March 29, 2008
Why you should go to Michigan: Friends
Cue the cheesy music. Yes, I picked Michigan because of the people. Visit the schools you got into and ask yourself, would I want to spend the next three years of my life with people like this? If the answer is no, then the school will probably agree—don’t go there. But at a place like Michigan, it’s hard for the answer not to be yes. The people here are amazing.
Why is this? Class size helps. To me, 350 is like the gold(ilocks) standard. Think back to a lecture you might have taken with about 120 people in it. Now imagine those are the only people in your 1L class. Feeling socially claustrophobic yet? Yup, too small. Kick it up to 500 or more and good luck being on a first name basis with the Financial Aid office. It’s just too big. But somewhere in between, and you get the benefits of a diverse class without the costs of too many fish in the pond.
It also helps that our admissions office really prides itself on selecting people not just based on numbers. As a result, you encounter students from all sorts of different backgrounds with very varied opinions. Despite this, everyone here seems to have one thing in common: strong academics without being defined by previous success. People here are very passionate about intellectual pursuits, but equally so about non-intellectual pursuits. Listen in at dinner, and you’ll hear the same conversation jump from a debate over criminal murder statutes to the presidential election to Michigan’s football team to dating advice all in a matter of minutes.
I like being at a place where I can talk about topics covered in class but don’t have to. Let’s face it, we’re all nerds. We’re in law school. But not all law schools attract nerds who are also good people. My friends here send me their notes when I’m sick, notice when I’m having a bad day, and genuinely want me to succeed. And that makes a difference. Law school is stressful enough as it is, who wants the added stress of having to be suspicious that everyone sitting next to you is out to get you?
So if you’re looking to be surrounded by fellow nerds that also really dig karaoke on a Friday night, or going to football games on Saturdays, or playing ping-pong for two hours after brunch, Michigan is the place for you. And if you happen to really enjoy hiding library books, do us all a favor and hide them somewhere else.
March 14, 2008
Why you should go to Michigan: Food
I like to think that coming from the Bay Area gives me some street cred in the food-critiquing department. Don’t get the wrong idea--I’m not a food snob. I grew up in a household that called crepes jelly rolled up pancakes, and I hate tomatoes no matter how heirloom, organic, ripe or green they may be. But I do love food. And Ann Arbor has some great opportunities to satisfy my ever-present need for deliciousness.
In no particular order, here are my favorite places to go when I’m hungry:
--Mr. Spots: I don’t care if it’s the most unauthentic reproduction of a cheesesteak ever made, these babies are by far the best I’ve ever had. Order it with the mushrooms and peppers, you won’t regret paying the extra dollar. Waffle fries on the side if you’re feeling super hungry.
--Jerusalem Garden: The population of Middle Easterners in Michigan is enormous, and with it comes a plethora of places to satisfy your humus kick. Jerusalem Garden isn’t the closest to the law school, but in my view it’s the best. Great lentil soup, reasonably priced wraps for lunch, and large dinner portions. Small seating area so it can get a bit crowded, but well worth the wait.
--Zingerman’s: It’s become a bit cliché to list Zingerman’s as a fave eatery in Ann Arbor, but it truly is a well-earned reputation. Best. Reuben. Ever. And they’ve got the nicest staff—they’ll let you sample goat cheese or chocolate with goji berries without complaint for hours if that’s how you want to spend your afternoon. And believe me, you can spend an entire afternoon on samples alone.
--Stucchi’s (for dessert): Pronounced with a soft “ch” by the locals despite its seemingly Italian origins, teaching us all yet again to never judge a book by its cover. If you’re craving ice cream but feeling cheap, they have an enormous kid scoop for under $2 that puts everyone else to shame. Feeling like splurging? Get a Grasshoppier Pie milkshake, extra thick.
It’s beginning to feel a bit silly listing off my favorite places because I could be stuck doing this for hours. And of course it doesn’t allow me to list all the places I’ve heard wonderful things about but just haven’t had the chance yet to visit. The moral of the story, however, is clear. If you love food, you’ll love Ann Arbor. Whether you are rich or poor (in money or in taste), you won’t be disappointed by your options.
February 29, 2008
Why you should go to Michigan: Fine Arts
Reason number two for choosing to go to Michigan Law School: access to fine arts. I’ll be the first to admit that this was not one of my reasons for deciding to come here. In fact, when I first considered leaving San Francisco for Ann Arbor, my greatest fear was that I’d no longer have concerts, museums, exhibits, and other performances right at my fingertips. Let’s face it, the words “cultural” and “epicenter” aren’t usually combined to describe Michigan by we non-natives. But I think they should, and here’s four reasons why.
1) Live music: If you want concerts, Ann Arbor has them. On MLK day, I went to the Mos Def Big Band tribute to J Dilla, and four days later I was back in Hill Auditorium to see Ben Folds headline for Folk Festival. Folk Festival only happens annually, but its sponsor, The Ark, is a non-profit music venue here in Ann Arbor for folksy (usually) music on almost every night of the week. Big names, small names, you won’t care the show is always great. There are jazz and blues nightclubs, and a very nice ratio of karaoke nights to days of the week. Not that I would know anything about those. Nope, not at all.
2) Museums: Right here in Ann Arbor there is a hands-on science museum, a natural history museum (complete with planetarium), and an art museum, just to name a few. Don’t forget, the law school may be small, but the University of Michigan is a huge community with all the bells and whistles that go along with a diverse array of departments, facilities, and resources. The Museum of Art is currently being completely rebuilt right at the corner of State and South University (i.e. directly across the street from the law school). And don’t forget, Detroit is just 45 minutes east. Which brings me to my next point.
3) Detroit: Yes people, Detroit is rich in opportunities for exposure to the arts. Take the Detroit Institute of Arts, the fifth largest museum in the country with over 100 galleries and regular events on Friday nights. Their website tells me so. And how about that auto show? Maybe I’m pushing the definitions a bit here, but if that new Audi R8 isn’t a piece of art I don’t know what is.
4) Chicago: Ok it’s not Michigan. But it’s close! And it’s easily visited for the weekend via train or car or plane. In fact, I’m in Chicago right now on my spring break to visit a friend and tour the city. Which may or may not include finally seeing Wicked the musical, checking out some of Frank Lloyd Wright’s handiwork, and cruising through the plethora of museums now at my fingertips.
But as much as I love big cities, at the end of the day I’m glad I don’t have to deal with the hectic day-to-day life of a metropolis while I’m studying for exams. Ann Arbor has most of the same benefits, sure on a smaller scale, but importantly without the stressful costs. I’m a fan!
January 16, 2008
Why you should go to Michigan: Football
Another year, another semester, another topic for the blog. This one’s important: why you should go to law school at the University of Michigan. Obviously this decision is a highly personal one, and as convincing as I may be, you and only you know where you should be for the next three years of your life. But, for those of you standing there with that fat envelope in your hands, wondering, “What’s so great about Michigan?” I’ve got one word for you. Football.
Yes football. I’m going to start my first of many entries on this topic with something that seems entirely unrelated to the study of law. You see the thing is, you get to study law at every law school. And while Michigan’s law school is stand-out for many reasons (trust me I’ll get to those), football was one of my deciding factors. So naturally I have to start with it.
What other top 10 law school has a football team like ours? And before you even think about saying Berkeley, let me remind you who took back the axe this year. And Stanford, I love you, I’ll always root for you, but when you have to renovate your stadium to decrease its size you know it’s just not a football school. Nope, I’m here because of Michigan football. We can talk all day about Appalachian State, believe me we have, but at the end of the day, there’s no other school with more wins. And, no other school with fans like this. Of course I’m biased, but nothing beats walking into the Big House with 110,000 other people cheering for the same cause. We may have had a rough start this year, but we sure had a great finish. And I’ll be there at every game again next year to welcome Mr. Rodriguez to his new home.
Why does this matter? Because while I want to be a lawyer, I also want to have a life. And a good one at that. One filled with friends, fun times (both subjects of future blog posts), and high-energy sporting events. I recognize there are people out there who care little to nothing about football. That’s your loss, but I trust you have your own interests, hobbies, and passions that go beyond the classroom. Or the boardroom. Football Saturdays got me through the week. So pick a school that let’s you indulge in the activities that are going to get you through yours.
Oh and one more thing:
GO BLUE!
December 16, 2007
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the reading room is so delightful. And since I've two finals to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
The law quad is covered, and I want nothing more than to go make a giant snow man. But, I'm afraid that urge is going to have to be suppressed until I make it through my Contracts exam tomorrow morning. But then, oh just you wait little snow flakes, just you wait.
It's finals season folks, which means I've been slacking off on my blogging duties. I promise I'll be back in full force in January, especially since the next topic I want to address is the most important one of all: why you should go to Michigan Law School. I trust you understand why I chose not to tackle this issue in the midst of finals. Though to be clear, I'm having a wonderful time even if I have a ton of work I should be doing.
Speaking of that work I should be doing...
November 26, 2007
The Personal Essay – finding your X factor
Whether for love or law school, a candidate can seem perfect in every way and still get rejected. A winning smile, pretty brown eyes, and a shared interest in collecting quarters are like top LSAT scores, great grades, and a raving recommendation. Necessary, but not sufficient. You gotta have that little extra something to really win someone or a school over. That something is your X factor, and the personal statement is your only chance to show it off.
I think of the essay in two main components: your story, and your skills. This means you have two different opportunities to put forth your X factor. Start with the first. Just take a moment and brainstorm: why do you want to go to law school? What made you realize that? It could be a trip abroad, a class, an argument with a friend or an unfair traffic ticket. Any defining moment that got you passionate about law school. This story is your hook, and you’ll want to start and end with this narrative (the phrase “bookend” should ring a few bells).
Then move on to your skills. What makes you different? Passion is great, and it better show, but you still need to distinguish yourself from every other overeager Romeo trying to get over the wall. Meaningful summer jobs, time spent on teams whether athletic or academic, a tough research project. Only you know the real secret sauce that makes you the catch of the century. Now sandwich all those qualifications in between your passionate and gripping story of why you want to be in law school and voila, instant essay.
Of course don’t forget to spice it up with some specifics about the school. Especially if you visited or are looking at a specific program or clinic they have, but even if you didn’t or aren’t. Everyone knows you are applying to multiple places, but it doesn’t help your cause to make that obvious. After all, you’ll never get a date if that someone knows he or she was just a back-up.
You’d be amazed how many deficiencies people will overlook if something about you clicks with them. And at the end of the day, admissions officers are just people too. So wow them with your X factor and stop worrying about that LSAT score.
November 19, 2007
The LSAT (cue the evil music)
These next two entries will be about your application. Which, if you follow all the hype, you should be submitting this weekend. I’ll try to focus on what I think are the two most important elements of your application: the LSAT and your personal essay.
First, the LSAT. I was taking my LSAT in December, when a fireman walked into the room and told us all to evacuate. Apparently that light-headed feeling wasn’t from the nerves--there had been a natural gas leak in the building. Some students suggested we finish the current section then leave, some of us suggested not continuing to inhale noxious gases and leave immediately. Our proctor didn’t seem to enjoy participating in this conversation, so we collectively agreed to stack up our tests at the front and exit the building. Half an hour later, we were allowed back in to finish the test.
The moral of this story? Stuff happens. If you’re lucky, stuff is a blizzard and LSAC will let you retake the test the next week. If you’re unlucky, they’ll say call poison control for that headache and retake the test in February. So much for applying for that fall. Take the test early if you can at all help it, February and June are best. That way if you don’t like your results, or experience a freak evacuation, you can retake it with plenty of time to spare.
Other than timing, the biggest question about the LSAT you probably have is how to study. First things first, take a diagnostic. Kaplan will sometimes offer them for free at most schools. Taking a full test from start to finish gives you a great idea of how much you need to study and what areas you need to work the most on.
Do you need to take a class? Absolutely not. But unless you got a 180 on the diagnostic, you do need to practice. If you lack self-discipline, then sign up for one. If you lack exorbitant sums of cash and can handle studying on your own, there are a lot of great books that’ll teach the same lessons and for a lot less money. I recommend buying the books of practice tests then picking a day to focus on logic games, trying a few sections timed. If you can’t see right away what you did wrong, spend some time figuring it out conceptually before taking the next.
At the end of the day, just keep this in mind: there is not a single section on the test that you can’t master with practice. You just have to learn what they’re looking for. It’s easy to over think the logical reasoning questions or try and get creative with your interpretation of a reading comprehension passage. Just remember, creativity on the LSAT is not your friend. Suppress the urge to innovate. Regurgitate, regurgitate, regurgitate. It won’t serve you well once you get to law school, but for whatever reason it’s what they think you need to do to get here.
November 12, 2007
Taking Time Off
Now I want to address the issue of taking time off. This one’s easy. Take time off.
Why? I like to use the relationship rebound theory for this one. You don’t start a new relationship right after you’ve ended another one. That’s just common sense. We all know why: it just won’t last, it’s not for the right reasons, and really you’re just in denial that now you’re alone in the world for a change. And it’s a big, scary world.
Don’t jump right into another degree because you can’t imagine life without school, or you don’t think there are other options for you out there, or because the new campus happens to be a lot prettier than your old one. Yeah it looks really, really tempting right now, but take some time and make sure it’s the right new step for you. Sure, sometimes it works out. But you gain so much from experiencing life outside of academia that it’s worth the wait.
What should you do? Go out and get the world! Travel! Teach! Heaven forbid you give your parents a break and work! In my unscientifically supported opinion, working before law school dramatically improves your ability to do well once you start. You learn to see your professors as managers, classes are meetings, and reading is just the daily grind that you have to do in order to succeed. Time management gets a lot easier, work-life balance is more instinctual, and you have much more experience living with and controlling your own budget.
As for how long? That's up to you, but I recommend at least two years. One is better than none, but you spend that whole year applying anyways so you haven’t really separated yourself from the game. After all, the only thing worse than someone who rebounds is someone who spends an entire year trying to rebound. Just breathe, it’ll be ok.
November 06, 2007
So you’re thinking about law school...
I’ll start by stating the obvious. Law school is for people who want to be lawyers. You don’t go to med school if you don’t want to be a doctor, so just because law school is shorter and doesn’t involve dissecting dead bodies is no reason to use it to tread water instead. That doesn’t mean you need to know what you want to do with your life, or even what type of law you want to practice. I’m already here and I can’t answer those questions. But I at least know there are some kinds of lawyers I’d be very happy being.
There are three activities that I think you must love if you want to go to law school: reading, writing, and arguing. Ideally in some combination with each other. As I see it, there’s really just no way of avoiding any of those three, so at least be able to tolerate the ones you don’t like as much. You will be doing a lot of them all. I’m here because I love arguing and want to be a trial attorney. Yes, I watch too much Law and Order, and yes, A Few Good Men is my favorite movie. And don’t any of you dare burst my bubble and tell me that real life law isn’t like it is in Hollywood. I can’t handle the truth.
Does that mean law school will be a complete waste of time if you end up not practicing? Of course not. The information we’re learning is not only extremely interesting on a theoretical level but also really important for every citizen to know. If the police pull you over can they search your trunk? Can your landlord sue you for rent if you want out of the lease early? If your aunt promises to pay for your education then doesn’t can you sue her for it? The answer to all of the above is “it depends,” and to find out on what you don’t have to go to law school. That’s what the internet is for. But if you want to discuss why the law looks at certain variables in a certain light, or read why courts have ruled one way or the other and hash out the validity of their arguments, then law school is the place for you.
Anyone want to strenuously object?
October 24, 2007
Introduction
Hello! My name is Frances, and I’m a 1L fall-starter here at Michigan. That means I’m into my eighth week here at the Law School. Wow two whole months! So far it’s been great, but I reserve the right to change my mind when exams roll around. But until then, I’ll try to keep up with this blog as a nice means for procrastinating from my reading. I suppose I should start with some background, eh?
Don’t tell my professors, but the trickiest question I’ve had to answer here at law school so far is “Where are you from?” At college that was easy to answer—I had just graduated from high school in Nashville (go Honeybears!) and had spent most of my life there. But I haven’t lived in Tennessee for six years now. These past six were spent in the Bay Area: four completing my undergraduate at Stanford then another two working at a tech company while living in San Francisco. Add another monkey wrench in that most of my family is in Minnesota where I was born and spend most of my holidays, and I start getting confused myself over which regional accent to use.
But that’s all in the past. My new home is the Lawyers Club at the University of Michigan Law School, Ann Arbor. I still stare at a computer screen all day, but now it’s to take notes either in class or while doing my reading. I treat it like a nine-to-five and haven’t run into any problems yet. More to come on that later though, assuming I didn’t just jinx myself.
In fact, there’s a lot more to come on the agenda. For reference, and because otherwise I’ll forget, here are the topics I’m planning to cover in this blog:
--Deciding to go to law school (and when)
--Applying to law school (the essay, the dreaded LSAT)
--Choosing Michigan (which I think you should)
--Getting ready for Michigan (fall vs. summer start, on vs. off campus housing, etc.)
--And lots more!
Sold? I sure am. See you all next week!