UVA Law Students Taking Questions Forum

A forum for applicants and admitted students to ask law students and graduates about law school and the practice of law.
Post Reply
User avatar
whats an updog

Bronze
Posts: 440
Joined: Thu Sep 11, 2014 2:12 am

Re: UVA Law Students Taking Questions

Post by whats an updog » Sun Apr 16, 2017 6:48 pm

Not unless it matters to you. People hiring for legal positions will know

User avatar
cornerstone

Bronze
Posts: 154
Joined: Wed Jan 22, 2014 6:08 pm

Re: UVA Law Students Taking Questions

Post by cornerstone » Sun Apr 16, 2017 11:52 pm

2020grad wrote:Does UVA's lack of lay prestige matter at all?
Lay prestige is flame. Everybody who actually matters will know UVA is a T10 law school. If you're concerned that someone you meet at a bar isn't going to be super impressed because they might not know how prestigious UVA is in the field then I think you're making your decision based on the wrong reasons.

mnj989

New
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Apr 17, 2017 12:21 pm

Re: UVA Law Students Taking Questions

Post by mnj989 » Mon Apr 17, 2017 12:40 pm

hi there! i'm sure this question has been asked many times in the past, but i am interested in getting as current information as possible regarding housing. any current uva law students have thoughts on any or all of the below questions?

1) it seems like there are a lot of buildings within a couple miles or so of UVAs campus (the flats, ivy garden, grandmarc at the corner, uncommon, venable, wertland square, university heights, stonefield commons, hessian hills, college court, towne court, the list goes on...). what's the general consensus on the best places to live or the pros/cons of some of the most common places to live as a 1L/2L/3L?
2) do you suggest getting a roommate or two as a 1L? i'm not from the area and tend to be more introverted, so part of me is inclined to get a shared apartment. however, i'm older than the average UVA 1L by a few years, haven't lived with roommates since college, and am worried they could be a distraction from studying. any words of wisdom?
3) do you think it's helpful to have a car on campus? i wasn't planning to bring one, but curious what most students tend to do. is it difficult to find free or reasonably-priced parking in c-ville?
4) when is the right time to start looking for housing for 1L year? and then for 2L/3L? i only recently decided on UVA, and am curious if i'm getting a very late start by only looking now (housing for where i went for undergrad used to get snatched up as early as October the year before).

thanks in advance for the advice. and feel free to point me in the direction of prior posts if they're still relevant and i missed them.

User avatar
UVA2B

Gold
Posts: 3570
Joined: Sun May 22, 2016 10:48 pm

Re: UVA Law Students Taking Questions

Post by UVA2B » Mon Apr 17, 2017 1:00 pm

mnj989 wrote:hi there! i'm sure this question has been asked many times in the past, but i am interested in getting as current information as possible regarding housing. any current uva law students have thoughts on any or all of the below questions?

1) it seems like there are a lot of buildings within a couple miles or so of UVAs campus (the flats, ivy garden, grandmarc at the corner, uncommon, venable, wertland square, university heights, stonefield commons, hessian hills, college court, towne court, the list goes on...). what's the general consensus on the best places to live or the pros/cons of some of the most common places to live as a 1L/2L/3L?
2) do you suggest getting a roommate or two as a 1L? i'm not from the area and tend to be more introverted, so part of me is inclined to get a shared apartment. however, i'm older than the average UVA 1L by a few years, haven't lived with roommates since college, and am worried they could be a distraction from studying. any words of wisdom?
3) do you think it's helpful to have a car on campus? i wasn't planning to bring one, but curious what most students tend to do. is it difficult to find free or reasonably-priced parking in c-ville?
4) when is the right time to start looking for housing for 1L year? and then for 2L/3L? i only recently decided on UVA, and am curious if i'm getting a very late start by only looking now (housing for where i went for undergrad used to get snatched up as early as October the year before).

thanks in advance for the advice. and feel free to point me in the direction of prior posts if they're still relevant and i missed them.
Most 1Ls live either at Ivy Garden or the Pavilion. From my friends, it generally seems like most are happy at Ivy, and it's more mixed at Pav (nicer apartments, but also much more expensive so as to make them not worth it). Beyond 1L year, it's a big mixture of people moving elsewhere and staying at Ivy and Pav. They are the two best walking distance options generally.

Most students will also get roommates, but that varies as well. If you think you need that social exposure, go for the roommate. If you think it'll be disruptive to your studies (I seriously doubt that'll be the case, but that's for you to determine), then go for a 1br apt. Just realize UVA Law is very tightly knit in general, so living by yourself shouldn't be a killer for your socializing.

A car is really nice to have in Cville, but not strictly essential. One can absolutely get by with walking, public transportation, and cabs/uber/lyft. I recommend having one for the personal freedom, but many friends are going without one and do just fine.

As for timing, you should absolutely start looking now for next fall if you're committed to UVA. The more desirable living can fill up quickly, plus there is the logistics of finding roommates, etc. if you choose to do that.

All of this being said, the housing situation at UVA is pretty static relatively speaking. The same advice given elsewhere in this thread holds true today.

User avatar
rhododactylos

New
Posts: 98
Joined: Mon Mar 17, 2014 9:35 pm

Re: UVA Law Students Taking Questions

Post by rhododactylos » Tue Apr 18, 2017 12:28 am

mnj989 wrote:hi there! i'm sure this question has been asked many times in the past, but i am interested in getting as current information as possible regarding housing. any current uva law students have thoughts on any or all of the below questions?

1) it seems like there are a lot of buildings within a couple miles or so of UVAs campus (the flats, ivy garden, grandmarc at the corner, uncommon, venable, wertland square, university heights, stonefield commons, hessian hills, college court, towne court, the list goes on...). what's the general consensus on the best places to live or the pros/cons of some of the most common places to live as a 1L/2L/3L?
2) do you suggest getting a roommate or two as a 1L? i'm not from the area and tend to be more introverted, so part of me is inclined to get a shared apartment. however, i'm older than the average UVA 1L by a few years, haven't lived with roommates since college, and am worried they could be a distraction from studying. any words of wisdom?
3) do you think it's helpful to have a car on campus? i wasn't planning to bring one, but curious what most students tend to do. is it difficult to find free or reasonably-priced parking in c-ville?
4) when is the right time to start looking for housing for 1L year? and then for 2L/3L? i only recently decided on UVA, and am curious if i'm getting a very late start by only looking now (housing for where i went for undergrad used to get snatched up as early as October the year before).

thanks in advance for the advice. and feel free to point me in the direction of prior posts if they're still relevant and i missed them.
The above poster nailed it. Just to add on--all of the places you've listed except Ivy Garden are outside walking distance of the law school and thus would essentially require driving every day. I would avoid anyplace on the Corner--those are buildings tailored to undergrads and that's probably not the type of living environment you're going to want. Many law students who opt for a further-out apartment complex live around Barracks Road or Hydraulic Road (these options seem especially popular for students with families). Some also live closer to downtown or further out in Albemarle County.

The apartment communities within walking distance to the law school are Ivy Garden, the Pavilion, Jeffersonian, Arlington Park, Arlington Court, the Graduate Centre, and Huntington Village (which is a longer walk than the rest). All of those complexes except Huntington are majority law and Darden students, so you would definitely be able to find roommates willing to live in any of them! These are also all communities where car-free living is a possibility (especially any of the places on Arlington Blvd, which has all the essentials within walking distance at the Barracks Road shopping plaza).

Want to continue reading?

Register now to search topics and post comments!

Absolutely FREE!


UVA_2020

New
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Dec 17, 2016 7:49 pm

Re: UVA Law Students Taking Questions

Post by UVA_2020 » Wed Apr 19, 2017 8:08 pm

Has anyone participated in the UVA Law in D.C. program?
It seems like a great opportunity 2L Spring or 3L Fall to lay some ground work at a government agency and demonstrate commitment to PI especially if working in Biglaw directly after graduation.
Do you feel like it was worth it?

User avatar
5ky

Diamond
Posts: 10835
Joined: Mon Oct 05, 2009 4:10 pm

Re: UVA Law Students Taking Questions

Post by 5ky » Thu Apr 20, 2017 12:29 am

UVA_2020 wrote:Has anyone participated in the UVA Law in D.C. program?
It seems like a great opportunity 2L Spring or 3L Fall to lay some ground work at a government agency and demonstrate commitment to PI especially if working in Biglaw directly after graduation.
Do you feel like it was worth it?
ive never heard of this, so it must be relatively new? either way, sounds like a pretty good program. anything beats sitting and taking bs classes in 2L/3L, especially if you have friends in DC. getting to take only 3 graded credits for an entire semester could be great

User avatar
LawMan16

New
Posts: 69
Joined: Thu Oct 27, 2016 1:06 am

Re: UVA Law Students Taking Questions

Post by LawMan16 » Mon Apr 24, 2017 12:21 am

I've seen various schools of thought on this issue throughout TLS, so will ask the hive-mind here directly: Is there a generally accepted position in UVA's class below which you are disqualified from BigLaw?

Obviously, the answer is going to vary with the state of the hiring market, the interviewing skills of individual students, etc., but I wondered if there is a decile/quarter that can be identified as the point of no return. The c/o 2016 placement numbers suggest that BigLaw was available to >80% of the class, if you account for self-selection away from it.

Amazing thread, by the way - thanks to those taking the time to answer!

User avatar
UVA2B

Gold
Posts: 3570
Joined: Sun May 22, 2016 10:48 pm

Re: UVA Law Students Taking Questions

Post by UVA2B » Mon Apr 24, 2017 12:43 am

LawMan16 wrote:I've seen various schools of thought on this issue throughout TLS, so will ask the hive-mind here directly: Is there a generally accepted position in UVA's class below which you are disqualified from BigLaw?

Obviously, the answer is going to vary with the state of the hiring market, the interviewing skills of individual students, etc., but I wondered if there is a decile/quarter that can be identified as the point of no return. The c/o 2016 placement numbers suggest that BigLaw was available to >80% of the class, if you account for self-selection away from it.

Amazing thread, by the way - thanks to those taking the time to answer!
Short answer: no, there isn't a point of no return outside failing out, which is exceedingly unlikely.

Longer answer: of course the lower you go in GPA, the less likely it becomes you can nab Biglaw. But if you're at a 3.1 GPA after 1L year for whatever reason, you're really going to have to hustle/network/mass mail/pray. People striking out at UVA are more than likely bidding poorly (3.1 and exclusively DC focus with no bids outside of DC) or have other extenuating problems that prevent them from getting hired. Based on current hiring market, every UVA student is smart to target their applications based on their grades, personal interests, and ties to regions outside of the traditional hubs (NYC, DC, LA, etc.).

There isn't a cutoff point where any given market is foreclosed to a UVA student. It just becomes increasingly important to bid smartly and hustle harder based on individual circumstance. 3.1 CAN get DC Biglaw, but that person would do well to also sprinkle some NYC/home market firms at OGI just to cover their bases in case the other factors screw them up.

The overarching answer is one you've already pretty much identified: it's all about how you go through the job search when your grades are below median. If you do it right and interview well, etc., you'll end up with good options in a market you want. If you screw it up, it's possible to end up scrapping for jobs after traditional hiring has finished because you didn't target markets where your GPA isn't going to foreclose opportunity.

This is overly generic, but still mostly valid in this current economy: if you bid smartly, you can get Biglaw from UVA. It all depends how you market yourself and how you conduct your job search that will determine your level of success.

Want to continue reading?

Register for access!

Did I mention it was FREE ?


cauliflower

New
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Apr 25, 2017 5:07 pm

Re: UVA Law Students Taking Questions

Post by cauliflower » Tue Apr 25, 2017 5:16 pm

How many dillards does Virginia offer to get 26 dillards a year? There are at least 25 on law school numbers with only 3 or 4 of those accepted, the rest declined. So they must offer at least 100 or more? Also several on here have reported no luck negotiating amounts of their scholarship with UVA. Is this something new this year for UVA? Duke and Michigan are negotiating. What gives with Virginia?

User avatar
UVA2B

Gold
Posts: 3570
Joined: Sun May 22, 2016 10:48 pm

Re: UVA Law Students Taking Questions

Post by UVA2B » Tue Apr 25, 2017 5:36 pm

cauliflower wrote:How many dillards does Virginia offer to get 26 dillards a year? There are at least 25 on law school numbers with only 3 or 4 of those accepted, the rest declined. So they must offer at least 100 or more? Also several on here have reported no luck negotiating amounts of their scholarship with UVA. Is this something new this year for UVA? Duke and Michigan are negotiating. What gives with Virginia?
I don't think any current UVA students can really answer this question. UVA does less negotiation than some of its peers it appears, but the best you're going to get is anecdotal evidence of negotiating and how many Dillards end up accepting. The safest assumption is that they give them out until 26 have accepted. And negotiation seems to be more effective the later you get into the process. I know several people who negotiated later in the summer for small increases, but nothing substantial. UVA just doesn't negotiate as much.

User avatar
cornerstone

Bronze
Posts: 154
Joined: Wed Jan 22, 2014 6:08 pm

Re: UVA Law Students Taking Questions

Post by cornerstone » Tue Apr 25, 2017 8:10 pm

UVA2B wrote:
cauliflower wrote:How many dillards does Virginia offer to get 26 dillards a year? There are at least 25 on law school numbers with only 3 or 4 of those accepted, the rest declined. So they must offer at least 100 or more? Also several on here have reported no luck negotiating amounts of their scholarship with UVA. Is this something new this year for UVA? Duke and Michigan are negotiating. What gives with Virginia?
I don't think any current UVA students can really answer this question. UVA does less negotiation than some of its peers it appears, but the best you're going to get is anecdotal evidence of negotiating and how many Dillards end up accepting. The safest assumption is that they give them out until 26 have accepted. And negotiation seems to be more effective the later you get into the process. I know several people who negotiated later in the summer for small increases, but nothing substantial. UVA just doesn't negotiate as much.
I can offer some anecdotal evidence on negotiations. I negotiated up a bit over $5k/yr, but that was to get them to beat a higher offer from a peer school. I also told them that I would accept with the increase, so they knew it wasn't an attempt to bring offers up just to negotiate with other schools.

I could venture a couple guesses at some of the factors that might be causing a possible reduction in negotiations. First, the US News rankings over the past couple years have shown that UVA is more immune to shifting around in the rankings. This could reduce the number of other schools that UVA considers "peer schools." Second, there's a relatively new admissions dean, and he might be less willing to negotiate than the previous one. Third, I've heard that UVA tends to only offer as much as they can actually afford at any given time. It's possible that more people accepted with scholarships this year than in past years, which would reduce the pool that they have to negotiate with. Fourth, there could be some shifts in the employment statistics post class size reduction. While they might have been more inclined to negotiate with admits they consider more employable in the past, a shift in the market for UVA students could cause a similar shift in how hard they think they need to recruit these people. Finally, it's possible that UVA is using their freed up $ to offer aid to more people who didn't receive a scholarship so as to spread it out, rather than focus on individuals that they think will accept with a couple extra grand over what they already have.

These are all just semi-educated guesses, but these things could help explain what's been going on. Regardless, if you're trying to negotiate, I'd say make sure you come to the table with a better offer from a closely ranked school and with a convincing reason why you'd choose UVA especially if your finances were freed up. The latter could include a combination of changed family situations, etc. If they are going to negotiate (and that's a big "if") that stuff should give you the best shot at getting more $$$.

2020grad

New
Posts: 8
Joined: Thu Apr 13, 2017 10:50 am

Re: UVA Law Students Taking Questions

Post by 2020grad » Tue Apr 25, 2017 10:29 pm

What exactly do people mean when they say UVA is "fratty," and how true is this actually about the school? I visited UVA and did not get the impression that it fit the stereotype (at least in terms of what I think of as being fratty), but others who visited UVA and Michigan have written posts about how they felt UVA was very fratty and more focused on partying. Sorry for what I am sure is an overly asked question, but I am wondering if I missed something during my visit.

Register now!

Resources to assist law school applicants, students & graduates.

It's still FREE!


User avatar
UVA2B

Gold
Posts: 3570
Joined: Sun May 22, 2016 10:48 pm

Re: UVA Law Students Taking Questions

Post by UVA2B » Tue Apr 25, 2017 10:49 pm

2020grad wrote:What exactly do people mean when they say UVA is "fratty," and how true is this actually about the school? I visited UVA and did not get the impression that it fit the stereotype (at least in terms of what I think of as being fratty), but others who visited UVA and Michigan have written posts about how they felt UVA was very fratty and more focused on partying. Sorry for what I am sure is an overly asked question, but I am wondering if I missed something during my visit.
No, you didn't miss anything on your visit, you just experienced an overblown stereotype of UVA mostly based on the incomplete notion that "fratty" undergrad+softball=fratty law school that gets perpetuated around TLS and among applicants picking between UVA and peer schools. UVA enjoys a fratty reputation as an UG institution, rightly or wrongly, and it gets extended to the law school, even though the law school is pretty distinctly separated on North Grounds.

It depends how you define "fratty," but what you'll find at UVA Law is mostly people who purposefully WANT to be there. Next to no one is picking UVA because it's convenient to where they're currently living. That typically leads to a ton of friendliness because we all chose to be here. I personally loved the feel of walking through the halls and people legitimately stopping to say hi to people, even if just for a second because they're acquaintances who genuinely like each other. In that sense, UVA has been absolutely fratty.

But since "fratty" is stigmatized to mean a party school, douchy, or anything like that, it's just not true. Given classes are ~300 students, you can find whatever interests you. Softball is a fun community activity, but if that's not your thing, no one will bat an eye at that. Regardless of your interest, you'll find friends at UVA who are into that too, and even people who don't share your interest seem to genuinely appreciate each other's interests to ask them about it. There will be people who want to go out regularly and drink pretty heavily, but if that's not your scene, you won't be alone. UVA preaches collegiality because it sells on brochures, but it's more accurate to say that the community is encouraging of your personal interests and wants to see you succeed in whatever you want to do.

I could probably write endlessly on why the "UVA is fratty" tired trope is false, but it's probably more constructive that you bring your specific concerns about UVA and I can give you at least one perspective on those concerns. But UVA being "fratty" shouldn't dissuade you from UVA at all.

User avatar
RParadela

Silver
Posts: 858
Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2016 1:04 am

Re: UVA Law Students Taking Questions

Post by RParadela » Tue Apr 25, 2017 10:53 pm

I'm not even sure what being "fratty" as a negative even means. Does anyone really think that any school in the T13 will have an entire class focused primarily on partying?

sprezz

Bronze
Posts: 467
Joined: Sat Feb 18, 2012 5:54 pm

Re: UVA Law Students Taking Questions

Post by sprezz » Wed Apr 26, 2017 2:23 am

maybe fratty means "expect lots of white men" which, yes, but also, welcome to the profession

2020grad

New
Posts: 8
Joined: Thu Apr 13, 2017 10:50 am

Re: UVA Law Students Taking Questions

Post by 2020grad » Sun Apr 30, 2017 10:36 am

Thank you! I have one other question. I know NYU (and Michigan?) have one less class to take each semester of 1L. Do you feel like having the extra class is a disadvantage, or is the workload still pretty manageable?

Get unlimited access to all forums and topics

Register now!

I'm pretty sure I told you it's FREE...


User avatar
UVA2B

Gold
Posts: 3570
Joined: Sun May 22, 2016 10:48 pm

Re: UVA Law Students Taking Questions

Post by UVA2B » Sun Apr 30, 2017 10:55 am

2020grad wrote:Thank you! I have one other question. I know NYU (and Michigan?) have one less class to take each semester of 1L. Do you feel like having the extra class is a disadvantage, or is the workload still pretty manageable?
The course work is absolutely manageable. I can't speak to how manageable it is relative to only having doctrinal courses 1L year, but I think there is added benefit to having the ability to take electives in the Spring in signaling to future employers and getting experience in things you might be doing in the 1L summer or even just taking classes in things that interest you.

User avatar
Br3v

Gold
Posts: 4290
Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2011 7:18 pm

Re: UVA Law Students Taking Questions

Post by Br3v » Tue May 02, 2017 8:52 pm

UVA2B wrote:
2020grad wrote:Thank you! I have one other question. I know NYU (and Michigan?) have one less class to take each semester of 1L. Do you feel like having the extra class is a disadvantage, or is the workload still pretty manageable?
The course work is absolutely manageable. I can't speak to how manageable it is relative to only having doctrinal courses 1L year, but I think there is added benefit to having the ability to take electives in the Spring in signaling to future employers and getting experience in things you might be doing in the 1L summer or even just taking classes in things that interest you.
Also, you're graded on a curve. It doesn't really matter if all of you have 2 classes or 100 classes, you're graded equally.

User avatar
SeewhathappensLarry

Bronze
Posts: 115
Joined: Thu Oct 20, 2016 10:25 am

Re: UVA Law Students Taking Questions

Post by SeewhathappensLarry » Tue May 02, 2017 8:58 pm

Br3v wrote:
UVA2B wrote:
2020grad wrote:Thank you! I have one other question. I know NYU (and Michigan?) have one less class to take each semester of 1L. Do you feel like having the extra class is a disadvantage, or is the workload still pretty manageable?
The course work is absolutely manageable. I can't speak to how manageable it is relative to only having doctrinal courses 1L year, but I think there is added benefit to having the ability to take electives in the Spring in signaling to future employers and getting experience in things you might be doing in the 1L summer or even just taking classes in things that interest you.
Also, you're graded on a curve. It doesn't really matter if all of you have 2 classes or 100 classes, you're graded equally.

Yeah, this. Plus LRW isn't graded which you will quickly appreciate more than you can understand right now.

User avatar
UVA2B

Gold
Posts: 3570
Joined: Sun May 22, 2016 10:48 pm

Re: UVA Law Students Taking Questions

Post by UVA2B » Tue May 02, 2017 8:59 pm

SeewhathappensLarry wrote:
Br3v wrote:
UVA2B wrote:
2020grad wrote:Thank you! I have one other question. I know NYU (and Michigan?) have one less class to take each semester of 1L. Do you feel like having the extra class is a disadvantage, or is the workload still pretty manageable?
The course work is absolutely manageable. I can't speak to how manageable it is relative to only having doctrinal courses 1L year, but I think there is added benefit to having the ability to take electives in the Spring in signaling to future employers and getting experience in things you might be doing in the 1L summer or even just taking classes in things that interest you.
Also, you're graded on a curve. It doesn't really matter if all of you have 2 classes or 100 classes, you're graded equally.

Yeah, this. Plus LRW isn't graded which you will quickly appreciate more than you can understand right now.
x100000000000

Communicate now with those who not only know what a legal education is, but can offer you worthy advice and commentary as you complete the three most educational, yet challenging years of your law related post graduate life.

Register now, it's still FREE!


User avatar
Nagster5

Silver
Posts: 764
Joined: Tue Jul 28, 2015 11:28 am

Re: UVA Law Students Taking Questions

Post by Nagster5 » Wed May 03, 2017 6:50 am

UVA2B wrote:
SeewhathappensLarry wrote:
Br3v wrote:
UVA2B wrote:
2020grad wrote:Thank you! I have one other question. I know NYU (and Michigan?) have one less class to take each semester of 1L. Do you feel like having the extra class is a disadvantage, or is the workload still pretty manageable?
The course work is absolutely manageable. I can't speak to how manageable it is relative to only having doctrinal courses 1L year, but I think there is added benefit to having the ability to take electives in the Spring in signaling to future employers and getting experience in things you might be doing in the 1L summer or even just taking classes in things that interest you.
Also, you're graded on a curve. It doesn't really matter if all of you have 2 classes or 100 classes, you're graded equally.

Yeah, this. Plus LRW isn't graded which you will quickly appreciate more than you can understand right now.
x100000000000
I became physically upset when I heard other schools have multiple credit, graded LRW. That is just really super mean.

Anxious-Undergrad

New
Posts: 20
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2016 11:35 pm

Re: UVA Law Students Taking Questions

Post by Anxious-Undergrad » Thu May 04, 2017 8:16 pm

90% I will be attending UVA LAW in the fall. Therefore, I have a few questions about the school.

1. J-Term: J-Term is open to 1Ls correct? Is J-Term graded on the curve? Do students attend J-Term and do the classes fill up? Lastly, can you take more than 1 course during J-term?

2. Moot Court: What is the process for signing up and do you recommend doing it? Do you get to pick your partner?

3. Law Review: Grade-cutoff? How tedious is writing on? Is being on law review enjoyable at all? How about the other journals?

4. MA in History: Thoughts on the program? How much extra work is it and when should I apply? Is it worth it? Are the classes enjoyable? Also, I have heard you can write your thesis for the MA and also try to get it published as a note for law review, is this true?

5. Clerkship: When does the process begin? Also, should an appellate clerkship be the goal or is fed clerkship first a better route?

6. 1L Summer: What have you all done your 1L summer? Is SA possible? clerkship?

7. Grades: any tips for crushing it 1L in the grade department? I am hoping to do well!

8. Food: what do you all do for food? cook most of the time? There are no dining-halls right?

Finally, is it possible to do Moot Court, Law Review, MA in history or is that just to much?

Thank you so much!

User avatar
UVA2B

Gold
Posts: 3570
Joined: Sun May 22, 2016 10:48 pm

Re: UVA Law Students Taking Questions

Post by UVA2B » Thu May 04, 2017 9:06 pm

Anxious-Undergrad wrote:90% I will be attending UVA LAW in the fall. Therefore, I have a few questions about the school.

1. J-Term: J-Term is open to 1Ls correct? Is J-Term graded on the curve? Do students attend J-Term and do the classes fill up? Lastly, can you take more than 1 course during J-term?

2. Moot Court: What is the process for signing up and do you recommend doing it? Do you get to pick your partner?

3. Law Review: Grade-cutoff? How tedious is writing on? Is being on law review enjoyable at all? How about the other journals?

4. MA in History: Thoughts on the program? How much extra work is it and when should I apply? Is it worth it? Are the classes enjoyable? Also, I have heard you can write your thesis for the MA and also try to get it published as a note for law review, is this true?

5. Clerkship: When does the process begin? Also, should an appellate clerkship be the goal or is fed clerkship first a better route?

6. 1L Summer: What have you all done your 1L summer? Is SA possible? clerkship?

7. Grades: any tips for crushing it 1L in the grade department? I am hoping to do well!

8. Food: what do you all do for food? cook most of the time? There are no dining-halls right?

Finally, is it possible to do Moot Court, Law Review, MA in history or is that just to much?

Thank you so much!
1. J-term is open to 1Ls. I would caution against participating unless it's a fun trip or something like that. You'll be burned out by fall semester, will need a mental break, and should be focused on summer 1L employment. Post-exams is when you do your most work getting Summer 1L employment.

2. Can't speak to this, so I'll defer to others.

3. Can't speak to this directly either. But I would caution against planning on getting Law review. 15/300 will grade on to law review. Another 15 will write on during journal tryouts. And then another 15 will be an amalgamation of the two. Your grades will need to dominate, and that's not something you can plan for.

4. Can't answer this, but I can't imagine the value added by doing this outside personal edification.

5. The process is on-going from 1L through 3L. You might nail down a clerkship during your 1L or 2L year, but you might get something later depending on how widely you apply, etc.

6. Doing an SA personally for 1L summer. About 1/4 of the 1L class will go to firms. The rest of the class will do some mixture of government, judge internship, public interest, and corporate in-house jobs.

7. You'll have to figure out what works best for you. General tips: keep up with reading. Figure out early on how you can synthesize the information within the context of the course. Try to key on your particular professor's foci within the course material. And pray. There is no way to will your way to doing well with any certainty. All you can do is learn the material to the best of your ability, focus on the stuff that matters more, and outline/do practice exams when you know enough about the material to drill in that subject matter.

8. There is a decent cafeteria in Scott Commons (ScoCo) during the day. I've found several things I like from there, and it's pretty reasonably priced. Otherwise, bring your own meals or be ready to walk down the hill to Barracks Road shopping center for more options. And you can always stop by student affairs and pick up free snacks (seriously, so many students do this).

Finally, you will find a rhythm for the stuff you get involved in. Everyone's experience is pretty different depending on interests. But don't worry about it now whether or not you can balance moot court, law review, and another masters degree. Figure out what you want in this degree, and figure out how to best parlay your experience at UVA Law to get that type of job. This is a professional school. It's meant to get you a career.

smile0751

Bronze
Posts: 490
Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2014 11:40 pm

Re: UVA Law Students Taking Questions

Post by smile0751 » Thu May 04, 2017 9:20 pm

UVA2B wrote:
Anxious-Undergrad wrote:90% I will be attending UVA LAW in the fall. Therefore, I have a few questions about the school.

1. J-Term: J-Term is open to 1Ls correct? Is J-Term graded on the curve? Do students attend J-Term and do the classes fill up? Lastly, can you take more than 1 course during J-term?

2. Moot Court: What is the process for signing up and do you recommend doing it? Do you get to pick your partner?

3. Law Review: Grade-cutoff? How tedious is writing on? Is being on law review enjoyable at all? How about the other journals?

4. MA in History: Thoughts on the program? How much extra work is it and when should I apply? Is it worth it? Are the classes enjoyable? Also, I have heard you can write your thesis for the MA and also try to get it published as a note for law review, is this true?

5. Clerkship: When does the process begin? Also, should an appellate clerkship be the goal or is fed clerkship first a better route?

6. 1L Summer: What have you all done your 1L summer? Is SA possible? clerkship?

7. Grades: any tips for crushing it 1L in the grade department? I am hoping to do well!

8. Food: what do you all do for food? cook most of the time? There are no dining-halls right?

Finally, is it possible to do Moot Court, Law Review, MA in history or is that just to much?

Thank you so much!
1. J-term is open to 1Ls. I would caution against participating unless it's a fun trip or something like that. You'll be burned out by fall semester, will need a mental break, and should be focused on summer 1L employment. Post-exams is when you do your most work getting Summer 1L employment.

2. Can't speak to this, so I'll defer to others.

3. Can't speak to this directly either. But I would caution against planning on getting Law review. 15/300 will grade on to law review. Another 15 will write on during journal tryouts. And then another 15 will be an amalgamation of the two. Your grades will need to dominate, and that's not something you can plan for.

4. Can't answer this, but I can't imagine the value added by doing this outside personal edification.

5. The process is on-going from 1L through 3L. You might nail down a clerkship during your 1L or 2L year, but you might get something later depending on how widely you apply, etc.

6. Doing an SA personally for 1L summer. About 1/4 of the 1L class will go to firms. The rest of the class will do some mixture of government, judge internship, public interest, and corporate in-house jobs.

7. You'll have to figure out what works best for you. General tips: keep up with reading. Figure out early on how you can synthesize the information within the context of the course. Try to key on your particular professor's foci within the course material. And pray. There is no way to will your way to doing well with any certainty. All you can do is learn the material to the best of your ability, focus on the stuff that matters more, and outline/do practice exams when you know enough about the material to drill in that subject matter.

8. There is a decent cafeteria in Scott Commons (ScoCo) during the day. I've found several things I like from there, and it's pretty reasonably priced. Otherwise, bring your own meals or be ready to walk down the hill to Barracks Road shopping center for more options. And you can always stop by student affairs and pick up free snacks (seriously, so many students do this).

Finally, you will find a rhythm for the stuff you get involved in. Everyone's experience is pretty different depending on interests. But don't worry about it now whether or not you can balance moot court, law review, and another masters degree. Figure out what you want in this degree, and figure out how to best parlay your experience at UVA Law to get that type of job. This is a professional school. It's meant to get you a career.
I dont know who this guy is, but I just wanted to say he's giving great advice. I'd agree with everything he said.

Seriously? What are you waiting for?

Now there's a charge.
Just kidding ... it's still FREE!


Post Reply

Return to “Ask a Law Student / Graduate”