Law Students

Enough with the [Phrase] Activist Judges!

Posted on October 27, 2008
John McCain promises in an article at law.com today that if elected, he would avoid "activist judges" like the social plague everyone agrees they are.But do we agree?  What the hell is an "activist judge," anyway?  The phrase is like "alibi," "Sunni Islam," or "fiscal conservative" -- everybody uses it, but who can say what it means? The distinction between "activist judges" and the three phrases just listed, however, is that "activist judges" probably never had a precise meaning...

The Undecideds

Posted on October 23, 2008
No, I'm not talking about the Ohioans who do that dial-o-graph thing on CNN during the debates.* I'm talking about the 2Ls still holding offers. There's considerable traffic on ATL on the subject. Here are my brief thoughts. And as a caveat, these are my personal observations, not my firm's policies, preferences, etc...

Making Their Own Reality

Posted on October 22, 2008
And followed by...Although I think the hypocrisy and outright lies flowing from the McCain Campaign are a story worth noting and mocking, I also want to flag this webcast of a forum with McCain's and Obama's economic advisers tonight at 4:30 PM.

Survey Number 988978655

Posted on October 21, 2008
[Update: Just saw this. Un-freaking-believable. Great minds think alike.]----------------If you are a 2L or a 3L you recently received an e-mail asking to you fill out a survey on what can be done to improve the online teaching evaluation process. Since you probably deleted it as a matter of course, I posted in the comments...

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Spooky Thought of the Week: Nightclub Boalt

Posted on October 20, 2008
If you get claustrophobic or don't want to feel creeped out, don't read this.Over the last week, workers have sheetrocked all doorways to the courtyard, which is essentially every south- and east-facing door in Boalt Hall. I think they've covered a few windows as well...

How about an ethics course for the administration?

Posted on October 20, 2008
I think most of you know I'm not the type of N&B blogger who typically rails against the administration. Actually, considering this is my first post since Lockergate, maybe I am that kind of blogger. But those who know me personally know I rarely whine...

2009 Spring Classes

Posted on October 15, 2008
The spring course schedule is up. As with past semesters, here is a course recommendation thread.My two cents for 1L's: Civ Pro II, Con Law, Advanced Legal Research, in that order. (Was that three cents?) That's just my view, and others may disagree, but there you have it...

Proposition Six Ironic

Posted on October 14, 2008
On the 2008 ballot, Proposition 6 is the "Safe Neighborhoods Act." Sounds pretty good, doesn't it? I mean . . . safe neighborhoods: You're either for 'em or against 'em, right?Here are a few key provisions of the initiative. Prop. 6, if passed, would: increase penalties for firearm and drug crimes; require recipients of public housing subsidies submit to criminal background checks and lose housing if they or someone in their family has been convicted of a recent crime; eliminate bail for illegal aliens; change rules of evidence to allow use of hearsay statements when witnesses are unavailable; divert several billion from the CA general fund; and require a majority vote to add, but a 3/4 vote to amend...

Lieter's new rankings are crap.

Posted on October 13, 2008
Brian Lieter released a new ranking of law schools today, entitled "The Top 15 Schools From Which the Most "Prestigious" Law Firms Hire New Lawyers, 2008."Where does he get his data? Here's a direct quote:We started with the most recent Vault list of the most prestigious law firms in the U...

But if We Give Gays and Lesbians Equal Rights, Everyone Else Will Want Them, Too

Posted on October 10, 2008
Yesterday, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples have the right to marry. That makes Connecticut the third state, after Massachusetts and California, to legalize gay marriage. Interestingly enough, the state had passed a civil union law, but the court ruled that it did not offer gays and lesbians the same privileges and status as marriage...

Notorious B.O.A.L.T.

Posted on October 09, 2008
Abovethelaw.com just gave our school quite possibly the best props that an educational facility can receive. Whoever did this:http://abovethelaw.com/2008/10/to_the_window_to_the_wall_till.phpThank you. Go Boalt!Funny thing is, I can use this for bar study this coming spring...

Tele-F*CKED 2008, Phase II

Posted on October 08, 2008
Thanks to your diligent efforts, I have lost my unfair advantage over my fellow students. Damn you, Nuts and Boalts!So says an anonymous survey-taker, and correctly: Tele-BEARS times have been randomized.Specifically, students have been grouped by graduating class and then randomized within that group...

From the OCIP Spin Room

Posted on October 08, 2008
From a previous thread:Anonymous said . . .Off topic, but how about a post on the 2L/3L job market, from a Boalt perspective???Like the one here: [ ATL Link 1; Link 2].I had part of that conversation last night with a friend, who wondered whether the recent economic events will affect job prospects for Boalt's class of 2011...

Presidential Debate, Round 2, FIGHT!

Posted on October 07, 2008
Will John McCain bring the hurt? Or will Obama duck-and-stick? Will it get dirty? Will we hear about Ayers or Keating? Or will they just make up and hug, because hey, we're all brothers?The debate starts at 6:00 PST.

Tele-F*CKED 2008

Posted on October 06, 2008
First, they lied to us. Then we caught them. But they never apologized.For those of you tuning in for the first time this fall, here's a brief rundown:Boalt students have been assured for years that Tele-BEARS registration times (and the concomitant opportunity take that coveted class, or to score an early slot on the wait-list) were randomized to ensure fairness...

Law Talking Guys (and Gals) for Change

Posted on October 06, 2008
Four years ago, I was a mindless 1L watching my classmates get involved in the election. Now is your chance. Instead of just walking precincts, you can put your legal education to good use. Sign up here.

Softball: Have Talent?

Posted on October 05, 2008
To: All BoaltiesFrom: Bad News Bearisters In the third year of epic Bad News Bearisters tradition, our flagship Boalt team is in need of a few more players. If anyone can (a) throw a softball, (b) catch a softball, and (c) hit a softball and WON'T SHOW UP DRUNK, then we want to see what you can do...

Commencing World's Longest Wince, 6pm

Posted on October 02, 2008
It could be really, delightfully ugly tonight. In fact it already IS ugly, based on intel from the CBS "presidential questions" series.UPDATE (Armen): In honor of Sen. McCain's love of gambling, I propose a Palin Pick 'Em contest. In your opinion, what is the easiest question that Palin cannot answer? I'm talking in general, but you can limit it to tonight's debate if you want...

Hey There Little Cardinal Riding Hood

Posted on October 02, 2008
Compare this and this with this. UPDATE: Nevermind, for some reason I thought these were separate incidents. Same Cristina, new charges.

Kiffin Me Softly

Posted on September 30, 2008
As avid football fans (or East Bay residents who try to avoid riding BART during Raider games), I'm sure you've already heard that Al Davis fired Lane Kiffin as the head coach, replacing him with Tom Cable, the current O-Line coach. (a) Al Davis is a moron who doesn't know what he's doing and the sooner he croaks, the sooner the Raiders will do well...

No Soup For You!

Posted on September 29, 2008
The bailout is off, at least for now. I do not know if the measure would have stabilized our economy, or ruined it. I do know that a 110 page crap shoot is not leadership. Nothing makes up for lack of preparation -- not money, not smarts, not even luck...

John Deere Letter

Posted on September 29, 2008
A Boaltie asks, "how do you go about rejecting an offer?" Answer: Call one of the attorneys you interviewed with, probably the one who gave you the offer or recruited you. Sometimes firms may inquire where you are going. Don't take this the wrong way, it's just one of the ways of gauging the legal market.

Breaking News: Rest of Nation Follows Berkeley's Lead, For Once.

Posted on September 27, 2008
Who knew that ginkgo biloba was the only thing holding Boalt back?No sooner are the stinky trees gone, do we learn that both Harvard and Stanford Law Schools have decided to defer to Berkeley--at least as far as grading systems go. According to Above the Law, Harvard is abandoning its eight point (!) grading system in place of an Honors/Pass system...

"Oh the Humanity" Check Design Coming Soon

Posted on September 26, 2008
Wait, what the hell just happened to my checking account? I get home from a Gobama fundraiser [insert snide anonymous comments about what happened to my checking account here] and I read that I'm now a loyal JPMorganChaseBearSternsWashingtonMutual customer? And I wish all the best to my classmates at Heller...

Section LL's E-ticket Ride

Posted on September 25, 2008
"Seismic engineers apparently have solved one of the world's great retrofit puzzles: how to keep UC Berkeley's Memorial Stadium from crumbling into a pile of concrete rubble during a major earthquake."For an excellent article on the new retrofit plans for the stadium, click HERE.

Heller's Hell

Posted on September 24, 2008
You know you're in bad shape when even the local newspaper picks up on the fact that you're a sinking ship. Ouch.But, where shall all of those attorneys go? See here.

Boalt Basics (ASP Session)

Posted on September 24, 2008
Remember the last lecture on Boalt Basics? Kiddos, this is not 'Nam. This is dining. There are rules. Here is a black letter re-cap: No, no, no, no, NO!

2008 Clerkship Post-game

Posted on September 23, 2008
Comments in a thread below ask for a place to further discuss clerkship opportunities at Boalt. One of those comments, from someone who obviously knows what they are talking about, contains a thoughtful series of observations and suggestions. I am quoting that comment in full, as it provides as good a place to begin as any...

An Electoral College Tie? Goodbye Legitimacy of American Elections!

Posted on September 23, 2008
One of the more interesting political developments of my lifetime has been the increasing uncertainty in American elections.  It used to be over when it was over, but since 2000, you never really know.  Each side deploys hundreds of lawyers to the closely contested states (how do you get to be one of those?) and awaits the potential streetfight that may result from the words "too close to call...

You Cheated? After We AGREED?

Posted on September 23, 2008
OverLawyered has this to say about relationship exclusivity contracts (HT: ATL):I have often wondered if, were courts to fully embrace contract marriage, they might also recognize a status short of it: something akin to a relationship contract. That?s the issue facing an Illinois court right now, as Nicole Basarich is suing Robert Lane, with whom she cohabitated for more than sixteen years, for ?violating the[ir] agreement for an exclusive relationship? and for failing to pay his portion of the mortgage...

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