Gary Bellow Public Service Awards

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Greetings!
We’d like to invite you to nominate an HLS student and/or alumnus/a for the Gary Bellow Public Service Award. It’s easy to do!

The Gary Bellow Public Service Award was created in 2001 in honor of Professor Gary Bellow. Professor Bellow was the founder and former faculty director of Harvard Law School’s Clinical Programs. Two awards are given annually by the student body of Harvard Law School to one HLS student and one HLS alumnus/a whose commitment to social justice and excellence in public interest work embody the spirit of Gary Bellow’s work and make us proud to be a part of the HLS community. The awards process is completely student-run.
Please nominate individuals whose work in social justice and public interest inspires you. Any HLS student, affiliate, or alumnus may make nominations, and you may nominate yourself, a fellow student, or an alumnus. Email completed nominations to  gary.bellow.award at gmail.com.
  Nominations are due Monday, February 27, 2012, by 9 p.m. The format for the nomination email is below.
If you have any questions, please email 
gary.bellow.award@gmail.com.
Thank you!
Jessica Levin and Stephanie Davidson
Gary Bellow Public Service Award Co-Chairs

————————————————————
1.       Nominee’s Name:
2.       Nominee’s Graduation Year from HLS:
3.       Nominee’s Email Address:
4.       Nominee’s Phone Number (if available):
5.       Your Name:
6.       Your Email Address:
7.       Why are you nominating this person? Please give a brief statement about the nominee’s work and background (approximately 1 page). Feel free to provide any additional materials you believe would be helpful to the nominations committee.

New Building Events Continue

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This week, there are two more events to celebrate the new building

Thursday, February 9 – 12 – 1:30pm – The History of the Harvard Law School Buildings
Join Prof. Dan Coquillette, Harvard Law School’s resident historian, for a discussion of the development of the law school campus from its earliest buildings to the WCC.  A great history of HLS through the buildings.  Lunch will be served.
WCC 2036 Milstein East C

Friday, February 10 – 2 – 4pm – Progressive Chocolate Tour
Get to know the locations of the various offices around the WCC while sampling different chocolate treats at nine locations.
Stops include:
Graduate Program and Student Financial Services (5th Floor Wasserstein)
Career Services, OPIA and Registrar (4th Floor Wasserstein)
Dean of Students Office (3d Floor Caspersen) Clinical Office (3d Floor Clinical)
IT and Copy Center (Basement of Wasserstein)

We hope to see you there!

Coffee, Water and Beer

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Few things make me happier than turning the calendar past January.fifty days to spring.

Here are a few updates

Coffee

We have received some questions about coffee availability after the opening of the new building so here is the update:

1.       Free morning coffee is available from 8am to 10am in the WCC (across from the Pub Servery on the ground floor) and Austin (across from Austin West).  Coffee is no longer being served in Pound.  No classes will be held in Pound until Spring 2013 because of construction (an email is coming your way with more details on that).

2.       Free evening coffee has been expanded and is available in Langdell from 7pm to closing each night.

3.       A wide range of coffee is available for purchase in the Hark servery (upstairs) from 7:30-3:00

4.       Coffee is available for purchase downstairs in the Pub Servery from 2:30pm to close (Monday to Friday) and during brunch hours Saturday and Sunday (9:30-3:00).

5.       The Hark Box is permanently closed and the coffee machine will transition to the Pub Servery so the range of available coffee available in the Pub Servery will be expanded in the near future.

Water

We hope you have noticed the many filtered water stations throughout the new building.  Student Government lobbied for this as the building was designed a few years ago as a health initiative and a green initiative.

Beer

We have received suggestions for everything from small breweries in Minnesota to Bud.  We are sharing all of your suggestions with Kim Smith our new Pub Manager.  Kim also runs Queen’s Head and is setting up a special email account so you can contact her directly with suggestions and questions about the Pub.

Tonight’s Pub Opening will take place inside the Pub and in the Lounge outside the Pub (we’re anticipating a crowd larger than the Pub’s capacity of 137 so this will allow more people to participate).  Under the terms of our alcohol license, we can’t have students go into the Pub with a drink they received in the lounge and vice versa.  You can travel back and forth between the venues without drinks in hand and you can get your drinks in either venue.  The Pub will also sell drinks tonight.

Drink Tickets will be distributed between the base of the main stairs and the entrance to the lounge in the WCC beginning at 4:30pm.  Bring your HUID (to get your drink tickets).  We’ll have a list of students so it may take some time to check people in.  Bring a government issued photo ID (in order to get a wrist band and be served in the Pub).  Snacks and drinks will be served beginning at 5pm.

I made a mistake in my last email.  The pub will be open Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (5pm-10pm) and can be reserved for private parties at other times.

February HUHS Announcements

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Health Insurance Waiver Deadline: 2/28
Waiver application deadline for spring 2012 is February 28. Students with comparable health insurance who wish to waive HUSHP Student Health Insurance Plan must submit applications online prior to the deadline in order to remove term bill charges. Info: http://hushp.harvard.edu/waive

Dependent Health Insurance Deadline: 2/28
Dependent insurance enrollment and renewals for the 2012 spring term must be submitted by February 28 in order to be eligible for coverage. Applications after this date will not be accepted. Info: http://hushp.harvard.edu/hushp-student-d…

Health Insurance for Graduating Students
The Harvard University Student Health Program (HUSHP) expires on July 31. Plan ahead early in order to secure insurance coverage for August 1. More information on options for graduating students:
 http://hushp.harvard.edu/graduating-stud…

After Hours Urgent Care: Schedule appointments online
Visit HUHS Patient Login to view available times and schedule a same-day appointment for non-routine care in our After Hours Urgent Care Clinic. Appointments from 6:00-11:00PM are available to book online beginning at 3:00PM, Monday-Friday. HUID required.

Reading and Study Strategies (Spring 2012)
Harvard Reading/Study Strategies Course: 2 weeks, morning or afternoon sessions, February 6-17 at Science Center, Lecture Hall E. To register, go to Bureau of Study Counsel at 5 Linden St. or call 617-495-2581. More info: http://bsc.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keywor…

A Message From Student Government About Grades

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Before you feel anxiety about your grades, think about the following…
Former Dean Elena Kagan received several B’s during law school, especially her first year. She went on to become the first female dean of Harvard Law
School, the U.S. Solicitor General, and the 112th Supreme Court Justice.
HLS Tax Law Professor Halperin received his worst law school grade in: tax.
Dean Cosgrove received a Property exam back that had a note from the professor saying “this is exactly what I warned you not to do” – followed by her
lowest grade since kindergarten. She went on to work at a top law firm before becoming a Dean at Harvard.
At the time Judge Posner hired Professor Sitkoff to be his law clerk, Professor Sitkoff had received his lowest grade in law school in Law and Economics
– which had been taught by Judge Posner. Thereafter, he had one grade that was worse – in legal ethics. He graduated law school with High Honors.
Professor Singer earned a B- in Property. After graduating, he clerked, worked at a law firm, and has written one of the leading casebooks and treatises
on – wait for it – property. He has also authored two theoretical books on property and teaches Property courses at Harvard.
Professor Suk received her worst grade in law school – and ever – in Criminal Law. She went on to practice and research in Criminal Law. No employer
has ever asked about her grade, and her Criminal Law professor has remained a powerful mentor and reference for her throughout her career. “I care
much more about students’ preparation and performance in a course throughout a long semester than about performance on one timed exam taken on
one day,” she says.
Professor Michelman’s worst law school grade was a C+ in Property. He has written and published repeatedly in the field and has taught Property
courses at Harvard for over 40 years.
Professor Greiner received his worst grade on the exam he felt best about after finishing. And he nonetheless was retained as a research assistant for
the course’s professor.
Professor Scott got a D in constitutional law. “We do some of that here,” Justice White told Scott when he went for a clerkship interview. Scott
nonetheless was selected to serve as one of Justice White’s few Supreme Court law clerks.
Professor Meltzer’s father was a law professor who taught labor law. His lowest grade in law school was in: labor law. His labor law professor later said
to him, “I thought you might have done better, so I re-read your exam and it was every bit as bad as I thought it was the first time.”
Professor Ramseyer received a B on an exam at Harvard Law School and went into the professor’s office to complain. On the professor’s desk was a
plaque that guided his grading – he reserved B’s for “excellent, perceptive exams.” The professor told Ramseyer he had gotten a B because he “wrote
an excellent exam.”
In the second semester of his two-semester Contracts course, Professor Goldberg earned himself a B-. The next year, his former Contracts professor
hired him as a TA to help 1Ls with the class. Years later, as a Vanderbilt professor, Goldberg was awarded a teaching prize for teaching … Contracts.
Professor Barnes received a pass on his Trust and Estates exam while a friend whom he tutored received honors. Upon review of their exams,
Professor Barnes realized that his friend had given the obvious answers while he had read nuances into the questions that were not intended. He
learned two important lessons: 1) when you hear hoofbeats, think horses first, and not zebras and 2) the line between “honors” and “pass” is blurred.
“I know a guy who got mainly C’s his first year at HLS. He went on to become general counsel of a major federal agency, leading lawyer in his field, and
author of the leading casebook in his field. It is much more about the passion you have for your field than anything.” – Professor Einer Elhauge
Dean Martha Minow’s sister’s law school grades were so troubling during her first year that she never picked up her grades after that. Last year, she was
honored as a distinguished alum for her professional accomplishments, and no one even thought of her grades.
Professor Neuman’s first semester grades were quite mediocre and his criminal law teacher (Professor Nesson) told him that he didn’t know how to take
a law school exam. Neuman spent time with Professor Nesson learning how to take exams and revising his approach. Professor Neuman went on to
graduate first in his class at Harvard Law School, though no one asked about his grades when he ran for a seat on the UN Human Rights Committee.
Be well,
Your Harvard Law School Student Government
 studentgov at mail.law.harvard.edu

One Down

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Most of us will tell you that nothing, even the bar exam, felt as formidable as the first law school exam  - so congrats on getting through yesterday!

Please stop thinking about yesterday’s exam.  Most faculty will tell you that no student comes close to hitting all of the possible issues and points to be made in an exam so if you discuss it with friends, you will inevitably start fretting about points you missed.

Remember – 

·   If you have a question about exam logistics or the exam software, contact the Registrar’s Office (Pound 300) registrar@law.harvard.edu or 617-495-4612

·   If you have a problem related to an illness, or personal, family or medical emergency, contact Cat Collins in the Dean of Students Office (Pound 310) ccollins@law.harvard.edu or 617-495-1880

·   During the exam, for any kind of emergency (software or personal), contact the proctor.

Study Break

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The Midnight Pancake Breakfast is tonight from 10:30 to midnight in the Hark

If you are looking for a distraction, we’re looking for a creative name for the new pub in the new Caspersen wing – you can email ideas before 9am tomorrow

Exam Period Notes

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Hi-

This time of year is very stressful, so be good to yourself.  Remember to sleep, eat actual food (that doesn’t come from vending machines), exercise (unless you’re like me and exercise isn’t part of your routine in which case this is probably a bad time to start), and use caffeine, energy drinks and alcohol in moderation. 

Exam Breaks:

The Dean of Students Office staff has a tradition of  serving up carbs and greasy food during the reading period at Midnight Pancake Breakfast which will be held upstairs in the Hark on Thursday, December 8 from 10:30pm – midnight (and yes we get the inconsistency with the statement above).

De-Stress Chair Massage Breaks will take place on the first floor of the Hark from 11:30am-1:30pm on the following days:

·          December 6th

·          December 8th

·          December 13th

·          December 15th

Show up early to sign up for a free ten-minute massage.

We will have snacks and blank holiday cards so you can send holiday cards to members of the military if you choose.

Exam Related Questions:

If you have a question about exam logistics or the exam software, contact the Registrar’s Office (Pound 300).

registrar@law.harvard.edu or 617-495-4612

if you have an exam problem related to an illness, or personal, family or medical emergency, contact Cat Collins in the Dean of Students Office (Pound 310) ccollins@law.harvard.edu or 617-495-1880

Exam Tips:

·          Exams at HLS are anonymous. Please do not contact your professor about an exam for any reason. Call the Office of the Registrar or Cat Collins instead.

·          If you are sick on an exam day, you should go to UHS (Pound 12, 617-495-4414) and have the doctor get in touch with Cat as soon as possible.

·          If it is after hours or on a weekend when you are sick, you should go to UHS at Holyoke Center (75 Mt Auburn St). The urgent care number is 617-495-5711. Please have your doctor get in touch with Cat as soon as possible.

·          If you are sick and cannot get to Holyoke Center by yourself, you can call the Harvard University Police Department for a medical transport. Their number is           617-495-1212.

·          If you become ill in the middle of an in-class exam, please tell a proctor and then go to UHS. If you have seen the exam, the rule is that you have to finish it that day, so you will probably see a doctor, have a chance to rest, and then have to finish it later. If you get sick during a take-home exam, please call Cat and then go to UHS.  The Dean of Students Office cannot make any adjustments after the fact, so please stop the exam if necessary.

·          If there is an emergency (either personal or involving a family member), please call Cat as soon as possible.

·          If you are having other issues that might affect your ability to take your exam, please call or email Cat.

Security:

Just a reminder:  please don’t leave your computers and other personal items unattended.  A quick check by some librarians today showed that there were nine laptops, along with a number of bags sitting all alone at study tables and carrels.    There have been thefts in the library and elsewhere on campus and these often get worse as exams approach and people know that students are studying longer hours.

Hark Changes:

Starting on December 5th the Gelato & Coffee bar will stay open until 8:00pm.

The Hark Box will close on December 9th.

Academic Support website:

http://www.law.harvard.edu/current/student-services/academic-support-services.html

Wellness website and resources:

http://www.law.harvard.edu/current/student-services/wellness/index.html

 

Please be in touch with any concerns or questions.  Good luck!