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What's Going on at Emory Law School?

Emory Law School.jpgFinding a decent legal job is hard enough as it is. Having a career services office that's in complete disarray doesn't help. From a tipster:

Emory Law's Career Services Office has imploded. The latest departure was the Dean of Career Services, Dean Laurie Hartman, last month. She left under mysterious circumstances....

Students are asking lots of questions. They organized a facebook group, asking for an explanation, or an explanation for "if you can't tell us what is going on, can you tell us why you can't tell us what is going on?" Many law students went to their university paper, the Emory Wheel.

More after the jump.

The Emory Wheel did end up doing a story:

Last week, the law school community was informed that the former dean of career services would be leaving, effective immediately. The news came several weeks after an announcement that she would be taking an extended leave of absence.

Michael Phillips — a colleague of mine, and an active, respected member of the law school — thought that the student body deserved some additional information behind her departure. His was a simple request: Please tell us what happened, or please tell us why you can’t....

There is another element to this story that is also troubling. Sometime last Wednesday, Katherine Brokaw, the law school dean of student affairs, asked Phillips to come to her office and remove his cell phone from his pocket, supposedly because he might use it to record the conversation. He was then asked to take down a Facebook page he had started in support of his cause to find out more information about the dean’s departure. More alarmingly, he was told he could be sued by the former dean if he failed to do so.

I’ve spoken to Dean Brokaw about the incident. She maintains that her concerns about Phillips’ cell phone and the legality of the site were legitimate and in good faith.

But the episode reeks of a hostility and a level of suspicion that have no place in an academic institution of any caliber, let alone in a law school that, in its own Professional Conduct Code, strongly emphasizes the values of civility and a shared sense of community.

Another Emory source outlined the questions raised in the Facebook group:

1 Who initiated Dean Hartman's leave of absence? Why?

2 Who initiated Dean Hartman's permanent departure? Why?

3 What changed between September 27, 2007 (when Dean Hartman's leave of absence began) and October 23, 2007 (when Dean Hartman's departure was announced) that led to Dean Hartman's leave of absence becoming a permanent departure?

4 Did Dean Hartman commit any wrongdoing?

5 Have any students lost career opportunities, been disadvantaged, or suffered harm of any kind because of Dean Hartman's behavior?

6 If the reasons for Dean Hartman's departure must remain secret, why must they remain secret?

7 If you cannot answer any of these questions, why?

So what's the latest state of play? This is what we're hearing:

Mikey Phillips is headed for a showdown with Emory SBA on Friday. There the SBA will vote on the Bill asking/demanding Emory Law to release as much information as possible the release/firing/forced resignation of the Dean of Career services.

That's only first part of the story, SBA has been conducting an e-mail debate about the bill. Mikey contests that under the SBA Charter, SBA is required to make all debates are public. Most but not all SBA members have not been forth coming with their disclosures. Mike maintains that the e-mails are public and has appeal to Emory Law's conduct court for a ruling on the e-mails, where he expects to lose. So the plan is to appeal to the university wide conduct court, but the wrinkle there is the "justice" from the law school who sits on that court is a apart of the secret SBA debate....

[B]efore the dean left, two other members of career services has left. One to pursue a music career, and one to head of recruiting for Paul Hastings Atlanta. Immediately after the Dean left, the person who left for Paul Hastings, just this past summer, returned to her old position at Emory.

Those are the facts. The rumor is that Career services revolted and went to the dean and turned in an ultimatum stating that the rest of the office was going to quit, if administration did not remove the dean.

My opinion: [I think] the former dean was the most competent person in the office. The decision, however, was to keep a marginally competent staff over one competent person. While this understandable, the large portion of the current 3L population that doesn't have a job is concerned with her dismissal.

By the way, this isn't the only weird thing happening at Emory law this year. From near the start of the semester:

Dean Partlett, the dean of Emory law, held the traditional welcome to Emory party at the law school. The dean gave his speech but it went a bit beyond the norm.

First he welcomed us on behalf of himself and his wife, then he talked about his dog (an English setter, named Griffey). Dean Partlett when in to a several minute description about how Griffey really wanted to go to Atlanta but was scared because of the whole Michael Vick situation.... Now, this would have been funny, had it not be delivered in a very serious tone, and at such great length.

The speech then went into the truly bizarre. He began to talk about the entering class of 2010. He said that there were originally 500 students that fell to 252. He said that the dean of students and admissions used a process that was similar to the Bataan death march to reduce the class size. He talked for about several minutes about this Bataan death march reduction. Dean Partlett actually invoked the Bataan death march.

This speech has been the talk of the school. No one knows what it was he was talking about.... It was just bizarre.

(We contacted the dean for comment -- about the weird welcome speech, not about the career services implosion -- but never heard back from him.)

Update: From an Emory alum:

[F]rankly, the story you just posted comes as no surprise whatsoever. For a moderately ranked school, affiliated with a fairly prestigious undergraduate institution, the Emory Law School administration was (and apparently continues to be) a joke.

When I went there (I graduated in 2001), the school decided to redecorate the inside of the law school with the paintings of a local homeless man that resembled the drawings of elementary school kids. I think his drawings may have been celebrated by the art community, but they certainly were not law school appropriate. Then they added to the ambiance by procuring wooden patio furniture in the main common area. It was not a big deal, but the apparent lack of judgment did not inspire confidence.

Close-Mouthed Deans Dissuade Open Inquiry [Emory Wheel]
Officials Appointed to Fill Key Career Services Roles [Emory Wheel]

Comments
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1 Posted by first | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:20 PM

first

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2 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:22 PM

First. Thank you.

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3 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:23 PM

First. Thank you.

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4 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:25 PM

WTF, what a paranoid woman. I'm glad I didn't go to emory law

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5 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:27 PM

WTF, what a paranoid woman. I'm glad I didn't go to emory law

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6 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:27 PM

what a rancid TTT

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7 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:28 PM

Who cares? Emory is just an overpriced regional school. Transfer while you can.

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8 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:28 PM

WTF, what a paranoid woman. I'm glad I didn't go to emory law

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9 Posted by anon | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:29 PM

Emory: the Ave Maria of the South?

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10 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:30 PM

WTF, what a paranoid woman. I'm glad I didn't go to emory law

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11 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:30 PM

Wow, this is a terrible situation. The administration should start acting like adults and not petulant children trying to game the University's political system and abuse its power. This is the last thing people at Emory need. Emory isn't a national school, and jokes like this can't improve its rep.

Also, if I was Mr. Phillips, I would have told the administration to kiss my ass if they asked me to dismantle a perfectly legitimate and legal Facebook group.

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12 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:30 PM

Emory Law = killself yesterday

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13 Posted by Disappointed | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:30 PM

If these email excerpts are indicative of the writing skills of Emory law students, maybe "the large portion of the current 3L population" that hasn't found itself jobs should worry more about trying to effectively use the English language.

And maybe this dean left because trying to find Emory 3Ls jobs was just too much to ask.

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14 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:32 PM

Between this and Adam Key at Regent, Facebook is becoming a thorn in the side of law school deans.

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15 Posted by Vote for Lat | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:34 PM

ONLY 123 VOTES AWAY!!!!!

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16 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:34 PM

This proves that USNews has overrated Emory. It should fall back to its proper place in the mid-30's soon.

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17 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:34 PM

Somebody should start a facebook group petition for Phillips to sue Katherine Brokaw

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18 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:34 PM

NY to 190!!!

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19 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:34 PM

GO AU WCL !!!!!

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20 Posted by Traci Jenkins | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:35 PM

GO AU WCL !!!!!

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21 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:35 PM

Is this Dean Brokaw woman as crazy of a bitch as she sounds?

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22 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:38 PM

Sued by the former dean for what?

I'd love it if our dean of student affairs made a specious legal threat to me. I'd tell the dean to open up a fat can of STFU.

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23 Posted by ELS Alum | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:39 PM

As a matter of clarification, the Emory Wheel is largely written by undergrads; Laurie Hartman is one of the worst deans of career services to come through ELS...she should've been canned a long time ago. I don't think she's the first one they fired- didn't one get canned for alcoholism and drinking on the job?

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24 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:40 PM

Google her name. Like most law professors she is a frustrated biglaw wannabe.

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25 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:40 PM

that kind of intimidation by dean brokaw is really, really inappropriate. She should be fired.

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26 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:41 PM

Topic: Crappiest Law School. Discuss.

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27 Posted by J. Roy | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:42 PM

As a 1L I saw many ugly scenes with deans, Hartman and Brokaw among them. These soviet bureaucrats treat the students like they are high schoolers. At first I was appalled, but then I realized that the servility of the majority of the Emory Law community, and the hideous careerism of its students, warranted such treatment.

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28 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:44 PM

Emory Law? LOL

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29 Posted by Emory Law sux | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:45 PM

wait...Emory has a law school?? Said it before, and I'll say it again, if you are going to a law school outside T14, you are not really becoming a lawyer...

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30 Posted by Vote for Lat | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:45 PM

Under 100 VOTES AWAY!!!!!


EVERYONE, VOTE NOW!!!!

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31 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:47 PM

3:45 - not so subtle GULC trolling - LOLERCOPTER

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32 Posted by Anon | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:48 PM

I never like Atlanta anyways, which is why I never seriously considered Emory Law, but this makes me all the happier I chose not to consider it.

Duke, Vandy, or just go to your state school and practice in-state if you live in the South (which is a completely legitimate thing to do if you're from SC / NC / GA / AL / MS / AR / KY).

/southerner

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33 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:49 PM

emory law may suck but that doesn't mean deak brokaw should be an asshole

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34 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:49 PM

wait...Emory has a law school?? Said it before, and I'll say it again, if you are going to a law school outside T6, you are not really becoming a lawyer...

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35 Posted by disappointed also | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:51 PM

Wow. Disappointed 3:30 is absolutely correct. Those email excerpts are riddled with errors. It is frightening to see that law students are sending out such missives without checking for such errors. Perhaps it truly is a TTT.

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36 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:51 PM

wait...Emory has a law school?? Said it before, and I'll say it again, if you are going to a law school outside Yale, you are not really becoming a lawyer...

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37 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:52 PM

Partlett was probably drunk. He used to keep cases of wine in his office when he was acting dean at Vandy. Pretty fun guy actually.

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38 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:54 PM

Emory 3Ls to Unemployment

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39 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:55 PM

First!!!

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40 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:55 PM

Emory Law Rules!

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41 Posted by Anon | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:55 PM

No need for the Emory Law bashing. It is solid school that turns out very good lawyers.

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42 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:57 PM

Brokaw seems to have gone around giving anyone who would listen an interview about how her not making partner was because of her kids, the partners not cooperating, life being unfair. Waaaaahhhhhh!

She was a failure as a lawyer, and now, apparently as a 3rd tier dean at a 10th tier law school.

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43 Posted by anon | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 3:58 PM

3:55(3): subtle Wake Forest troll.

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44 Posted by Anonymous | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:01 PM

Partlett is a buffoon. He is an awful public speaker, has no interaction with students, is not a good teacher, and is not a prolific publisher. Why again is he a Dean? Is it just the Australian accent? Is that really all it takes?

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45 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:03 PM

3:49(2)/3:51(2)--

How do you live with yourself?

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46 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:03 PM

that's why you always have to carry two cellphones: so that when the dean of a law school tells you to remove your cellphone so that you don't record the conversation, you can immediately begin recording the conversation with the other one!

speaking of emory law, can someone enlighten me as to the staircases in front of the law school. i heard they lead to nowhere. is that true?

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47 Posted by TTT | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:03 PM

What's a TTT?

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48 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:05 PM

4:03 amen what planet do people live on?

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49 Posted by staircases | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:06 PM

the staircases lead to the atrium and auditorium

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50 Posted by Lat Fan | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:07 PM

ONLY 55 VOTES AWAY FROM FIRST!!

Vote now and vote often!!

http://2007.weblogawards.org/polls/best-law-blog-1.php

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51 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:08 PM

That article is terrible, even by student newspaper standards. "[T]he former dean of career services would be leaving"? Blech.

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52 Posted by ELS Alum | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:09 PM

To the misguided few that have posted comments on this list, I wonder if any of you have been to Emory or know an Emory law school alum. You should not bash an entire law school community based on the actions of two deans who serve in low-level administrative roles as far as deans go. As a recent Emory Alum (who is happily employed at a large firm) I know there are a lot of us with fond memories and appreciation for the law school beyond the offices of career services and student affairs (and we have a pretty good command on the English language).

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53 Posted by ELS Alum - Former V5 - Now One of Your Clients | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:09 PM

(1) There should be no departures or instability in a career services office during recruiting season, barring some grave personal circumstances. That said, things happen, in which case it's up to the Dean to handle things in the best manner possible.

(2) This Michael Phillips fellow, however valid his initial concerns (and they sound valid) should not have initiated his investigation or campaign via the Internet - on Facebook of places.

(3) IF what Phillips says is true about the meeting with Dean Brokaw, there was clearly a failure on the part of the school administration in its handling of the matter.

(4) The school administration AND the students must wake the hell up and realize that information - especially the kind that one would rather not see bandied about on legal tabloids - is now immediately spread via media such as Above the Law (law firms have come to learn this over the course of this year).

(5) How the Emory administration handles the situation from THIS moment on is crucial (for examples of poorly handled damage control, see Nixon Peabody).

(6) Emory is a fine school, with an excellent faculty. Its top 30-40% does extremely well placing in Atlanta and the south in general. The top 20% has no problem landing biglaw jobs in NY, DC, Chi, Boston, LA or TX, and the next 20% down can eventually land a decent job nationally. It produces its fair share of clerks, federal prosecutors and judges. It is appropriately ranked in US News (now at 22, and should never fall below 25).

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54 Posted by anon | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:10 PM

Honestly, who gives a rat's ass about some stupid law school political power play? How is this possibly relevant to practicing lawyers? It's not even about which school -- I didn't care about the HLS law review silliness either.

Please return to printing law firm news that most of us can care about instead of the overblown, overdramatized drivel designed to attract AutoAdmit posters still struggling through law school.

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55 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:10 PM

In addition to the Southeast, Emory has a pretty strong presence in NY and DC.

And I think the comment that a majority of the 3L class are of yet without jobs may be an overstatement. Either way, Emory is ranked in the low 20s by U.S. News, which means that not everyone in the bottom third of the class who wants a BigLaw job gets one. It's the same for everyone school outside of the top 15 or so schools.

Besides, who has faith in the career services of ANY law school? This is not news. Slow day, Lat.

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56 Posted by Anonymous | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:11 PM

Don't taze me bro-kaw!

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57 Posted by Partlett Rocks | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:11 PM

4:01 is an idiot -- by contrast, 3:52 is probably right. Dean Partlett was a blackacre legend during my Vandy days. Was sorry to see him go -- The day we covered Katko v. Briney (the spring gun case) was the funniest single day of my life. Class of 2001 knows exactly what I'm talking about, but for others -- let's just say that calling on an Alabamian to discuss that case may not have yielded the desired result. Quote of the lecture "hell, that's a child's shotgun".

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58 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:11 PM

4:03 - both 3:49(2)/3:51(2) are no worse than 3:45(1)

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59 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:12 PM

In addition to the Southeast, Emory has a pretty strong presence in NY and DC.

And I think the comment that a majority of the 3L class are of yet without jobs may be an overstatement. Either way, Emory is ranked in the low 20s by U.S. News, which means that not everyone in the bottom third of the class who wants a BigLaw job gets one. It's the same for every school outside of the top 15 or so schools.

Besides, who has faith in the career services of ANY law school? This is not news. Slow day, Lat.

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60 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:13 PM

emory 2Ls: how'd the hiring season turn out? for people looking for a job in atlanta, did you get the one you wanted?

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61 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:13 PM

http://2007.weblogawards.org/polls/best-law-blog-1.php

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62 Posted by Phonics -- get hooked! | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:13 PM

I have a hard time believing the person who wrote the email to ATL is a law student. Can't write for shit.

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63 Posted by anon | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:14 PM

Partlett is odd. While he was at Vandy, didn't he marry a former student or have an affair with a student and then the student got shipped off to another school?

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64 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:15 PM

WGWAG

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65 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:15 PM

LAST!

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66 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:16 PM

EMORY LAW RULES!

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67 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:17 PM

ELS Alum (4:09) has a pretty good command "on" the English language. Hilarious.

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68 Posted by anon | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:17 PM

Partlett is actually a very dynamic and brilliant professor. His students universally love him. And the fact that he inherited Prosser's torts empire pretty much answers any criticisms regarding his legal acumen and publishing. Feel free to hate, just don't misrepresent.

As for the career services debacle--who knows. Emory is not the only law school whose placement office is run by incompetents. It's pretty much an epidemic everywhere.

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69 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:19 PM

EMORY LAW RULES!

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70 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:20 PM

We won't miss career services. They didn't help me find a job whatsoever.

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71 Posted by 4:03(1) | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:20 PM

Good point, 4:11(3). I missed that one.

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72 Posted by anon | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:20 PM

Partlett is actually a very dynamic and brilliant professor. His students universally love him. And the fact that he inherited Prosser's torts empire pretty much answers any criticisms regarding his legal acumen and publishing. Feel free to hate, just don't misrepresent.

As for the career services debacle--who knows. Emory is not the only law school whose placement office is run by incompetents. It's pretty much an epidemic everywhere.

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73 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:20 PM

NY to 190!

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74 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:21 PM

very slow news day

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75 Posted by I don't need no steenking guidance | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:22 PM

Good candidates don't need career services. Whole thing is a drain on the law school and they should all be sent away. In fact, the entire "career guidance" profession is for total losers who probably can't be helped anyway.

imho

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76 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:22 PM

Please Partlett Rocks, regale us with some more of your stories from your law school days. I am still laughing at the spring gun joke. Thank goodness I took the time to read these comments. I can't wait to get home and tell my wife about the comment I read on ATL today. Child's Shotgun, hahahahah. That is priceless.

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77 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:22 PM

yo let's get some more bonus info

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78 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:24 PM

Quite a few dbags in this thread.

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79 Posted by anon | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:24 PM

Partlett went to W&L after vandy and was the same there. Funny guy, made money for the school, but that's about it.

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80 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:24 PM

Most of you are clearly pathetic, self-centered, elitist know-it-alls who, in a word, suck. I look forward to the day 15 years from now you realize that you have grown nothing, built nothing, invented nothing, and instead made your living doing nothing but leeching off of the talents and ingenuity of others only so you can become well-compensated but never wealthy. You are not nearly as smart as you think you are. Yes, I'm talking to you, asshole.

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81 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:25 PM

http://2007.weblogawards.org/polls/best-law-blog-1.php

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82 Posted by Loyola 2L | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:25 PM

A friend from Emory told me that their career placement is essentially tier 2, as in top 10% get good jobs and everyone else is screwed. I didn't believe him, but now I wonder.

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83 Posted by emory 2l | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:25 PM

any publicity is good publicity

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84 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:26 PM

You're kidding right? It's more accurate to say that Emory places a handful of people in each of those cities each year. Nothing to brag about.

"In addition to the Southeast, Emory has a pretty strong presence in NY and DC. "

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85 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:26 PM

Most of you are clearly pathetic, self-centered, elitist know-it-alls who, in a word, suck. I look forward to the day 15 years from now you realize that you have grown nothing, built nothing, invented nothing, and instead made your living doing nothing but leeching off of the talents and ingenuity of others only so you can become well-compensated but never wealthy. You are not nearly as smart as you think you are. Yes, I'm talking to you, asshole.

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86 Posted by Emory Alum | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:27 PM

A similar thing happened when I went to Emory. During the beginning of my 2L year, most of the career services office quit within days of each other.

We also had more global adminstration problems, since we never had a permanent dean while I was there either.

I always liked the teachers, but they cannot get their adminstration together and the career services sucks (unless you want to work in Georgia, or a bordering state). Only top 10% really got a shot through OCI, everyone else had to make it happen for themselves.

Fortunately, the school does carry a nice national reputation - to the extent that everyone recognizes it as a "good" school (i.e. I found that on interviews people viewed Emory as at worst a neutral, but generally with some degree of respect, even among the AmLaw 100).

Of course, even though these things pop up frequently, Emory will go right back to its place in the mid-20s on rankings, because it does remain generally respected among academics, and it has enough talented people to get good jobs and become good attorneys at strong firms.

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87 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:29 PM

4:25(2) your friend is right 90% of emory law grads get screwed as well as all of the grads of the hundreds of law schools ranked behing Emory

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88 Posted by wtf | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:29 PM

"For a moderately ranked school, affiliated with a fairly prestigious undergraduate institution"

In whose opinion is Emory presitgious? Who knew Emory had a law school?

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89 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:30 PM

lat, how about doing a series on current law students' experiences with their career services office? pick a sampling of law schools, solicit comments, and put something together...

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90 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:30 PM

"I look forward to the day 15 years from now you realize that you have grown nothing, built nothing, invented nothing, and instead made your living doing nothing but leeching off of the talents and ingenuity of others only so you can become well-compensated but never wealthy."

Hey - me too! You just summarized my mission statement perfectly. Whenever I meet a talented person, I ask myself - how can I get me some money off that? So far, so good.

cheers

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91 Posted by proud Rutgers alum | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:30 PM

Emory isn't the only school with horrible career services. Rutgers, had pretty much the entire career services department quit in 2003, and brand new people brought in for 2004. Most of the new people, quit or or went on maternity leave that year.

I could probably beat L2L for the stories of the horrible jobs posted by the career services. Luckily, the school was good enough, and I found a biglaw job without career services' help.

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92 Posted by former grad | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:30 PM

she really was very competent, what's the big deal? You all need more work or more hobbies.

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93 Posted by OMG! | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:31 PM

Check this shit out:

http://2007.weblogawards.org/polls/best-law-blog-1.php

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94 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:31 PM

4:26(2) best ATL comment ever!

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95 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:31 PM

4:26(2) best ATL comment ever!

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96 Posted by W&C | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:32 PM

Matched

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97 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:33 PM

Ninetieth!

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98 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:34 PM

4:11 rofl

That woman sounds like the biggest loser ever

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99 Posted by OMG! | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:35 PM

Check this shit out:

http://2007.weblogawards.org/polls/best-law-blog-1.php

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100 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:35 PM

http://2007.weblogawards.org/polls/best-law-blog-1.php

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101 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:36 PM

EMORY LAW RULES!

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102 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:37 PM

100th!

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103 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:38 PM

Comment clusterf*ck

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104 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:38 PM

4:26(2) - got rejected, huh?

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105 Posted by emory alum | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:38 PM

emory 2l (at 4:25), you are profoundly mistaken. Only pristine publicity is good publicity. Rightly or wrongly, this site is read by recruiting coordinators at the nation's top firms. It is read by members of compensation committees. It is trolled by thousands of law students and (mostly) young lawyers (i.e. your future inteviewers, bosses, and clients).

I'm not sure what troubles me more, the school administration's poor handling of this matter, or the fact that Emory students (Michael Phillips and the student who leaked this to Above the Law, if they are in fact different people) have acted so self-destructively.

Emory students: (1) demand that the Dean begin taking this seriously and (2) thank Michael Phillips and anyone else responsible for making you today's unenviable topic of the nation's legal gossip circuit.

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106 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:39 PM

Dear 4:30,

Re: "she really was very competent, what's the big deal?"

First of all, hello Laurie. So nice of you to chime in on the blog entry bashing Emory that you're responsible for.

Secondly, are you nuts? She could barely hold a conversation, let alone provide guidance on careers. And she was rude to everyone! Good riddens.

Now maybe Emory will cough up some $$$ and pay a real Dean of Career Services from a top 15 school to turn things around.

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107 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:41 PM

next matching memo comes out and no one will even remember this. emory what?

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108 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:42 PM

EMORY LAW RULES!

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109 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:43 PM

I didn't realize the extent of how crappy my regional law school's career services dept was until I was on the other side. I wanted to put up a job posting for my successor as a law clerk and I wrote two emails and left three messages during several weeks before getting a response. Sheesh, if I wasn't from there, would I have even tried more than once or just figured the ineptitude of the staff probably was reflected in the students as well?

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110 Posted by Bonus News Stalker | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:44 PM

Someone matched!?!?!??!

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111 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:44 PM

Who matched?

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112 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:46 PM

NY to 190!

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113 Posted by Why the Shock? | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:47 PM

Come on, we all know how this goes- Emory ALum who have jobs- love her. EMory alums who dont" hate her. I hate her. I even told her that in my exit survey. The entire dept is a joke. Said it my entire time.

And those who couldn't get into a school they are bashing? well we know your agenda.

As far as I'm concerned, you people who actually read "law gossip" blogs are pretty pathetic in yourself.

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114 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:50 PM

True story from Fordham Law:

The Assistant Dean of Career Services, Suzanne Endrizzi found a dead rat in her air conditioner.

Karma bites!

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115 Posted by Why the Shock? | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:50 PM

Come on, we all know how this goes- Emory ALum who have jobs- love her. EMory alums who dont" hate her. I hate her. I even told her that in my exit survey. The entire dept is a joke. Said it my entire time.

And those who couldn't get into a school they are bashing? well we know your agenda.

As far as I'm concerned, you people who actually read "law gossip" blogs are pretty pathetic in yourself.

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116 Posted by anon | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:50 PM

W&C

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117 Posted by A nony nony | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:54 PM

"Partlett is odd. While he was at Vandy, didn't he marry a former student or have an affair with a student and then the student got shipped off to another school?"

When I was at VLS, he supposedly had an affair with one of my classmates. Who did not get shipped off.

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118 Posted by Goizueta Alum | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:54 PM

Emory's B-School will always be better than Emory's Law School.

Forget second tier nationally. More like second tier on campus.

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119 Posted by Goizueta Alum | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:56 PM

Emory's B-School will always be better than Emory's Law School.

Forget second tier nationally. More like second tier on campus.

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120 Posted by EmoryAlumCurrentlyatBigLaw | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:56 PM

Career Services DOES NOT mean "welcome to emory, here is your job". That is only the case at 5 or 6 law schools in the country.

Looking for a job is like taking another class. This is something that Emory instills from day 1. Not everyone wants to work in Atlanta and Emory does what it can do to get law firms from outside Atlanta to come on campus or participate in job fairs. The bottom line is that it is very expensive to send an attorney to Atlanta, then pay for law students to fly up to New York, DC, Chicago etc. They would much rather go to local schools and save the money. As a result, Emory students have to work hard at finding employment. They have to be very aggressive at contacting other Emory alums and get their foot in the door. They have to fly to NY, DC, Chicago on their own dime and meet as many Emory alums as possible. Its less about what the Dean of Career Services can do, but more about what YOU can do as a student. I cant see why anyone would want this job.. its thankless.. its tough...there is no way to win, unless all 200+ students have jobs at Biglaw when they graduate (assuming thats what they want).

Students should not use this "controversy" as the excuse for why they dont have a job as a 3L. Emory has done a lot to help students, but the onus is on them. In fact there is a former Dean of Career Services whose sole responsibility is to help 3L's with their job search. She is a wonderful person who has done a wonderful job over the years. She even goes out of her way to help alums who are looking for work. There are people in that career services office who have dedicated their lives to Emory. My guess is that there is no smoking gun here, but just major burnout on the part of the Dean. Students expect jobs to be handed to them. What unbelievable expectations.

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121 Posted by Anon | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:57 PM

ATL WON the blog award.

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122 Posted by EmoryAlumCurrentlyatBigLaw | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:59 PM

Career Services DOES NOT mean "welcome to emory, here is your job". That is only the case at 5 or 6 law schools in the country.

Looking for a job is like taking another class. This is something that Emory instills from day 1. Not everyone wants to work in Atlanta and Emory does what it can do to get law firms from outside Atlanta to come on campus or participate in job fairs. The bottom line is that it is very expensive to send an attorney to Atlanta, then pay for law students to fly up to New York, DC, Chicago etc. They would much rather go to local schools and save the money. As a result, Emory students have to work hard at finding employment. They have to be very aggressive at contacting other Emory alums and get their foot in the door. They have to fly to NY, DC, Chicago on their own dime and meet as many Emory alums as possible. Its less about what the Dean of Career Services can do, but more about what YOU can do as a student. I cant see why anyone would want this job.. its thankless.. its tough...there is no way to win, unless all 200+ students have jobs at Biglaw when they graduate (assuming thats what they want).

Students should not use this "controversy" as the excuse for why they dont have a job as a 3L. Emory has done a lot to help students, but the onus is on them. In fact there is a former Dean of Career Services whose sole responsibility is to help 3L's with their job search. She is a wonderful person who has done a wonderful job over the years. She even goes out of her way to help alums who are looking for work. There are people in that career services office who have dedicated their lives to Emory. My guess is that there is no smoking gun here, but just major burnout on the part of the Dean. Students expect jobs to be handed to them. What unbelievable expectations.

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123 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 5:00 PM

GO ATL!

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124 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 5:00 PM

Alright new memo, Emory Who?

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125 Posted by Why the Shock? | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 5:01 PM

Come on, we all know how this goes- Emory ALum who have jobs- love her. EMory alums who dont" hate her. I hate her. I even told her that in my exit survey. The entire dept is a joke. Said it my entire time.

And those who couldn't get into a school they are bashing? well we know your agenda.

As far as I'm concerned, you people who actually read "law gossip" blogs are pretty pathetic in yourself.

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126 Posted by Anonymous | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 5:02 PM

As an Emory law student, I fail to see why we deserve any insight into Dean Hartman’s personal life. For whatever reason, she doesn’t work at Emory anymore. It’s definitely not any of your business. Get over your self-entitlement and deal with it.

Lastly, thanks for embarrassing the school with your idiocy. Learn to write and spell before you complain about career services not getting you a job. They can’t perform miracles.

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127 Posted by Anonymous | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 5:03 PM

As an Emory law student, I fail to see why we deserve any insight into Dean Hartman’s personal life. For whatever reason, she doesn’t work at Emory anymore. It’s definitely not any of your business. Get over your self-entitlement and deal with it.

Lastly, thanks for embarrassing the school with your idiocy. Learn to write and spell before you complain about career services not getting you a job. They can’t perform miracles.

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128 Posted by L2L | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 5:03 PM

I wish I went to Emory

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129 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007 5:05 PM

4:38: Nope, my loser friend, I am a T5 law school grad, senior associate in BigLaw, living in a huge house with a trophy wife, and have every material thing I could ever want, except to shut up morons like you who think that (1) because you go, or went, to a certain law school you are smarter than everyone else; and (2) because you are, or are going to be, a BigLaw lawyer, you are smarter than everyone else. You are a waste of human space, and you know it. Cheers!

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130 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, November 7, 2007