There's a reason "Angry Mac Student" is at American and not GULC. That e-mail was painful to read.

Law schools should just ban laptops for exams. Period.

Pencil and bluebook. If you can't write legibly, then you have no business attending law school.

"I will never contribute either money or good publicity for the school
after this situation and the dismissive reactions I have received."

Of course, American grads don't get jobs anyway.

which dean wrote the response - Jaffe? what a douchebag!

"If you can't write legibly, then you have no business attending law school."

Right, because every attorney writes his or her court filings in bluebooks. You're a dufus

Score one for the Dean! Angry Mac was pwned.

1:02: Amen.

Andre 3000: Since when has law school ever remotely resembled the actual practice of law?

Law school is the only reason I have a PC and not a Mac.

As if there were not enough other reasons, this is a perfect example of why not to go to American. Putting the exam issue aside, I cannot believe a Dean of any law school, let alone an even semi-reputable one, would speak to a student like that. Good luck clawing your way out of the TTT American!

The student's tone was out of line, but I do think the school's in the wrong on this one.

Narod slurps.

"at least 1/3 of the students there have Macs"

I find this impossible to believe.

As a practicing trial attorney, I would strongly advise all law students to handwrite their notes and exams. Laptops are not practical in most courtrooms, and once you get into the real world of taking testimony, you will want to be able to handwrite fast and legibly on a notepad. I learned this skill in law school, and would not have learned it if I had used a laptop.

The law school should blackball this student for actually carrying through with the threat of slandering the school. What an idiot. I hope it was worth it, "2L sister."

law schools don't develop the software. My school also used software that couldn't run on Macs - Mac users had to rent a PC for $50, or hand-write exams. Boo fucking hoo.

Yet another example of why AU continues its precipitous decline to the bottom of tier-one schools. A worthless, smart-ass administration typically does not attract top students. TTT status, here we come!

I went to AU as an undergrad, and while I was generally happy with it, there is a good reason (besides being ranked lower than the law school I attended) that I did not apply there for law school. Namely, because the administration officials in both the undergrad and grad programs treat students like crap. Granted, at the undergrad level, most of the students are spoiled rich hippie wannabes who deserve a bitch-slap, but I doubt that holds true for the law school. AU needs to get its head out of its rear and treat students with the respect that their tuition dollars deserve. Self-inportant Pricks.

1/3 of students have Macs? Yeah right. Even if you give them a skew toward younger and more educated users, they're not climbing much higher than 16% market share, and that's optimistic. Poor deluded Mac users.

"Law schools should just ban laptops for exams. Period."

Agreed 100%.

Pathetic move by American. Very unpatriotic. They should admit their mistake and cover the costs themselves.

Deans and teachers tend to be jerks because they know as a student you have no power of them -- any misbehavior on the student's part will be known by potential employers.

You have to wait until you're a seasoned attorney. Then, you get to be a jerk.

When did everyone forget how to spell?

"law schools don't develop the software. My school also used software that couldn't run on Macs - Mac users had to rent a PC for $50, or hand-write exams. Boo fucking hoo."

Then law schools shouldn't opine on whether using a Mac for an exam is fine.

I don't get the big deal with the anti-AU administration trolls.

First, it's clear that the "1/3 Mac users" is an exaggeration. American isn't attracting all the best graphic designers from the Pacific Northwest to its halls.

Second, it appears most professors don't even give exams on computers, such as this complaining student who had none.

Third, the student is idiotic when it comes to economics. "In essense, students with Macs must pay to take their exams." Actually, students with PCs also pay. It's called... ready? Tuition. Perhaps you're familiar? And when the school uses tuition for something that benefits 80% of the students (e.g., exam software for PC-users), it's a wise use of money. When the school uses tuition for something that benefits 10% of the sudents (e.g., exam software for Mac-users), it's a foolish use of money.

1:03 - not true, I'm barely top 1/3 at AU and got BigLaw with ease

My school lets students type exams in Word and hand them in on flash drives -- both of which work just fine on Macs, of course. Why do other schools insist on special software that only works on PCs?

I most say the law student in this case has gone completely overboard. Sure if your used to taking notes and generally corresponding on your laptop on a daily basis then having to hand write an exam may be a little annoying, mostly because you can't put 80 words down on a page in a minute. Really though that's life deal with it. I spent 3 years of law school having to switch back and forth between hand writing and typing for various reasons and at the end of the day if your computer fails, well then you have to handwrite anyways. Please your not always going to get what you want that just the way things are and the sooner the student accepts this fact the easier and the less stressful things will be.

Lastly, while this student claims to have been assured by the law school that she could use her MAC on her exams; if that was the case by her own statements she was able to use her laptop. It is not the schools responsibility to ensure that all students have the appropriate software on there computer to be compatible with the examination software. Neither of the two law schools that I attended provided me with antivirus software so that I would be able to access their network, I had to pay that expense my self. So why should the school have to provide students with upgrades so that they may have the luxury of using your MAC? You could have always just bought a PC or there is always handwriting. No one is treating you unfairly you are just behaving like a spoiled child.

I'm not a fan of Macs, but given that their laptops cost considerably more than Windows machines definitely adds insult to injury.

You should do what I do and get totally functional yet waaaay cheaper laptops on Fleabay, then flip them at a profit to poor, uninformed law students who don't know any better :)

I go to WCL, and I think this is just another example of how second-rate this school is. I've given up on it-- I have my job lined up and look forward to handing in my last exam at the end of the year to never look back at this ridiculous school again. Some of my professors have been fantastic-- great teachers, great scholars. But the administration (and the general lack of resources due to a terrible endowment) makes this school a dump.

"First, it's clear that the "1/3 Mac users" is an exaggeration. American isn't attracting all the best graphic designers from the Pacific Northwest to its halls."

I silently lol'd at this.

Okay, I have a Mac and I'm applying to law schools knowing full well of these issues with the exam software. Can't these students just install XP using BootCamp on their Macs and then install the exam software on the XP partition of their hard-drive? The whole big to-do when Apple switched to Intel was that Macs would be able to boot Windows and OS X as though they were the native operating systems, so there really shouldn't be any issue with this software...unless it's just inherently glitchy regardless of what kind of computer architecture it runs on...

If you have an Intel Mac, you can boot up in bootcamp and run Examsoft no problem. It will not work with Parallels, however, because the software can't tell if another program is open. So get bootcamp and install XP on a partition, no big deal and saves you $$. My school allows this, as do many others. If AU can't hop on board proven methods such as this, something's suspicious (i.e. check to see if they have any purchasing agreement with other PC manufacturer's that may be clouding their judgements)

This student is a whiny dbag

"By the way, none of your professors are using Examsoft this semester."

The student got his/her ass handed to him/her. Period.

Wah wah wah!

Just buy the recommended computer. You're paying 150K anyway, what's an extra 1K?

SecureExam to 190.

AU does allow the use of Macs with bootcamp/XP installed. This person is either retarded or bought an old Mac. Also, it's worth pointing out that, up until this year, AU provided free IBM laptops to Mac users during exams. They ended this practice b/c new macs should have no problem.

What a dumbass, just put windows on your mac via bootcamp. Problem solved.

Those who say lawschools should ban laptops for exam purposes - your hitting the crack pipe a little to hard.

Lawschools should REQUIRE students to take exams if not notes on a computer. These idiots that can't type or use a computer need to get the F' out of lawschool b/c without that skill good luck being able to function. Douchebags (other than the old school partners that can't even read their own email) need to get with the program. I can type faster than I can write, or I can get dication software that I can just speak to.

As for the Mac user - ya she got pwned. American was correct in dealing with it.

i don't see why american can't fix this. we use exam software that is compatible with macs and pcs, so long as the mac user uses bootcamp and buys windows (generally for a much reduced price for college students). until recently bootcamp was free and from most school stores, i don't know why that wouldn't work at any other school as well since the software is usually reliant on windows, not on having a pc.

and in the kid's defense, the school should have alerted him to this potential problem when he asked, which is presumably before he bought the mac.

GW had a similar anti-Mac policy for exams, but after a thoughtful approach to the issue (and a petition signed by many hundreds of students), the university has changed its policy just a week or so ago, and will will now allow macs to download the native Exam4 software.

... To our friends up Connecticut Ave: try a more level-headed approach... they just might listen!

Law schools should ban laptops, period.

Unless your handwriting is unintelligible or you have some physical issue that prevents you from holding a pencil, you should be taking notes and writing your exams by hand.

Believe it or not, doing so actually allows you to focus more on what you're writing.

Taking exams by hand is a tremendous disadvantage. Several years ago, when I was a 1L and many students still took exams by hand, I compared raw and scaled scores of handwriting and computer students as a research project for a professor and found a sharp disparity. Given that grades seem to matter at AU, mac users are effectively compelled to rent or buy the software. By itself that isn't a problem, but if Mac users are told they can use Macs on exams and rely on that statement, the school should then follow through and make it happen.

Exam Policies
Students enrolled at Washington College of Law are allowed to use computers to take certain exams, subject to the following rules and regulations.

NOTE FOR MAC USERS: WCL uses ExamSoft. ExamSoft does not offer a Macintosh client. If you have an Intel-based Mac, with BootCamp and Windows installed, you can use your Mac. WCL will not provide this software or provide technical support.

http://www.wcl.american.edu/techres/exam_policies.cfm

it's been up like that for a long time

I'm a 3L at American. Nothing bad to be said about the quality of our education... definitely not disappointed that I didn't transfer after 1L.

But I have to say the administration at this law school is just plain terrible - its one good reason I will never give the school a dime. Every dollar of tuition that doesn't pay professor's salaries is used to pay for the school's human rights bent. Nothing ever gets done around here. This Mac issue is just the tip of the iceberg.

hen the school first implemented Examsoft, they arranged for laptops to be available to students, free of charge (isn't this why we pay a $190 technology fee?). Now they are backtracking and trying to avoid the costs. To be clear, the $200-$300 the source speaks us is the "cost" of installing Windows XP on your Mac. We're not being asked to pay for the software.

A. just use bootcamp. it's free

B. what kind of crap software is written only for Windows?

C. PCs are crap

D. Dean is incredibly immature to respond in that manner to anyone, let alone a student.

Billy,

You should throw up a link to the authoritative source for this subject:

http://www.maclawstudents.com/blog/law-school-exam-software/#schools

A. Bootcamp might be free, but Windows is not free, douche bag.

I'm a 1L and more like half the entering class has Macs. And yes, they did make it clear before we signed up to come here that Macs would be compatible.

The parking situation, on the other hand, is what's REALLY ridiculous. Telling me I can't park somewhere that I'm legally allowed to park.

I go to WCL and people know that they can't take the exams on Macs.

Also, that was not the way for that student to deal with the situation. I don't care how upset you are, you should show a Dean respect.

That student is going to find out that in real life when you write an email like that, you get fired.

Choose your favorite torrent site, download VMWare and windows XP or Vista. Slap it on there and use the Mac.

Most professors are ditching the software for exams now, because of the disadvantage for Mac users.

Most professors are ditching the software for exams now, because of the disadvantage for Mac users.

So you buy windows and leave it on your computer. It's a one time cost of $300 over the course of three years. Boo hoo, you're already paying a crap load for tuition, what's an extra $300?

First, both student and dean should review basic principles of grammar.

"I don't think ANYONE ...would voluntarily choose to handwrite THEIR law school exams... ." Anyone is singular; their is not.

"By the way, NONE of your professors ARE using... ." None is singular; are is not. (And please don't bother with the none may be plural response. While there is considerable disagreement on that issue, in this particular sentence structure "none" can only be singular).

And to the MAC user. Grow up. On second thought, don't. I like what you're doing to the bell curve for me.

You intentionally went out and bought a machine that is not out-of-the-box compatible with what, 80% of workplaces, and then whine about having to make it compatible?

Seriously though, does anyone other than graphics people have Macs at the office? I would be surprised to learn of a law firm running Macs. And I don't mean some solo practitioner in Topeka.

I should have gone to UDC. This school sucks.

1 - You can install XP on an Intel Mac and use bootcamp, but that assumes you want to pay whatever Microsoft or the XP retailer to purchsae the operating system. I am certain that XP costs more than the $200 for the exam software. Of course, you may get more use out of XP, but the whole reason to get a mac is that XP blows more than a Florida judge (as does Vista)/

2 - Doesn't AU have a computer lab? Why can't they make the computer lab available (or a portion of it) to the mac users for test taking purposes?

After my second PC died an untimely death, I converted to a Mac (if only I knew then what I know now). I personally would not want any Windows software on my Mac because it would become vulnerable to windows based viruses. Fortunately, at my school we turn our exams in on CDs or floppy discs so my Mac isn't a problem. What's the benefit of examsoft anyway?

UDC = biglaw training ground
AU = TTT

1:43: Come visit UChicago before complaining about parking.

Sorry for the horrible proofreading. Too many typos.

P.S. I love the picture above. Those commercials are the best!

"By the way, none of your professors are using Examsoft this semester."

So then what was the student's problem??

I have a mac, which I bought because Berkeley doesn't use any exam software (I just use MS Word to take exams). I bought it because for $1050 (including a free nano), it was the cheapest laptop, feature-for-feature, I could get. I haven't regretted the purchase yet (though I may come bar exam time have to upgrade with a PC laptop to take that exam).

Because of no exam situation limitation, I'd say that the number of mac users is far over 1/3 here.

GW also does not allow students to take exams on Macs. Georgetown used to use examsoft as well, but changed to another provider that I believe allows both Mac and PC users.

I hate when people feel the need to correct grammar on blogs and emails. They are not court documents, so quit believing you are better than everyone.

"UDC = biglaw training ground
AU = TTT"

AU = #47 (tied)
UDC = Tier 4

Obviously you've been haning out with Marion Barry and hitting the crack pipe a little too hard.

This was not the first communication with the administration. More level-headed discussions have been ongoing for months-- this just happens to be one more-frustrated (and perhaps less professional) email in a long string, after being summarily dismissed by the dean of students and IT. IT at wcl is far below what is acceptable-- the level of service in not at all commensurate with what we pay.

The fact is, the administration lied to incoming students. As mac users, we were led to believe that we would be able to access computer services on par with windows users, until this summer. So that means all of us who use macs, including those who are 2, 3, & 4Ls, who purchased ibooks & powerbooks are left hanging. I, for one, would not grumble if I had to pay to rent a laptop for finals. I'm not asking for a free option, just an option other than handwriting. As of now, my only other option is to borrow one from a friend who lives an hour and a half away, and I have to borrow it twice, once for my sole exam-soft exam and once before then, to get it "approved" by the IT people. If they intended to phase out mac support during finals, they should have warned mac users, before they enrolled.

It may seem unbelievable, but a significant amount of wcl students use macs, definitely more than 16%. One-third may be a stretch, but 25% isn't.

Final word? The dean of students is a jerk. He treats students like crap whether it's a sarcastic email, or someone coming in to discuss forthcoming absence because of the death of a family member. The email may have been out of line, but he always is.

1:53.... the problem is that WCL students have to take on causes -- even ones that don't effing matter. They have to constantly find something to bitch about. You hire "activists" for professors and this is what you get...

I am a 2L at American. I had a mac all throughout undergrad. However, upon deciding to go to AU, I went to their laptop requirements page and realized that I needed to purchase a pc. I bought the cheapest pc I could and called it a day. I don't get what this student's problem is, she has a computer that was not recommended and now isn't compatible. She made a choice to buy the computer and is now dealing with the complications and consequences.

As to the nature of the emails, both the student and Dean come off looking poorly

"isn't this why we pay a $190 technology fee?"

Yes. You pay a $190 fee for $200 software. Or, that fee goes toward computer stations, printing services, tech support, wireless access, automation, in-class room technology, and the host of other innumerable technological costs.

Seriously, are kids at American required to flunk 8th-grade economics before entering?

There's a simple solution - at least, at Maryland we had a simple solution. When the school's test taking software was incompatible with certain student laptops the school simply set up a bank of school-owned desktops for electronic exams. I would assume American has enough random desktops lying around that can be pressed into service for exams.

Poor grammar is one thing up with which I shall not put.

"So then what was the student's problem??"

Students here at WCL have serious problems with working themselves into a frenzy at every action of the (admittedly ineffective) administration.

This is one of a long string of random complaints that pop up when a student who came from a small liberal arts college finds out that the world isn't tailor made for him or her.

Last year, a similar e-mail campaign came up when students were angry with how the school gave out loaner computers.

This is a school full of self involved complainers who aren't used to not being special. But I guess that is what happens when you go to a private law school.

I thought AU grads all end up becoming public defenders...do you even need a jd for that?

I would have preferred this e-mail exchange to conclude with, "Dear 2L, thank you for your interest in the SecurExam program, but I'm afraid all copies of the software have been taken." WUSTL-style.

GW Law doesn't even support macs or vista users for anything! Not even allowing them to connect to the secure Internet on-campus?? Come on GW, get with the program!

WC1L - great post, "You hire "activists" for professors and this is what you get..."

WCL is more like a community college with night classes to fulfill humanities and social science credits. Very little legal instruction since everyone wants to save the world, one poorly funded public interest group at a time.

can we have a post about what firms pro-rate bonuses and what firms don't

get a list on that

bingham doesn't - if you don't get 2100 hours you get nothing. call em out and get em to change that

When I was in law school a couple of years ago, you couldn't use a Mac for exams period. You also couldn't use Linux or Windows ME, and you also had to have a specific version of Microsoft Office installed as well. Having software requirements that are uniform bring the cost of administering a laptop exam program down. Law students need to get used to specific requirements for things.

Even if the school supported Macs at one time and then decided to stop doing so in order to same money, that is fine too. Changing policies happen all the time. Learn to adapt.

Quit your bitching.

1:55 - GULC just uses Microsoft Word (or whatever other writing program a student uses). The exam is burned to a disc and the students are not to open the exam file on their hard drive until grades have been released. That way, if the disc is lost or corrupted, the administrators can recover the exam from a student's hard drive and the "last modified" information will determine whether the exam is unaltered.

Kinda foolproof if, as a university, GULC takes its honor code seriously (it does).

1:47 - I agree. Whenever I hear people making completely ridiculous comments and demands like the Mac user here, I think about how glad I am when they are in a class with me.
Anyone who buys a Mac knows there are many programs that won't work - deal with it. You decided to buy a Mac.

My friend found a bug in her food at lunch today in the WCL cafeteria. Maybe we should go to UDC instead.

Mac users are now also complaining that its unfair even if the rentals are provided for them because they would have to use a keyboard they are not used to using.

Whiney pricks...

Suck it up and get a pencil. This complaint is a ridiculous.

BUSL is the same way

Examsoft is a complete piece of shit, and its distributors should all be in jail.

That said, did the student really refer to handwriting exams as "arcane?" What a helmet. I also have no sympathy for Mac users when they complain about compatibility issues. When you buy something solely to be different, you cannot complain when that difference causes some degree of inconvenience.

If I ever win the lottery I'm going to do something snide like donate tons of money to the school and stipulate it for a Law Republicans club.... or maybe to start up a WCL chapter of the NRA.

The admin would love that.

1:51 - why would you even drive at UChicago? That's one of the silliest things I've heard in a while.

Delete "a" above

Examsoft is a complete piece of shit, and its distributors should all be in jail.

That said, did the student really refer to handwriting exams as "arcane?" What a helmet. I also have no sympathy for Mac users when they complain about compatibility issues. When you buy something solely to be different, you cannot complain when that difference causes some degree of inconvenience.

That is an excellent idea, 2:01, but such logic escapes our administrators

WCL sux - can anyone refute this?

GULC rulz

GULC to 190

WCL to.........TOILET!!!

2:11: http://library.wcl.american.edu/loaner_laptop.cfm

"a student may borrow - for a period of 1 week - a laptop from the Circulation Desk at the Pence Law Library."

2:10 - don't you understand, WCL students HAVE to be different?!

I was in the hallway awhile back and heard some guy talking about getting a sex-change operation...

I had to google "wcl" to even know what these commentators are talking about. who the hell cares about this school, especially if a person would have to google it's name to even figure out where it is. i thought this site catered to only serious players in the legal market- you know, the ones that can actually get big firm jobs? Exception for Miami though- making fun of a school is appropriate, especially when it involves [law-school] hot girls (as opposed to "hot" by normal standards).

"Second, it appears most professors don't even give exams on computers, such as this complaining student who had none." -1:22

Umm, WRONG. The complaining student probably does have exams on computers, just not exams using the particular program that doesn't work on Mac. Work on your reading comprehension.

wtf is WCL?

There are other law schools in DC that are not Georgetown?

2:17 - thanks for the utterly meaningless distinction.

GULC used Examsoft a long time ago, but since 2004 has allowed the use of Word or WordPerfect for exams. Several other top law schools also trust their students enough to let them take exams without special lock-down software.

In fact, if the professor allows it (which most do), GULC students can access notes on their computer, and sometimes access the Internet during the exam.

Why can't we do our exams on the Playstation? That would be bananazzzzz

In the spirit of mocking the student's poor grammar, note the incorrect shift from first person to second person in the following sentence:

"i.e. If we don't like the system, then handwrite your exams!"

No wonder he's at American.

oh man, could not agree more re the pathetic state of the WCL admin. jaffe should be fired straight away. grossman should realize that there's more to running a law school than building chilean alliances.

it's amazing that students are able to score the fairly good jobs that they (mostly) do.

--biglaw au alum

All students receive a notice before enrolling that Macs are not compatible with all WCL-issued software. Mac users were warned about this.

Also, WCL waived the fee to rent a PC for this semester's exams.

The best test system is the system at HYS - if you're alive, you're acing exams. No tech fees!

I am finishing my last year at WCL, and cannot stand this place. I have biglaw lined up in DC, so I am generally happy. But, I still cringe each time I have to walk in the building.

All the problems have already been listed above, but I will echo the poster who said that WCL students get bitchy at every turn. Everything about the WCL student body and administration disgusts me, and I too will never donate a dollar to the school.

Amen, 2:25!!!

-V10 Assoc., WCL '05

My first year of law school was 2002-2003 and first-year students could only handwrite exams. That's since changed, but it's not some archaic notion to have to handwrite an exam.

Re-sign Mike Lowell!

I have to agree with WCL Grad (@ 2:29). I would add that the school is hopelessly devoted to lost causes. A student can hardly walk to the elevator without being harassed about supporting some invarably hard-left-wing cause. Eventually, the school will drown in its self-imposed irrelevance and underachievement.

Nobody who's ever had any experience with AU should be surprised that the administration doesn't give a crap about its students in a given situation. I'm telling my kids they have to study hard or they'll have to go to American.

Dean pwns student.

Chuck Norris has a law school?

http://www.worldcombatleague.com/

Exams on PS. Bleep bleep bloop. Sweet.

AU to PC Jr.!

the article, as well as the comments, now make me wonder why i chose to join such a profession...

AU provides free loaner IBM thinkpads for week+ stretches. What the hell is the problem again?

One thing I love about Washington and Lee: unproctored exams. UVA is the same, isn't it?

Just went to Dell.com. The cheapest clunkbook they have is $500. Buy one, keep it in the closet for exam time, and be done with it. It's nothing compared to at least $30k tuition.

If your professor blows you can you get your exam dismissed?

first!

MACs are for SCHMUCKS

What is this nonsense about requiring a laptop for law school and law school exams? That's so gay.

The student is an idiot.

the letter from the sister is clearly hearsay, and should never have been used.

Maybe the AU students who use mac should ask for a laptop from the One Laptop Per Child. They only cost about $200.

But what about the 803 exception?

the letter from the sister is clearly hearsay, and should never have been used.

2:04-- I graduated recently and was not in the top 50% at American. Despite going to a TTT (as people have referred to it), I started work after law school as an associate at a V20 firm. Many of my classmates are working at V50 firms.

To 2:04 and 2:06-- People I graduated with are saving the world. Several people from my law school have started non-profits immediately after leaving school that have improved the lives of real people (not large, insignificant corporations) on a daily basis. Other people I know work in government and advocacy agencies dealing with human rights, environmental awareness, voting rights, and other issues that actually matter. And yes, there are others I know who defend the rights of people who have been wrongfully accused and keep the judicial system in balance.

Stop criticizing the WCL alum and students who actually care about making a difference in this world, and the quality of the education WCL students receive that inspires them to do such amazing things.

But what about the 803 exception?

which 803 exception? 803(5) maybe, but that's a bit tenuous in this case, eh? we could always wait 20 years and admit it under 803(16). that's my vote.

I am also a WCL 3L and I echo the comments of 1:39. I have a Vault T30 firm job lined up after graduation and have sincerely enjoyed my time at the school, but this satisfaction is due only to the students and professors.

The administration is famous within the school for making poor decisions and then responding with this same sort of flippant dismissal of student concerns. This includes the Mac ExamSoft issue -which has not been dealth with after nearly three years of "angst" over constant problems with the system, to the point that few professors ask for ExamSoft for the tests. This also includes the recent decision to install network security software that is so poorly designed that it creates massive inconvenience for both Mac and PC users, leading many of us to believe that any testing the administration may have performed before installation was poorly executed. Also, as I imagine happens many places, the financial aid system is terrible - as in consistently not disbursing aid in time for many students to pay tuition by deadlines terrible - but has not been changed despite years of student complaints.

The student may have crossed the line with his or her sarcasm, but I imagine it stems from the same frustration that so many of us feel toward the special brand of arrogance that the administration displays with the student body. Perhaps having these concerns available to the wider public will finally help encourage change and our administration will finally perform at the same top level as the students and faculty.

I'm at American and I got a big law job in at a higher ranked firm than any of the people I know at GU or GW...likewise for several of my friends at AU.

Ever notice how people who go to top tier schools but didn't get into top ten schools are the ones who always have to distinguish themselves from the lower ranked top tiers? You never see someone from Harvard or Yale badmouthing students at other law schools.

same thing at univ of minnesota

2:04-- I graduated recently and was not in the top 50% at American. Despite going to a TTT (as people have referred to it), I started work after law school as an associate at a V20 firm. Many of my classmates are working at V50 firms.

To 2:04 and 2:06-- People I graduated with are saving the world. Several people from my law school have started non-profits immediately after leaving school that have improved the lives of real people (not large, insignificant corporations) on a daily basis. Other people I know work in government and advocacy agencies dealing with human rights, environmental awareness, voting rights, and other issues that actually matter. And yes, there are others I know who defend the rights of people who have been wrongfully accused and keep the judicial system in balance.

Stop criticizing the WCL alum and students who actually care about making a difference in this world, and the quality of the education WCL students receive that inspires them to do such amazing things.

For anyone that is out of law school, or at another law school, or isn';t affected by this in any way, who cares? The real morons are everyone that wasted there time to put their two cents in. Damnit! A victim of my own insult!!

which 803 exception? 803(5) maybe, but that's a bit tenuous in this case, eh? we could always wait 20 years and admit it under 803(16). that's my vote.

which 803 exception? 803(5) maybe, but that's a bit tenuous in this case, eh? we could always wait 20 years and admit it under 803(16). that's my vote.

Honestly, who cares. For those of you no longer in law school, at another law school, or elsewhere, why would you take the time to comment? You're the morons here. Crap! I'm a victim of my own insult!

1/3rd of the students at American are total d-bags?

Honestly, who cares. For those of you no longer in law school, at another law school, or elsewhere, why would you take the time to comment? You're the morons here. Crap! I'm a victim of my own insult!

Seriously, who gives a crap about this?

Honestly, who cares. For those of you no longer in law school, at another law school, or elsewhere, why would you take the time to comment? You're the morons here. Crap! I'm a victim of my own insult!

2:05 -- you're wrong. GW has no problem with mac users getting on the secured wireless network, or with printing, or (as of late) taking exams. Check your facts before flaming in the comments.

Hey, corporations need lawyers, too!

2:51(5): excellent flame.

Hey, corporations need lawyers, too!

This is stupid. UMiami also uses ExamSoft but the school loans out laptops for Mac and Cheese users.

I am also in business associations right now and this accountant turned lawyer will not stop gunning. Killself.

Remind me. Why do I care about exams at a law school I didn't know existed until this post?

This is stupid. UMiami also uses ExamSoft but the school loans out laptops for Mac and Cheese users.

I am also in business associations right now and this accountant turned lawyer will not stop gunning. Killself.

2:28 is correct.

What a f*cking baby. I have absolute no sympathy for mac students with these problems. For something this important, if there is even a chance that a mac won't be compatible with exam software you are an idiot for taking the chance. The school doesn't owe you shit because you chose to take a chance and go wth a Mac.

Also, the e-mail was pathetic and did nothing other than make this student look like a child. If an American student had ANY job prospects, this one's chance just went out the window.

Good work American2L

1. Examsoft is pretty terrible and has crashed my Windows based laptop twice.
2. At our school, this is the first semester that Mac users can run examsoft on their laptops.
3. Professors don't like it when you write your exams and I think it puts you at a competitive disadvantage to not be able to get your thoughts out quite as quickly.

That said, both the dean and the student here should treat each other with a little more respect. You shouldn't say anything in an email ever that you wouldn't want posted online.

wcl 2L, mac user - What's a 4L?

I went to WCL and graduated in the top 15%. Easily landed offers at Top 10 firms in NYC. This was in 2002. I've known classmastes who were ranked in the top 25% land at V20 firms (most were in DC).

That being said, this complaint sounds like some of our hippie students (for those who don't know, AU attracts a ton of students interested in public interest law). I'm sure there will be some group or another that stages a sit-in in the library to protest the lack of Macs or whatever. Sometimes, WCL can be a whiny place to be but if you're looking to land interviews at top firms, its a pretty good choice.

For the record, the GW students are the fun ones. The GULC students (those who survive the muggings, anyway) generally need to remove the poles out of their asses before you can actually have a normal conversation.

When my buddy transferred from WCL to his home state school, he had to talk with Dean Jaffe before leaving. The guy wanted to go to some rural state out west. Anyway, Jaffe says, "Well, we have alumni in that state!" Then he pulls a bound copy of WCL alumni by state and opens to the appropriate state. He says, "look, we have strong connections in that state. There's at least, seven, eight, nine alumni there!" My friend then looks at the list and says, "But three of those guys were admitted to the Bar before 1930. Are we really having this conversation?"

2:42 UVA Law does unprotected exams and you can take them any time during a 2 week window. It is amazing.

Seriously, that person needs to learn how to express him or herself properly before ranting about the lack of ways in which to do so.

Seriously, that person needs to learn how to express him or herself properly before ranting about the lack of ways in which to do so.

It is surprising to see the number of ignorant posters who speak before investigating and embarass themselves. My lawfirm (not a solo) has been all Mac since 1985. I've lectured to nationwide audiences at numerous Bar Association gatherings about using Macs on trial and in their practices.
Those who believe Macs are only good for graphics, obviously lack a basic understanding of computer architecture and technology and shouldn't offer foolish opinions.
Among the many benefits of using Macs in a legal practice are: extremely short learning curve for new hires; extremely rare downtime; NO viruses; ease of use in the office and in the courtroom; compatibility with modern real-time court reporting, etc, etc.
Perhaps its time the Dean attended one of my seminars.
As for the snobs who believe Mac users are something less for their dedication, perhaps you should examine your own computing needs more realistically.

"What's a 4L?"

A 4L is what other schools call a 4E, a 4th year evening student.

Could someone please reinstate the teaching of basic grammar at some level of the American education system? There were some heinous errors in both letters.

well at least they had a choice. i had no choice. i could only take it on paper, period.

Both the dean and the student here should treat each other with more respect. People should learn to not to say things in emails that they don't want posted online somewhere.

That said, handwriting exams puts people at a competitive disadvantage. Profs don't like reading them, and it takes longer to write.

Schools should find a better system for exams. ExamSoft is an unreliable and crappy program and its sad that there isn't a better option. Macs really are better computers, and I would have gotten one if I weren't going to law school. I think they have managed to find a way to run ExamSoft on Macs this semester, but the bootcamp method described above wasn't reliable enough for our school to allow students to use their Macs.

What's with all the GULC people? Really annoying

"What's a 4L?"

A 4L is what other schools call a 4E, a 4th year evening student.

Isn't this a type of cheese?

While applying to Law Schools, my school's administration confirmed for me over the phone that if I attended the evening (part-time) program, I could nontheless graduate in 3 years if I was willing to do a little extra summer course work. This was in fact not the case and I didn't discover the falsity until after I had enrolled and moved accross the country to attend.

After several petitions to finish on time, it was explained to me that becoming a full time student (enabling me to graduat in three years as promised) would tweak a student to teacher ratio and thereby diminish the school's chance of a high US News & World Report ranking.

I go to Loyola of Los Angeles. And while currently there is an article in the National Jurist detailing Loyola's dis-taste for the rankings, the school has never missed an opportunity to climb the same.

Currently, I am rotting away in my fourth, and unexpected, year of school. I will never forget how Loyola simultaneously compromised its integrity and prostituted itself to the rankings.

I disagree with the American policy. I think the underlying justification is laziness or irrational fear. The claims about exam security and excess costs don't have much basis in reality.

The bottom line is that taking exams by laptop is essentially a necessity. With grades being done on a curve, those hand-writing exams are at a huge disadvantage to those typing them.

Macs can natively run Windows. There are not any real security issues presented by this, and it can be done without added cost.

American should get with it.

Why aren't there more posts today? At least you could throw us a Portsmouth bone or something.

Couple Things:

1) Santa Clara University also similarly uses Exam Soft and won't support students taking the tests on Macs. Unlike at American, pretty much ALL exams use ExamSoft. That being said, it still sucks for PC uses:

2) To say ExamSoft is a piece of crap is being too kind. Its the evil incarnate of software. I'm not sure how a group of really horrible programmers could corner this market. The software is full of memory leaks [it crashed on me and i lost 1/3 of my exam... which I re-wrote by hand]

CA Law Student,

The only way for an evening student to graduate in 3 years in to convert to the day program following the first year. In doing this, you would have to take summer courses to catch up (i.e., a little extra summer course work). Question. Do you work (and I don't mean that BS workstudy crap)? If not, what the hell are you doing in the evening program anyway?

No lawyer ever saved the world. At best we prevent other lawyers from ruining it. Get over yourselves AU students who claim your classmates "are saving the world." That wins the award for most overblown comment in the history of the internet...except maybe "there were WMD's in Iraq."

I graduated from American last year, and I'm now a partner at Wachtell. Stop making fun of the school!

figgityfiggityfiggity FFFIRST!

Is American a correspondence law school for non-US citizens or something? How have I never even heard of this place?

3:11:

Your website flat out sucks.

Eventually, the trustees will wake up and smell the coffee, fire the administration, and try and improve the reputation of the school.

Until then, the school will continue to list at the bottom of the top tier, when it could be so much more. Despite that GMU and UMD are ranked higher, public perception of AU is much greater - AU grads have a much better time getting jobs. AU is DC's Fordham. It just needs to get its act together.

It is surprising to see the number of ignorant posters who speak before investigating and embarass themselves. My lawfirm (not a solo) has been all Mac since 1985. I've lectured to nationwide audiences at numerous Bar Association gatherings about using Macs on trial and in their practices.
Those who believe Macs are only good for graphics, obviously lack a basic understanding of computer architecture and technology and shouldn't offer foolish opinions.
Among the many benefits of using Macs in a legal practice are: extremely short learning curve for new hires; extremely rare downtime; NO viruses; ease of use in the office and in the courtroom; compatibility with modern real-time court reporting, etc, etc.
Perhaps its time the Dean attended one of my seminars.
As for the snobs who believe Mac users are something less for their dedication, perhaps you should examine your own computing needs more realistically.

wustl, everyone's favorite school (ha ha shut up people--preemptively), will support macs that run windows. but, those of us who have powerbooks or ibooks are screwed. they still refuse to allow us to print straight from our computers (ohh because it doesn't count the pages. whatev. use a better system).

i guess my biggest question is why do we have honor codes if they don't trust us to follow them? force powerbook/ibook users into the front rows of classrooms and let them use Word. hell if i'm trying to pull something up on my computer with 50 people sitting behind me.

"Perhaps its time the Dean attended one of my seminars."

And perhaps its [sic] time to spend a little more time on grammar.

Also, I love the myth of "NO viruses" perpetuated until someone is pwned by one.

SUCK IT. Using a laptop to take an exam is a privilege. Your score won't improve over handwriting anyway. I hate spoiled bitches.

What is this pain in the ass going to do when she gets a job? Since getting along with people and adapting was something that was not learned before law schoo, I guess the Dean had to be the one to show her.

The Dean's last paragraph is a priceless smackdown.

Not to long ago, everyone wrote out their exams and somehow the world survived.

I can't read my own handwriting - how should i expect a professor too. I was in the top 10% of my class at a good school - if I wrote my exams I'd have failed out.

If my law school does not let me bring in my secretary and dictate my exam to her then I will never send a donate a cent to it.

It's funny: I immediately assumed this was a woman from the tone of the email and then I noticed people referring to the emailer as "he." Did anyone else make the same assumption as me? Why?

Doesn't your law school trust you not to cheat? We did our exams on our own software (Word...) and then printed them and turned them in... No honor codes out there?

This is all very unsurprising. About 80% of WCL students are in a perpetual state of outrage about something. I transferred to UVA at the end of my first year, and I've never looked back.

I bench 285. I used to bench 340 when I was on steroids.

"I bench 285. I used to bench 340 when I was on steroids."

Winner.

I just bought a new computer and got a mac, which in fact was cheaper than my previous pc and my sister's brand new hp. My school told me I could take exams on my mac when the bar exam allows it to be taken on macs. I bought the mac anyway b/c it is so much better. I will just borrow my sister's computer for exams. Saying that writing exams is an option is crazy considering that my hand has not been in shape for that kind of writing since elementary school. I would have to train all semester to be prepared to write which is why I am terrified for the NY Bar. Clearly apple might need to fix some security issues so I can get an iphone and not need a blackberry when i start work in the fall.

I mean like they actually expect us to write our exam answers? What kind of a crazy shit ass thing is this. Next you'll tell me that they expect me to speak in class. I mean isn't this tailored to my wants and needs just like the rest of my life was? Waaaaaaaaaahhhhhaaahhh.

My hand is an excellent shape. Probably on account of the masterbation.

The way the two guys dressed in the apple ads didn't give you a clue as to which way professional law firms and therefore law schools and bar examiners were going?

My hand is an excellent shape. Probably on account of the masterbation.

I am a 2L at WCL. After going through fall recruitment and after having received several offers from top firms in DC, I noticed one characteristic that the firms shared: top partners at every one commented on how much they esteemed WCL grads. Why? It's because we have terrific professors and our graduates become brilliant and successful lawyers. Most importantly, however, we WCL students are, by and large, not full of ourselves. We're also not so foolish as to believe that where one goes to school determines how intelligent one is or, necessarily, how good of a lawyer one will become. Over this past summer, I saw work of students from Catholic University, UDC, and WCL that blew the work of students from Georgetown and GW on similar topics out of the water. And no, this was not at some shoddy employer that only took the dregs of Georgetown's and GW's classes -- it was at the Department of Justice.

WCL is a great school. Like all institutions, it has its downside. Essentially, the only complaints I have about WCL pertain to administrative issues: the IT department is headed by a woman with no IT background; the wireless network is poor; and, if I may speak in earnest, Dean Jaffe is a total chotch. This sentiment is, at least anecdotally, pervasive at WCL. I know of no student who likes Jaffe or who believes he does his job well. That one student lost his/her cool in an email to Jaffe is completely understandable: the student undoubtedly has had to deal with Jaffe's unacceptable performance and repeated administrative canards for some time.

That being said, the legal education here is second to none. So many lawyers, law students, and pre-law students think that one magazine's "rankings" are the word of God, handed down from on high. That is the acme of foolishness. I draw your attention to the fact that, sometime during the last few years, Georgetown's law school ranking rose because its *undergraduate* campus built a better fitness facility. Asinine!

For a profession that purportedly works to eliminate prejudice, law is replete with individuals who evaluate others on fairly meaningless criteria. I suggest that our profession begin to use criteria that matter. Instead of focusing on one's pedigree and on the amount of money one makes, perhaps we might evaluate ourselves on who we are as people and on what we contribute to our communities.

from the WCL website:

"Grades play an important role in determining if a student is granted an interview, but they are not the only factor. Each year, a WCL student has received an offer to work for a large firm during the summer without the "top" grades. Usually, this is a student who has done his or her homework in the summer, identifying law firms that they are particularly interested in applying to, sending their resume and other information early and following up with the recruiting coordinator at the firm. In addition, they may have made contacts at the firm and asked those contacts to assist them in landing an interview.

What do we mean by "top grades"? It varies, but usually a student in the top 15 to 20 percentile are considered to be in the top of their class. However, many firms will also consider students in the top 25 – 30 percentiles. If you want to work for a large firm the most important thing you can do is concentrate on getting the best grades you can and pursue diligently those firms that best fit your interests."

notice it says "at least A STUDENT without top grades gets big law"

figure out the recruitment implications.

GULC ppl quit bashing lower tiered schools in DC, they already have it bad enough, it is not classy to kick people when they are down.

lower tiered ppl stop being so god damn sensitive

OMG I AM V# AND BECAUSE I SAYZ THAT ON INTERNETS MY SCHOOL IS DA ROXOR!

I'm shocked at the anti-WCL sentiment here, from people who don't even know the law school.

Especially GULC people, whose heads are so stuck up their own asses that they don't realize that people in the real top schools don't even remember to name them in a top anything list (right on to the person who said something the not-quite-top-ten schools, because I definitely don't get this much crap from my friends at any of those schools). But at least your administration seems to have a the exam policy together - it's just a pity that students have such a chip on their shoulder - do you really think the school gives a shit that you're doing PR for them? Morons. And btw: I got into GULC and I'm very happy that I didn't go there - I've heard from a lot of people who completely hate it there - and hate their classmates: at least the self-important, non-critical, privileged lot who are likely posting here.

But I guess we have enough of those ourselves: more than anyone else, it's the negative WCL students who posted here that really amaze me. You are the real crybabies here. You probably had the option to go to GMU in the area, which is ranked higher + solely corporate, but you likely were so stuck on going to a private school at all costs (and WCL is in the top ten for student debt) that you came here. No wonder you're bitter. Didn't you do the research to see that the school actually has more balance between the big-firm track and the public interest than most of our neighbors in DC? It's just that you don't see as many posters/programs about the rights of corporations in the elevator - but everything is set up to help you from the way our alumni office works with alum at firms to the fact that we only have 1 career services person who actually works with public interest students, as opposed to what, a half dozen people who help you with your cushy summer associate hook-ups? But you continue to complain about it, while you gun to get in the top ten percent of the class (but I have to say, I know plenty of top 10% students here who are definitely on the public interest career track). Hell if you're complaining here, you're likely not very active at all, not contributing much of anything to anyone, just concerned about yourself, and getting far less out of the experience here than the many firm-track folks who are open and remember that law school could be about more than just buying a Lexus.

What exactly are you complaining about anyway? You just don't have the instant recognizability of the school name brand that you crave, and you're bitter that you may be shut out of some of the firms that you think you have a shot at (but some posters here are showing is just wrong). But there are many many alum who are proud that there is actually a strong current of conscience at the school, and that includes a lot of students who know that they will be going the firm route. I know that I'll struggle through and fight hard to get a job that pays me $40,000 a year when my younger sister started at $160K from a top 5 school 2 years ago, but I don't hold it against the people who are doing what they have to do and going the firm route. That's most of my friends here. But they don't have some weird, flipped out chip on their shoulder about it - they recognize that there are people here who are willing to try other things - and know that it won't affect their own career tracks. What the hell are you so angry about, when the majority of students at our school get along fine regardless of what they are planning to do with their degrees, there's very little cut-throat ugliness, and folks are actually decent to one another here. That's the reason the school is special - it's that feeling that people are in it together. If you stop complaining about the students maybe you could focus on: 1) the cost of tuition is way too high and people should be outraged about that; and 2) the administration here is the real enemy - not the students.

This is about a law school administration that doesn't really address or understand what the students are talking about - or doesn't care. The issue with Mac compatibility is simple: there is other software that is not dependent on operating system (as mentioned by at least one poster here).

The student wasn't very clear, but s/he was angry about this. It is incredibly frustrating that they don't do what other schools have done - and that they don't even have 1 support person in IT to help 25% of the students. That's the problem. When they lent out the laptops to students for free, that was a solution that was at least somewhat tenable, but why is the administration basically making folks who want to type their exams buy Windows? The whole point of getting a Mac is to NOT use Windows. My first semester, I had to use a computer I wasn't familiar with, and it definitely affected my grades. I have been handwriting from then, but people should just have equal treatment - is that such a hard thing to understand for a bunch of law students?

Finally - there are a few things that people have been saying that are very troubling: that students who can't go elsewhere go to WCL, or that people who can't get into other jobs and so they settle with public interest jobs. First, people who came to WCL because it was the highest ranking school they got into are idiots, chasing an arbitrary designation without really thinking about what they want from the experience of being in law school and what they want to do when they get out. Second, public interest jobs are very competitive because the field is much smaller than the firm route, and it's not as guaranteed.

But l refuse to get into a pointless conversation about this - most of my friends are going to firms, and it's all good, because they are good people and they have a conscience about issues of justice and will do what they can to contribute to other work, as pro bono counsel, as donors, and as conscience members of their communities. But I guess that just as there are public interest folks who get too high-and-mighty about their causes, there are other people who get really down on public interest students. To people reading who don't know, I just want to emphasize that this isn't the way most people here think - these folks are completely on the fringe.

But the school administration is totally on the wrong track about this and a lot of other issues. The honor code violation would be enough to stop most people and relieve us of the horror that is ExamSoft.

the huge ass post up top is exactly the kind of over-sensitive crap i'm talking about.

ad hom attacks on EVERYONE at a school just because some people at one school bashes your school doesn't show class either. everyone is guilty of this on here, but ppl! take it easy!

there seem to be equal part dbags from all schools on these boards.

thumbs up to the content of the post otherwise

I'M APPALLED!!! My beautiful alma mater American University - WCL, splashed across the pages of AboveTheLaw like this. I mean don't get me wrong, I laugh when it's other law school, but Lat!

It's not the fact that Mac users have to pay extra, it's that the administration has been jerking us around all semester. First we have to pay for loaner computers, then we don't have to pay. As of recent, we have to install Bootcamp and then purchase Word - for which we will be reimbursed. The SBA President is supposed to be sending an email out (tomorrow) with all the relevant information for Mac users but I believe that this is what is happening.

As a 2L, I would say that my best guesstimate (you like that word, grammar freaks?) would be that 25% of my classmates use Macs.

As for parking, it's not that there is none. The neighborhood surrounding the school is empty during the day. However, the school made a deal with the neighborhood in which they fine any WCL student caught parking in the neighborhood $75. Oh, and 1Ls are not allowed to pay the $900/yr to park in the garage. They trick you into giving them your license plate number when you first enroll. For those who don't know, American is in a residential neighborhood with very little reliable public transportation other than the shuttle to the metro (Hello, why can't the N8 EVER BE ON TIME - or for that matter, ANY BUS IN DC). I lasted one semester without a car up here.

On to UMiami....I miss you. If only I wouldn't have failed out of law school if I had done it down there. What a sad sad time last weekend was - R.I.P. OB 1937-2007.

One last thing, while I will never ever donate money to this school after I graduate (it's all going to Miami sports department), I will not bad mouth the school. The better the reputation the school has, the better my educational experience will be viewed, no matter how I feel about this shit hole of left wing crazies.

Holy crap am I glad I am done with law school and all the dorks and gunners that it involves.

***purchase Word = purchase Windows****

I began law school at American, and transferred for geographic reasons. I am puzzled by the claims of the disgruntled student, some of which I know to be patently untrue.

When I began last fall, the admissions materials indicated that Windows laptop was required to take exams. I called the IT department to ask if I could take exams with a Mac running windows (when the technology as all of 4 months old). IT told me that I was welcome to try, but would do so at my own risk. I took all of my exams on a Macbook (running windows with Bootcamp) without a hitch.

For the students who did not pay attention to the information in the admissions packet and on the website (and did not own windows compatible machines), IT provided ThinkPads free of charge, with the warning that the loans would not be free in future semesters. I am therefore at a loss to understand how this student feels she was wronged.

IT at WCL, by the way, is light years ahead of the IT infrastructure at the T10 to which I transferred; it is one of the aspects I miss most. I also agree with 4:58 that WCL is a fine school, and that the quality of faculty and students far exceeds the school's reputation.

The letter from the Dean is laughable at best. There's no reason why one would have to incur extra support costs for delivering software on a Mac, especially if you approach vendors who are platform agnostic. It is beyond absurd to cut out Mac users in a university setting where Apple enjoys its highest market share outside of the creative fields. This is less about support costs and more about covering up for piss poor decisions making (read: kickbacks) that was exercised when deciding on a vendor. A cross-platform application can be written in a myriad of languages and simply deciding to stick with your vendor at the expense of those that provide you with your primary salary is the very definition of dismissive.

P.S. Jaffe is NOT a douchebag!

"Lastly, while this student claims to have been assured by the law school that she could use her MAC on her exams; if that was the case by her own statements she was able to use her laptop. It is not the schools responsibility to ensure that all students have the appropriate software on there computer to be compatible with the examination software. Neither of the two law schools that I attended provided me with antivirus software so that I would be able to access their network, I had to pay that expense my self. So why should the school have to provide students with upgrades so that they may have the luxury of using your MAC? You could have always just bought a PC or there is always handwriting. No one is treating you unfairly you are just behaving like a spoiled child."

MAC = Media Access Control
Mac = Short for Apple Macintosh

That being said, I really do hope you decide to take a english as a second language course before you continue to pursue a career in law. I think it would probably hurt your case in court if you referred to it as you're case.

Hi Alex, most of your issues can be remedied in a basic 8th-grade economics text book. Your local library: check it out!

Some background on Macs and law school exams:

There are four major law exam software packages: Electronic Blue Book by CompuTest, Exam4 by Extegrity, Securexam by Sofware Secure, and SofTest by ExamSoft. SoftTest is the market leader, and also the only of the four that doesn't support Macs natively.

Boot Camp is supported by many, but not all SofTest schools. ExamSoft has certified SofTest for use with Boot Camp, but many schools didn't allow Boot Camp use with SofTest because Boot Camp was until recently beta software. With the release of Leopard, some schools that had been holding off on SofTest + Boot Camp are moving to support Boot Camp. This group includes the previously-mentioned Santa Clara.

hey you with the long post!!

"But l refuse to get into a pointless conversation about this"

Follow your own advice!!!

What's with all this passive aggressive DC law school sniping back and forth? I say we put our money where our mouthes are and throw down. Gallery Place-Chinatown Red Line Metro Stop Friday at 3. I can already hear the sound of your GUCL bones cracking from my super ninja jujitsu. I will choke you out with my laptop power cord.

where the hell is L2L?

is Loyola higher ranked than AU? lol

That doesn't make a damn bit of sense

I'm a 2L at WCL, and I've run into the same problem as 3:54. Telling students with new MacBooks to get Bootcamp and XP is all well and good (besides the $200 that they probably don't have to spare at the end of the semester), but it is not a physical possibility for a student, such as myself, that relies on a PowerBook. My computer is less than 3 years old (purchased in June of 05 -- a year before I started law school), and I'm not going to buy a new laptop just because of exams... I think the PowerBook users are getting lost in the shuffle.

Luckily, I only have one exam with ExamSoft. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do yet, but I don't think handwriting is an acceptable option. I've been looking into rentals, but (from the cursory research I've done) most places rent to corporations, or for a longer time period (i.e. a week or more for $100+). I'm not against paying for a rental: if the school was willing to organize it and have me pay $25 so i can use it for 4 hours, I'd be up for that.

Also, to Puzzled??? at 5:31: IT has changed (for the worse!) since last year. They instituted a new "Clean Access" program that does not work consistently for students or professors. I've had times when I can't access wireless for over an hour when I'm in the building, and I can no longer print wirelessly. The IT desk has basically thrown it's hands up in the air... I would expect more than this for the amount we're paying in tuition.

All that said, WCL is a good school and has provided me with wonderful opportunities. I think this article and the comments just show the level of frustration with the IT problems and administration. I had problems with administration and bureaucracy in undergrad too -- you just have to learn to deal with it.

Stop bickering about how good your schools are. All of them are far inferior to mine. You probably don't even study the Post-Heteronormative Theory of Contract as 1Ls.

Dear Arizona Sunset,

The U.S. News & World Report Douchebag Rankings are in: Dean Jaffe is #1.

Love,

Tequila Sunrise

PS: Trifecta sez "Dead Jaffe!"
PPS: @ Eli (6:18): No one cares. You remind me of that scene in "Boondock Saints" where William Defoe's lover wants to cuddle: "What a fag."

This Dean is plainly disrespectful to the student. It should not matter what school you go to, what the school's rank, what your class rank, what vault-ranked firm you're working for after you graduate. If you pay tuition, then the school should treat you respectfully as a customer. When the Dean of Student Affairs is almost universally despised by the student body, something is very very wrong.

Note to this Dean: Students are not an inconvenience, they are your constituency. You may not think much of the blogoshpere, but if you get around to reading this, consider how much bad press WCL has rightfully earned today. Then consider if you are an asset or a liability to your school.

I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you Arizona Sunset. Dean Jaffe is a HUGE douchebag. HUGE. For someone who is supposed to be the go-to person when you have a problem, he's pretty terrible at it. I've yet to hear of a single time when he has even responded to a student's concerns with anything more than a dismissive tone... at best. At worst, complete and total douche. We'd be better off without a dean of students at all, than we are with him.

As the saying goes "ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer." In this case, the student was rude, sarcastic and plain hostile. The dean's response, tone included, was clearly warranted and rather tame.

Disagreeing with the way a situation is or was handled is one thing, but resorting to insults and degrading the school and the dean is just classless.

Insulting the dean over this email alone... yes, that would be out of line. Insulting the dean over the complete lack of respect he consistently shows students... deserved. Voicing concern to the school about just about anything gets zero results, so if public embarrassment makes them do something, I don't feel bad about it.

Dean Jaffe likes furry animals up his keister.

AU's law school has the most consistently passionate, dedicated, and involved student body of any institution I've ever known. I could not be more proud of the students.

[re: the comment above @ 7:27]

-That may be true...too bad Dean 'Douchebag' Jaffe does not match that level of dedicaiton

Also, I know for a fact Jaffe has read this page today...he reads these sites obsessively because he knows what an easy target WCL is.

The student is a snot-nosed little brat who needs to get slapped around a bit. The dean's email was fine. People know Macs are not the accepted computer platform - I've never worked at or seen a law firm that did not use Windows. If you buy a Mac, you risk that its not going to work with the rest of the normal world. Quit your whining.

Look at that, WCL finally made ATL. You know, Lat, Chemerinsky was here for a conference on academic freedom or some shit, and you didn't cover it. It was during the same week of the Irvine madness, and he said all kinds of interesting and insightful things. But I'm not going to reveal them. You should've covered it! HA!

I'm amazed at all the backlash on this page re: WCL. Who knew so many of you gave two shits about us? I don't even care about WCL. I'm so ready to move to New York in less than a year and get the hell out of D.C. This "city" sucks.

But anyway, WCL is a decent place. I've got no real complaints about it that can't be attributed to D.C. in general.

I don't feel liked reading all the back and forth about American and/or their Mac policy, but I figure I should still throw in my two cents.

I graduated from WCL this year. I'm at a law firm. I generally liked my experience there and am happy I chose the school.

That being said, the administration has a lot of room for improvement. The financial aid department and the career services department are both terrible and completely unhelpful to students. Also, I'd be willing to bet my entire fist-year salary on the fact that the above e-mail was written by Dean Jaffe. That guy's a douche and a half.

The Mac issue is silly and I think that WCL should find some way to accommodate students better than they have, but the Dean is right in pointing out that the whiny student's professors weren't even using ExamSoft this year. I took two exams on ExamSoft in my time at WCL, and while it was a headache to either handwrite or "rent" a computer, I had plenty of other things to complain about without bothering with that issue. Most professors realize that ExamSoft sucks, and they allow students to type their exams directly into Word and then print them off at the end. That's what the vast majority of my professors did, and I'm sure that's what they're still doing.

I never had a problem using a mac at WCL. you got a problem with examsoft? Then either use boot camp to use windows XP, or get a PC laptop from the library. Or, I don't know, hand write like a real man--as the NY bar exam shows, it's probably a good idea to get used to hand writing exams.

And P.S. WCL administration sucks, but Jaffe is a nice guy--I detected no douchieness.

I have indeed read today's exchanges, not because I read these types of pages "obssesively", but because today it was brought to my attention and I felt it was warranted to do so.

I'm surprised that students who apparently attend this law school and are concerned about or interested in its reputation are willing to slander it by providing the comments that some have made today. And I'm saddened by the willingness of posters to hide behind anonymity in using words that they would not say to another's face. I know it's what technology permits today, but it's sad that some will use it to this deplorable end.

Administering at a law school, whether as dean of students or generally, is a challenging job. In the ten years I have held this position, I have worked with students battling depression, and students working through a disability; I have supported students who have lost a parent or another loved one, and I have worked with the student community and the families of two students who took their lives while enrolled in school and another two who passed of other causes. On the more positive side, I have worked with countless student leaders in development of their programs and conferences, and assisted in raising more than a million dollars for students committed to public interest work through summer grants. I was honored (although slightly embarrassed) to be met with a standing ovation by a hundred students at a moot court competition closing banquet just a few weekends back, in recognition for work that I considered only to be my job. And I even have battled occasionally with the dean of the law school, an individual for whom I have tremendous respect, over issues involving students, believing it my obligation to advocate for students in the strongest terms. I'm glad I was there to assist these individuals and hundreds of others over the years.

Addressing policy issues is also a challenge. I have tried since I started in this position to get to "yes" for students whenever possible; it cannot always be the case and I have done my best to explain the reason(s) when a "no" or negative response has to be issued.

This blog began with a student who took an email exchange between the two of us and chose to share it, through her sister, with anyone wishing to access it. It was her prerogative to do so, I suppose, and although I stand by my email, it is unfortunate that the initial exchange, which explained among other things the reasons for the school's policy using Examsoft and the challenge we face in working with Macs (though good news may be on the horizon this summer, I am told), was selectively excluded.

I appreciate the students who took the time to speak positively of the law school; WCL is and will continue to be an insitution that provides a quality education and that graduates students dedicated to the practice of law in both the public and private sectors.

Last: I've never considered myself a "douchebag", certainly not at least since perhaps some dumb mistakes made in college. I urge students who truly feel that way about me to come express it to me so we can see where the issues are. Failing that, I hope your communicative skills improve when you address others face-to-face.

I imagine blogs end at some point. This one does for me, here. Appreciating the reputation of "abovethelaw" and valuing the vast majority of WCL students, what they stand for, and who they will become in society, I thought this blog was worth my addition.

Although I disagree with WCL's policy on Macs and many other issues, Dean Jaffe, your post is appreciated. I respect the way you have presented your views here. Please continue to be as receptive, positive and open (rather than defensive) in all students' interactions with you. WCL students have no other advocate to the administration.

Oh my God I'm glad I'm not in law school anymore so I don't have to put up with shit like this...

Vanderbilt uses extegrity (name? sp?); it works great on my mac.

American? is that #4 or #5 in DC? Perhaps the dean's time would be better spent finding his students jobs than being a douche on a message board.

If you have read this far... kill yourself.

DC SUCKS -- crime, bad law schools, Hillary Clinton and over-spending congress.

If Jefferson was alive he would take a flame-thrower to this place!

MACS RULE!

PC's RULE!

MAC IS BETTER!

PC IS BETTER!

Returning to Angry sister's initial complaint, "when I called the Student Tech Support Analyst at the school and told them that I was a potential incoming student and was looking to buy a PC, they initially told me that as long as the Mac has XP, that exam taking would be fine."

Yes, this is correct information. If Windows XP is installed on your Mac (via Boot Camp), ExamSoft works flawlessly, as I can attest. So what exactly is the problem? You were told that a Mac would work fine IF it runs windows -- you were accurately informed by the school.

Nice work, Dean Jaffe. I don't know you, but thanks for coming by.,

I don't use a MAC, and hell, I voluntarily choose to hand-write my notes (as I have no self control over my amount of browsing during class), but nonetheless, Dean Jaffe is a massive douchebag. This school is a business. In the wake of the scandal two years past (in which the AU President was revealed to have flown gourmet cooks from France to the States for a reception at his house, and paid for it with school funds), an internal audit is badly needed. Countless other issues. For over one year now, the wifi has been abysmal at best. We are a six-story building--a concentrated single area, not a multi-acre campus that had a flawless wifi network like my undergrad--and yet, nothing. This issue is NEVER resolved and repeatedly ignored. During the fall months, it's "the weather" (though I still don't understand how cold weather affects radio frequencies, but I digress...), and during the spring months, it's "upgrades and maintenance." We were already the 8th largest law school in the country, and yet this year, we enrolled over 30 new 1Ls than last year; that's $1.7 million in additional tuition. And yet, where does that money go? And now, this. I can go and on (and on...), but I'll stop ranting. I have never felt so cheated my any institution, let alone my school. DEAN JAFFE: YOU ARE DISGRACE.

it seems there should be an open thread on WCL administration issues, based on the amount of feedback a post on Mac computers has generated.

"Seriously though, does anyone other than graphics people have Macs at the office? I would be surprised to learn of a law firm running Macs. And I don't mean some solo practitioner in Topeka."

My hometown District Attorney's office is run entirely on Mac laptops. Yes, it's Alabama, but it's a 20+-ADA office spanning 3 floors for a mid-sized city.

......and if some douchbag points out that I missed an "A" between "ARE" and "DISGRACE" as i was typing, then congratulations: you are a grammatical-prodigy. good for you.

I want to be clear that I did not go to AU or WLC or whatever. The law school I went to was filled with brilliant people, even more brilliant professors and outstanding administrators. Or at least that is what I make sure to tell other lawyers, journalists and potential law students. If I did not, I would be lowering the reputation of my school, and why would anyone other than a total moron do that?

Hey 10:40: You gonna take the dean up on calling him out face-to-face? No? Then who's the real douchebag?

1. American waitlisted me when I was well over their 75th percentiles, I assume because they knew they were a safety school. If that helps them cheat the rankings, congratulations. I thought it was obnoxious.

2. At GULC, we don't really think about the administration much. They do their jobs, we do ours.

Hey GULC at 11:56--ever think you didn't get into WCL because they didn't want you? No, wait, you don't think, you go to GULC.

Some schools look for students who are more put together, well rounded, and interesting than just raw numbers. And I don't just mean Yale either...

Oh, of course I had thought about that, which is why I wrote "I assume" rather than "I know" about their reasons. My undergrad GPA wasn't so great for GULC and they took me anyway, perhaps for the reasons you describe. If my numbers were so great, I wouldn't have needed a safety school.

If it helps you to think that I'm at GULC because I'm a bland person with high numbers and only the wise admissions folks at American were able to look deep into my soul and discern this, I doubt this post will convince you otherwise.

But I honestly doubt that the admissions folks at American are wiser than the admissions folks at GW, GULC, Catholic and George Mason, so I'm still guessing that they were gaming the US News Numbers.

For what it's worth, most of the American U folks on this board (particularly the ones who checked the website before buying a computer) seem pretty reasonable and I'm sure I would have enjoyed going to school with them if things had turned out differently.

I got tired of reading every last comment, but it seems that no one has acknowledged the fact that there are really good alternatives to ExamSoft that offer both a Mac-native and Windows version. Exam4 is widely touted as the "best in breed" by many law school IT folks. They swear by it, and students love that they can run it easily on either operating system.

Being the Mac-loving Assistant Dean for IT at Carolina Law, I have just spent part of my day assisting two panicky 1Ls with installing the now-unavailable beta version of BootCamp on their MacBooks running OS 10.4. BootCamp now comes bundled with Leopard (10.5), which is good since it's more stable but bad because it means vendors like ExamSoft don't have as much reason to develop a Mac-native version of their product. And Apple removed the free beta download of BootCamp immediately upon the release of Leopard late last month. This leaves Mac users who haven't either installed BootCamp already or upgraded to Leopard in a bit of a bind.

So I got a copy of BootCamp from a colleague across campus and am offering to help any Mac-toting students configure it properly. They still have to purchase their own copies of Windows, which I think is unfair. I'm looking hard at whether we should switch to Exam4 next year, as the reality is that more and more of our students are arriving with new (and generally superior in quality) Mac laptops, not PCs.

Several people I know here were also waitlisted by American. I think GULC is probably right about them gaming the rankings.

I also had numbers "well above the 75th percentile" at WCL and yet, here I am. In fact, 25% of WCL students have numbers above the 75th percentile and somehow we all got in.

I won't comment on whether you, 11:56, are a well rounded person, a douchebag, or otherwise (since I don't know you), but perhaps WCL didn't want you because it was obvious from your application that you didn't want to come here. That's not "gaming the numbers," it's screening out students who would be disgruntled and have inferiority complexes if they came here. I think the school does a pretty good job of screening out such people, which may be why WCL students are generally happier and humbler than many other law students.

I love WCL and said so in my application. Like many of my friends, I turned down much higher USN ranked schools to come here. And despite technology problems, which are obviously frustrating, I'm still happy with my decision.

Same here 8:16. In fact, I turned down GULC for WCL because I was more interested in a progressive school than a religious school. I also heard from many counterparts on the Hill that a degree from WCL was more highly respected in the political scene, which interested me.

Granted, some things are not perfect, but Jaffe does a good job of trying to make things great. The professors and the student body are top notch and I wouldn't trade my education for anywhere else. In fact, after 1L I was in the top 5% and decided not to transfer to Harvard or Columbia like some of the other top 5%. Now I have a federal clerkship lined up for next year and I don't think that would have happened if I chose to transfer.

Anyway, the long and the short is that WCL is a great place for a lot of people and maybe not as good for others. Just like lots of people hate their time at other law schools...but I have really enjoyed my time at WCL.

I have to agree with a lot of the other WCLers posting on here, the backlash against WCL is really unfair. The students and professors, are by and large excellent and while the leftiest 5% of the school can drive me absolutely insane (I'm talking to you SBA), but I'm glad I decided to go to American. After working extensively with students from other law schools, I'd much rather be with people who care a little too much than don't care enough. I can write better and know the law better than the vast majority of kids I've worked with (largely GW and GULC) and I know I have WCL mostly to thank for that. This whole thing is ridiculous, both sides have made fools of themselves, but WCL is a good school.

I'll agree that the administration leaves a lot to be desired. Career services is worthless, actually worse than worthless, they give notoriously bad advice (they will tell you anything just to get you to go away, yeah take that 25k job in rural Kansas that's a great decision!). Financial aid is horrendous. In the 2 years I've been here IT somehow has managed to screw up the entire wifi network and don't get me started on clean access (why are they worried about viruses if no one can connect to the damn network anyway). Dean Grossman is generally out of the country. I actually think Dean Jaffe is alright, I think anything and everything somehow becomes his responsibility and by and large he's on top of it. He also actually responds to emails, which is more than anyone at career services has ever done. And quickly.

There is not one person at WCL that got into GULC. Not a single one.

And there's not a single person at GULC that got in to Harvard or Yale. Not a single one. Does that make GULC a TTT?

I may be a GULC reject, but at least I'm not a douche.

So, if the admissions folks at WCL can tell whose a douchebag and they don't want to admit those people, why aren't they outright rejecting them?

My guess is that if GULC hadn't gotten into his top choice school and had called WCL and said "I'm on your waitlist and I really want to go to WCL," a spot would have opened right up.

Thank goodness I went to WCL! I spent three years blissfully far from GU law students, and landed a BigLaw job to boot. And I have a PC!

It's called an honor code. Look into it.

The school should purchase the software for the students and either eat the cost or spread it among all students. I bet the school could get a better rate buying the software in bulk anyway. This is poor service from the school, and I'd be mad, too.

what's the problem with the few GU ranters here? going to GULC instead of WCL doesn't mean you're smarter, nicer, or more capable. NOT AT ALL. you guys are just ruining GULC students' reputation here by being jerks.