I just accepted my friend's Facebook friend' request; he is a HofsTTTra Law student. I looked at his photos of classmates, and there were a lot of guidos. I guess they really are that way at HofsTTTra.

What a ridiculous school!

Believe it or not, sine I enjoy family law, I am considering getting an LLM in family law from HofsTTTra.

Do you think this would be a good investment? I am currently unemployed after graduating in May from an upper T3 in New England, largely because I have focused my job search on NYC and Long Island, instead of New England, where my school is much more strongly recruited.

However, I also know that Hofstramagna graduated magna cum laude from HofsTTTra, and could find nothing but an unpaid internship (which is what I currently have at this point too). This concerns me, becuase I do not want to throw good money after bad.

HofsTTTramagna, what do you think I should do? I took the bar in NY and the Flyover State, so I could practice family law in both jurisdictions with a HofsTTTra LLM in family law. Perhaps I would even be able to teach the class, as the students are not the sharpest knives in the drawer.

I was wondering if anyone knew how a merger between 2 law firms effects a summer associates chances of receiving an offer. If a firm is attempting to merge, is it because they are financially unstable?

My friend forwarded me the following gchat conversation she had this morning with a law student at Georgetown who was upset at her refusal to sell him a map that she had posted for sale on craigslist.

Trevor: Hey Angela, can I pick up that map today?
Sent at 1:18 PM on Sunday

me: hey trevor, i decided i'm probably not gonna sell it
it's kind of awesome
and i sold a bunch of books for $120
paid the cable
back in business

Trevor: I dont know if it works that way

me: sorry i didn't tell you earlier, been a bit jammed
what way?
indian giver?
pardon the slur

Trevor: If i have learned anything from law school
you are legally bound to sell me this map

me: sigh

Trevor: so
when can i pick it up

me: legally bound?

Trevor: yes. I made a legally sound offer and you accepted it.

me: fucking shit, i hate dc
i'm sorry brother
it aint happenin
i can make you a photocopy
a big pretty photocopy
for free

Trevor: well I nkow your name, you are going to end up in small claims court
which is fun for me because I am a law student
it will suck for you
i promise

me: ok

Trevor: See you there.
I really dont recommend this. I can swing by and pick up the map and pay you the 85 dollars and it would save both of us a lot of time

me: someone offered me more, too, so i don' want to sell it
the ad said or best offer
so my legally sound advertisment
gave me legally sound recourse
so thanks, but i'm sorry

Trevor: Please. They taught us this in our first day of law school. You accepted my offer. Therefore, you were bound to sell me the map at that point

me: Ok
thanks
i'm not selling it any longer

Trevor: Also, when I make a complaint and file it in the court house, you will have to pay for all of my expenses related to suing you and getting the map

me: it's as simple as that

Trevor: plus you will have to pay me the value of the map
ok. then you will get sued in small claims court
its that simple
Sent at 1:26 PM on Sunday

me: i just checked craiglist terms of use
i'm not obligated to sell'
until money has changed hands
so thank you, have a nice day

Trevor: if you think the rules of craigs list is going to override DC law you are mistkaen
*mistaken
You will get sued
i promise
and you have a 0% chance at winning

Stressed law students, please calm down or consider ingesting more fiber (i.e. lots of berries); I promise it does wonders for your complexion. My purpose in writing the post on Pillsbury's cowboy talk was NOT an attempt to defame that firm (it's probably a fine place for many), educate law students on "politically correct" language, or cause any major reaction. I was making light of an uncomfortable situation for me at a diversity career fair. Exaggeration is a coddling mother. I'm comfortable with people describing their own background or heritage how they choose, and I appreciate thoughtful, non-prejudicial differences of opinion regarding language used to describe different group identities. I was offended by my interviewer's language, not as an ignorant interviewee suffering from a deflated sense of self worth (not that any form of rejection doesn't sting the ego ever so slightly), but as a person who appreciates the history of his ancestors and values thoughtful, considerate word selection. I don't think my Dough Boy was racist (he was nice, even), but I do think he chose his words poorly, as his word choice was ambiguous for the majority of the conversation and offensive to me (this means you're free not to be offended). Steady...steady law students, breathe... Mostly, though, the post was a ridiculous description of an uncomfortable situation, not to be taken nearly as seriously as some of the angrier "guests" took it. Fortunately, I am one of the very lucky ones who has job security. Perhaps--though not likely-- if I was more worried about finding employment in biglaw next summer, I would have hesitated in posting what I suspected some of the more constipated members of the legal community would find troubling. Seriously--lighten up, Francis. All my love.

Some law schools assign accepted students with low incoming UG GPA/LSAT to the part-time program, which does not differ much from the full-time program (usually at most one course less per semester). US News only counts full-time GPA/LSAT scores. The article is available at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121971712700771731.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Note that HofsTTTra, which is clinging to its spot in the top 100, would likely be Tier 3 if US News counted all students' scores and GPA's, as it should. I turned down a scholarship at the Hof to go to my T3 in New England, despite wanting to practice in the NYC metro area. I graduated in May and am now interested in working in New England, as a last resort; it aggravates me that HofsTTTra has a better reputation (probably in general but definitely in the NYC metro area) than my New England T3.

During a recent interview with Pillsbury at a DIVERSITY career fair in San Francisco, I thought I might have accidentally stumbled onto a John Wayne movie set in Sweetwater, Texas. In the middle of my interview, I asked my interviewer about the pro bono work at Pillsbury. He proudly responded by saying Pillsbury helped "Indians" with family law. I assumed he meant actual Indians--people from India, the country. Silly me. As he continued, repeatedly saying Pillsbury worked with "Indians," he finally said "When the tribes have a dispute with the federal government." Shocked, I first thought I had been transported from a diversity career fair in Northern California to the Hillbilly Firm "Get 'Er Done" Convention. Needless to say, I was offended and grew anxious. My great grandmother was half Cherokee. But I kept my cool. Saying something would mean pointing out the absent mindedness at best and racial prejudice at worst, of the person who decides if I get a callback. Plus, maybe he just made an honest mistake or had difficulty pronouncing the word "American," to place as a prefix to all his Indian talk. After the interview, I thought about notifying everyone I could think of to let them know some partner had slipped through the cracks and that they should put him back in the barn with the horses and cows, lock the doors this time, and make sure he doesn't escape again. I waited on it, and ultimately decided I would talk to someone in the firm's diversity committee if granted a callback, or alternatively email the recruiting manager if given the good ole' fashioned you're not good enough for us rejection letter. The letter came. My first of the recruitment season. I emailed the recruiting manager, whom I will call Buffy. Buffy apologized for my grief in her reply email and asked me for my phone number and a good time for a member of the diversity committee to call me to discuss the matter. I did not reply to the email in the morning as I was in a rush to get to school and work on my journal. During my journal working hours, my phone rang from a San Francisco phone number. I answered with a pleasant yet professional, "hello." The caller's response was, "Is this Jeff?" I told him it was me and he went into a forced thank you speech for letting him, as a partner on the diversity committee, know of my concerns. He said he valued my suggestion that interviewers be trained in using language that respects people's backgrounds and sensitivities. 7th grade me says, "Duh! Do I get a consultation bonus as a parting gift?" It was a diversity career fair, but I guess the Dough Boys missed the memo, busy eating their cookies. He then went on to say that he talked to my interviewer who was surprised I was upset and that he did not at all notice my adverse response to his language problem during the interview. My Diversity Dough Boy Apologizer said "If you were upset, you sure fooled him. He's always been committed to promoting diversity." I am not kidding. This is a real quote. In retrospect, I'm thinking I should have turned the back of my resume into a sign and begun marching around the interview room protesting the socio-political consequences of European colonialism and the oppression of American Indians since the European invasion. Or alternatively, begun crying in somber remembrance of the Trail of Tears and the White Man's oppression of my ancestors. Shortly after Dough Boy's compliment of my acting skills, I hung up. Seriously, who calls a complete stranger in the middle of the day, doesn't ask if it's a good time, questions the person's integrity, then accidentally forgets to ever actually apologize for insensitive comments? In short, even if Pillsbury asked me to join them next summer, I would have to shoot my metaphorical arrow at their ass (I mean offer). I don't work well without air conditioning and call me Paris, but barns just aren't my thing. My only surprise is that my not so cuddly Interviewer Dough Boy did not connect my Outlaw membership to all the great work Pillsbury does for all the queers and homos in this country.

I was contacted by a recruiter about a position available at a firm that just opened a new office in my city. When I called the recruiter back a few days later, I was told that the position had been filled but the firm might be looking again in the near future. I was wondering if it might be worthwhile to 1) ask the recruiter to forward my resume and transcript to the firm anyway, or 2) send my resume and transcript to the firm directly.

Thanks in advance for any helpful advice.

When Hofstramagna posted his law school rankings, he forgot to list the criteria for the rankings. Here they are:

1) Proximity to Nassau Coliseum: a law school that is close to the Coliseum allows students to watch the Islanders, a minor league hockey team.

2) Number of Guidos: a law school with a lot of these provides more amusement, allowing students to loosen up in preparation for another hard day's studying.

3) Percentage of students that fail the bar: students that fail the bar are likely to repeat the bar review course, meaning they get two opportunities to learn the same material; students who pass after the first time only get one.

4) Job placement (this is why HofsTTTra is ranked 3rd and not 1st of the NYC area schools).

Anyone ever request to switch offices?