Toby’s blog

I always think we offer some very interesting options for the 1L reading groups.  These are optional, non-graded, 5-10 student groups meeting informally with faculty members–often at faculty member homes.

From “Art and Fashion” to “War and Morality”: Take a look.

Maybe this is a typical Tuesday for what I’m guessing is Noah Feldman’s 1L Constitution and the International Order class, but when I came back from lunch (dry cleaning in hand) I had to step over students sitting on the steps outside Austin Hall. Professor Feldman was pacing in front of them and the students appeared to be paying attention–and tanning at the same time.

Ah — spring in Boston!

In a effort to shake things up a bit recently, I decided to let some students have a little fun interviewing their professors. One such individual was 1L Talhia Tuck who sat down for a chat with her professor of Race Relations Law: From the Jim Crow Era to the Present Moment, Randall Kennedy.

Professor Kennedy specializes in the intersection between racial conflict and legal institutions in American life. He currently teaches race Relations Law, Issues Involving Freedom of Expression, and Contracts.

Before coming to HLS, Talhia spent most of her professional life in television, first as a production assistant for Hardball with Chris Matthews and a researcher for The Nightly News with Tom Brokaw and then later TV-News Reporter for the WINK-TV, the CBC Affiliate in Fort Myers, Florida. She is interested in combining her interest in journalism with law by pursuing avenues such as First Amendment law, communication law, or media law.

Talhia Tuck and Randall Kennedy: (23:21)

Student organizations have been quite active during recruiting season by hosting a series of career panels involving both students and alumni. The final event before break was a public interest panel organized by APALSA with 2Ls Ming Zhu, Ting Chen, and Nick Lin.

While all three panelists attested to loving their internships, the nature and intensity of their experiences differed greatly. “Working for the Center for Appellate Litigation in New York… I got lots of responsibility,” said Lin. “Under the supervision of litigators, I was given my own cases for which I wrote briefs… I got full creative control.” For Zhu, the internship experience at U.S. Attorney’s Office varied widely depending on which attorney she was assigned to. “For me in the Criminal Appellate division, I was the only intern among three attorneys… I really liked it because the written nature of the work was unlike what I’d been studying at law school.” Ting Chen spent the summer abroad at Khmer Institute for Democracy in Cambodia and talked about the level of initiative required in a small non-profit.

All three panelists emphasized the benefit gained from large amounts of research and writing. Chen added, “On an international level… it was exciting to see what I’d learned as a 1L in Civil Procedure and Criminal Law become more tangible in practice.”

With regard to obtaining the internships, Lin indicated that he had “shotgunned” letters out to different NGOs and think tanks. “The truth is, most places get back to you when they want, so be patient.” Unlike Lin, Zhu insisted that utilizing the resume drop with the Massachusetts Law School Consortium was just as effective for her. “It’s a good, easy, and early process.” For Chen, knowing she wanted to work with an NGO in Asia, the application process was focused and quick. “I just wish that I had not been so frantic in taking the first offer that came my way.” Lin nodded and said, “If you really want a certain job, stay calm… chances are even if they don’t get back to you until March, it’s worth waiting for.”

Christoph Luschin, 1L, shares his mindset going into finals last semester.

Who’s his partner in crime? “It’s actually my wife, who is studying for an MEd at BU. She is a great support and reminds me daily that good will come of being a 1L just yet.”

Don’t worry, Ryan, I didn’t make a mistake:

“I arrived in Boston after driving for 10 hours from Ottawa, Canada. After getting lost in Cambridge and fighting my way through the notorious Boston traffic, I saw it: Harvard Law School. It was at that point that panic gripped me. ‘WHAT IF I DON’T BELONG HERE?’ After fifteen weeks of ups and downs, I have my answer, I do belong here! And it’s my section, Section 4, that has helped me adjust to life as a Harvard Law School student.

“On my first full day of classes, in Professor Mann’s Property class, we were attacked with the Socratic method of question after question after question. At first, some of us thought this was unfair, but within weeks we were getting quicker on our feet, looking deeper into the problems, and most importantly, seeing Prof. Mann’s incredible sense of humour.

“We began showing our sense of humour as one of my classmates dressed up as Professor Mann (glasses, hairstyle, and matching tie and suspender combination) for Halloween. We started to learn about our classmates’ personalities too, such as the one who makes bad puns every time he is called on, or the one who always has a story relating to New Jersey, no matter the class, no matter the topic.

“Harvard Law School is knocked for being too big. Harvard is the fourth university I have attended, and by far is it the best in terms of its people and its atmosphere. My section fielded two teams for the law school flag football tournament (although my team never won a game), while I have gotten to know students in my section who have worked all over the world but are still down-to-Earth enough to play Christmas music over the microphones in the Austin Hall Classrooms.

“Recently, we helped a family of four (a mother and three kids) get gifts for Christmas, while another group went caroling at the Mt. Auburn hospital. My section is an inspiration and a great support group, keeping me grounded in the midst of what is an academically challenging year. Practicing law is a team sport, and from section parties and movies to community service, one thing Harvard has shown me how to do is to get along with people and to have a good time!”

Another 1L experience…this one from Kate Currie:

“I came to Harvard because of its strong commitment to public interest and its international appeal. Thus far I have not been disappointed. Harvard makes it easy, or at least easier, to do public interest work. Because of Summer Public Interest Funding most of my classmates are planning to work in public interest this summer.

“Furthermore, there are many opportunities to work abroad. As I have tried to figure out where I want to work this summer, I have spoken to 2Ls and 3Ls who have worked in such countries as Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Bolivia, Sudan, and Brazil. We are encouraged to seek our dream jobs–my problem is too many, not too few possibilities.

“I also wanted to use my time in law school to explore the world of international human rights. I have been fortunate to already work on projects with [the student group] Human Rights Advocates–it’s rewarding to be so involved in the projects starting my first semester of law school. Other classmates have joined Harvard Defenders or become research assistants. There seem to be activities to suit all tastes–the only problem is finding the time to take advantage of all the possibilities.

“I worked prior to coming to law school and feared coming to law school because of the horror stories thrown about: that it’s competitive, that students are constantly trying to undermine each other, or that the first year is the most painful year of schooling one can have. So far, I have not found that to be the case. My classmates are actually very willing to help one another. The mood in the class is far more light-hearted than I ever would have imagined (which makes the Socratic Method more bearable). And the range of opinions is both startling and enlightening.”

Vanessa Friedman, on preparing for a singular experience: Professor Elizabeth Warren’s Contracts class:

“You might think a 10:30 class Monday morning is convenient because it means a chance to catch up on sleep missed Saturday night (when you were up late studying, of course). Not so when it’s a 10:30 Contracts class with Professor Warren. The timing is helpful – life-saving, actually – because it means a chance to meet with friends at the Hark to discuss the day’s cases, argue over the relevant issues, and laugh at each other’s attempts to predict what Professor Warren might pull out of each opinion. You laugh because no matter what you come up with, you will never be fully prepared for this class. When Professor Warren works her magic, the best you can hope for is to stay focused and have something on point (and to the point) to say when your name is called. And you laugh because you know that most of the time you will be wrong, or at best, close.

“At the beginning of the semester, hearing my name in this class was terrifying. I recognized myself in my classmates’ reactions: when someone was called on in the midst of frantic note-taking, his head popped up and he stared blankly at the professor for a moment before the fear set in and he would attempt a coherent answer. One of my friends had nightmares about this moment. But we could laugh because we were all in this together. This has been the most unexpected thing about HLS for me – it is an incredibly supportive and cooperative place.

“Even as each of us is humbled daily by our amazing professors, we all gain confidence from them and each other. When Professor Warren zeroes in on a particular student, you can see his classmates on either side mouthing suggestions and nudging their notes closer to the current target. And when she has moved on, there are sympathetic smiles or looks of congratulation (depending on how the answer was received) from around the room. And as the semester progressed, as Professor Warren taught us how to evaluate cases and pushed us to refine our answers and think on the spot, we all started to see the method in the madness. Professor Warren was not only teaching us to think and speak, she had compelled us to work together, rather than against each other.

“As we learned these skills and began to realize that almost everyone else felt similarly anxious, and that Professor Warren was actually on our side, trying to help us improve, class seemed less terrifying and became just an incredibly interesting and challenging experience. So although our predictions about class did not actually become more accurate, this was never the point. The goal was the process itself – to get us to push each other and engage in this place outside of class, even first thing Monday morning.”

Abbye had been out of school for a bit before coming to law school. Here’s her take on the experience:

“So let me just dive right in and tell you that this first semester at HLS has been completely transformative in so many wonderful ways. That’s a pretty strong statement, I know, but it is also the truth as I come to the end of this first semester of my 1L year.

“I have to admit that I was nervous about coming here. Having heard all the stereotypical accounts of HLS life, I was worried that I’d thrown myself to the proverbial wolves. Well, I was absolutely wrong in that regard. Certainly, these three months have been challenging…difficult even… However, they have been overwhelmingly positive, and after a mere three months, I am a better person having had these experiences.

“This semester, I have been challenged to reform my modes of thought, to extend my points of view and to question my static opinions about the world in which we live. Consequently, I am already a sharper thinker, better able to assess this world and my role in it. Add to that the incredibly rich opportunities available to students here. Indeed, the other night I found myself with the dilemma of deciding if I wanted to see Cornel West (upstairs in Ames) or Sandra Day O’Connor (downstairs in Austin West)…Hello!!!…only at Harvard Law School is this an issue!!

“As for the people, well, HLS is populated by some of the loveliest and brightest folks around. It is a complete pleasure to take classes with such an engaged and engaging student body. My classmates hail from all walks of life and are so generous in sharing their perspectives and insights. In addition, the faculty and staff (besides being awe-inspiringly brilliant!) are truly sensitive to the needs of the student body. Generally speaking, I have found that their doors are open to us in all manner of circumstances. Lastly, there is our Dean who from day one seemed to make it a priority to make us feel honestly welcomed and important…she even holds office hours for all students…

“So in a nutshell, there it is. Harvard Law School is a great place to be…I feel truly blessed to have this opportunity.”

I hope you’ll forgive my taking a few days off for the holiday. I’ll be out of town and not reading applications until after the New Year. I’ll leave you with a 1L experience, as told by Michael Carey:

“My first semester at Harvard Law has been surprisingly fun. Two of the primary reasons for this are my section and the Drama Society.

“There are a few things that make my section enjoyable. First, there is a high level of participation. Not only do I get to see the same people every day in every class, I see a disproportionate number of them whenever I go to intramural games, lectures, society meetings, or other activities open to the whole school. This gives us an opportunity to see each other as human beings and friends instead of just competition.

“In fact, I am surprised by how rarely I sense a competitive attitude from anyone. On the contrary, almost everyone in the section seems more concerned with learning the law and having fun. I have had countless discussions with fellow classmates outside of class that have truly enriched my understanding of the law and my appreciation for being at law school.

“The Drama Society has also been an important part of my first semester. After ambivalently signing my name on some sign-up sheet the first week of school, I was somewhat surprised to receive a phone call several weeks later saying that I was late for my audition. I ran over to Pound Hall and sang the only thing I could think of, the Air Force Song.

“Before long I was spending three hours a night learning songs and dances for the musical. I am still surprised that so many law students world be willing to spend so much during the middle of the semester in order to put on a high quality theatrical production. But so we did, and the experiences I had and the friendships I made have been an invaluable part of my short, but rich, law school career thus far.”