That's 1L Step for Man...
Continuing with this experimental phase, and in a what can only be described as a sudden onset of guilt, I want to make amends with the incoming 1Ls for accurately and correctly describing them as "whiney." So feel free to fire off any questions you may have for upper classmen, alumni, various circus characters, etc. about Boalt.
Seriously.
Seriously.
Labels: 0L/1L Advice, DE, Rankings And Associated Bullshit
posted by Armen Adzhemyan at 4:50 PM
14 Comments:
Okay. So is Dean Edley going to lead Boalt to a higher ranking in US News and, more importantly, stabilize Boalt as an excellent school in the long-term?
Yes.
I'm really tempted to leave the answer at that, but I have a feeling it'll be interpreted as sardonic. Our reputation rankings and selectivity have always been very high (we're third in selectivity after Yale and that other school across the Bay). To the extent our actual ranking isn't close to those, it's mostly a reflection of our finances, faculty/student ratio, and possibly the large variance between 25/75th LSAT scores. Emperor Edley waged a relentless war last year against the first two of those demons.
Unfortunately there are those among us who did not waste an opportunity to criticize him for it. See here (at paragraph about midway down that begins with the paranthetical "Here's a fucking interesting question") for an example. There were others who recognized that it is not the job of the Emperor to babysit his students. His job is to pad the treasury. Maybe it's that our alumni are stingy or maybe they were once public interest afficionados but now as corporate whores they want to have some semblence of decency so they refuse to take that last step towards snobbery and don't donate to their alma mater. Either way, the Emperor has been doing marvels in transforming the alumni culture of not giving by presenting them with concrete plans that require alumni funding.
Second, he's been hiring faculty at a higher rate than salmon reproduce (and again not without criticism). But things are looking good. For example the new corporate law prof we snagged from U$C is supposed to be amazing (although I don't see him mentioned in press release.
Lastly, the LSATs...there are some who'd want to see that lower 25th number increased. I don't know if the two are mutually exclusive, but I chose this school because of the variety of interests gathered in one place (read: When people introduced themselves, they did not follow the following pattern I observed at "other" law schools. "Hi, I graduated from [Insert Ivy or East Coast lib arts college] in 02. I've been working as a paralegal at [Insert NY or Boston firm] for the past two years.") To that end, if a couple of LSAT points, and a couple of places on the US News is what it takes to preserve our "quirky" student body, then so be it. It's a very small price to pay (if any at all).
Amen Armen.
Here's the facts: Boalt has a much cooler student body than most of the schools supposedly ahead of us, but it also has some financial challenges those schools don't.
Edley has done a great job so far of trying to fix the latter without sacrificing the former. You'll hear some criticisms of him, mainly that he isnt around campus enough or isn't as involved in student activities as much as he should be. What a load of crap. Like Armen said, his job is to pad the treasury, not babysit the students.
Point being, Edley is exactly what Boalt needs right now. Someone who emphasizes the good things (i.e., the student body, mission of a public school) but isn't afraid to directly address the bad things.
Now, does all of this mean we'll soon be rising in US News? As I really don't want to start a debate on the merits of their ranking system, I'll just say: Who the fuck knows? But, no doubt that Edley will make it a better place to go to school, and hopefully the rankings will reflect that. And if they don't?? Well fuck 'em.
Here's another voice in favor of Edley. Also, a reminder that alumni money matters - this means you! Finally, on the LSAT. I don't like the emphasis on it, though it probably helped me. I also think that Boalt should not sacrifice its principles or its character as a way to climb the rankings. Still, I have no problem with gaming the US News rankings. As long as the LSAC hegemony continues, think about starting people with low LSAT scores part-time, allowing more 2nd year transfers (if this means a smaller 1st year class, it also helps on selectivity), and other strategies allow well-qaulified-but-low-LSAT students in without counting their scores. Take a look at the NYT article last week on the subject.
I just want to say that I really like Armen. I like to think that I am like him in being a good person who sometimes says things without thinking about how they might be taken wrong and hurt people or piss them off. I also try to make it right when my consciency bothers me later. Unlike Armen, I try not to have loose lips if I'm not speaking anonymously, but we all have our own style...
What?
Happpy that one was anonymous, 1:37?
I think Armen either has a secret crush, a stalker, or a mentally retarded (yet complimentary) friend.
You make the call.
I'm glad you didn't say "complementary."
Hey 1Ls-
Don't get Cingular/AT&T. Their service in Berkeley/Oakland sucks.* Stupid two-year contract.
Tom
* I am consistently vexed by "Call failed: Network Error" at all of those reasonable hours when I wish to use my phone.
Two questions: 1) When are post 1L/pre-2L summer internships set up?
2) Is it just me, or don't the "other school across the Bay" type of comments that I read/hear all the time about Stanford come off as a Boalt inferiority complex?
Very glad to know that the students approve of Edley. I'm in favor of the Michigan/Virginia direction that he is trying to take us.
1. The earliest you may apply is Dec. 1. You will hear about this ad nauseam in the months to come.
2. No, it's a Pac-10 rivalry comment. Welcome to a school with an athletic program. Although I will concede that Boalt cannot match Stanfurd's caliber in whores
3. That particular direction is not necessarily a good one for you and me since those schools cost a lot more than Boalt even after the fee hikes (see here. Edley has the more difficult task of ending reliance on the Legislature without compromising our fees TOO much.
ok, now I get all the Stanford comments - didn't realize it was a sports thing.
I have AT&T/Cingular and have been getting excellent service throughout Berkeley.
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