November 19, 2009
Just because we are in law school doesn’t mean we are past donning ridiculous costumes and celebrating Halloween in extravagant fashion.
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October 30, 2009
If you are considering applying to a law school or are making a choice about which one to attend, you may be looking at “student-faculty” ratios as one yardstick among many by which to compare schools.
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April 22, 2009
For those students admitted to YLS over the past few months (congratulations!), the deadline to choose whether to enroll here or at another law school is quickly approaching.
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April 14, 2009
Yale Law School is about half the size of my college class. I actually took a course in college that had more people than the YLS class of 2011.
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April 2, 2009
When I was a 1L, I studied in the Fishbowl. Trust me – it’s not as strange as it sounds.
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March 27, 2009
A 13-year old girl. A collection of prescription pills. A strip search.
Go.
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March 23, 2009
As a student with a relatively rare career interest in health law, it worried me that Yale, as a smaller school, didn’t have an official set of faculty or programs. However, it didn’t take me long to realize that I had had nothing to worry about.
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March 16, 2009
A few weeks ago, an email was circulated among the 1L class about a new joint-degree program that would begin its inaugural year this fall. The program is a joint JD/MBA program between Yale Law School and the Yale School of Management (SOM) that would allow students to earn a JD and a MBA in a total of three years.
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March 12, 2009
A couple weeks ago I enjoyed the best flan I’ve ever tasted. This delicious dessert had been preceded by freshly fried plantains and a buffet of rice, beans, pork, and beef. Surprisingly, my fabulous meal was not served at New Haven’s Soul de Cuba Café
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March 9, 2009
As I prepared to move to New Haven only six months ago, one of the first things to do was to find a place to live. Having spent the previous two years embattled in the bloodsport that is the New York City rental market, I braced myself for a long, tortuous hunt for suitable digs. Fortunately, I shouldn’t have been so worried; finding an apartment in New Haven is actually a very easy and pleasant experience.
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March 2, 2009
I think it is a safe assumption to say that each one of us has had days where we leave the law school in a state of elated disbelief questioning the reality of what had just happened in that one square block that consumes our lives.
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February 24, 2009
It was the first weekend back in New Haven after exams. We only had a few days to recover from our 1L pass-pass exam period before returning for second semester and were still trying to figure out how to shop for classes. I had already attended seven different lectures in the first week and still had no idea what I was going to take.
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February 18, 2009
The annual Rebellious Lawyering Conference (“RebLaw”) is the largest student-run public interest conference in the country, and it is hosted by Yale Law School.
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February 12, 2009
The first semester at Yale Law School is pretty standard as far as law school curriculum goes. Every 1L takes the same four classes: Constitutional Law, Contracts, Civil Procedure, and Torts. You pick up your schedule at orientation without any decisions to make or courses to decide between.
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February 5, 2009
Yale Law School has erased my need for Blockbuster and Netflix. Indeed, one could make the argument that the robust social scene at Yale makes movies second class – that is not the point of this post. Instead, Yale Law School’s tremendous movie collection has made Blockbuster a thing of the past (well, at least a trivial thing until graduation).
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February 2, 2009
Before I came to law school, I lived in one of Washington DC’s famous group houses with six of my best friends from college.
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January 23, 2009
I felt I could best contribute to the blog by offering a day in the life of a Yale Law student. I woke up this morning later than usual, a little after 10:30, thanks mostly to the open bar party hosted by the student reps of the law school.
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January 9, 2009
The traditional legal curriculum begins with two semesters of legal writing. That is too little brief-writing to become Solicitor General of the United States, and it is way more than one might need to run for President of the United States. Since 85% of Yale’s graduates go on to be Solicitor General or President of the Unites States, it should come as no surprise that our writing program is structured a little differently.
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January 7, 2009
I’m sure you’ve heard that Yale Law School has a reputation for being very collegial.
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January 5, 2009
Starting at orientation, there is no question you will hear asked more frequently or fervently than this one. “Who do you have for small group?”
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December 19, 2008
As the end of my first term at YLS nears, an increasing number of my 1L colleagues can be seen roaming the halls dressed up in full business attire. Since YLS is a pretty casual place, this sight is quite unusual –
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December 17, 2008
I wanted to start this entry with some sort of warning: despite all the wonderful things you’ve heard about Yale Law School, this whole experience isn’t all plain sailing. I wanted to find some burden you ought to bear in mind because, when I was trying to make the decisions you’re facing, the Yale write-ups all seemed a little too good to be true.
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December 15, 2008
It was the end of November, and I witnessed a big game, and I’m not talking about a Yale sporting event against Harvard. I’m talking about the Duke/Michigan college basketball showdown.
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December 12, 2008
I graduated from college on May 10, got married on May 31, and then moved across country a few months later to begin Yale Law School. I was somewhat apprehensive about coming to Yale as a married woman.
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December 9, 2008
One of the things that most, if not all, incoming law students are afraid of at the beginning of first semester is being "cold called" in class.
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December 4, 2008
My small group is amazing. From camping trips and Thanksgiving dinners to dance parties and end of the week brunches, we do it all.
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December 2, 2008
I am panicking. My final semester at Yale Law is about to begin. After finishing up my remaining credits and writing that final paper next semester, I am to be released into a foreign realm known as “The Real World.”
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December 1, 2008
As a California boy, I got awfully excited when I discovered that I would be living on the East coast, where there are so many little states close together
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November 26, 2008
This weekend was the Harvard-Yale football game. The only thing I worried about was what to wear at the tailgates from now on.
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November 24, 2008
As a first year student at YLS –otherwise known as a 1L (this is a term you will get to know and love very quickly)—there are a couple things that dominate your life.
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November 17, 2008
There may be no more daunting prospect for all soon-to-be-1Ls than the impending need to dive headfirst into the peculiar world of legal writing.
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May 1, 2008
New Haven
is beautiful in the spring.
The first
few days of truly amazing weather are upon us here, and it reminds me of all
the fun things there are to do in and around town.
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April 28, 2008
Last weekend was YLS Prom (officially known as the Yale Law
School Public Interest Formal—the event raises money for a YLS organization
that provides grants for public interest law projects after graduation.).
I know what you are thinking.
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April 25, 2008
Between clinics, classes and the occasional night out at
Anchor Bar, who has time to venture out of New Haven?
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April 23, 2008
Secretary of Homeland Defense Security Michael Chertoff came to speak at the law school on Monday, April 7, 2008. We protested him with vigor, holding signs and chanting after he was finishing speaking, but he didn't seem to mind.
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April 16, 2008
The Law School provides us with a one week break during March that students spend in a variety of ways.
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April 7, 2008
Midway through my first visit to Yale, I was a little exhausted. I’d had the name/home state/undergrad/major conversation one too many times.
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April 1, 2008
People will tell you YLSers aren’t competitive. People will tell you that walking through the doors of 127 Wall Street will instantly divest you of any desire to step over your classmates and friends on your way to becoming #1 at Yale.
People are liars.
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March 28, 2008
One of the greatest components of a Yale Law School education is the opportunity to expand your knowledge base out side of the classroom.
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March 26, 2008
Many of my friends elsewhere have compared their law school experiences to living on a desert island surrounded by nothing but books, spending the bulk of their days secluded in the library, and gaining a precious few moments of human contact when they venture out for food.
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March 21, 2008
Two years ago, when I applied to law school, the admissions process went better than I ever dreamed it would. I was accepted by both Yale and Harvard and suddenly found myself in the not-so-pitiable position of having to choose between two of the most amazing law schools in the country.
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March 18, 2008
Something that should be highlighted is that there is much more to law school than studying the law. Hence, some of you are probably wondering what life
outside the hallowed halls of Yale Law School is like.
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March 14, 2008
Before singing the praises of the reference librarians, a description of the first-year journal experience is in order.
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March 11, 2008
As you may imagine, this primary season has been a hot topic at the Yale Law School. While many professors have attempted to take a decidedly neutral stance, the students are quite another story.
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March 7, 2008
The first time I walked into a courtroom, my stomach was doing cartwheels.
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March 5, 2008
I’ve been doing a lot of job interviews lately.
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February 29, 2008
I just got back from a recruiting trip on a tropical island.
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February 26, 2008
There is some cliché about riding bikes, to which the exact phrasing escapes me, but sounds something like: “You’ll never forget how to ride a bike.” The saying (however it goes) is absolutely, unequivocally correct and it took a year in New Haven for me to come to terms with it.
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February 22, 2008
Who would have thought I would become a lawyer this fast? After just one semester of law school, I am already ‘practicing law’ and ‘meeting with clients’ for cases.
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February 19, 2008
So it’s February, and I just finished deciding my summer job plans. Choosing my summer job was reminiscent of one year ago to when I was making a decision about which law school to attend.
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February 15, 2008
As a graduating 3L, my only regret is that I didn't take more classes.
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February 12, 2008
I am loving my first year of law school. True, it is supposed to be one of the most difficult; but at YLS the first year experience is something I find myself enjoying more and more as I begin the second semester. One of the great things about first year at YLS is the ability to choose courses for second term.
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February 5, 2008
I have heard the critiques - New Haven will never be Yale’s selling point, or even a factor prospective students list on the “Pro” side of the pro/con list they are making to help them decide which law school to attend.
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January 29, 2008
There’s no other place in the U.S. to practice immigration law quite like the state of Connecticut.
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January 23, 2008
Should we practice or study? Both.
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January 17, 2008
A few weeks ago, one of the student organizations I joined sent out an e-mail inviting six students to go out to dinner with a professor. I jumped at the chance.
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January 11, 2008
When I was visiting law schools for the various admit
weekends, I noticed one common thread running through every school tour: the
amount of time spent on showcasing the law library.
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January 8, 2008
Yale is the utopia of law schools: a gorgeous gothic
building surrounding a lush green courtyard, world-renowned professors, and an
extremely relaxed grading policy -- what more could you want? But in my first couple
weeks here, I learned that while all that certainly contributes to making Yale
a wonderful experience, what truly distinguishes the law school is the faculty.
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January 2, 2008
I tried to explain to them that the last (and only) time I
had gone bowling I was roundly beaten … by a group of children … under the age
of 12.
But they weren’t having any of
it.
My small group was competing against
three other groups in a bowl-off (the technical term, I’m sure), and I was
playing.
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December 27, 2007
I’m finishing up my first semester of law school this week,
and I’m pretty shocked how quickly it has passed. Despite Yale’s reputation of
being “theoretical,” I feel like in one semester I’ve learned a lot of skills
that will help me in my law career.
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December 20, 2007
Among other things, one aspect of Yale Law that I have found
to be different from almost any other law school in
America is the lack of a separate 1L
legal writing class. Instead of a scheduled class, all of our writing
assignments are integrated into other courses throughout the first semester.
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December 17, 2007
December
has always been busy time of year. The holiday season is in full swing as
is Sunday night football.
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December 14, 2007
With the deadline looming for
deciding where to spend the summer, I thought I’d comment on the idiosyncrasies
of the Yale 2L job search.
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December 11, 2007
Due to national rules, job search season for 1Ls kicks off
December 1
st.
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December 6, 2007
Harvard-Yale weekend.
Also known as the weekend I visited the Second Circuit and wrote my
first brief … ever.
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November 26, 2007
Alumni Weekend is easily one of my favorite weekends of the
year, and one of the annual events that make me love being at YLS so much.
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November 23, 2007
Go Yale beat Harvard!
I have just experienced my first Harvard-Yale weekend and a glimpse into
the all-encompassing bulldog pride that is truly at its height during this
weekend.
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November 19, 2007
In the midst of get-to-know-you barbeques and hikes as a 1L
class, every so often, a 2L would appear on the scene. My first thought was
always, “Who is this incredibly impressive person in front of me and how have
they gotten to where they are today?”
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November 14, 2007
I was nervous about my first legal writing assignment.
At YLS, we don’t have a separate legal
writing course for 1L students.
Instead,
we learn research and writing within one of the four first semester classes –
in my case, Constitutional Law.
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November 9, 2007
After reading this blog, you probably know all the reasons
why YLS is such a great place to be. It’s small, full of really sharp people
and truly brilliant professors, not competitive, has a strong public interest
focus, no grades, yada, yada. At this point in the admissions process, I think
I had the brochure memorized. What I didn’t know, but did suspect, is how far
the Yale name can carry you when it comes time to find a job.
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November 5, 2007
Before I arrived in New
Haven, I worried about Yale’s size. I thought a legal
metropolis was necessary to create rich communities of varied interests. Over
the last two months, I’ve found that Yale has more dynamic niches than I
imagined. One of my favorites thus far has been my journal, the Journal of Law
& Humanities.
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November 2, 2007
This past week was “flyback week,” a funny euphemism for
Fall Break. The idea is that 2Ls who are
interviewing with law firms can have the week off to fly around the country and
interview for summer jobs (which, presumably, lead to permanent positions),
while the 1Ls and 3Ls can catch up on our reading.
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October 29, 2007
I’ve learned a lot of things since I began law school. I’ve learned many things from traditional
classroom lectures, but I’ve learned just as much from my experiences outside
of class.
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October 22, 2007
Admittedly, before I began law school, I was decidedly
not looking forward to the 1L line-up,
so to speak.
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October 15, 2007
I came to YLS expecting the school to provide all the
intellectual challenges and opportunities I could ever want.
I was definitely not disappointed in the
least, but surprised when I found out that I would be getting more than just
food for thought.
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October 8, 2007
Secret: I came to law school this fall fairly confident that
I did not want to practice law.
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September 17, 2007
During most of late August in 2006, my head hurt from the different emotions on my mind. I became afraid, excited, intrigued and nervous all at once. To make things worse, I was in a new city, called New Haven – which according to the masses is not a wonderful place to reside. In short, I was a new student at Yale Law School.
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May 1, 2007
On the first day of law school, I nervously walked into my first class, opened my laptop, and prepared to become part of the overwhelmed, anonymous masses.
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April 30, 2007
As I near the end of my second year, I’m coming to realize that the number of environmental courses offered at Yale hasn’t been as big of a problem as I feared it would be.
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April 27, 2007
Going to court with clinic professor Bob Solomon is like learning to walk.
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April 25, 2007
Something that I hear all the time from prospective students is that Yale is too “theoretical,” and that if you want to do something “practical,” you would be better off at another school.
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April 23, 2007
I’ve had the song lyric “Can you hear Darfur calling?” stuck in my head all weekend.
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April 12, 2007
Today, I was at school for 6 hours, which with first mention does not seem appealing at all.
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April 9, 2007
During my first class at Yale Law School, the professor announced triumphantly that we were “off the treadmill.”
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April 4, 2007
During the admissions process Yale was the last law school from which I heard.
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April 2, 2007
This past Saturday night, a group of about 20 of us got together to have a barbecue and watch the Final Four basketball games.
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March 29, 2007
I am often asked some form of the following: “I know Yale doesn’t have grades. But do you really not have grades? And doesn’t that just mean that you are more competitive in other aspects?” The answers to those questions are yes, we do have grades, and yes, there is competition.
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March 26, 2007
At the end of last year, amidst the chaos of the holiday season, combined with the end of classes, I did not realize how special it was to select classes for second semester of your 1L year.
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March 19, 2007
I’m not going to lie: law school is hard.
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March 15, 2007
In the middle of second semester, first year, I decided not to pursue an Editor position on the
Yale Law Journal.
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March 12, 2007
Everyone anticipates that some things about law school will be great, and some will be miserable.
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March 6, 2007
From my initial search looking at law schools, it became abundantly clear that Yale Law has the reputation of producing legal academics.
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February 28, 2007
I have to admit that it was a little intimidating to lead a client meeting after officially being a law student for no more than a few months.
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February 21, 2007
Wednesday mornings are arguably the toughest time of my week because Tuesdays are trivia nights.
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