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[Angry Grimace]

Makes me happy that I'm not doing BarBri. I'm still contemplating not doing any review course. We'll see how the bar study loan goes

Even with Barbri I'm a lazy asshole and not doing anything. I don't learn shit this way so I'm kind of struggling here.

 

[Frank the Great]

So, what are some alternate summer job options for 1L's that strike out during OCI's? What did most of you guys end up doing in your summer after 1L?

Haven't got all my grades back yet, but right now it's looking like I'll end up with a B+ average, just short of A- thanks to completely botching my property exam. The only people that end up getting 1L biglaw summer jobs seem to be A average students in the top 10% of the class, so it looks like that is probably out of the question for me. Are there any decent summer job options for law students outside of firms?

In my 1L year I did an externship (internship through my school, for credit) with a local trial judge. It was a great experience and next year I will be clerking for that same judge.

I highly recommend judicial internships/externships. You get nice legal experience, writing samples, and if you get the right judge you also get a mentor and connections.

 

[Arksy]

How good is the BarBri course? Would it be good for a foreign lawyer to learn the domestic law required for the bar exam? I took a look, the New York bar requires about six months to process an application, which is basically a good amount of time for study. I’m more interested in the bar of Washington state and would assume it would be fairly similar. How much procedure is in the bar exam because from the essay questions I saw it seemed to be all based on local law (wills & estates, constitutional law, corporate law, etc).

 

[ZackieChan]

public interest & govt internships? i don't think most people work at firms their 1L summer, even given the choice sometimes but yeah it's a good idea to get ANY legal work if you can

I worked at a small firm. I think it is great experience,and there are plenty of small ones out there who might appreciate the free help.

 

[mre]

How good is the BarBri course? Would it be good for a foreign lawyer to learn the domestic law required for the bar exam? I took a look, the New York bar requires about six months to process an application, which is basically a good amount of time for study. I’m more interested in the bar of Washington state and would assume it would be fairly similar. How much procedure is in the bar exam because from the essay questions I saw it seemed to be all based on local law (wills & estates, constitutional law, corporate law, etc).

I can't speak for other jurisdictions, but here in Alabama, we had two essay portions: one on substantive subjects and then one strictly on the Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure.

 

[Pilgor]

A in Patents, mothafuckaaaaa.

 

[LowEndTorque]

I worked at a small firm. I think it is great experience,and there are plenty of small ones out there who might appreciate the free help.

I'm not sure how I feel about doing legal work for free. I'm really determined to get some sort of legal experience under my belt this summer though, so I may end up having to do that though.

If it's going to be an exploitative relationship where they work me to the bone for nothing, then toss me out when they're done, I don't think I could subject myself to that. But I'd be totally down to do a casual and friendly sort of thing where I volunteer once or twice a week. I'm of the opinion that if I'm volunteering my work for free, I should be setting the terms and working when and how much I want.

 

[mre]

I'm not sure how I feel about doing legal work for free. I'm really determined to get some sort of legal experience under my belt this summer though, so I may end up having to do that though.

If it's going to be an exploitative relationship where they work me to the bone for nothing, then toss me out when they're done, I don't think I could subject myself to that. But I'd be totally down to do a casual and friendly sort of thing where I volunteer once or twice a week. I'm of the opinion that if I'm volunteering my work for free, I should be setting the terms and working when and how much I want.

Oh, lordy. Good luck and God speed.

 

[Hartt951]

Hello Law-Gaf, time for an LSAT post.

I just signed up to take it in June. Is there anything special I should know/you wish you knew going into it? Seems pretty straightforward and I was planning on doing the practice test on the LSAC website along with buying a prep book, so I think I'll be good, but I just thought it would be helpful to get some input from everyone that has already been through it all.

Thanks.

 

[brucewaynegretzky]

Hello Law-Gaf, time for an LSAT post.

I just signed up to take it in June. Is there anything special I should know/you wish you knew going into it? Seems pretty straightforward and I was planning on doing the practice test on the LSAC website along with buying a prep book, so I think I'll be good, but I just thought it would be helpful to get some input from everyone that has already been through it all.

Thanks.

First.

Second, for your prep books look to the Powerscore Bibles.

 

[mingus]

I'm not sure how I feel about doing legal work for free. I'm really determined to get some sort of legal experience under my belt this summer though, so I may end up having to do that though.

If it's going to be an exploitative relationship where they work me to the bone for nothing, then toss me out when they're done, I don't think I could subject myself to that. But I'd be totally down to do a casual and friendly sort of thing where I volunteer once or twice a week. I'm of the opinion that if I'm volunteering my work for free, I should be setting the terms and working when and how much I want.

Having substantial things to talk about on your resume and a shining endorsement from your boss is worth much more than the paltry sums a summer intern might get.

 

[Pollux]

Grades are in. It's brutal. I think I'm going to give up any hope I have of getting a job.

 

[mre]

Grades are in. It's brutal. I think I'm going to give up any hope I have of getting a job.

C's get degrees, my man. C's get degrees.

 

[NintendoGal]

mre pointed me to this thread because of another thread I made:

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=508437

So here are the questions I have for anyone willing to answer them:

1) Who owns an interview? Assume both cases of no waiver signed as well as waiver signed. All formats included (though mainly I'm wanting to know video format for personal reasons).

2) Since those boilerplate forms may not be a good route to go for a waiver form, where should I go for this? Can I draft my own without having a clue? Are there any places that are low-cost about this (I'm not really making anything off my site/videos.)?

3) Is it necessary to "lawyer up" in my case with a laughable amount of money involved? I ask because I don't have the funds for this type of stuff and would honestly like to avoid it if at all possible.

4) If yes to 3, how much footwork will be involved and is the effort going to be worth it? I'd like to avoid the answers of: if you feel your work is worth it, then it is. I want a straight up answer that doesn't beat around the bush.


Thanks for considering and reading.

 

[Angry Grimace]

I'm not sure how I feel about doing legal work for free. I'm really determined to get some sort of legal experience under my belt this summer though, so I may end up having to do that though.

If it's going to be an exploitative relationship where they work me to the bone for nothing, then toss me out when they're done, I don't think I could subject myself to that. But I'd be totally down to do a casual and friendly sort of thing where I volunteer once or twice a week. I'm of the opinion that if I'm volunteering my work for free, I should be setting the terms and working when and how much I want.

 

[shadowsdarknes]

Hello Lawyer-GAF. Today I found myself in an incredibly shitty situation. I need some advice.

In early November I called the police to remove a violent and drunk girl from my apartment. Glasses and bottles were broken inside of my apartment that made a mess out of the place which the police thoroughly documented in the police report.

She was extremely drunk from her 21st birthday when she went on this rampage. Her boyfriend whom is my roommate and her got into a fight. Both of us were sober. Once it got out of hand I called the police. A month later she changes her statement to me pushing her first, and then she and her boyfriend got into a fight before I called the police.

The clerks office sent me a notification to attend a hearing 5 weeks later. Here is where this situation sucks for me. I never received the notification. It was sent to my mailbox, however, I share the mailbox with my upstairs neighbors whom took the letter and kept it inside a bag with a bunch of other junk mail. I found the letter a few minutes ago after arguing for a half hour with the Assistant District Attorney about never receiving the notification. Should I have my neighbors contact her or is it pointless now?

Also, I'm getting a copy of the police report tomorrow and I think I have an ace in my back pocket. The Dean of Student Affairs called us in to discuss the incident in further detail because the Police Department contacted my school. I met with him this afternoon and he said there was no mention of me being involved with the physical altercation that took place.

I'm going to request a copy of that document at some point after I receive some legal advice. I have a clean record currently but the ADA said that might change once I go to the arraignment whether or not I'm found guilty or not guilty. Having a record can ruin my chances of becoming a Naval Officer.

No matter what happens I'm considering taking further action against her for slander. I'm extremely upset about this allegation because I even changed my statement to help her case because I didn't want this to be blown out of proportion. I take my reputation very seriously and therefore I'm prepared to take the harshest legal actions against her after I clear up this assault and battery charges. What is Legal-GAFs recommendation?

 

[mre]

Get an attorney. Get an attorney. Get an attorney. If you're worried about potential ramifications on your Naval career, get an attorney.

 

[shadowsdarknes]

Get an attorney. Get an attorney. Get an attorney. If you're worried about potential ramifications on your Naval career, get an attorney.

Are public defenders garbage?

 

[Cat Party]

Get an attorney. Get an attorney. Get an attorney. If you're worried about potential ramifications on your Naval career, get an attorney.

Unfortunately, this.

 

[genjiZERO]

Are public defenders garbage?

No. They can be great because they get tons of experience. The cultural status level of an attorney is often not indicative of their level of quality.

 

[shadowsdarknes]

Unfortunately, this.

Can you guys give me a little more advice than getting an attorney? I appreciate the recommendation, however, the suggestion makes me feel like I'm absolutely fucked and out of options.

 

[Tex117]

I'm not sure how I feel about doing legal work for free. I'm really determined to get some sort of legal experience under my belt this summer though, so I may end up having to do that though.

If it's going to be an exploitative relationship where they work me to the bone for nothing, then toss me out when they're done, I don't think I could subject myself to that. But I'd be totally down to do a casual and friendly sort of thing where I volunteer once or twice a week. I'm of the opinion that if I'm volunteering my work for free, I should be setting the terms and working when and how much I want.

LOLOLOLOLOLOL

 

[Angry Grimace]

Can you guys give me a little more advice than getting an attorney? I appreciate the recommendation, however, the suggestion makes me feel like I'm absolutely fucked and out of options.

The answer to this is basically no.

Many attorneys are willing to give highly generalized legal advice involving fairly inconsequential matters over the internet (e.g. "can I get my deposit back from my landlord?"), you aren't going to find many competent people who are going to get involved in a situation like yours because the ramifications are very serious and the facts are far too complex to resolve through a message board. You need an actual attorney who handles matters in your area to give you the advice you're looking for.

 

[shadowsdarknes]

The answer to this is basically no.

Many attorneys are willing to give highly generalized legal advice involving fairly inconsequential matters over the internet (e.g. "can I get my deposit back from my landlord?"), you aren't going to find many competent people who are going to get involved in a situation like yours because the ramifications are very serious and the facts are far too complex to resolve through a message board. You need an actual attorney who handles matters in your area to give you the advice you're looking for.

Okay thanks for the reply. What type of attorney should I be seeking? My plan is to receive legal advice from one of the Law Professors at my school.

 

[PBY]

Hello Law-Gaf, time for an LSAT post.

I just signed up to take it in June. Is there anything special I should know/you wish you knew going into it? Seems pretty straightforward and I was planning on doing the practice test on the LSAC website along with buying a prep book, so I think I'll be good, but I just thought it would be helpful to get some input from everyone that has already been through it all.

Thanks.

Naw. Do your research bro.

 

[mre]

Naw. Do your research bro.

He is, by asking here.

Okay thanks for the reply. What type of attorney should I be seeking? My plan is to receive legal advice from one of the Law Professors at my school.

Criminal defense attorney. Your local bar association probably has a lawyer referral service or you can ask the Law Professor if he has a recommendation.

 

[PBY]

He is, by asking here.

Criminal defense attorney. Your local bar association probably has a lawyer referral service or you can ask the Law Professor if he has a recommendation.

Maybe I came across too harsh, just really jaded by the whole experience, especially seeing friends and their experiences w/ jobs and whatnot. Meant more to say that you are gonna want to do way more research than that, not just meaning the test. If thats how you feel about the test, fine, but make sure that you are way more knowledgeable about what you're getting into as far as school, jobs, what your goals are go.

 

[mre]

I'm not sure how I feel about doing legal work for free. I'm really determined to get some sort of legal experience under my belt this summer though, so I may end up having to do that though.

If it's going to be an exploitative relationship where they work me to the bone for nothing, then toss me out when they're done, I don't think I could subject myself to that. But I'd be totally down to do a casual and friendly sort of thing where I volunteer once or twice a week. I'm of the opinion that if I'm volunteering my work for free, I should be setting the terms and working when and how much I want.

Oh, lordy. Good luck and God speed.

Having substantial things to talk about on your resume and a shining endorsement from your boss is worth much more than the paltry sums a summer intern might get.

LOLOLOLOLOLOL

By the way, LowEndTorque, I hoped the responses your post received were actually instructive with regards to the attitude you displayed in your post. The legal market is tight these days, so you need to make every connection you can. If that means working for free for part of your summer, then so be it. Should you be lucky enough to land even an unpaid internship (which you may be able to actually get credit for, depending upon your school), treat it like a real job and cut the entitled attitude right the fuck out. Believe me when I say that YOU need THEM a whole lot more than THEY need YOU.

 

[pwack]

Okay thanks for the reply. What type of attorney should I be seeking? My plan is to receive legal advice from one of the Law Professors at my school.

Seeking actual real world legal advice from a law school professor is a horrible idea. It's like asking Erin Andrews to play left tackle for Alabama.

 

[Byakuya769]

Okay thanks for the reply. What type of attorney should I be seeking? My plan is to receive legal advice from one of the Law Professors at my school.

Talk to a law professor when this gets up to the Supreme Court and you need a novel legal theory for a justice to warp the prior jurisprudence around so that they may rationalize their intended outcome. -exhale-

You are working towards being a naval officer, or you in the services right now? They may have lawyers freely available. My brother had a case of police harassment while in the air force, and the air force had representation on base.

 

[Angry Grimace]

Bar prep panic time? The bar is only a month and a half away and I can't remember the rules for fucking anything.

 

[ZackieChan]

Bar prep panic time? The bar is only a month and a half away and I can't remember the rules for fucking anything.

The rules for Fucking Anything are, if I'm remembering correctly, that you can't just fuck anything.

See West's Ann.Cal.Penal Code § 261.5 and West's Ann.Cal.Penal Code § 286.5.

 

[Angry Grimace]

The rules for Fucking Anything are, if I'm remembering correctly, that you can't just fuck anything.

See West's Ann.Cal.Penal Code § 261.5 and West's Ann.Cal.Penal Code § 286.5.

*slowclap*

 

[ZackieChan]

*slowclap*

*curtsy*

 

[brucewaynegretzky]

*slowclap*

It's the second one that really does it.

 

[RandomDancing]

Bar prep panic time? The bar is only a month and a half away and I can't remember the rules for fucking anything.

Don't panic. It's easier said than done and you're obviously going to still do it, but try your best not to. I wasted huge amounts of time on my first exam worrying about my progress. You will never feel confident. You will never feel like you know enough. You will always feel behind everyone else. All you can do it keep reading, memorizing and practicing. The more essays and MBEs you practice, the more you will retain.

And don't worry too much about not feeling like you remember the rules. There were certain subjects I was killing in my MBE practice exams a month out from the exam. I basically stopped most of my practice of those subjects so I could focus on what I really didn't know, and ended up doing my worst on the exam on those early subjects. A little early panic can be more beneficial than a little early confidence.

 

[ratcliffja]

Hey Legal GAF. My wife is a credentialed teacher who has just started tutoring as a part-time job. Right now it is her only job and source of income other than my current job as a game programmer. We weren't sure about the legal issues surrounding tutoring as a business. She has already searched the web for hours and can't find a consistent answer. She has not hired anybody to work for her and doesn't plan on doing so. She doesn't operate out of an office but instead goes to the students' homes. Does she need a business license? Will she need to pay self-employment taxes?

 

[Tookay]

Hello Law-Gaf, time for an LSAT post.

I just signed up to take it in June. Is there anything special I should know/you wish you knew going into it? Seems pretty straightforward and I was planning on doing the practice test on the LSAC website along with buying a prep book, so I think I'll be good, but I just thought it would be helpful to get some input from everyone that has already been through it all.

Thanks.

Practice logic games.

A lot.

And figure out shorthands.

Also, reallllllly consider whether you want this. Law school isn't the most pleasant experience and the job market is pretty tight.

 

[exarkun]

Hello Law-Gaf, time for an LSAT post.

I just signed up to take it in June. Is there anything special I should know/you wish you knew going into it? Seems pretty straightforward and I was planning on doing the practice test on the LSAC website along with buying a prep book, so I think I'll be good, but I just thought it would be helpful to get some input from everyone that has already been through it all.

Thanks.

Do both the princeton and kaplan review books (because thats what their courses consists of), buy (or download if they have that option) all the old LSATs that you can, and then take those tests. The best practice for me was taking the test, knowing what I did wrong, then reforming the way i approached questions. I would laugh at you if all you did was the practice test and half of the prep book, but thats me. Takes dedication bro, if you make a good score it means more scholarship money or better school (which means better future salary).

Wanted to drop in to say that I got a job at a nice agency, somewhere I've been working towards and never thought I'd be able to work at (after the abomination that was my second half of my 1L year). Im still in the testing phase, they haven't offered me anything permanent, but just doing the work is nice. Some of you have been there over the last few years when I asked questions so I wanted to share and say grades don't matter as much if you just hustle your ass off.

 

[Jarmel]

Going to apply to law school next year. Wondering what schools I should apply to.

Econ major with 3.4 GPA from SUNY Binghamton, UM

Aiming for around 170 on LSATS as I'm currently getting low 160s on practice LSATS.

I messed with the acceptance calculators online and getting a variety of answers.

 

[mre]

Hey Legal GAF. My wife is a credentialed teacher who has just started tutoring as a part-time job. Right now it is her only job and source of income other than my current job as a game programmer. We weren't sure about the legal issues surrounding tutoring as a business. She has already searched the web for hours and can't find a consistent answer. She has not hired anybody to work for her and doesn't plan on doing so. She doesn't operate out of an office but instead goes to the students' homes. Does she need a business license? Will she need to pay self-employment taxes?

It depends upon your state, county, and municipality.

The answer to your second question will depend upon how her business is organized, but, generally, yes. Here's a helpful resource: http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-Employed/Sole-Proprietorships

 

[ratcliffja]

It depends upon your state, county, and municipality.

The answer to your second question will depend upon how her business is organized, but, generally, yes. Here's a helpful resource: http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-Employed/Sole-Proprietorships

Thanks, that link is very helpful. We're in Valencia, California (Los Angeles County).

 

[Balphon]

Going to apply to law school next year. Wondering what schools I should apply to.

Econ major with 3.4 GPA from SUNY Binghamton, UM

Aiming for around 170 on LSATS as I'm currently getting low 160s on practice LSATS.

I messed with the acceptance calculators online and getting a variety of answers.

It'd probably be in your best interest to think about where you want to work/practice and narrow your search to schools with some connection to that area before worrying too much about admissions figures.

And as for LSAT prep, I really think it's best to just do enough to familiarize yourself with the question types and then take maybe a half dozen practice tests at most. People seem to go way, way overboard with studying for that thing. The last thing you want to do is stress yourself into oblivion.

 

[Hartt951]

Maybe I came across too harsh, just really jaded by the whole experience, especially seeing friends and their experiences w/ jobs and whatnot. Meant more to say that you are gonna want to do way more research than that, not just meaning the test. If thats how you feel about the test, fine, but make sure that you are way more knowledgeable about what you're getting into as far as school, jobs, what your goals are go.

It's already something that's taken a long path to get to.. I'm not taking the test on a whimsy, but thank you for your concern.

...

...

...

Thank you, everyone. I really appreciate the advice. I just bought one of the LSAC books with the 10 actual LSAT tests and then I will definitely make sure to check out the many others that you all recommended.

 

[mre]

Thanks, that link is very helpful. We're in Valencia, California (Los Angeles County).

I'll let you correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I can tell, Valencia is part of Santa Clarita.

If so, then here's where you stand on the issue of business licenses: Santa Clarita does not require any business licenses or permits for businesses operating in Santa Clarita unless the business is subject to LA county health or safety regs. From what I can tell, your wife's business will not fall into this category, but the full list can be found here: http://ttc.lacounty.gov/Proptax/Business_license_list.htm

Santa Clarita has a helpful guide to starting a small business within its city limits that you and your wife may fine useful: http://econdev.santa-clarita.com/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=17

 

[commish]

Going to apply to law school next year. Wondering what schools I should apply to.

Econ major with 3.4 GPA from SUNY Binghamton, UM

Aiming for around 170 on LSATS as I'm currently getting low 160s on practice LSATS.

I messed with the acceptance calculators online and getting a variety of answers.

Just take your LSATs first before worrying about where to apply. Your LSAT score is what will determine the schools you apply to.

 

[Byakuya769]

Just take your LSATs first before worrying about where to apply. Your LSAT score is what will determine the schools you apply to.

Yep.

Aim as high as possible, but also know what sort of law you want to practice before you get your score back.

 

[ZackieChan]

Does anyone have any resume tips for someone who has had a lot of jobs during law school? Putting all of my work on one page is going to be difficult, and I have two jobs prior to law school that are on there now.

I've got two separate internships going this final semester, plus continuing one from the past year. My resume is getting out of hand. If anyone wants to check it out and take a crack at slipping it down, pm me!

Also, where and when do I start looking for post-grad work? I have no idea where to even start...

 

[mre]

Does anyone have any resume tips for someone who has had a lot of jobs during law school? Putting all of my work on one page is going to be difficult, and I have two jobs prior to law school that are on there now.

I've got two separate internships going this final semester, plus continuing one from the past year. My resume is getting out of hand. If anyone wants to check it out and take a crack at slipping it down, pm me!

Also, where and when do I start looking for post-grad work? I have no idea where to even start...

Does your law school have a career services office?

 

[ZackieChan]

Does your law school have a career services office?

Yes...I suppose that makes sense. They haven't been super helpful in the past, but we shall see. I'm hoping that one of these gigs turns into a post-grad job.

Also, no finals this last semester. Feels good man.