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UChicago Alum/COA Clerk Taking Questions (MTG76)

I was back discussing clerkships in another thread (http://w...
out-of-control stead hunting ground
  09/07/09
what are you doing next year? what firm did you spend 2L su...
mind-boggling theater rigpig
  09/07/09
I split 2L summer between a DC firm and a Texas firm. I'm s...
out-of-control stead hunting ground
  09/07/09
did you like susman? What didn';t you like about the DC fi...
mind-boggling theater rigpig
  09/07/09
Didn't summer at Susman, but I know a fair amount about the ...
out-of-control stead hunting ground
  09/07/09
what's bad about susman besides the hours? seems jr associat...
Khaki scourge upon the earth trailer park
  09/07/09
The hours alone are enough. You do get substantial work, bu...
out-of-control stead hunting ground
  09/07/09
dude, it's not slip and falls but plaintiff side 1st amendme...
Khaki scourge upon the earth trailer park
  09/07/09
Just because the legal issues are complex doesn't mean the w...
out-of-control stead hunting ground
  09/07/09
You are insufferable. As if defending corporations is honora...
Puce mother indirect expression
  09/07/09
titcr. wtf
Ruby flickering office tank
  09/08/09
I don't want to get sidetracked, but I agree there is sleazy...
out-of-control stead hunting ground
  09/09/09
Even this is wrong, because your base assumption seems to be...
Scarlet narrow-minded trump supporter
  09/09/09
Your premise is false.
out-of-control stead hunting ground
  09/09/09
no u
Scarlet narrow-minded trump supporter
  09/09/09
The "bad guy"? I don't think anyone's accusing St...
adventurous amethyst meetinghouse personal credit line
  09/08/09
"sleazy corporate shakedowns" love how you just...
Sooty university
  09/08/09
crazy
free-loading green indian lodge
  09/09/09
lol
razzmatazz slate corner
  09/09/09
I echo the above question about susman. Also, why is DC's w...
mind-boggling theater rigpig
  09/07/09
Don't know anything about NYC. I never considered the marke...
out-of-control stead hunting ground
  09/07/09
in one sentence, what made the work higher quality in DC?
Lilac property travel guidebook
  09/07/09
At least as a summer associate, in DC I got the kind of high...
out-of-control stead hunting ground
  09/07/09
How many applications did your judge get this year?
Cracking topaz hell
  09/07/09
I couldn't tell you exactly. My judge only hires rising 3Ls...
out-of-control stead hunting ground
  09/07/09
Dude you're really kinda outing yourself here.
Twinkling Area Becky
  09/08/09
TITCR. I posted this yesterday as well. It's blatantly obv...
domesticated location
  09/09/09
He's been out of the closet for about 3 years now.
olive church
  09/09/09
If you haven't known MTG's name for several years, you are a...
adventurous amethyst meetinghouse personal credit line
  09/09/09
Or forgetful like me.
Chocolate feces
  09/12/09
i've had a few clerkship interviews. am i likely to get moa...
carnelian home
  09/07/09
I don't know about supreme courts, but I have friends who go...
out-of-control stead hunting ground
  09/07/09
ty. so i could get calls in late fall? do you think i'm ...
carnelian home
  09/07/09
Correct. And if you have a good enough app to get three int...
out-of-control stead hunting ground
  09/07/09
ty
carnelian home
  09/07/09
I don't mean to out you, but it's pretty damn obvious which ...
domesticated location
  09/07/09
sup dude. Fighting off spics and nigs left and right?
fear-inspiring motley giraffe
  09/07/09
what's chance up to? clerking or biglaw?
Khaki scourge upon the earth trailer park
  09/07/09
I need to send him an e-mail and see what's up with him. Th...
out-of-control stead hunting ground
  09/07/09
lol@ chicago students on this board. no wonder the school is...
Wild Exciting Locale
  09/07/09
http://img444.imageshack.us/i/mtgno6.jpg/
out-of-control stead hunting ground
  09/07/09
Sadly, making that JPG has been the highlight of my law scho...
Crimson swashbuckling nursing home cuckoldry
  09/08/09
To repeat my question from the other thread - what are your ...
Jet public bath
  09/07/09
All you're going to get is speculation. So here goes some s...
out-of-control stead hunting ground
  09/07/09
what are the cutoffs percentage-wise for highest honors, hig...
mind-boggling theater rigpig
  09/07/09
They are GPAs rather than percentages: 179, 180.5, and 182....
out-of-control stead hunting ground
  09/07/09
is 182 higher than an a flat A if this were on a traditional...
mind-boggling theater rigpig
  09/07/09
Tough for me to tell. I've never been on a traditional A+, ...
out-of-control stead hunting ground
  09/07/09
That's good to know, I didn't realize that many people actua...
Jet public bath
  09/07/09
The number moves, too. You have some regression to the mean...
out-of-control stead hunting ground
  09/07/09
I've looked at the grade distributions
Heady pozpig marketing idea
  09/09/09
I think most of what you said is consistent with most of my ...
out-of-control stead hunting ground
  09/09/09
It's pretty consistent
Heady pozpig marketing idea
  09/09/09
I agree with almost all of that, but I don't think I can bla...
out-of-control stead hunting ground
  09/09/09
For being such a market oriented place
Heady pozpig marketing idea
  09/09/09
What a ridiculously retarded grading system. They have a sc...
Chocolate feces
  09/12/09
If one wants to clerk for both distrcit and COA the followin...
Blue sanctuary
  09/07/09
So if I'm understanding the question right, you want to do C...
out-of-control stead hunting ground
  09/07/09
if you apply to judges in SF and DC and you're going to be t...
Blue sanctuary
  09/07/09
I got my job off-plan and skipped out on that madness, so I'...
out-of-control stead hunting ground
  09/07/09
hey man, sarc here, nothing to say except I hope things are ...
magenta wonderful mad-dog skullcap degenerate
  09/07/09
Things are pretty awesome here. How about you, surviving IT...
out-of-control stead hunting ground
  09/07/09
surviving, if only barely
magenta wonderful mad-dog skullcap degenerate
  09/08/09
you were on law review right? any tips for making law review...
Spruce Sandwich Step-uncle's House
  09/08/09
Nope. I tried for law review and didn't make it; didn't try...
out-of-control stead hunting ground
  09/09/09
isn't it the same competition for all 3 journals?
Spruce Sandwich Step-uncle's House
  09/09/09
Yes, but you can choose which journals to send your competit...
out-of-control stead hunting ground
  09/09/09
it's ok if you sent it to the other two and didn't make it. ...
Spruce Sandwich Step-uncle's House
  09/09/09
lots of people do exactly what MTG is talking about; it's no...
Jet public bath
  09/09/09
don't about 20% of the people who try out not make it onto a...
Spruce Sandwich Step-uncle's House
  09/09/09
I don't know the exact number, but probably something like t...
out-of-control stead hunting ground
  09/09/09
right. not as easy as the punctuation would have had us beli...
Spruce Sandwich Step-uncle's House
  09/09/09
I wouldn't have any reason to lie about it at this point. I...
out-of-control stead hunting ground
  09/09/09
you've probably said this so many times you actually believe...
Spruce Sandwich Step-uncle's House
  09/09/09
i met some uchicago tool this weekend. guy was a straight up...
apoplectic dashing range mexican
  09/08/09
Hey you still around? I have a question.
Rusted Lay
  09/08/09
how's your lawsuit going
apoplectic dashing range mexican
  09/08/09
I was out all day yesterday having a social life, but I'm ba...
out-of-control stead hunting ground
  09/09/09
me too. do you know how to physically take a mediation agree...
Khaki scourge upon the earth trailer park
  09/09/09
I once got into a conversation at a Lincoln Park bar with a ...
out-of-control stead hunting ground
  09/09/09
Honestly, of course we can file motions and write memos in s...
Khaki scourge upon the earth trailer park
  09/09/09
I wonder how good the practice guides are...I'm doing a pro ...
Aquamarine parlor selfie
  09/09/09
child custody or divorce? you could seriously fuck that up a...
Khaki scourge upon the earth trailer park
  09/09/09
Divorce with custody. I got it through a Legal Aid type prog...
Aquamarine parlor selfie
  09/09/09
As a summer, I did a research assignment on the mechanics of...
out-of-control stead hunting ground
  09/09/09
it seems hard to get a garnishment of wages. do you just dra...
Khaki scourge upon the earth trailer park
  09/09/09
If I remember right, it is tough to garnish wages in Texas b...
out-of-control stead hunting ground
  09/09/09
What do you think of Mike Schill?
olive church
  09/09/09
I posted this over in the thread about him: Date: Septemb...
out-of-control stead hunting ground
  09/09/09
I haven't been following UC's hires lately, but my understan...
olive church
  09/09/09
That makes a lot of sense. The faculty right now is divided...
out-of-control stead hunting ground
  09/09/09
Just saw this post from Bainbridge on Schill. Very encourag...
out-of-control stead hunting ground
  09/10/09
This guy is awesome. http://www.law.uchicago.edu/facult...
Grizzly aromatic gay wizard
  09/09/09
But like all of Chicago's L&E people he'll leave for Yal...
olive church
  09/09/09
He started the year after I graduated, but I've heard really...
out-of-control stead hunting ground
  09/09/09
I've seen a lot of cites to him in my RA work. What's he li...
Grizzly aromatic gay wizard
  09/09/09
Half of the final consisted of 40(?) multiple choice questio...
copper skinny woman business firm
  09/09/09


Poast new message in this thread



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 4:36 PM
Author: out-of-control stead hunting ground

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: mind-boggling theater rigpig

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: out-of-control stead hunting ground

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: mind-boggling theater rigpig

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: out-of-control stead hunting ground

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: Khaki scourge upon the earth trailer park

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: out-of-control stead hunting ground

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: Khaki scourge upon the earth trailer park

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: out-of-control stead hunting ground

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: Puce mother indirect expression

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: Ruby flickering office tank

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: out-of-control stead hunting ground

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: Scarlet narrow-minded trump supporter

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: out-of-control stead hunting ground

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: Scarlet narrow-minded trump supporter

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: adventurous amethyst meetinghouse personal credit line

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: Sooty university

"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: free-loading green indian lodge

crazy

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



Reply Favorite

Date: September 9th, 2009 1:39 PM
Author: razzmatazz slate corner

lol

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



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 4:53 PM
Author: mind-boggling theater rigpig

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: out-of-control stead hunting ground

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: Lilac property travel guidebook

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: out-of-control stead hunting ground

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: Cracking topaz hell

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: out-of-control stead hunting ground

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: Twinkling Area Becky

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: domesticated location

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: olive church

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: adventurous amethyst meetinghouse personal credit line

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: Chocolate feces

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: carnelian home

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: out-of-control stead hunting ground

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: carnelian home

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: out-of-control stead hunting ground

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: carnelian home

ty

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



Reply Favorite

Date: September 7th, 2009 6:22 PM
Author: domesticated location

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: fear-inspiring motley giraffe

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: Khaki scourge upon the earth trailer park

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: out-of-control stead hunting ground

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: Wild Exciting Locale

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: out-of-control stead hunting ground

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: Crimson swashbuckling nursing home cuckoldry

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: Jet public bath

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: out-of-control stead hunting ground

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: mind-boggling theater rigpig

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)



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Date: September 7th, 2009 5:32 PM
Author: out-of-control stead hunting ground

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)



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Date: September 7th, 2009 5:34 PM
Author: mind-boggling theater rigpig

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)



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Date: September 7th, 2009 5:40 PM
Author: out-of-control stead hunting ground

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)



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Date: September 7th, 2009 5:26 PM
Author: Jet public bath

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)



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Date: September 7th, 2009 5:47 PM
Author: out-of-control stead hunting ground

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)



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Date: September 9th, 2009 11:35 AM
Author: Heady pozpig marketing idea
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)



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Date: September 9th, 2009 3:20 PM
Author: out-of-control stead hunting ground

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)



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Date: September 9th, 2009 3:39 PM
Author: Heady pozpig marketing idea
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)



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Date: September 9th, 2009 3:44 PM
Author: out-of-control stead hunting ground

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)



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Date: September 9th, 2009 4:59 PM
Author: Heady pozpig marketing idea
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)



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Date: September 12th, 2009 6:13 PM
Author: Chocolate feces

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)



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Date: September 7th, 2009 5:51 PM
Author: Blue sanctuary

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)



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Date: September 7th, 2009 6:01 PM
Author: out-of-control stead hunting ground

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)



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Date: September 7th, 2009 6:05 PM
Author: Blue sanctuary

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)



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Date: September 7th, 2009 6:08 PM
Author: out-of-control stead hunting ground

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)



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Date: September 7th, 2009 6:35 PM
Author: magenta wonderful mad-dog skullcap degenerate

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)



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Date: September 7th, 2009 6:47 PM
Author: out-of-control stead hunting ground

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

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



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Date: September 8th, 2009 6:18 PM
Author: magenta wonderful mad-dog skullcap degenerate

surviving, if only barely

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



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Date: September 8th, 2009 5:53 PM
Author: Spruce Sandwich Step-uncle's House

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)



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Date: September 9th, 2009 11:02 AM
Author: out-of-control stead hunting ground

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)



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Date: September 9th, 2009 11:08 AM
Author: Spruce Sandwich Step-uncle's House

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

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



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Date: September 9th, 2009 11:09 AM
Author: out-of-control stead hunting ground

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)



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Date: September 9th, 2009 11:11 AM
Author: Spruce Sandwich Step-uncle's House

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)



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Date: September 9th, 2009 11:15 AM
Author: Jet public bath

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)



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Date: September 9th, 2009 11:29 AM
Author: Spruce Sandwich Step-uncle's House

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)



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Date: September 9th, 2009 11:43 AM
Author: out-of-control stead hunting ground

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)



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Date: September 9th, 2009 1:38 PM
Author: Spruce Sandwich Step-uncle's House

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)



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Date: September 9th, 2009 11:18 AM
Author: out-of-control stead hunting ground

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)



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Date: September 9th, 2009 11:27 AM
Author: Spruce Sandwich Step-uncle's House

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)



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Date: September 8th, 2009 5:53 PM
Author: apoplectic dashing range mexican

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)



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Date: September 8th, 2009 9:19 PM
Author: Rusted Lay

Hey you still around? I have a question.

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



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Date: September 8th, 2009 11:27 PM
Author: apoplectic dashing range mexican

how's your lawsuit going

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



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Date: September 9th, 2009 11:02 AM
Author: out-of-control stead hunting ground

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)



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Date: September 9th, 2009 11:10 AM
Author: Khaki scourge upon the earth trailer park

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)



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Date: September 9th, 2009 11:15 AM
Author: out-of-control stead hunting ground

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)



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Date: September 9th, 2009 11:20 AM
Author: Khaki scourge upon the earth trailer park

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)



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Date: September 9th, 2009 11:28 AM
Author: Aquamarine parlor selfie

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)



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Date: September 9th, 2009 11:31 AM
Author: Khaki scourge upon the earth trailer park

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)



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Date: September 9th, 2009 11:41 AM
Author: Aquamarine parlor selfie

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)



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Date: September 9th, 2009 11:33 AM
Author: out-of-control stead hunting ground

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)



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Date: September 9th, 2009 11:36 AM
Author: Khaki scourge upon the earth trailer park

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)



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Date: September 9th, 2009 11:39 AM
Author: out-of-control stead hunting ground

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)



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Date: September 9th, 2009 1:40 PM
Author: olive church

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: out-of-control stead hunting ground

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)



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Date: September 9th, 2009 1:56 PM
Author: olive church

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)



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Date: September 9th, 2009 2:01 PM
Author: out-of-control stead hunting ground

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: out-of-control stead hunting ground

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)



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Date: September 9th, 2009 1:44 PM
Author: Grizzly aromatic gay wizard

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)



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Date: September 9th, 2009 1:48 PM
Author: olive church

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)



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Date: September 9th, 2009 1:49 PM
Author: out-of-control stead hunting ground

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)



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Date: September 9th, 2009 2:09 PM
Author: Grizzly aromatic gay wizard

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)



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Date: September 9th, 2009 2:25 PM
Author: copper skinny woman business firm

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)