Student Loans & Financial Crisis

The following was an exchange on Yahoo Groups-TransferApps

Q: I'm wondering if, because of the financial crisis, my aid could be revoked for transfering to a different school. I got approved for a grad plus loan no problem, and I'm certainly willing to keep the same lender. I was just wondering if anyone has heard of any unusual problems (like having to change lenders when they transferred) that people may have had in retaining their aid once they transferred.

A: Yes. I think that's a possibility. I had no problem getting my grad plus loan in the summer of 2007. I had some blemishes on my credit score but I was creditworthy. When I thansferred this summer, even though my credit was no worse than before and in fact my credit card debt was less than it had been a year before, I had trouble getting approved for my loan and had to get a cosigner. This was before the meltdown but obviously after a year of subprime morgage crisis. When I asked my lender why it was more difficult for me to get a loan this year than last, they said that their requirements had changed. My loan for my old school had already been approved and was awaiting disbursement before I transferred. So yes, you can have financial aid headaches when you transfer.

Transnational Law-Required for Wash & Lee 1Ls

Washington and Lee University School of Law voted to include Transnational Law as a required first-year course. The new Transnational Law course introduces students to core principles of public and private international law, comparative law, foreign law, cross-border legal process and deal-making, transboundary dispute resolution, and elements of U.S. law that have international effects. Source: Washington and Lee University School of Law

Family Health Insurance Programs

The Mercury News recently reported that “Increasingly, universities are dropping family health insurance programs, saying soaring costs make them a money-losing option. That's forcing more families onto government programs . . . while moms and dads earn their law degrees or doctorates.” “Stanford is the only member of the nation's "Top Twenty'' ranked university campuses to not offer coverage, according to Kristina Keating of the Stanford Graduate Student Council.” Other California schools not offering family health insurance programs include University of California campuses at Berkeley, Davis and Irvine. Source: Mercury News

Top 10 Financial Aid Law Schools

Financial aid as a percentage of tuition.

1. Cooley (94%).
2. Toledo (61.4%)
3. Liberty (51.2%)
4. Northern Kentucky (50.4%)
5. La Verne (49%)
6. St. Thomas-MN (43.6%)
7. Akron (43.2%)
8. Connecticut (41.5%)
9. Howard (41.3%)
10 Hamline (39.3%)

Source: preLaw Magazine

July 2008 PA Bar & PA Law Schools

Ranking of how first-time takers from Pennsylvania law schools did on the Pennsylvania July 2008 bar exam. The parenthetical next to each school provides number that passed, the number who took the exam, and the percentage of the overall success rate.

1. UPenn (42/43; 97.7%)
2. Duquesne (131/135; 97%)
3. Villanova (136/148; 91.9%)
4. Pitt (129/141; 91.5%)
5. Temple (196/217; 90.3%)
6. Widener-PA (80/89; 89.9%)
7. Widener-DE (125/145; 86.2%)
8. Penn State-Dickinson (89/106; 84.8%)
9. Rutgers-Camden (115/149; 77.2%)

Source: Pennsylvania Board of Bar Examiners

Ranking Part-Time Law Programs

U.S. News has started working on it sfirst ever ranking of part-time law programs. This ranking will be published at the end of March 2009. Source: Morse Code

Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle Using Facebook to Recruit

Looking for a way to better promote itself to the next generation of lawyers, Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle has launched a Facebook page as part of its broader law school recruiting efforts. Source: ABA Journal

More Firms Detail Part-Timers' Path to Partner

An increasing number of law firms are codifying policies specifying how associates who opt for part-time or flex-time schedules can ascend to partnership. Source: The National Law Journal

Big Firm Hiring

The top 20 law schools that NLJ 250 law firms relied on most to fill their first-year associate ranks sent 54.9 percent of their graduates to those firms. Source: The National Law Journal

2008 LawCrossing Salary Survey

The 2008 LawCrossing Salary Survey provides data about compensation, hiring, and key
practice areas of the top 500+ national and regional U.S. law firms. According to research, in 2006, approximately 0.4% of the law firms surveyed offered first-year
salaries in the range of $150,000 to $175,000. But in 2007, the percentage of the firms offering salaries in this range increased to 26.84%. On average in 2008, 48% of the surveyed firms offered starting salaries approximately in the range of $135,000 to $175,000. Source: LawCrossing

Loan Repayment Assistance Programs

A survey in 2005 by Equal Justice Works, an advocate for programs encouraging public service legal careers, found that only 18 of 100 law schools with LRAP programs were assisting 20 or more graduates in public service jobs. About half of the nation's law schools have no loan assistance program for graduates in public service, and, aside from a few elite schools, the programs are "typically, not very generous," said Heather Jarvis, manager of Equal Justice Works' law school advocacy program. Source: The National Law Journal

Law Schools Can Require Bar Prep Courses

Law schools can require students to take bar exam preparation courses during their legal education in order to graduate. Sources: ABA’s House of Delegates and National Law Journal

ABA Approves Legal Outsourcing

A growing number of legal process outsourcing (LPO) companies have sprouted up in recent years to offer the services of lawyers abroad to handle the most labor-intensive aspects of U.S. legal matters, especially document review in large-scale litigation. India has been the most popular destination for legal outsourcing because it has a common-law system and English is widely spoken. Sources: American Bar Association and New York Law Journal

2008 Top Ten Family Friendly Firms

In alphabetical order.

Arnold & Porter (D.C.)
Convinton & Burling (D.C.)
Debevoise & Whitney (NY)
Dorsey & Whitney (Minneapolis)
Ginson, Dunn & Crutcher (L.A.)
Kirkland & Ellis (Chicago)
Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel (NY)
Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky & Popeo (Boston)
Perkins Coie (Seattle)
WilmerHale (Boston)

Source: Yale Law Women

End of Law School Textbooks?

Are electronic books the future? Could companies like Amazon.com and Sony have the answer to heavy book bags? Source: Seattle P-I.

U of Albany & Albany Law (NY) Joint JD/MBA Degree

The University at Albany School of Business and Albany Law School announced a cooperative four-year J.D. and M.B.A. program. Source: University of Albany

Elon U Law School Accreditation is on Track

Elon University School of Law on track to receive full accreditation in 2010. Source: The Pendulum

UPenn/Wharton: Joint JD-MBA Program

The University of Pennsylvania’s Law School and the Wharton Business School are launching an accelerated three-year program leading to a joint J.D.-M.B.A. degree. Source: University Pennsylvania Law School

Making the Transition from Practice to Academia

New York Law Journal

Law School Applications-Handling a Criminal Record

The following exchange was posted on Law School Discussion

QUESTION
I'm applying to law school in the fall, [and] . . . . I'm worried because of my recent criminal record: a possession of a controlled substance (marijuana).

RESPONSE
Something similar happened to me when I was 16. I had a solid 6 years before applying to show that I wasn't going to continue to make mistakes or be that kind of person. When you apply you need to write an addendum, a separate short letter explaining the circumstances of your arrest. Furthermore, explain the positive actions you have taken to ensure that it will never happen again, as well as what you have done to bounce back ( 3.7, committee, etc.) I think you will be fine. I am in at Seton Hall, Albany, and Hofstra. Worst thing you can do is lie about it. Good luck and keep me posted

Housing at UPenn Law School

The information comes from a 1L posting on Law School Discussion

Apparently, a lot of people live in Sansom (the graduate housing). However, most people I've met live in Center City. I've also met some that live in University City outside of Sansom, and a few that live elsewhere. IMO, the graduate housing is not that great and not worth the price, but it is super convenient (and I don't live there, so don't have much experience with it). I live in Center City and really like it. I'm a 10min walk from school, there are plenty of law students/other grad students both in my building and in the area, and it's closer to most of the bars, restaurants, etc. There are also a few really nice buildings near the law school (and still a close walk to CC) that some people live in.

From another 1L on Law School Discussion

Mostly Center City & University City/West Philly. When I first visited Penn, I wanted to live in West Philly but there seemed to be a huge push for Center City so that's where I ended up. I'm extremely happy with where I live - great building, 15 minute walk to school- but I have to say I think West Philly is equally as great. If you do end up coming here you should look at both

Housing at Florida State Law School

The information comes from a 1L posting on Law School Discussion

On-campus housing is very affordable (I'll be paying around $4,500 for the school year, or about $450/month) and includes all utilities and internet, though no cable or phone (both extra options priced at pretty standard rates). The housing itself is pretty good so far as on-campus housing goes, but it does leave a few things to be desired. If I had it all to do over again though, I would have came down a few months before school started and got an off-campus apartment. There are a ton of apartments right across the street from the law school that run around $500-600/month with some utilities included and wireless internet access available. It will cost a few hundred dollars more per month, but you save yourself a decent walk and get your own place (I have my own bedroom but have to share a bathroom with one other guy and a kitchen area with 3 guys, it's actually a lot like Air Force housing). Everyone I know that lives in the apartments by the law school is pretty happy with them. There are some other really nice apartments to the West of campus (the law school is on the extreme East side of campus), but I don't know much about them besides that they look really nice, are in a nice part of town with lots of businesses, the buses run by them every 20 minutes, and a lot of 2Ls and 3Ls that I know live in them despite their distance from the law school (at least a half hour walk, maybe more). If you want anything more specific or need me to look anything up, just ask.

Nationwide Interviewing

Law School Connect (LSC), a nationwide interviewing network for law schools, law firms, legal non-profits and judges, today announces the availability of videoconferencing capability in more than fifty law schools across the nation, allowing recruiters to meet with candidates for placement opportunities while utilizing technology already available in their office, to save time and money – all while being environmentally responsible. The Open Press

The Problems with Eliminating Grades

Brian Leiter's blog has an interesting article on problems that may result with the top law schools eliminating grades.

Harvard Law Tuition Waiver Program-Big Interest

A program that would waive tuition for third-year students at Harvard Law School who commit to working five years in public interest law received an enthusiastic first response—far more so than its optimistic proponents expected.

Over 110 first-year students participated in a non-binding sign-up for the Public Service Initiative at a banquet earlier this month—50 percent over the targeted number, according to Law School Dean Elena Kagan. Harvard Crimson

UNLV Law School-83% Bar Pass Rate, July 2008

Eighty-three percent of William S. Boyd School of Law graduates passed the exam – 13 percentage points higher than Nevada’s overall pass rate for first-time test takers. Additionally, 48 percent of Boyd School of Law graduates, who repeated the exam this year, passed. This percentage is more than double last year’s the law school’s repeat-taker pass rate. Statewide, 34 percent of people who took the test again also passed. Source: UNLV Law School

UC Irvine Law School 2009 Entering Class: Free Tuition

The new law school at the University of California, Irvine plans to offer full three-year tuition scholarships to students who enroll in the school's first semester in fall 2009. The school began accepting applications for enrollment in September 2008, and plans to enroll about 60 students for the fall 2009. UC Irvine School of Law and The National Law Journal.

Barkley School of Law is Closing

The Barkley School of Law -- formerly known as the American Justice School of Law -- is withdrawing its application with the state for a license to operate in 2009.

The decision comes at the end of a turbulent year for the Paducah, Ky., for-profit institution, during which it faced a lawsuit, disturbing allegations by students, dwindling enrollment, new leadership, a name change and finally, a bankruptcy filing. Source: The National Law Journal

New Book: The Best Law Schools' Admission Secrets

This book is written by Joyce Putnam Curll who worked in admissions at Harvard Law School and New York University Law School for 34 years. Amazon

Cross-border Law Program

The University of Alberta in Canada and the University of Colorado in the United States have launched a new program that will enable law students from both schools to obtain an Alberta law degree and a Colorado law degree in four-year years. It will be possible to take the American Bar in the summer following the fourth year, and then return to Canada to article in September. Source: University of Alberta and The National Law Journal

PA Bar Results-July 2008

According to the Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners, 1,911 applicants took the bar examination given on July 29 and 30, 2008, of which 1,582 passed (83% pass rate). Source: Legal Intelligencer

U.S. News to Rank Part-Time Law Programs

U.S. News is working on its first-ever ranking of part-time law programs for the law school rankings to be published in March 2009. According to the American Bar Association, around 10 percent of all first-year law students are enrolled part time at around 80 law schools. Part-time programs typically take four years to complete instead of three years for full-time ones. Source: Morse Code

Harvard Law School Adopts New Grading System.

Following the lead of Yale and Stanford, Harvard has adopted the new grading system below to replace its current system of using letter grades. The new system will be implemented for students entering with the Class of 2012 in Fall 2009.

High Pass (A+, A, A-)
Pass (B+, B, B-)
Low Pass (C or D)
Failure (F)

Source: Harvard Law Record

New PA Law School

Wilkes University (PA) aims to open the law school with a class of 80 to 100 students in the fall of 2009. Source: Wilkes University

Associate Pay Unlikely to Rise in 2009.

Nearly a year ago, DC's Williams & Connolly pushed first-year associate salaries to $180,000, but according to top partners, associate pay is going to hold steady for a while as firms deal with the difficult economy. Who knows how long this will hold, but some feel that it may not be for too long because there is a greater demand than supply for top young lawyers.

The increase in associate pay added $1 billion to firm overhead in 2007, according to The American Lawyer. Still, the magazine reports, that was less than 1 percent of the overall gross of the Am Law 200. Source: Legal Times

UCLA Law School: A Student's Perspective

Nandan Padmanabhan is attending UCLA Law School. Previously he attended the University of Michigan and worked at JPMorgan Chase in Chicago. For Padmanabhan, law school is unlike any other academic training he has experienced. Despite that he thinks UCLA law school is a great fit for his personality. Source: The Daily Bruin

Handling Interview Questions

If you are presented with an unforeseen question for which there is no easy answer, pause to consider what positive aspect of yourself can be revealed in your reply. Many interviewees mistakenly believe they must have quick answers at the tips of their tongues for every question. It is perfectly permissible, and even beneficial, to take a few moments to think about a difficult question. It shows that you are thoughtful, careful and sincere. Source New Jersey Law Journal.

Lawyer Moms Earn Less Than Lawyer Dads

Tentative results of a draft study of 700 University of Michigan law grads found that

• Male grads who became fathers earned were 15 percent to 20 percent more than childless men.
• Mothers earned 10 percent to 15 percent less than childless women, and 25 percent to 35 percent less than fathers.
• Childless women earn about 8 percent or 9 percent less than childless men (the study cautioned that the "statistical robustness" of this finding was somewhat weak).

Source: ABA Journal

Princeton Review’s 2009 Best 174 Law Schools

Below is a summary of The Princeton Review’s 2009 Best 174 Law Schools

Best Career Prospects
1. Michigan
2. Northwestern
3. Virginia
4. Harvard
5. Boston College
6. Stanford
7. Chicago
8. NYU
9. UPenn
10. Boston University

Best Classroom Experience
1. Texas
2. Loyola Marymount (L.A.)
3. Chapman
4. Stanford
5. Virginia
6. Duke
7. Vanderbilt
8. Chicago
9. GW
10. Northwestern

Best Environment for Minority Students
1. Howard
2. Hawaii
3. St. Thomas (FL)
4. Florida International
5. USC
6. Southern
7. Southwestern
8. Northwestern
9. Santa Clara
10. American

Best Quality of Life
1. Virginia
2. St. Thomas (MN)
3. Chapman
4. Stanford
5. Vanderbilt
6. Colorado
7. Regent
8. Northwestern
9. Oregon
10. GW

Most Liberal Law Students
1. Northeastern
2. CUNY
3. Lewis and Clark
4. American
5. UDC, David A. Clarke
6. Vermont
7. Oregon
8. UC Berkeley
9. Wisconsin
10. San Francisco

Most Conservative Law Studentsl
1. Ave Maria
2. Regent
3. BYU
4. George Mason
5. Notre Dame
6. LSU, Herbert Law Center
7. Alabama
8. Texas Tech
9. Campbell U, Wiggins School of Law
10. University of Mississippi

Most Competitive Students
1. Baylor
2. Ohio Northern
3. BYU
4. Syracuse
5. St. John’s
6. Whittier
7. St. Thomas
8. Campbell U, Wiggins School of Law
9. Cooley
10. Albany

Most Diverse Faculty
1. Howard
2. Florida International
3. Temple
4. Hawaii
5. Southern
6. UDC, David A. Clarke
7. North Carolina
8. Northern Illinios
9. Chapman
10. UC Davis

Most Welcoming to Older Students
1. CUNY
2. Hawaii
3. Lewis and Clark
4. San Francisco
5. Arizona, Rogers College of Law
6. Northwestern
7. Maine
8. Seattle
9. New Mexico
10. UDC, David A. Clarke

Best Professors (Interesting & Accessible)
1. Boston University
2. Chicago
3. Stanford
4. Virginia
5. Boston College
6. Loyola Marymount (L.A.)
7. Chapman
8. Pepperdine
9. Washington and Lee
10. Wake Forrest

Toughest to Get Into
1. Yale
2. Harvard
3. Stanford
4. UC Berkeley
5. UPenn
6. Columbia
7. UConn
8. Northwestern
9. Chicago
10. Michigan

2009 Summer Associates

As for summer associates, Jerry Kowalski, the head of recruiting at consulting firm Kowalski & Associates, estimates that there will be 30% to 35% fewer summer associate positions nationwide in 2009. Source: National Law Journal

2009 Legal Job Market

It seems that 2009’s job market for the more than 44,000 third-year students will not be as favorable as it has been over the last few years. Source: National Law Journal