It’s not a secret that we are not the biggest fans of the US News Rankings here at MSS. Trent has had multiple postings on the subject of the rankings and there’s no real reason to delve back into it except to say that the rankings themselves may or may not be an insidious plot by a evil mastermind living in a volcano.

But US News then came out with this little gem of a blog post. It begins by talking about how important a factor the rankings have become in the world of law school admissions, and all that swell stuff.

Then, toward the back end of the post, they drop an interesting little nugget about their diversity index, essentially saying that their rankings do not adversely affect diversity at law schools.

Isn’t it pretty to think so?

But as we demonstrated, both the number and percentage of minorities in law school decreased from 1993 to 2008, and one of the largest influences on law school admissions is those pesky rankings.

So, while there may not be a perfect method for making diversity a part of the rankings index on the US News Rankings (and we certainly understand their issues with normalizing national rankings across a broad spectrum of regions), not having any methodology is allowing law schools to essentially ignore diversity altogether.

Maybe, and I’m just thinking out loud here, national rankings of law schools are a bad idea expressly because they inherently cannot take all of these nice things into account. Just spitballing, as it were.

We don’t cast judgment here at MSS, and we are more or less ambivalent, as a collective, on the idea of affirmative action. But it is wildly disingenuous of US News to absolve itself and its rankings of culpability in this respect.

That crap don’t play.

As a sports junkie, this is my favorite time of year. The Super Bowl has become little more than a commercial for Bud Light and Doritos. The NBA playoffs will begin soon and a champion will be crowned some time in mid-November. In college football, the bowl season is plagued by the whole “debate” over the BCS versus a playoff system (one plus: at least Tim Tebow is gone). The World Series is, well, baseball. But then there is college basketball and… March Madness!

(You can tell that I really enjoy the tourney because I generally reserve the use of exclamation points for fires and intimate moments.)

The march to the Final Four has it all. Upsets galore, Tyus Edney, players actually caring whether they win or lose, Bryce Drew, tons of games so there is always a close one to watch, players you have never seen before and will likely never see again, and some truly entertaining tears from Adam Morrison (at the hands of the once mighty Bruins).

So I thought it would only be appropriate for me to craft a tourney-inspired Logic Game. As every good fan should, I like to pull for the underdogs. Thus, this game will not feature Duke or Kentucky or Syracuse, but rather some of the schools that you might not have heard as much about.

Good luck…

East Tenn. St., Lehigh, Murray St., Northern Iowa, Oakland, Robert Morris, and UTEP are some of the powerhouse teams involved in the 2010 NCAA tournament. Teams that win two games on the first weekend make the Sweet Sixteen and teams that win four games over the first two weekends make the Final Four. Only teams that make the Sweet Sixteen will make the Final Four. The tournament must meet the following constraints:

If Lehigh makes the Sweet Sixteen, then Murray St. makes the Sweet Sixteen.
If Murray St. makes the Sweet Sixteen, then Oakland makes the Sweet Sixteen.
East Tenn. St. makes the Sweet Sixteen.
Unless Northern Iowa makes the Sweet Sixteen, East Tenn. St. cannot make the Final Four.
Northern Iowa does not make the Final Four, unless Robert Morris makes the Sweet Sixteen.
If Robert Morris makes the Final Four and Oakland makes the Sweet Sixteen, then UTEP makes the Final Four.

1. Which one of the following could be a complete and accurate list of the applicants that make the Sweet Sixteen?

(A) East Tenn. St., Lehigh
(B) East Tenn. St., Murray St.
(C) East Tenn. St., Oakland
(D) East Tenn. St., Lehigh, Oakland
(E) East Tenn. St., Lehigh, Murray St.

2. Which one of the following could be true?

(A) Lehigh and Robert Morris are the only schools that make the Sweet Sixteen.
(B) East Tenn. St., Murray St., and Northern Iowa are the only schools that make the Sweet Sixteen.
(C) Lehigh and one other school are the only schools that make the Sweet Sixteen.
(D) Lehigh and two other schools are the only schools that make the Sweet Sixteen.
(E) Lehigh and three other schools are the only schools that make the Sweet Sixteen.

3. If Robert Morris does not make the Sweet Sixteen, which one of the following must be true?

(A) Northern Iowa does not make the Sweet Sixteen.
(B) Northern Iowa makes the Sweet Sixteen but not the Final Four.
(C) East Tenn. St. does not make the Final Four.
(D) East Tenn. St. makes the Final Four but Northern Iowa does not.
(E) East Tenn. St. makes the Sweet Sixteen but Northern Iowa does not make the Final Four.

4. If Lehigh and five other schools are the only schools that make the Sweet Sixteen, and if exactly thee schools make the Final Four, then which one of the following could be an accurate list of the schools that make the Final Four?

(A) East Tenn. St., Oakland, Robert Morris
(B) East Tenn. St., Northern Iowa, Robert Morris
(C) Northern Iowa, Oakland, UTEP
(D) Lehigh, Murray St., Robert Morris
(E) Lehigh, Murray St., Oakland

5. If every school that makes the Sweet Sixteen makes the Final Four, and if Oakland makes the Final Four, then each of the following schools must make the Sweet Sixteen EXCEPT:

(A) East Tenn. St.
(B) Murray St.
(C) Northern Iowa
(D) Robert Morris
(E) UTEP

6. If UTEP does not make the Sweet Sixteen, and if exactly four schools make the Final Four, then which one of the following must be false?

(A) Oakland makes the Final Four.
(B) Robert Morris makes the Final Four.
(C) Murray St. makes the Sweet Sixteen.
(D) Northern Iowa makes the Sweet Sixteen.
(E) Lehigh makes the Sweet Sixteen.

Click here for the answers.

Hope you enjoyed that as much I enjoy the tournament. If that were a game on the actual LSAT, it would most likely be the most difficult game in the section. But you have to practice against the best to improve your skills. (Hopefully Arkansas-Pine Bluff remembers that this week when they take on the Blue Devils.)

And now…my predictions.

Final Four: Ohio State, Syracuse, West Virginia, Duke

Championship Game: Ohio State vs. West Virginia

And the winner is… Ohio State

Luckily, I have made it my quest to give potential students all the information they could possibly want as they decide the wheres, whens and ifs about attending law school. To that end, this week and next I bring you a two part series (because two parts = twice the money for the same amount of work) about what classes you will take as a 1L. Much like middle schoolers, first year law school students are not allowed to actually pick their own classes. Instead, the classes are assigned, and the subjects are pretty uniform from school to school. There are some exceptions (my favorite fake law school comes to mind), but these are the six classes that are pretty likely to make an appearance in your life over the next twelve months. So sit back and enjoy.

Civil Procedure

In this aptly named course, (which all the cool kids call CivPro) you can expect to learn the procedure to file and bring a civil lawsuit through the court system. Which, for most students, is about as exciting as it sounds. However, there are two pluses about this class:

1) I had a fellow student once remark that using the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (which is basically the class Bible) is kind of like playing logic games. In the same way that a LSAT taker playing a game needs to remember that every time Millicent and Thaddeus take a lovers tryst to Quebec, Whoopi has to tag along and regulate, certain federal procedure rules automatically trigger other ones. It’s like one huge transitive argument, minus the sweet method to keep all the rules straight. And the courts keep butting in to make every rule more complicated than it seems. Also, this game has higher stakes than the LSAT (believe it or not) and instead of having to remember everything for 8.5 minutes, you’ll use it for the rest of your life. But besides that, it’s pretty much exactly the same.

2) This is also the course where you are going to get the most fodder for making really douche-y statements to impress other idiots. For example, after this course you’ll be able to chat with your friends at bars and say things like, “Well, keep in mind, under Rule 14(a)(2)(B), the defendant must follow Rule 13 with respect to counterclaims against a third party plaintiff. And, just to remind you, Rule 13(a) governs any claim that arises out of the same transaction or occurrence as the original claim and does not involve adding another party over whom the court cannot gain jurisdiction.” Then you can all readjust your Windsor knots, congratulate each other on being so intelligent, and go home to watch adult videos alone.

Criminal Law

Crim Law is the course that students are somewhat ashamed to love. Let’s face it, deep down, we all came to law school because Stabler and Benson are badass (and we are refusing to notice that neither of those characters have or need a JD). And that sordid interest in all things violent and repulsive does not disappear just because someone is working to earn a really expensive piece of paper. Crim Law is the one class that everyone has expectations about beforehand, and it doesn’t disappoint.

For starters, Criminal Law is a content course (criminal procedure is taught in different classes), so you don’t have to get bogged down in many nit-picky rules. Also, state laws largely govern criminal law. Once you actually go to law school, the hows and whys of this statement will be much clearer, but this pretty much means there is nothing to actually learn. Since law school does not prepare you to practice law in any given state, and students are not expected to learn 50+ different penal codes, once you figure out a few key vocab terms (soon you’ll be able to talk about mens rea just like Elle!), it becomes a lower-stress class than most.

It’s not all butterflies and roses, though. First off, the vast majority of cases are actually all about jury instructions. So although the facts of the case are more interesting than those of other classes, the actual legal part can get pretty dry. Secondly, some of the details of these cases can get pretty rough. I don’t think there will ever be a discussion even tangentially relating to violent rape that doesn’t make at least a few stomachs queasy. On those days, the discomfort level far supersedes the interest level, and the smart kids just hang out in the library to avoid it.

Torts

Torts is awesome for two reasons. Most importantly, it is the one area of law that ANY lawyer knows about (seriously, even if they got their JD from Sally Struthers), but no one else does. If you are a law student, half your friends and family probably think you are studying desserts for three classes a week. Which means that learning the definition of tort is pretty much the first indication you are officially part of this old boys’ club we call the legal world. The second is when you start working 100 hours a week to pay off your debt. The third is when you die miserable and alone.

The other reason torts is awesome is that tort cases are all about unintentional accidents. So it has the interest level of criminal law, but without any of the guilt. It’s the Lean Cuisine of law school (unless, like me, you just end up eating seven Lean Cuisines in a row. And then ordering pizza. But I digress). Once upon a time I even wrote a blog that included interesting quotes from court cases, and nearly every one of those cases were from my Tort class. Why? Because people are crazy, and sue each other for crazy reasons, and this leads to crazy quotes in crazy cases. It’s crazy.

So there you have it. CivPro, Criminal Law and Torts are three of the six big ones, and have been grouped together for no particular reason. Regardless, you know a little more about what to expect, so keep thinking about those big decisions you’ll be making in the next month and a half. Then, be sure to tune in next week for part two in which I will discuss ***!!!Constitutional Law!!!*** and some other crap courses nobody cares about.

To answer this question, I started really paying attention to the ads. And, seeing as I look at everything through the lens of the LSAT, I thought that these in tandem would make for a fantastic stimulus. The LSAT is always throwing logical reasoning at you where you have two parties vigorously battling one another, and you’re left to determine what they agree on, what they disagree on, what has to be true; you know, fun stuff like that. So, without further ado, I present the first-ever video LR problem:

AT&T

Verizon

1. If both commercials are wholly true and factual, each of the following must be true EXCEPT:

a. Verizon has the most 3G coverage
b. AT&T has the fastest 3G coverage
c. You can’t talk and use the Internet at the same time on Verizon
d. Using Verizon will entail watching Youtube on a horse.
e. Luke Wilson is a hack whose career is in the toilet, and he should be thoroughly ashamed of himself.

Got an answer? Ok, let’s look at them. Remember, we’re looking for the answer choice that doesn’t have to be true, i.e. could be false.

a. Verizon has the most 3G coverage. Verizon says this, so if we’re accepting everything they say as true, then this must be true. So not our correct answer choice. Butterball Wilson never actually disputes this, but rather says that…

b. AT&T has the fastest 3G coverage. They said it, so we’ll accept it as true as well, making it the wrong answer choice. Verizon doesn’t directly disagree; they say they have more coverage, but not how fast it is.

c. You can’t talk and use the Internet at the same time on Verizon – This is stated by old Richie Tenenbaum, so we’ll get on board with it.

d. Using Verizon will entail watching Youtube on a horse. Obviously this is true, as all you Verizon customers can attest to.

e. Luke Wilson is a hack whose career is in the toilet, and he should be thoroughly ashamed of himself. Intuitively this is obviously true, so it seems like it couldn’t be the right answer. But that’s where the LSAT gets you, right in the tender spots when you’re not looking. Things that are intuitively true, or true because of what we think of as common sense, don’t actually have to be true on the LSAT. So while this statement seems incredibly likely, it could hypothetically be false, thus making it the right answer choice.

As a side note, this really couldn’t work as a disagree question. The two ads actually don’t disagree over anything concrete. If you’ve seen these on TV you might find that surprising, but I challenge you to find one single fact that they disagree over. All they’re implicitly disagreeing over is what information you should give the most credence to, not the numbers. This is just like the LSAT. The fine folks of Newtown, PA often give you two sides fighting not over facts, but over the interpretation of the facts.

1944: Grandpa Riley takes break from killing Krauts to place a booty call

So I was thinking I could just end this by saying that Verizon is more widespread, AT&T is faster, and they’re both great. But now I’m angry because these two companies are so insulting to all of our collective intelligence (although I have to admit I sort of liked the Big Red jingle). So let’s see why the ad teams at Verizon and AT&T are misleading bastards.

Part 2!

First of all, in the interest of full disclosure, I use Verizon and have a Motorola Droid. I do like it, though I think the iPhone is a superior device. Sadly the reception on the iPhone is abysmal, especially if you’re in New York or the Bay Area (I spend 99.9% of my life in these two locales). Call me crazy, but I think the ability to make and comprehend phone calls is an important part of, you know, a mother****ing telephone. Trent, Matt, and Jodi (owners of Blueprint, runners of MSS, and most importantly, my bosses) all have iPhones, and whenever I talk to them the reception is so poor that I can’t help but picturing them on one of those old WWII wind-up phones.

But on to the prosecution:

Exhibit A

Here we have one guy who is apparently getting great coverage (with his Verizon network), and one who isn’t (the AT&T sucker). How do we know? Because of the Gorram maps floating above their heads. But let’s be honest – these maps would be completely irrelevant for the situation. The AT&T customer is either in one of the blue areas and has 3G coverage, or he’s in one of the white areas and doesn’t. Verizon always showcases AT&T’s 3G map, pointing out all the white spaces, but really, who cares? Are you ever going to go to Montana or Alaska? The fact is that 75% of Americans live within AT&T 3G coverage. So the map issue is really only an issue if you spend a lot of time in rural areas or in the loser states. When Verizon says they have five times the coverage, they’re referring to physical area rather than number of people.

Exhibit B

So Luke Wilson comes to set the record straight. He says Verizon has been making a big deal about maps, and then shows us that actually Verizon is wrong, they have coverage everywhere. Well, now, Tubs McPovertyPants is the one being deceptive. Yes, they have coverage all over the place, but Verizon did explicitly say that they were referring to the faster 3G coverage. Wilson is implying that he’s responding directly to Verizon’s map comparison, but then dodges the entire issue by focusing on something very different. Sure 97% of people are covered, but not on 3G. And, yes, like I said earlier, that might not matter to many (if not most) Americans, who live in or near major metropolitan areas. But if you live in, say, Grass Valley, California , then AT&T would be a pretty bad choice if you have a smartphone. But you would never know that viewing this ad.

Exhibit C

This is one of the worst. The AT&T ad execs are being tricky little turds with this one. Where to begin?

First of all, the black chick with the cardigan holds what is obviously supposed to be the Motorola Droid, and disgustedly asks “where’s my cool phone?” implying that the Droid is decidedly not cool. Which is really just such crap. I do personally agree that the iPhone is a better device, but the general consensus seems to be that the Droid is the second-best phone on the market today. Implying that it’s a piece of junk is just disingenuous. This might fly were the ad for the iPhone, but this is for AT&T smartphones in general. Even iPhone enthusiasts and AT&T loyalists would probably agree that the Droid is better than all but one of AT&T’s phones.

Then you have the WASPy dude complain “this download’s taking forever!” It’s true that one of the real advantages to AT&T is that if you live in an area that gets 3G (and like I mentioned earlier, most people do), the service is faster. This was tested and confirmed just a few weeks ago. So this really isn’t an incredibly deceptive part of the ad. But I was curious to see if it’s a whole lot faster, or just a bit. The answer? It depends on where you are. In New York and San Francisco there is almost zero speed difference. But if you live in Baltimore, Chicago, or Seattle, the difference is considerable, so I’m not going to fault AT&T too much on this. However, beware of aggregate blanket statements like “the fastest.” If you live in Denver, Verizon is actually considerably faster. (But who the hell cares about Denver, amiright?)

Then there’s the WASPy dude’s WASPy wife: “Where are all my cool apps?” Hey, shut your mouth, lady, because there’s crap falling out of it. Without a doubt the iPhone has more apps than the Droid, and in my opinion they’re generally better. But there are more apps for Android (Droid’s OS) than for anything else other than the iPhone. So the only thing this could be saying is that the iPhone has more apps, not AT&T smartphones in general. Like with my first complaint, the third apostle is trying to make the iPhone out to be representative of AT&T’s full line. And worst of all is the fact that AT&T sells a phone with the Android OS, which has the exact same apps as the ones they’re saying are oh-so uncool in this commercial. Their line of reasoning is like saying that Dell computers have really awful programs, so you should buy an HP instead.

So let’s recap:
-AT&T has overall faster coverage, although in some places they do not.
-Verizon has overall more 3G coverage, although it is generally slower than AT&T.
-AT&T and Verizon both offer good smartphones, although the iPhone is generally viewed as the best, and is only on AT&T.
-The question of which 3G network is “best” is a subjective one, based on your priorities
-With both commercials and LSAT arguments, you should carefully dissect what you’re told, because you’re probably being deceived in some way.
-Luke Wilson is pathetic.

This is a good thing, as it allows students to be in smaller classes with more access to the instructor and provides law professors with more time for scholarship. On the other hand, the increase in staffing accounts for 48% of the tuition increase from 1998 to 2008. Hmmm.

If asked, would a student desire a lower student to faculty ratio for lower tuition? Based on a highly technical and carefully conducted office survey that included two receptionists, a marketing assistant, and the IT guy, the answer was a resounding yes.

Scenario: I trade a graduate school class with 30 people for the same class with 200 people for $1,000 off my Stafford loan. Would I take this deal? Yes. In fact, I’d prefer it. Skulking in the back because you haven’t done the reading is a whole lot harder when there’s only 30 people in the room. Also, you can’t surreptitiously watch Youtube rap parody videos nearly as well.

On the other hand, the issue isn’t that simple. According to the National Jurist “Law school observers say the dramatic increases are related to two things – an increased need for specialization and the US News & World Report rankings of law schools”. So law schools hire more faculty to get their ratio down, which makes their rankings increase, which means you’ll pay more to get the JD from a school with that reputation, which means, once again the whole thing is a snake eating its own tail. US News & World Report: the gift that keeps on giving.

Hat Tip: Tax Professor Blog

10. Skip an occasional class: I had classmates during fall semester that prided themselves on attending every single class session. This is not elementary school and you will not be given a certificate for the Perfect Attendance Award. You will get burned out and that will start to happen towards the end of the semester when you approach finals. The adage is true: law school is a marathon and not a sprint. If you take some time off throughout the semester, you will go into finals feeling saner, healthier, and happier than many of your classmates. And since it’s graded on a curve…you win!

9. Do not date someone in your section: You look around during orientation and think “My God, what did I get myself in to? Where’s the brooding hipster hottie or the pastel-clad preppy that I’m used to seeing in undergrad?” But, law school is also like being in a war together; you’re battling in the trenches with your section-mates against the Socratic method and against the work load that comes with law school. Inevitably you see them at their worst (coming to class having not showered, hair not brushed, clothes disheveled, and embarrassingly stuttering their way through an answer in class) and vice versa. You start to lament the fact that you haven’t hooked up with anyone in a while. One day, that objective 5 from across the room lends you his or her notes from a class you skipped (see point 10). Suddenly, this five is now looking like an 8-9. Resist the urge. It does not end well. Of the couples that we had in our section from first semester, only one still remains. There has been drama including, but not limited to, one couple breaking up and the guy “generously” bringing the girl’s clothes to class that she’d left over his apartment. And when you start to cry your eyes out, almost the entire class will know your story in about five minutes (see point 7).

8. Make time for the gym: law school organizations are deceptive and nefarious. They woo you with offers of free pizza, burritos, and Thai food just to go hear a speaker or learn about some campus club. You think, “Hey, I’m in law school, so the more money I save, the better!” After lunch and classes, you’re tired, so maybe you go take a nap. After two hours, you wake up frazzled, realizing that it’s late and you have a lot of reading to do, so you start to read. But maybe you’ll have dinner first…except you didn’t have time to go grocery shopping, so you order pizza and tell yourself you will be on an all-salad diet next week. Rinse and repeat for all of fall semester. Then winter comes and the top button of your jeans starts to press uncomfortably into your gut. The gym not only will help you keep in shape, but also give you more of a school/personal balance that you need. Not all of law school can be spent working on law-related matters – it gets horribly depressing if that’s all you do. Plus, you’ll probably need the gym to burn off some of your sexual frustration (see point 9).

7. GChat in class: Yes, I said it. And for those who have visited other schools and seen people Gchatting and rather sanctimoniously thought “I would NEVER do such a thing when I’m a law student,” you need to get over yourself. Immediately. Gchatting has saved my ass on a couple of occasions when I’m just plain underprepared for a class. Although it has distracted me beyond measure in some classes, it has been invaluable when some kind souls have sent me answers to get the professor to move on from me. Plus, you get to stay abreast of section gossip!

6. Moderate yourself: Nobody likes the gunner who speaks in every class, every day. Nobody. I realize you had a life-changing experience when you were a Resident Assistant that you feel would be invaluable to the study of Civil Procedure. It’s not. And no one cares. The snickers and sighs you start to hear when your chair rockets backward and your hand flies into the air at warp speed aren’t coincidental. Even if you feel your commentary isn’t as banal as my example, consider the fact that your classmates aren’t taking out tens of thousands of dollars per year to hear your take on some rule. I know that as Millenials, we’ve all grown up hearing that we’re special and unique snowflakes and that every pearl of wisdom that drops from our mouths is just the smartest, wittiest thing that others have heard. Realize that your law school class is full of those types of people (with a handful of whackjobs, no doubt), so your take is likely pedestrian. If you have deep, burning questions or, bless your heart, hypotheticals you’d like to pose, please do so during office hours.

5. Make friends outside of your section: This also helps with point 9, in some respects (e.g. you’re not as desperate to substantially lower your standards for a “law school hot” person). You will see the same people all day every day for an entire school year. Please trust me when I say that after a couple of months in fall semester, you will be sick to death of seeing their pallid, computer-screen-tanned faces and hearing their same, boring stories. People from other sections are like a new toy you get at Christmas – shiny, new, and they take your mind off the other old junk strewn about the room. Plus, it will seriously reduce how much you talk about law school since they don’t know your section-mates or professors, so it forces you to be an actual human being and have real interests outside of law school.

4. Avoid classmates during finals: this has been the secret to my success. During finals I think I saw a handful of people in my section who were either 1) stressing out every day, 2) crying every day, 3) throwing up every day, or 4) a combination of the first three. It starts to wear on you. Your meals start to come from vending machines and the librarian starts to know your name. When it’s dark outside, you’re not sure if it’s day or night because you’ve been in the library for nearly 24 hours anyway. Don’t do this. As I said in Point 10, law school is a marathon, not a sprint. The final you have at the end of exam period is probably worth just as much as the first final. Pace yourself.

3. Work smarter, not harder: there are still some people I know who, in the second semester of law school, still brief every case. It’s a phenomenal waste of time and leads to pretty extreme cases of burnout. You shouldn’t need to brief every case. If you feel like you need to brief, try to limit it to at least just book briefing (as described in Law School Confidential). Truthfully, I find it much more illuminating to buy and read commercial briefs, then read the case (highlighting or underlining particular facts) and then go into class with that knowledge. An addendum to this tenet is that when the exam comes around, professors aren’t really testing how well you remember the details from Bell Atlantic v. Twombly as much as they’re testing the rule. In the end, your class preparedness and knowing the intricacies of cases doesn’t necessarily translate into a good grade. I got one of my best grades last semester in a class where I spent the majority of the time on GChat, reading Above the Law, and doing online shopping.

2. Don’t discuss your grades with classmates: Nobody likes a braggart. Similarly, no one likes someone who is just full of self-pity. Similarly, please do NOT rehash the final exams afterward. This is outrageous and really, we need to stand up as law students and say “ENOUGH!” Look, we all miss issues on an exam. I don’t think I’ve ever had a professor who has said that people caught every issue that was possible on a test. And yet, there are still people who get Honors or A+ or whatever your school gives out. Rehashing it afterward is cruel and unusual punishment (haven’t taken Constitutional Law, so don’t quote me).

1. Ignore all advice you’re given: OK, so I didn’t type this treatise to be completely ignored. These are some things that either work(ed) well for me or that I wish I had done. You might get advice that completely contradicts everything I just wrote. That’s OK, too. Try out some of these things and see what works best for you. Law school is strange in that it’s such a personal experience and I don’t think any two people feel the exact same way about it. Do what you can to make this experience the most enjoyable, intellectually stimulating, worthwhile thing you could have done with three years and tens of thousands of dollars!

Anastasia is a 1L at a T-14 law school, so she’s a baller.