Northwestern AJD Class of 2016 Forum

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Current AJD students: What was the most important factor in your decision?

Lower opportunity cost
15
54%
More mature, experienced student body
6
21%
Job placement
3
11%
Personal reasons
4
14%
 
Total votes: 28

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fruitoftheloom

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Re: Northwestern AJD Class of 2016

Post by fruitoftheloom » Sat Feb 15, 2014 4:26 pm

paglababa wrote:^Thanks for providing insight.

How's curving work since your entire semester of 1L grades is based on being in class with like 30 people? and is the atmosphere competitive? Are your grades seen in comparison to the entire NU class or just the AJD class?

Also what's your opinion on turning down t6 for AJD at NU?
I turned down T6 for AJD at NU. My thought on that is that it depends a LOT on what you want to do. If I were to do it over again, I don't think I would do the AJD program. I'm not sure that I would have gone to T6, though, because cost is really important to me. If you want to do a clerkship after law school, I don't recommend the AJD program. If you want to do something besides big law, don't do the AJD program. If your goal is to graduate and do big law for a few years, go for it. That's even more true if you can do IP law. As I said above, I also think if your target market isn't Chicago/SF/NY, the AJD program can be a big set-back.

There are some disadvantages to the AJD program. It's more difficult to get onto law review. You're bidding blind, and because there are literally no other students around campus, it's more difficult to get advice from other students. It's a huge pain in the ass to reach out to the class above you, but MAKE SURE YOU DO IT. You need to be self motivated to get your shit done.

There also is a perception among the professors and the other students that AJD students are stupider than the typical JD student, but that we also work harder. This year was the first year the AJD LSATs stood up to the regular JD LSATs. I think because of this, some employers have the perception that we are dumber than the regular class. Also, the dean isn't particularly supportive of our program and if you want to get involved in things, you will need to go out of your way to learn about them and get involved.

Feel free to PM me if you want. I, obviously, am not as rosy on the program as some of the other students. I don't think you should run the other way, but I also feel strongly that this program isn't for everyone.

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wojo98

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Re: Northwestern AJD Class of 2016

Post by wojo98 » Sat Feb 15, 2014 4:54 pm

fruitoftheloom wrote:I, obviously, am not as rosy on the program as some of the other students. I don't think you should run the other way, but I also feel strongly that this program isn't for everyone.
So you would recommend the program to those who are targeting Chicago BigLaw, know where/what they want to practice, and don't want to clerk?

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wojo98

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Re: Northwestern AJD Class of 2016

Post by wojo98 » Sat Feb 15, 2014 4:57 pm

.

kcdc1

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Re: Northwestern AJD Class of 2016

Post by kcdc1 » Sat Feb 15, 2014 5:34 pm

Can anyone speak to the clerkship process as an AJD? I understand that it may be more difficult, but greater detail would help.

I would be coming into the program relatively IP secure (grades cooperating) with 6 years of quality experience in patent prosecution, but my dream job would be in academia. So I would like to clerk, but going straight into IP practice is an acceptable alternative.

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Re: Northwestern AJD Class of 2016

Post by NUAJD15 » Sat Feb 15, 2014 6:01 pm

wojo98 wrote: So you would recommend the program to those who are targeting Chicago BigLaw, know where/what they want to practice, and don't want to clerk?
I think those are factors in the decision, but I also don't think it's everything. big law in new york or Chicago is the most common track out of the AJD program, and out of Northwestern in general. It's not the only possibility, but if you want to do something else, you're going to have to go and get it. The career center is geared toward putting you into a Big Law job, and they're not particularly helpful with much else. At the same time, I have a summer job with a smaller law firm that I got through OCI, so obviously that's possible (although admittedly not common).

There's also a degree of greater risk, especially as it relates to OCI. 3-year JDs have a more time to figure out law school, and while their first semester is obviously important, they have a chance to make some of that up over their second semester. AJDs take one exam halfway through the summer semester, but that's it. You don't get that second semester to recover if your first semester isn't what you wanted it to be, and that can be a problem for interviews. I'm not sure if I was entirely aware of that before I started, but I can also tell you that it worked out fine for me. Take from that what you will.

I think it's also important to consider how much you mind being outside of the mainstream of what nearly every other law student in the country is doing. While I'm more positive on the AJD program than fruitoftheloom is, we don't necessarily disagree either. I'm really glad that I chose to do law school this way, and I'd pick the AJD program again every time, but it's not for everyone. Being able to motivate yourself is especially important, because there is no hand-holding at all. I didn't mind that because of my contrary nature, but people who are looking for support won't able to get it without seeking it out.

If you come on 3/7, the AJDs posting here are very likely to be there, and we'll be happy to engage in some spirited debate with only mild provocation/beer.

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fruitoftheloom

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Re: Northwestern AJD Class of 2016

Post by fruitoftheloom » Sat Feb 15, 2014 7:05 pm

wojo98 wrote:
fruitoftheloom wrote:I, obviously, am not as rosy on the program as some of the other students. I don't think you should run the other way, but I also feel strongly that this program isn't for everyone.
So you would recommend the program to those who are targeting Chicago BigLaw, know where/what they want to practice, and don't want to clerk?
Um, in this economy, I'm not sure I'd recommend law school to anyone who isn't IP secure.

I can say this: I would recommend the AJD program to someone targeting Chicago or NYC biglaw, who has business experience and wants to do transactional law, or who wants to work in IP, who doesn't want to clerk, and who will graduate with less than $100k in debt. (The debt thing may be too optimistic because I think if you miss big law at 100k you're hosed).

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Re: Northwestern AJD Class of 2016

Post by captainplanet » Sun Feb 16, 2014 2:13 am

fruitoftheloom wrote:
paglababa wrote:^Thanks for providing insight.

How's curving work since your entire semester of 1L grades is based on being in class with like 30 people? and is the atmosphere competitive? Are your grades seen in comparison to the entire NU class or just the AJD class?

Also what's your opinion on turning down t6 for AJD at NU?
I turned down T6 for AJD at NU. My thought on that is that it depends a LOT on what you want to do. If I were to do it over again, I don't think I would do the AJD program. I'm not sure that I would have gone to T6, though, because cost is really important to me. If you want to do a clerkship after law school, I don't recommend the AJD program. If you want to do something besides big law, don't do the AJD program. If your goal is to graduate and do big law for a few years, go for it. That's even more true if you can do IP law. As I said above, I also think if your target market isn't Chicago/SF/NY, the AJD program can be a big set-back.

There are some disadvantages to the AJD program. It's more difficult to get onto law review. You're bidding blind, and because there are literally no other students around campus, it's more difficult to get advice from other students. It's a huge pain in the ass to reach out to the class above you, but MAKE SURE YOU DO IT. You need to be self motivated to get your shit done.

There also is a perception among the professors and the other students that AJD students are stupider than the typical JD student, but that we also work harder. This year was the first year the AJD LSATs stood up to the regular JD LSATs. I think because of this, some employers have the perception that we are dumber than the regular class. Also, the dean isn't particularly supportive of our program and if you want to get involved in things, you will need to go out of your way to learn about them and get involved.

Feel free to PM me if you want. I, obviously, am not as rosy on the program as some of the other students. I don't think you should run the other way, but I also feel strongly that this program isn't for everyone.
While I adore fruitoftheloom (the person and the underwear), I don't know that I agree that the AJD program is only good for biglaw. I think there are certain things that are easier to do through the 3-year program like clerking (maybe?), Law Review, and using the extra time to make connections with professors, but all of those are doable and have been done by AJDs. I know of at least 1 graduating AJD who has a clerkship and one of our 2011 alums was recently selected as a Bristow Fellow after clerking for the 6th Circuit. Or, while we do have less time at NU, our first semester classes only have 28 students, making it easier to develop meaningful connections with professors (and I know a number of students who have developed such connections, including myself).

I also turned down T6 for NU, and for me, it was the right decision. I really like the students and the opportunity cost of missing 1 less year of work made it worth it. As for job stats, it's hard to say what impact the AJD program has on outcomes. Our biglaw hiring numbers seem to be a little better than the traditional program's, but that probably has more to do with our past WE than with anything else. But at the same time I don't know that any/many of us would have had better employment outcomes had we done the 3-year program or gone to a higher ranked school. There may be some firms that are biased against the AJD program, but the feedback I usually got from employers at OCI is that they were impressed that we basically did our entire 1L year in 10 weeks and saw it as an indicator that AJDs are hardworking and good at time management (though it's also possible they secretly didn't like the program).

I'm sorry that we can't give you guys (prospective students) more definitive answers, but I guess any law program you apply to will have people with different perspectives and experiences. I second most of the things said by my classmates, and I wish I knew about all of these quirks coming in (like blind bidding and how tired I'd be after finals when it was time for mass mailing and journal write-on), but I still think I made the right choice and am happy with it (except during finals when I reconsider this career choice entirely).

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Re: Northwestern AJD Class of 2016

Post by captainplanet » Sun Feb 16, 2014 2:27 am

Also wanted to add that being done with all the stress and wtf is happening of 1L year in 10 weeks is pretty awesome.

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Re: Northwestern AJD Class of 2016

Post by NUAJD15 » Sun Feb 16, 2014 1:48 pm

captainplanet wrote:Also wanted to add that being done with all the stress and wtf is happening of 1L year in 10 weeks is pretty awesome.
I second that!

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Re: Northwestern AJD Class of 2016

Post by jxc » Sun Feb 16, 2014 8:57 pm

I think roughly 70% of our class (2015) landed something after OCI. A few others rounded up something a later in the process. Important to note - not everyone in my class wanted to practice law, so you have to keep that mind.

Going into OCI as an AJD, you will be at a slight disadvantage (because your "1L summer" is curved against just your AJD class ... unless this changed for 2016). But if you have tangible work experience, you will be OK (more than OK).

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Re: Northwestern AJD Class of 2016

Post by MrHart » Sun Feb 16, 2014 11:26 pm

kcdc1 wrote:Can anyone speak to the clerkship process as an AJD? I understand that it may be more difficult, but greater detail would help.

I would be coming into the program relatively IP secure (grades cooperating) with 6 years of quality experience in patent prosecution, but my dream job would be in academia. So I would like to clerk, but going straight into IP practice is an acceptable alternative.
A '14 AJD is clerking for the CAFC (http://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/) this coming year - which says a ton about her as well as the fact that talented AJDs with good WE can compete for good clerk positions. PM me and I'll put you in touch with her. Also, she'll be on one of the career panels during the AJD visit day, so you can catch her then as well.

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Re: Northwestern AJD Class of 2016

Post by TinternAbbey » Mon Feb 17, 2014 10:12 am

Hi all,

I am the '14 AJD who is clerking next year! I actually meant to chime in on this thread earlier, but pressing the "submit" button is apparently not my strong suit.

The clerkship process for me was basically the same as it is for any other law student. And all the things a typical law student needs to do apply to AJDs in terms of clerkship: e.g., be on a journal (preferably, law review, although I'm not on law review), get to know profs, get a good writing sample early on. There are also a couple of tangible differences that make the process harder as an AJD. There also may be some differences in judges' perception, but because I am not a judge I don't really feel qualified to even speculate on those. I did get asked about the AJD program in my clerkship interview, but there are answers to give that will assuage any actual/perceived concerns. I am more than happy to chat about those in person with anyone who comes to the AJD open house, but they're not really typing-friendly. I'm really easy to identify because of the clerkship thing being an identifying quality, and I'm not intending for this screen name to keep me anonymous, so you'll be able to find me easily. I just think those more speculative things are easier to discuss one-on-one in person.

I'd also like to put a disclaimer on this that no student is an expert/really knows all that much at all. We have some faculty/staff at NU who specialize in the clerkship stuff and who will be able to give you a lot more "real" advice.

The tangible things that add to some difficulties are a lot easier to discuss:

The interview process has moved up a lot, so AJDs are at somewhat of a disadvantage in terms of what we have on our transcript at that point. We have fewer credits total and fewer core courses. I was in the position of interviewing without a crim law or con law grade on my transcript. I think because I am going to the Fed. Cir. these courses were not a huge concern for my judge (they don't hear crim law appeals or many constitutional issues). But if you're looking at other courts, I could speculate that that might be a concern (again, all speculation here).

AJDs were in a lot better place before the clerkship hiring plan changed/went out the window. One suggestion would be to try to get into at least crim law in the fall of your first full year at NU. Con law has historically only been offered in the spring, but I think the administration would be receptive to concerns about clerking and able to accommodate a request about crim law in the fall (unless everyone else in the '16 AJD class has the same request, in which case it becomes logistically impossible).

To make a long story short, clerkships are tough for everyone including people in the AJD program, but they're not impossible at all. I think I am more amenable to doing a clerkship precisely because of the AJD program. Not being right out of college, I don't think I would have wanted to spend three years in law school + one year at a clerkship. I kind of view my clerkship as similar to a third year in law school in terms of my goals/interests, which makes me a lot more "up" for it as someone who isn't as young as some other law students.

Legal academia is a tough place to land, especially considering the bad market for it right now. NU is also not a typical place to prepare for a career like that. But, all that being said, I think many/most people interested in that direction will work at a firm for a couple of years after law school, anyway. NU and the AJD program are great to prepare you for that.

Long post. Not too many concrete things to say. Hopefully it was helpful anyway :)

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Re: Northwestern AJD Class of 2016

Post by TinternAbbey » Mon Feb 17, 2014 10:33 am

An addendum to my previous post: If you're interested in applying for clerkships as a 3L or practicing attorney (i.e., you're okay with not going right out of law school), I don't see the AJD program as being that big of a disadvantage. Our primary hurdle comes in timing/logistics. Again, there may be some old-fashioned judges, but my judge is not young and didn't seem bothered at all.

If you actually explain the AJD program to people, they seem to think 1) that it makes sense and 2) you are really commendable for doing all the work it takes.

Although I know there are AJDs who might do the 3 year program if they could go back, I am not one of them. I am so glad I did the AJD program. I love my classmates and the experiences I've had. I also know "regular" JDs who wish they were AJDs. I think it's really about finding the right fit for you as an individual.

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Re: Northwestern AJD Class of 2016

Post by MrHart » Mon Feb 17, 2014 11:16 am

TinternAbbey wrote:If you actually explain the AJD program to people, they seem to think 1) that it makes sense and 2) you are really commendable for doing all the work it takes.

Although I know there are AJDs who might do the 3 year program if they could go back, I am not one of them. I am so glad I did the AJD program. I love my classmates and the experiences I've had. I also know "regular" JDs who wish they were AJDs. I think it's really about finding the right fit for you as an individual.
+1

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Re: Northwestern AJD Class of 2016

Post by mirroroferised7 » Mon Feb 17, 2014 12:45 pm

captainplanet wrote:Also wanted to add that being done with all the stress and wtf is happening of 1L year in 10 weeks is pretty awesome.
I like the idea of this.

But as someone who's been out of undergrad a few years, I won't absolutely fall my face from trying to jump back into academic work and crushing two semesters of coursework into 10 weeks?

Just want to make sure nobody else felt like that...

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Re: Northwestern AJD Class of 2016

Post by NUAJD15 » Mon Feb 17, 2014 1:25 pm

mirroroferised7 wrote: But as someone who's been out of undergrad a few years, I won't absolutely fall my face from trying to jump back into academic work and crushing two semesters of coursework into 10 weeks?
On the contrary, going back to school made me realize how much better I could have done in undergrad if I had worked smarter. I think most of us treated school like we treated our jobs, which wasn't hard since we'd pretty much all just quit our jobs within the last few months.

Should also add that while summer is unquestionably grueling, it's not really two semesters of work in 10 weeks. It's one semester with a full credit load. After the summer, there are still three 1L classes that you'll take over the year.

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Re: Northwestern AJD Class of 2016

Post by captainplanet » Mon Feb 17, 2014 1:36 pm

mirroroferised7 wrote:
captainplanet wrote:Also wanted to add that being done with all the stress and wtf is happening of 1L year in 10 weeks is pretty awesome.
I like the idea of this.

But as someone who's been out of undergrad a few years, I won't absolutely fall my face from trying to jump back into academic work and crushing two semesters of coursework into 10 weeks?

Just want to make sure nobody else felt like that...
I was really worried about that too before starting the program. Remember that everyone is taking the same number of classes and most people are in your position of being out of school for a few years. The Class of '14 gave me valuable advice: you're not going to fail! No one fails out of NU!

Are you going to feel overwhelmed at times (especially before the first final, taken 5 weeks into the program)? Most likely. But remember that everyone is in the same boat and you're graded on a curve together. I actually found that being out of school for a few years and having WE made it easier for me to manage my time effectively and to be more grounded and know that it's going to be okay.

If this is something you're really concerned about, there are some pre-law school prep materials out there. I recommend looking over an old issue spotter exam, so you know what to expect and what to be focusing on in class. Even though the vast majority of your reading assignments (you probably won't finish all the reading you're assigned, that is OK) will be cases, what you're going to be tested on is mostly black letter law. You could check out some supplements in advance (you probably won't have much time to read them during the summer semester) that explain what the law is in a relatively clear manner. I'd recommend the E&Es, and some subjects have other recommended supplements. But this is absolutely not necessary, just an option if you're really concerned and want to do some extra prep work in advance. I didn't look at any supplements before school started and did just fine. There are also some books out there claiming to give you the real deal about what law school is really like. Those were very mildly useful at times, but mostly they just scared me with crazy stories that haven't matched my experience at NU at all. There are also some great resources on TLS.

But it's absolutely not necessary to do any of the above and most people don't, so don't feel pressured to or like you'll be behind if you don't. What you should absolutely do is talk to your professors during office hours and ask them questions about material you're unclear about from class or the reading. That has been the single most helpful thing I've done and is often better than the supplements because each professor has their own take on issues and how they want them to be defined and discussed on a final.

And think of it like this, yes, it'll be a pretty stressful, overwhelming summer. But then, you're DONE with 1L - much better than having that stress hanging over your head for an entire year.

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wojo98

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Re: Northwestern AJD Class of 2016

Post by wojo98 » Mon Feb 17, 2014 1:47 pm

captainplanet wrote:And think of it like this, yes, it'll be a pretty stressful, overwhelming summer. But then, you're DONE with 1L - much better than having that stress hanging over your head for an entire year.
Love this sentiment. Thanks CP.

Unrelated - definitely coming out for the 3/7 AJD Open House. Looking forward to picking your brains a bit in person.

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Re: Northwestern AJD Class of 2016

Post by mirroroferised7 » Mon Feb 17, 2014 3:00 pm

That was a very helpful response! Thanks! It does help to think of it just as your full-time job, and to realize that we would all be in the same boat.

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Re: Northwestern AJD Class of 2016

Post by kcdc1 » Mon Feb 17, 2014 3:07 pm

Thanks for your thoughts, Abbey. It sounds like there is a lot of forward planning necessary if you would like to clerk as an AJD. I plan to attend the AJD open house in March. I hope to run into you there to hear more about you made it all work.
TinternAbbey wrote:An addendum to my previous post: If you're interested in applying for clerkships as a 3L or practicing attorney (i.e., you're okay with not going right out of law school), I don't see the AJD program as being that big of a disadvantage. Our primary hurdle comes in timing/logistics. Again, there may be some old-fashioned judges, but my judge is not young and didn't seem bothered at all.

If you actually explain the AJD program to people, they seem to think 1) that it makes sense and 2) you are really commendable for doing all the work it takes.

Although I know there are AJDs who might do the 3 year program if they could go back, I am not one of them. I am so glad I did the AJD program. I love my classmates and the experiences I've had. I also know "regular" JDs who wish they were AJDs. I think it's really about finding the right fit for you as an individual.

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wojo98

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Re: Northwestern AJD Class of 2016

Post by wojo98 » Mon Feb 17, 2014 4:14 pm

Can you speak to [edit: the quality of] your professors from the initial summer semester (curious if fair, supportive, accessible, etc.)? Any negative experiences? How prompt was grading (assume timing essential to jive with OCI)?

Also, any inside information re: summer semester professor staffing - will the incoming class share the same prof lineup as the class of 2015 or does this rotate year-to-year?
Last edited by wojo98 on Mon Feb 17, 2014 4:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Northwestern AJD Class of 2016

Post by fruitoftheloom » Mon Feb 17, 2014 4:25 pm

wojo98 wrote:Can you speak to your professors from the initial summer semester (curious if fair, supportive, accessible, etc.)? Any negative experiences? How prompt was grading (assume timing essential to jive with OCI)?

Also, any inside information re: summer semester professor staffing - will the incoming class share the same prof lineup as the class of 2015 or does this rotate year-to-year?
Professors over the summer are amazing. All of the professors are very available. I thought that they were fair and supportive. Grading was extremely prompt - we finished finals on Friday, received grades Monday, started OCI Tuesday. Some people didn't like different professors, but that's pretty personal. There were none that I thought obviously had no business teaching law school.

Professor Redish has taught Civil Procedure every year (I think). He is famous in his field and I loved him. Others didn't love him as much. Because he's taught us for so long, we have a large number of outlines for him.

Contracts professor varies year to year. We had Professor Lupo last semester. Y'all will have Professor Tiller. He has taught the program before so there are outlines available.

Torts is typically Professor Mulaney. She's nice. CLR (writing) is Professor Martin. Negotiations is Professor Cohn, whom I loved. What's awesome is that she is the head of the negotiations department and this is the only entry level class that she still teaches. Finally, you'll have Property. Professor Francis has taught it the last two years. It's a very non traditional property class, but it comes in handy for Business Associations, Bankruptcy, and other transactional classes.

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Re: Northwestern AJD Class of 2016

Post by TinternAbbey » Mon Feb 17, 2014 5:21 pm

kcdc1 wrote:Thanks for your thoughts, Abbey. It sounds like there is a lot of forward planning necessary if you would like to clerk as an AJD. I plan to attend the AJD open house in March. I hope to run into you there to hear more about you made it all work.
Lest it sounds like I have my act together, I assure you that I do (and did) not :). I kind of lucked into things, but I am really happy to share the hindsight wisdom I've gained. I'll be on the career panel at open house and around more generally, so I'm sure I'll run into anyone who comes.

My approach to the AJD program is one that I would recommend to anyone: just do the things you're interested in and take advantage of the opportunities you have. Having been out of undergrad for a few (several?) years, I looked back with a bit of regret about how I didn't participate and take advantage of all the opportunities I had in college. I'm really trying to avoid that same feeling about law school. That approach has led me to feel really happy about the AJD program and law school generally.

I'm not going to claim that the AJD program hasn't put me in a little bit of a time crunch. There are occasions where I wish I had more time.

Law school has lots of downsides and risks, which I'm sure you all are aware of. And those should not be underappreciated. No one (not even IP people) are guaranteed jobs. I have spoken to a surprising number of engineering/hard science IP 2Ls lately who don't have summer positions lined up. But assuming you've considered all of this and think law school is a good idea, I'm a big fan of the AJD program as a way to do law school. To add on to the previous sentiments, I am so happy I didn't have a normal 1L year. I didn't realize how awesome that aspect of the AJD program was until I was in crim/con law with 1Ls in the spring.

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Re: Northwestern AJD Class of 2016

Post by Leo » Mon Feb 17, 2014 5:32 pm

TinternAbbey wrote:I have spoken to a surprising number of engineering/hard science IP 2Ls lately who don't have summer positions lined up.
This is disconcerting and contradicts what MrHart said about there being a disproportionate number of opportunities in IP...

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Re: Northwestern AJD Class of 2016

Post by MrHart » Mon Feb 17, 2014 5:42 pm

Leo wrote:
TinternAbbey wrote:I have spoken to a surprising number of engineering/hard science IP 2Ls lately who don't have summer positions lined up.
This is disconcerting and contradicts what MrHart said about there being a disproportionate number of opportunities in IP...
I don't think the two statements are mutually exclusive. There ARE, in my opinion, a disproportionately larger number of IP opportunities because a) the number of possible candidates is smaller and b) IP is going strong in most markets.

At the same time, as others have said, NO ONE can guarantee a job to any prospective law student in this market.

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