw?
Sienna keepsake machete
  09/07/09
I need to send him an e-mail and see what's up with him. Th...
Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive
  09/07/09
lol@ chicago students on this board. no wonder the school is...
thirsty library
  09/07/09
http://img444.imageshack.us/i/mtgno6.jpg/
Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive
  09/07/09
Sadly, making that JPG has been the highlight of my law scho...
Crystalline coldplay fan
  09/08/09
To repeat my question from the other thread - what are your ...
Razzle electric furnace milk
  09/07/09
All you're going to get is speculation. So here goes some s...
Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive
  09/07/09
what are the cutoffs percentage-wise for highest honors, hig...
lavender corner
  09/07/09
They are GPAs rather than percentages: 179, 180.5, and 182....
Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive
  09/07/09
is 182 higher than an a flat A if this were on a traditional...
lavender corner
  09/07/09
Tough for me to tell. I've never been on a traditional A+, ...
Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive
  09/07/09
That's good to know, I didn't realize that many people actua...
Razzle electric furnace milk
  09/07/09
The number moves, too. You have some regression to the mean...
Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive
  09/07/09
I've looked at the grade distributions
Fragrant Naked Parlour
  09/09/09
I think most of what you said is consistent with most of my ...
Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive
  09/09/09
It's pretty consistent
Fragrant Naked Parlour
  09/09/09
I agree with almost all of that, but I don't think I can bla...
Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive
  09/09/09
For being such a market oriented place
Fragrant Naked Parlour
  09/09/09
What a ridiculously retarded grading system. They have a sc...
cerebral preventive strike theatre
  09/12/09
If one wants to clerk for both distrcit and COA the followin...
Aromatic skinny woman black woman
  09/07/09
So if I'm understanding the question right, you want to do C...
Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive
  09/07/09
if you apply to judges in SF and DC and you're going to be t...
Aromatic skinny woman black woman
  09/07/09
I got my job off-plan and skipped out on that madness, so I'...
Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive
  09/07/09
hey man, sarc here, nothing to say except I hope things are ...
duck-like hospital masturbator
  09/07/09
Things are pretty awesome here. How about you, surviving IT...
Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive
  09/07/09
surviving, if only barely
duck-like hospital masturbator
  09/08/09
you were on law review right? any tips for making law review...
pearly abode boistinker
  09/08/09
Nope. I tried for law review and didn't make it; didn't try...
Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive
  09/09/09
isn't it the same competition for all 3 journals?
pearly abode boistinker
  09/09/09
Yes, but you can choose which journals to send your competit...
Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive
  09/09/09
it's ok if you sent it to the other two and didn't make it. ...
pearly abode boistinker
  09/09/09
lots of people do exactly what MTG is talking about; it's no...
Razzle electric furnace milk
  09/09/09
don't about 20% of the people who try out not make it onto a...
pearly abode boistinker
  09/09/09
I don't know the exact number, but probably something like t...
Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive
  09/09/09
right. not as easy as the punctuation would have had us beli...
pearly abode boistinker
  09/09/09
I wouldn't have any reason to lie about it at this point. I...
Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive
  09/09/09
you've probably said this so many times you actually believe...
pearly abode boistinker
  09/09/09
i met some uchicago tool this weekend. guy was a straight up...
narrow-minded den
  09/08/09
Hey you still around? I have a question.
Startling vermilion university genital piercing
  09/08/09
how's your lawsuit going
narrow-minded den
  09/08/09
I was out all day yesterday having a social life, but I'm ba...
Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive
  09/09/09
me too. do you know how to physically take a mediation agree...
Sienna keepsake machete
  09/09/09
I once got into a conversation at a Lincoln Park bar with a ...
Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive
  09/09/09
Honestly, of course we can file motions and write memos in s...
Sienna keepsake machete
  09/09/09
I wonder how good the practice guides are...I'm doing a pro ...
milky wagecucks
  09/09/09
child custody or divorce? you could seriously fuck that up a...
Sienna keepsake machete
  09/09/09
Divorce with custody. I got it through a Legal Aid type prog...
milky wagecucks
  09/09/09
As a summer, I did a research assignment on the mechanics of...
Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive
  09/09/09
it seems hard to get a garnishment of wages. do you just dra...
Sienna keepsake machete
  09/09/09
If I remember right, it is tough to garnish wages in Texas b...
Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive
  09/09/09
What do you think of Mike Schill?
green flirting athletic conference
  09/09/09
I posted this over in the thread about him: Date: Septemb...
Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive
  09/09/09
I haven't been following UC's hires lately, but my understan...
green flirting athletic conference
  09/09/09
That makes a lot of sense. The faculty right now is divided...
Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive
  09/09/09
Just saw this post from Bainbridge on Schill. Very encourag...
Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive
  09/10/09
This guy is awesome. http://www.law.uchicago.edu/facult...
Appetizing chad
  09/09/09
But like all of Chicago's L&E people he'll leave for Yal...
green flirting athletic conference
  09/09/09
He started the year after I graduated, but I've heard really...
Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive
  09/09/09
I've seen a lot of cites to him in my RA work. What's he li...
Appetizing chad
  09/09/09
Half of the final consisted of 40(?) multiple choice questio...
racy idiotic house indirect expression
  09/09/09


Poast new message in this thread



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 4:36 PM
Author: Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive

I was back discussing clerkships in another thread (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1077978&forum_id=2#12686485), and I've had two requests to start a new taking questions thread, so here you go. Fire away like it is 2006. I have plenty of free time right now.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688324)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 4:37 PM
Author: lavender corner

what are you doing next year? what firm did you spend 2L summer at?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688331)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 4:39 PM
Author: Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive

I split 2L summer between a DC firm and a Texas firm. I'm starting at the Texas firm.

(and just to be clear because I realize my thread title is ambiguous, I'm not about to start a clerkship; I just finished a week ago)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688339)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 4:42 PM
Author: lavender corner

did you like susman? What didn';t you like about the DC firm?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688365)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 4:48 PM
Author: Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive

Didn't summer at Susman, but I know a fair amount about the firm and can't recommend against it enough. I would never, ever, ever work there.

I actually liked my DC firm a lot. If I was interested in DC, I would go back. But people worked way longer hours for the exact same pay I would get in Texas. And they get taxed on that pay more and have to live in a more expensive city. It just wasn't my lifestyle, although the work was inarguably of a higher quality than what I'll see in Texas.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688411)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 4:49 PM
Author: Sienna keepsake machete

what's bad about susman besides the hours? seems jr associates get substantial work there.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688422)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 4:56 PM
Author: Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive

The hours alone are enough. You do get substantial work, but you won't do anything but work. You also have to not mind doing dirty plaintiff-side work.

They are also incredibly partisan. E.g., the partners pressure the associates to donate to Democratic candidates. If you are a conservative, I would stay away.

Also, I've heard some pretty egregious stories about them treating people like dirt.

The good things about working at Susman are the great work, ridiculous bonuses, short partnership track, and lavish parties. But they've shrunk bonuses, extended the partnership track, and cut the parties this year. We'll see if any of those perks come back post-ITE.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688471)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 5:05 PM
Author: Sienna keepsake machete

dude, it's not slip and falls but plaintiff side 1st amendment shit, complex/class action stuff, mass/toxic torts, etc.

it's high-end p-work.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688546)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 5:08 PM
Author: Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive

Just because the legal issues are complex doesn't mean the work isn't still dirty. High-end plaintiffs work can still be sleazy corporate shakedowns.

That's not to say Susman only does dirty work. They do a lot of good stuff too. But you have to not mind being the bad guy.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688567)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 6:47 PM
Author: Disrespectful mood windowlicker

You are insufferable. As if defending corporations is honorable work.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12689099)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 8th, 2009 6:17 PM
Author: magenta bull headed site trust fund

titcr. wtf

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12696374)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 11:00 AM
Author: Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive

I don't want to get sidetracked, but I agree there is sleazy corporate defense.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12701759)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 1:52 PM
Author: fighting really tough guy

Even this is wrong, because your base assumption seems to be that defense is work is generally honorable, but a few might be sleazy; whereas plaintiffs' work is generally sleazy, but a few might be honorable. That's what a first year law student thinks, and has no relation to reality.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12702788)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 2:48 PM
Author: Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive

Your premise is false.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12703248)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 3:40 PM
Author: fighting really tough guy

no u

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12703634)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 8th, 2009 5:51 PM
Author: jet-lagged whorehouse

The "bad guy"? I don't think anyone's accusing Stephen Susman of being Bill Lerach.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12696175)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 8th, 2009 9:24 PM
Author: talking kink-friendly locale factory reset button

"sleazy corporate shakedowns"

love how you just take for granted that we are all wacko ayn rand fundamentalist conservative faggots

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12698058)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 12:33 AM
Author: Vibrant french chef resort

crazy

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12700146)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 1:39 PM
Author: lemon medicated indian lodge

lol

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12702697)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 4:53 PM
Author: lavender corner

I echo the above question about susman. Also, why is DC's work better than Texas's work? subject matter?

Can you talk about the difference between litigation in DC and lit in NYC?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688448)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 5:00 PM
Author: Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive

Don't know anything about NYC. I never considered the market.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688501)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 4:54 PM
Author: angry address stain

in one sentence, what made the work higher quality in DC?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688455)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 5:00 PM
Author: Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive

At least as a summer associate, in DC I got the kind of high-end appellate work with interesting, novel legal issues that attracts gunners like me in law school; by comparison, the Texas work was more your standard grind-through-docs, motion-practice litigation that isn't nearly as intellectually interesting.

(I hope cheating on the one-sentence rule with a semicolon is okay)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688498)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 4:38 PM
Author: dull jewess

How many applications did your judge get this year?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688334)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 4:44 PM
Author: Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive

I couldn't tell you exactly. My judge only hires rising 3Ls, and the lowest ranked school he's ever hired from is Texas. For the most part, the secretary screens out applications from alums and non-T16 (or whatever Texas is now) schools. Further, we do all our hiring totally off plan. So I only saw pre-OSCAR apps that made it through those filters.

We made our last interview invitation in July. I would say prior to that invite, I'd looked through 30-40 applications. I'm sure more came in after that that I didn't bother checking. And I'm also sure OSCAR dumped a ton on Friday that won't get looked at.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688382)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 8th, 2009 11:26 PM
Author: Galvanic toaster plaza

Dude you're really kinda outing yourself here.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12699523)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 12:37 AM
Author: Slate friendly grandma

TITCR. I posted this yesterday as well. It's blatantly obviously which CoA judge he clerked for.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12700171)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 1:36 PM
Author: green flirting athletic conference

He's been out of the closet for about 3 years now.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12702682)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 2:07 PM
Author: jet-lagged whorehouse

If you haven't known MTG's name for several years, you are a n00b.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12702884)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 12th, 2009 6:12 PM
Author: cerebral preventive strike theatre

Or forgetful like me.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12730527)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 4:50 PM
Author: bossy glittery knife doctorate

i've had a few clerkship interviews. am i likely to get moar? i've spammed teh courts pretty heavily. non-preftigious districts and state supreme courts.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688431)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 5:05 PM
Author: Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive

I don't know about supreme courts, but I have friends who got hired by district court judges at all sorts of random times through the year. One got hired in January. So while I don't have much specific advice, generally, I don't think DCts operate on the same regimented June-Sept time schedule as COAs.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688547)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 5:07 PM
Author: bossy glittery knife doctorate

ty. so i could get calls in late fall?

do you think i'm likely to get moar interviews since i've had three? i would hope that suggests i have something going for me.

also, i haven't heard back from those judges. am i surely dinged? i wonder why they don't just send me my rejection letters. is it okay for me to send a letter to chambers asking about the status of my application, or would that be annoying?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688564)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 5:12 PM
Author: Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive

Correct. And if you have a good enough app to get three interviews, I'd think you'd be competitive for more.

I would wait a bit before sending a letter asking about your status, but maybe do that in late Sept/early Oct. I'm not exactly sure how DCt hiring works, but my impression is that it is more scattershot. It probably would be good to make sure your app doesn't get lost at the bottom of the stack if a judge decides to make some interview phone calls in October.

That said, I'm just guessing here. If I talk to one of my district court friends soon, I'll ask their opinion and update.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688597)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 5:30 PM
Author: bossy glittery knife doctorate

ty

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688705)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 6:22 PM
Author: Slate friendly grandma

I don't mean to out you, but it's pretty damn obvious which CoA judge you clerked for. I won't say his name, just for the sake of the people who haven't figured it out, but if you were hoping to maintain any anonymity, you probably haven't.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688983)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 4:38 PM
Author: rusted thriller clown range

sup dude. Fighting off spics and nigs left and right?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688336)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 4:40 PM
Author: Sienna keepsake machete

what's chance up to? clerking or biglaw?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688353)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 5:03 PM
Author: Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive

I need to send him an e-mail and see what's up with him. The latest I heard second-hand was neither, but it sounded like he was about to start a pretty cool new job.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688528)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 4:53 PM
Author: thirsty library

lol@ chicago students on this board. no wonder the school is falling fast; tjhey can't defend themselves, so they fly the MTG bat signal and look for redemption from the last decent grad.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688446)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 5:02 PM
Author: Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive

http://img444.imageshack.us/i/mtgno6.jpg/

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688517)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 8th, 2009 11:30 AM
Author: Crystalline coldplay fan

Sadly, making that JPG has been the highlight of my law school career.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12693909)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 5:17 PM
Author: Razzle electric furnace milk

To repeat my question from the other thread - what are your guesses about top 10, 15, 25, 33% of the class GPA-wise? I realize the data is sparse but I'd love some rampant MTG speculation.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688624)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 5:24 PM
Author: Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive

All you're going to get is speculation. So here goes some speculatin'. These are pulled-from-my-ass guesses for GPAs at graduation time:

10% - 179.9

15% - 179.6

20% - 179.3

25% - 179

33% - 178.6

I am open to refinement. The only one I feel particularly confident about is the 25% number—even though the school claims honors is approximately top 19%, you typically see ~50 people out of 200 with honors each year.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688667)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 5:25 PM
Author: lavender corner

what are the cutoffs percentage-wise for highest honors, high honors and honors?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688675)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 5:32 PM
Author: Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive

They are GPAs rather than percentages: 179, 180.5, and 182. The school claims that in an average graduating class, 179 is top 19%, 180.5 is top 3.5% and 182 is top 0.5%.

I think those estimates are off. Just to give you a comparison, my graduating class had 208 people. We had 42 honors, 12 high honors, and one highest honors. I think that is close to normal for a graduating class.

So the 179 estimate seems wrong, it looks closer to top 25%. The 180.5 might be a bit generous, I think a better estimate would be top 5%. And I think the 182 0.5% is about right; there are occassionally years where nobody gets highest honors, and I haven't heard of a year where two people got it.

EDIT: Just to give you complete info, the school does an order of the coif award for top 10%. In my class, 7 people got coif with only honors; 12 people got coif with high honors; and 1 person got coif with highest.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688723)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 5:34 PM
Author: lavender corner

is 182 higher than an a flat A if this were on a traditional scale?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688739)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 5:40 PM
Author: Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive

Tough for me to tell. I've never been on a traditional A+, A, A-, B+ curve. Undergrad was straight A, B, and C letter grades.

I've looked at a lot of UT law transcripts though, and it seems like there are a handful of people in each class that have a 4.0 or better. So if UT is representative, I'd say harder than a flat A, because only one person per year does it at Chicago.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688770)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 5:26 PM
Author: Razzle electric furnace milk

That's good to know, I didn't realize that many people actually graduated at 179.

I had a judge ask me during a clerkship interview my class rank and despite going through all of the "we don't rank" etc... he still wanted a guess. I ended up saying b/t top 25 and top 33 and it seems as though I was about right.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688684)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 5:47 PM
Author: Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive

The number moves, too. You have some regression to the mean post-1L, but you also get some inflated grades from uncurved seminar classes 2/3L year. My guess is that the overall class GPA is at its lowest point at the end of 2L year. Then 3L year, people do a lot of paper classes/seminars, and that number ticks up.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688802)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 11:35 AM
Author: Fragrant Naked Parlour
Subject: I've looked at the grade distributions

For an unrelated issue and it's not nearly as tight as this. Using .5's or whatever can be problematic since what rank a student has w/r/t a particular number like 177.8 or 178.2 varies greatly.

It's generally true that the top 20 percent comes in right around 179. Another 30 percent fall in between that and 178-177. Another 30 percent hit at 175-176. Another 20 percent falls around 174 or below. The actual decimal points in between the ranges varies a lot from graduating class to class, etc.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12701896)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 3:20 PM
Author: Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive

I think most of what you said is consistent with most of my guesses. The only thing I'd add is that graduation data indicates 179 is more like top 25% than top 20%.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12703476)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 3:39 PM
Author: Fragrant Naked Parlour
Subject: It's pretty consistent

As I explained to my old judge, when you're comparing a student with a 177.56 to one with a 178.04, you're splitting hairs. It's one of the things I cannot stand about the grading system there. It encourages hair splitting among candidates that are basically interchangeable (within whole numbers, of course). A 176 and 177 grad is pretty interchangeable. A 178 and 179 grad is also pretty much interchangeable (unless the 179'er has honors). In light of the pass fail at pretty much every higher ranked school, I find the whole system to be a bit too much.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12703629)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 3:44 PM
Author: Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive

I agree with almost all of that, but I don't think I can blame the grade system. I've seen firsthand that you get the same type of irrelevant hairsplitting between a 3.2 and a 3.3 GPA under a more traditional approach.

The pass/fail stuff is weak sauce. I would be sad to see Chicago embrace it.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12703671)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 4:59 PM
Author: Fragrant Naked Parlour
Subject: For being such a market oriented place

I always found its retarded attempts to buck demand somewhat endearing, if not utterly hapless (blocking wifi in the classroom. really?). IS HYSCNB all adopt these pass fail systems, Chicago is going to have to figure out whether the demand for its current system is worth losing out on students from these schools who want to the assurance of some grade based obstructionism (which any risk adverse law student is going to want to do). If it continues being stupid, I could actually see it swapping places with Northwestern.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12704295)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 12th, 2009 6:13 PM
Author: cerebral preventive strike theatre

What a ridiculously retarded grading system. They have a scale with hundreds of numbers but only really use a few of them.

Lame.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12730537)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 5:51 PM
Author: Aromatic skinny woman black woman

If one wants to clerk for both distrcit and COA the following 2 years after law school, is it stupid to apply to both district and COA for the first year? would the better route be to do district first since it's generally easier to get, then apply COA later because the district clerkship will make you more competitive for COA?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688822)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 6:01 PM
Author: Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive

So if I'm understanding the question right, you want to do COA and DCt, but don't care what order? If so, I can't think of a reason not to apply to both. Yes, DCt first might help you get COA second, but I can't imagine that COA first would hurt your chances for DCt second. And COA is a roll-the-dice process whenever you apply, so I have to imagine getting two shots at it can only help.

And, on the other side, at least my judge doesn't hire except straight out of school, so if you do DCt first, you have zero shot with him. Not sure if other COA judges do the same.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688877)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 6:05 PM
Author: Aromatic skinny woman black woman

if you apply to judges in SF and DC and you're going to be travedling from chicago, do you basically have to pick one city to interview in when calls start coming in because there's not enough time to interview in both cities and the spots will be gone by the time you fly out to the other city?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688899)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 6:08 PM
Author: Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive

I got my job off-plan and skipped out on that madness, so I'm not a good person to ask. But I heard that a couple of folks in my class came up with nothing because of city travel, so I guess my advice is just pick one city? I'm not very informed on the subject.

I think the conventional wisdom is to do DC first, as they are hardest core about the plan and filling up on slots early. Maybe SF is more laid back, West Coast-style?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12688910)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 6:35 PM
Author: duck-like hospital masturbator

hey man, sarc here, nothing to say except I hope things are well with you

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12689049)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 6:47 PM
Author: Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive

Things are pretty awesome here. How about you, surviving ITE?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12689101)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 8th, 2009 6:18 PM
Author: duck-like hospital masturbator

surviving, if only barely

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12696379)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 8th, 2009 5:53 PM
Author: pearly abode boistinker

you were on law review right? any tips for making law review?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12696189)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 11:02 AM
Author: Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive

Nope. I tried for law review and didn't make it; didn't try for the other journals.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12701767)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 11:08 AM
Author: pearly abode boistinker

isn't it the same competition for all 3 journals?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12701787)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 11:09 AM
Author: Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive

Yes, but you can choose which journals to send your competition entry to. I sent to law review, but did not send to legal forum or CJIL.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12701793)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 11:11 AM
Author: pearly abode boistinker

it's ok if you sent it to the other two and didn't make it. you can tell me.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12701796)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 11:15 AM
Author: Razzle electric furnace milk

lots of people do exactly what MTG is talking about; it's not that hard to get on LF or CJIL if you simply apply.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12701809)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 11:29 AM
Author: pearly abode boistinker

don't about 20% of the people who try out not make it onto any journal?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12701868)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 11:43 AM
Author: Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive

I don't know the exact number, but probably something like that. Law review takes ~30, and the other journals take ~20 each, I believe. So that means 70 slots, and the number I heard was that there are usually around 100 competition entries submitted. So if all of that is right, maybe 30% try but don't get one?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12701923)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 1:38 PM
Author: pearly abode boistinker

right. not as easy as the punctuation would have had us believe. my guess is you were in that bottom 30%.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12702691)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 11:18 AM
Author: Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive

I wouldn't have any reason to lie about it at this point. I just decided if I didn't get law review, I'd rather do moot court than waste my time on a secondary journal.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12701819)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 11:27 AM
Author: pearly abode boistinker

you've probably said this so many times you actually believe it now

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12701863)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 8th, 2009 5:53 PM
Author: narrow-minded den

i met some uchicago tool this weekend. guy was a straight up fag douche. are you all like that?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12696195)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 8th, 2009 9:19 PM
Author: Startling vermilion university genital piercing

Hey you still around? I have a question.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12698029)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 8th, 2009 11:27 PM
Author: narrow-minded den

how's your lawsuit going

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12699536)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 11:02 AM
Author: Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive

I was out all day yesterday having a social life, but I'm back to being shut-in trash today.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12701766)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 11:10 AM
Author: Sienna keepsake machete

me too. do you know how to physically take a mediation agreement and find the right place to mail a notarized copy of the agreement to the court to have it entered or recorded? a friend called and asked. solo life would be hard

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12701795)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 11:15 AM
Author: Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive

I once got into a conversation at a Lincoln Park bar with a fifty-something-year-old John Marshall law alum. At one point, he told me, "We may not learn all the theoretical stuff they teach down in Hyde Park, but at least when you graduate from John Marshall, you know how to find the courthouse and file a motion."

He was right.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12701813)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 11:20 AM
Author: Sienna keepsake machete

Honestly, of course we can file motions and write memos in support and hand them to the courier or even physically go to the courthouse and file it in the clerk's office. And i doubt they teach the john marshall grad that.

but what i'm asking is more the question that a solo working for 1 month would know but in biglaw there's legal assistants who hire the depo company, and they make the certified copies of the depo and waive or sign or whatever is checked off. these are things i just don't do. specifically with real estate law i know all about commercial lending and loan structures but i don't know what to do if i filed a foreclosure and the other side ignored me. do you to tell the judge they're in contempt and the sheriff physically evicts the tenants. i don't know.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12701827)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 11:28 AM
Author: milky wagecucks

I wonder how good the practice guides are...I'm doing a pro bono family law case and using practice manuals to get through. Some are pretty good - they list each step out exactly as they (are supposed to) happen.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12701867)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 11:31 AM
Author: Sienna keepsake machete

child custody or divorce? you could seriously fuck that up against a decent family atty, or you could easily win if it goes to trial. trials/final hearings are where a smart atty can blast a ttt lawyer with 10+ years of experience.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12701876)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 11:41 AM
Author: milky wagecucks

Divorce with custody. I got it through a Legal Aid type program which you have to be pretty poor to qualify for. Since they're married (and he qualified), they're both pretty poor so I don't think she paid much for her lawyer.

Opposing counsel is pretty TTT but she does have more court experience than me (I think - she doesn't seem to practice full time).

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12701920)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 11:33 AM
Author: Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive

As a summer, I did a research assignment on the mechanics of collecting a judgment when the defendant refused to pay. The practice guides were really useful, especially at including model versions of the forms that needed to be filed with the court/sheriff's office.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12701884)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 11:36 AM
Author: Sienna keepsake machete

it seems hard to get a garnishment of wages. do you just draft a motion called "motion to garnish" and then set it for hearing with the JA of the judge where you won the original judgment?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12701899)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 11:39 AM
Author: Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive

If I remember right, it is tough to garnish wages in Texas beyond certain types of judgments (e.g., backpay on child support, tax liens). I think we ended up filing something where the sheriff actually went out to his property and seized assets to sell off.

This was two years ago, so I don't remember exactly.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12701910)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 1:40 PM
Author: green flirting athletic conference

What do you think of Mike Schill?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12702714)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 1:48 PM
Author: Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive

I posted this over in the thread about him:

Date: September 9th, 2009 12:31 PM

Author: MindTheGap76 (is semi-retired)

Full disclosure: I know absolutely nothing about the guy that wasn't in Zimmer's e-mail.

I'm conflicted on it. He must be the first dean in at least twenty-something years not to be a former faculty member (Levmore, Epstein, Baird, and Stone; don't remember who was dean before that). On the one hand, maybe it is a good idea to get someone with executive experience in to run the school and leave the Chicago profs to do what they do best.

On the other hand, it seems like a further dilution of Chicago's unique culture. I appreciate the criticisms of Levmore, but in both good ways and bad, he was intensely Chicago. I liked that.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1081800&forum_id=2#12702251)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12702763)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 1:56 PM
Author: green flirting athletic conference

I haven't been following UC's hires lately, but my understanding is that there was no one on faculty old enough + smart enough + wanted to do it.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12702810)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 2:01 PM
Author: Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive

That makes a lot of sense. The faculty right now is divided between the old guard who either have already served or probably have no interest and the relative young 'uns.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12702838)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 10th, 2009 2:43 PM
Author: Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive

Just saw this post from Bainbridge on Schill. Very encouraging stuff!

http://www.professorbainbridge.com/professorbainbridgecom/2009/09/schill-to-leave-ucla-for-chicago.html

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12712095)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 1:44 PM
Author: Appetizing chad

This guy is awesome.

http://www.law.uchicago.edu/faculty/ben-shahar

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12702734)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 1:48 PM
Author: green flirting athletic conference

But like all of Chicago's L&E people he'll leave for Yale as soon as Posner and Landes retire/die/leave.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12702755)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 1:49 PM
Author: Passionate Buck-toothed Forum Depressive

He started the year after I graduated, but I've heard really good things.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12702768)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 2:09 PM
Author: Appetizing chad

I've seen a lot of cites to him in my RA work. What's he like as a teacher?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12702897)



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 2:25 PM
Author: racy idiotic house indirect expression

Half of the final consisted of 40(?) multiple choice questions about UCC Art 2. The other half was open response, but evidently MC sets the curve. I dig his snarky classroom demeanor but disagree with the pedagogy, especially in the context of a 1L class. Bernstein is teaching a UCC 2 class this quarter--advanced contracts.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1080628&forum_id=2#12703026)