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Continuing That Fine Berkeley Tradition

By Patrick

Many 1L's expressed frustration this fall that they were required to take (2) elective courses, regardless of the credit load. IP-ers could take intro to IP (which is now divided into two classes, totaling 5 credits) and satisfy the requirement. Con Law-ers, who will also be taking 5 credits, were required to take another elective, for a heavier credit burden.

I confess that I (a Con Law-er) wasn't particularly concerned with the issue. What do I care what other students are taking? I WANT to take classes. I think they are interesting and I like law school. But I could see their point. There is something unfair from a workload/study time/grade curve point of view -- if that's your bag, and all. Although I never saw the petition that was signed and sent to Dean O., I probably would have signed it. I'm in Berkeley, after all.

Long story short: "V" is for Victoria, "O" is for Ortiz, and apparently they letters may also stand for "occasional victory." Hat tip to the folks who put so much time into the petition while others of us were, err, blowing off studying. This email just came to 1L's from Dean O.:

Dear 1Ls:

Dean Shelanski and I have spent a good bit of time discussing the issues raised by the requirement that you each enroll in two electives regardless of the number of units that gives you for the semester. As many of you know by now, depending on your choices, some of you might end up with 17, 18, or even 19 units, a very heavy academic load.

Dean Shelanski and I are extremely sympathetic to the concerns of those students who are worried about such a heavy semester. At the same time, we are to some degree bound by the faculty decision that second-semester 1L students take two electives, regardless of unit total. Our concern in all of this is to balance academic requirements, professor preferences, and student needs. The issues many of you are facing in this regard have been increasing year to year, and therefore we are planning an in-depth review of the second 1L semester program by the Curriculum Committee, in order to determine what changes, if any, might be warranted.

In the meanwhile, as an interim matter, I will happily authorize those of you wishing to take one of the 5-unit electives to forgo enrollment in a second elective. However, I am asking that you each complete and leave for my signature (during the first week of the spring semester will do) a Petition for a Waiver of an Academic Rule, indicating your desire for me to approve the waiver of the two-elective rule.

Best of luck on your first law school finals!! Don't forget to come to the Goldberg Room (as early as 7 a.m. if you want) for breakfast on those days with morning finals scheduled.

Best,
Dean Ortiz

Boalties changed something substantive about their quality of life. "Mark it, Dude."

Full post as published by Nuts & Boalts on December 07, 2007 (boomark / email).