Pick Classes Taught By Good Professors
Now, depending on who you talk to, the UT profs are either mostly bad with a few gems or mostly good with a few who make you want to bludgeon yourself to death with your laptop. In other words, this can be very easy or very hard depending on your viewpoint. The pros for picking classes this way are obvi: good professors mean you're more likely to (a) stay awake, (b) actually learn, and (c) not spend the 50-minute class period thinking of all the possible ways to kill yourself using only 6 highlighters and a casebook. The cons are that they either all tend to teach at the same time, or they teach classes at odd times when no one wants to be in class (think evenings and Fridays). So, for the five of you who still think that law classes are valuable because of what you learn, this technique could be the right one for you. For everyone else, I suggest this technique only in conjunction with at least one other discussed below.
Take All the "Clerkship" Classes
For the overachievers among my readers (not many, as they would be studying and not reading this blog), this one's for you. This technique is not for the faint of heart, nor is it for those who enjoy a cold beer more than once a month, because these classes usually contain the word "Federal" and are followed by even scarier words such as "Income Tax" or simply "Courts." Plus, if your grades are good enough that you think a clerkship could be in your future, then you're also probably expecting to rock out OCI. Therefore, you'll be taking these scary classes while flying to Dallas and Houston every other day. I don't know about you, but I'd rather be forced to watch Hostel 2 with my eyes actually open than be stuck with that courseload. So again, if you're reading this blog, this class-choosing technique is probably not for you. For those who can handle it, they'll simply ask themselves, "What would Kadens do?" and that should get them the classes they seek.
Take GPA-Inflation Classes
These include classes that have a reputation for being light, classes off the curve, seminars, and (depending on your current GPA) Pass/Fail classes. There's really not much to add about this technique, except that you have to possess the basic social skills to allow you to talk to others and find out which classes fit in this category. But a warning to my lazy readers: if grade inflation is your goal, beware scheduling only classes that are labeled "easy." Easy classes mean more B+ are given out, and unless you've got a 3.2 or lower, a B+ isn't going to raise your GPA. If you're just looking to spend the most possible time partying and the least possible time studying, then you're looking for the Easy-Breezy class-selection technique, which is pretty much what it sounds like.
Pick Classes to Minimize Back Pain and Maximize Spending Money
I.e. take classes with no assigned casebooks. Look for classes that only have Sales Office Materials or, better yet, those where all the readings are posted on Black Board. The $600 or more you would normally spend on books + the money for a locker to keep them in can now be spent on clothes, beer, or green fees. Go you!
Pick Classes That Maximize Your Weekend
This technique goes beyond the "No Classes on Fridays" that any upper classmen with a commitment to Bar Review can master. This requires extra skill and an intense desire for long weekends. To really take this technique to the next level, you should schedule classes only on Mondays and Tuesdays. It can be done. I had a friend who pulled it off. You may end up taking boring classes with horrible professors and expensive textbooks, but your weekend will start on Wednesday, and that is a beautiful thing. If this is important to you, I suggest you make this your primary class-selection technique.
And with that, you may now return to your regular Add/Drop period. Choose wisely, dear readers. Your semester depends on it.
- Mood:
nerdy
Profile
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
amicus__curiae- Ruth
Comments
Sokolow (BA, Contracts)
Ernie Young (Con Law, Fed Courts) - but leaving
Ernie Smith (Property, Oil & Gas)
Robert Peroni (Tax)
Mark Ascher (Tax, Wills)
Johanson (Wills)
Goode (Evidence, PR)
McGarity (Environmental)
Leslie (Antitrust)
Leiter (Jurisprudence)
Petrie (Writing Classes)
Westbrook (SC, Bankr)
Dickerson (Bankr)
Reese (IP) - but pretty much left
Hu (BA, securities regulations)
Dzienkowski (PR, Oil and Gas, International Petroleum Transactions)
Robertson (Torts, Admiralty, Maritime Litigation)
Graglia (con law, controversial. .. but he's well regarded as a prof)
Wellborn- Evidence, Torts (keeps class interesting, and you remember more about Evidence come Bar/Bri time than you expect to)
Goode- Evidence (Not my style, but others swear by him)
Dix- Crim Law, Pro (keeps it entertaining, learned the Texas Penal Code nearly by heart)
Forbath- Con Law (a bit Ivory Tower, but cares about his students and approachable)
Allison- Actual Innocence/Crim Def clinics
And those are just the professors I've had who hadn't been listed yet. I've also heard very good things about Wiseman, Jinks, Cantu, Steiker, Berman (depending on who you talk to), Carson and Sturley.
I only had four professors who I thought were just bad teachers. Two were visiting, one was adjunct, and the last we're just stuck with. I had a fifth who I thought was boring, but I learned the material. I find it hard to believe that in three years with 4-5 classes per semester, one leaves UT thinking that a majority of the professors were bad. And if someone truly believes that, what exactly is the criteria for a "good" teacher, and how are the professors lacking?
Ruth
I would probably hang out in Wellborn's class just to listen to him talk. I'm not sure how much you learn from him (depends on your style), but I found that I didn't really care.
"maybe Robertson"? Sorry - you haven't had his class then. I definitely learned more about legal thinking from him than perhaps all my other professors combined.
Also, hands down, Leslie is the best professor I have ever had in any discipline.
Ruth
Rau - Scary, but hilarious. You either love him or hate him.
Levinson - No. Just no.
Sharlot - Awesome. If you ever get bored in the class, you just imagine him commanding a sailing ship, and it brightens up your whole day.
Mullenix - Actually teaches civpro decently. Sadly, performance on her test isn't related to your knowledge of civil procedure. In fact, it's arguably not related to anything. Also scary. (Much less scary in person than Rau, though.)
Wagner - Nice, but too nice. You'd be better off just reading Prosser & Keeton.
Schiess - He's talented, but the LRW curriculum (oversized classes, too few credits to create any incentive to work, arcane citation method, 3rd-grade-style workbook, clueless student graders, etc.) are insurmountable barriers to learning anything. It's sad, because it's not his fault and he's seriously underutilized (he's also a nice guy). If I wanted someone to critique a paper for submission, though, I can't think of anyone better.
There are plenty of very good professors/classroom teachers at UT. There are also some very bad ones. Of course, opinions vary. There is one particular professor at the school which I think is awful, but which everybody seems to like. Just because the Professor is nice and their class is easy doesn't mean we shouldn't get rid of them--some people do want to learn things.
Also, tenure is a pain. There are some tenured people that can't be fired that should leave for the good of the school.
Some tips and tricks to boost your GPA. Pick a prof in whose class you've done well in before. Pick a subject that interests you. Research what type of exam it is, and pick the class based on your strength (issue spotter, essay, multiple choice). Avoid professors that you have given you B's. Space out your exam schedule, so you're not doing back to back hard exams. If your GPA is very high already, be skeptical of taking "easy" classes that don't cover a lot of material. They are generally less "studyable" and tend to be more random. That is, people who generally make As will more likely make a B.
Other (cheaper) ways of boosting your GPA: directed research (free A+), seminars (that give A's only), summer school (competition is less).
Whatever class you take, the best way of boosting your GPA is reading the material, going to class, and studying harder and smarter. You're in law school damnit. Its a bad situation, I agree, but suck it up and go to class.
EY, we'll miss you!
For what it's worth - I'll suggest a couple of other things: when in doubt - take a bar class. You won't regret it when you're in barbri trying to learn secured credit or wills and estates for the first time.
Also - balance. Take some hard classes and some easy classes. Take a clinic as a refreshing change of pace law school (may actually help some people in the process). Heed the advice given above: SPACE OUT YOUR FINALS. You definitely don't want to be surprised that all your finals are in the first 4 days of finals period and that seminar paper is due prior to finals. . .
Most of all take good professors - if you can find any who are left. . .
On a side note - Did I read it right that EY is leaving??? Now that's a goddam shame. I wonder how many more top notch professors are going to leave under the current regime.
i also highly recommend any advanced legal research or advanced legal writing courses. no gpa worries, no big deal if you miss a class, and you actually learn something useful.
-a
4-5 seminars? That's harsh.
Provide a persuasive argument establishing that Dean Sager is not an absolutely terrible dean who should be removed from his position at the earliest possible convenience.
Even if UT goes down the crapper, what's it to me? I have my job lined up, and nothing he can do will change that. And my next job will care more about my previous experience than where UT is in the rankings in five years. It may be a problem for the 1Ls or those who will come to UT in the future, but their problems are not my problems.
I also doubt that most people involved with a journal or student org think that Sager's plans are at least sometimes bad for students.
Finally, your law school is going to follow you around for a while. Better that it continue to be one of high quality.
Most people involved wiht a journal or student org probably think that Sager's plans are at least sometimes bad for students.
I wonder if all those single issue LRAP folks are starting to wonder if there's more to the job than finding funding for students interested only in public law. . .
What, if anything, redeems his value after losing 3-4 (or more?) great faculty members and making some kind of mistake that led to the school's rankings drop?
I mean, it's not like they had to look far. Graglia's right there.
If not Sager - who should take responsibility for UT's Law school rankings?
I can't take your post very seriously however since you seem to think rankings are based on "voodoo and black magic." Personally, I'm guessing it has to do more with performance and reputation - both of which have faltered.
But if they were looking for someone specializing in voodoo and black magic - I can't think of anyone at the lawschool who moore looks the part than Sager.
We would also like to make a correction -- clearly, USNWR rankings are not based on voodoo, nor black magic, and the insinuation was inappropriate. USNWR has always been a hallmark of objectivity and fairness, and continues to provide an invaluable resource for prospective law students nationwide. In fact, we've been told that next year they plan to upgrade to an even bigger dartboard, and have hired three new trained monkeys to their staff to guarantee additional accuracy.
--Infamous El Guapo
E. Smith- If you do nothing else at UT, take a class from Ernest Smith. He is amazing . . . I can't think of anything else to say but that.
DeGuerin- story time with a man who has seen everything there is to see in the world of crim law
Schiess- You never knew how fascinating commas were until his advanced legal writing class
Robertson- con law can be fun . . . no really
Look, there are plenty of blogs that aren't about law school and there are plenty of entries in this blog that aren't about law school. But judging by the 30+ comments to this entry, people still want to read and comment about law school, and since that's why I started this blog, I'll continue to post about law school when the fancy strikes. There is no need to comment. After all, you wouldn't want people finding out that you're wasting time posting comments to a "pathetic" blogger.
Ruth