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[futureguy]

.

[MYK]

In tomorrow's economy, it's anybody's guess, really.  Top half?  Top 10%?

In the last two days, I've found three local restaurants shut down, places that had been around for a while and had good customer bases.  I think things are turning turtle again.

[AnotherCog]

I think part of it depends on what T20 school you're attending; there's a big difference between Harvard and Minnesota.

Outside of the T14 (maybe even T10 now), I'd say you should shoot for at least the top 25%.

[bleedingpen]

Stay in the top half of your class and you will be fine.  Get some summer experience while you are at it.

[tkfx2000]

... there's a big difference between Harvard and Minnesota.
...

I understand that Harvard has a reputation unlike any other. I understand that the two schools offer different resources to students. The cost of each school is different.

 Saying that one person is a better lawyer because he/she went to a "top tier" school seem profoundly misguided and a gross simplification when viewed on an individualized basis.

This leads me to the following question:
What are the educational differences  "top tier" schools provides that allow them to produce a superior lawyer"? Perhaps those on the list who have a top ten law degree can speak to those aspects of their school that best prepared them for a career in law. Thanks.

[bleedingpen]

... there's a big difference between Harvard and Minnesota.
...

I understand that Harvard has a reputation unlike any other. I understand that the two schools offer different resources to students. The cost of each school is different.

 Saying that one person is a better lawyer because he/she went to a "top tier" school seem profoundly misguided and a gross simplification when viewed on an individualized basis.

This leads me to the following question:
What are the educational differences  "top tier" schools provides that allow them to produce a superior lawyer"? Perhaps those on the list who have a top ten law degree can speak to those aspects of their school that best prepared them for a career in law. Thanks.

The schooling is different because your educational environment is largely determined by your classmates. 

The LSAT is a good general indicator of how good your potential lawyer skills are.  Note the LSAT doesn't take into consideration work ethic, ability to work with others, etc.  But as a general rule, those students at T1 schools have higher LSAT scores than those at T2 or T3 or T4 schools.  Therefore, generally T1 students have potentially better lawyer skills.  When you go to school with (and compete with) students with potentially better lawyer skills, you are going to learn more.

So when I hire someone out of a T1, I know that person probably has good potential lawyer skills (based off of LSAT scores) and that they likely have been gunning everyday in law school against other persons with good potential lawyer skills. 

It's all a matter of probability of hiring someone that is going to pan out.  Your chances generally increase the better the school. 

[futureguy]

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[Robert K S]

futureguy, I don't often comment on decorum on this forum (actually I never have), but as it is a part of being a practitioner (and not really a small part), I hope you will see it as constructive criticism if I remark on the inappropriateness of your language.  T20, T14, or YHS, I'd think twice about hiring someone who thought it a bright idea to use the phrases "rape hard enough" and "fucks your job prospects" in the company of professionals he doesn't know intimately.

I don't really understand the temptation to use harsher language than necessary to get the point across, and to make a comfortable habit of it is an unnecessary danger.

[futureguy]

futureguy, I don't often comment on decorum on this forum (actually I never have), but as it is a part of being a practitioner (and not really a small part), I hope you will see it as constructive criticism if I remark on the inappropriateness of your language.  T20, T14, or YHS, I'd think twice about hiring someone who thought it a bright idea to use the phrases "rape hard enough" and "fucks your job prospects" in the company of professionals he doesn't know intimately.

I don't really understand the temptation to use harsher language than necessary to get the point across, and to make a comfortable habit of it is an unnecessary danger.

So you're saying it... fucks your job prospects to use the phrase "fucks your job prospects?"

Anyway, noted. I'll be sure not to write vulgarities in cover letters or use them in job interviews  . Keep in mind that the language I use on the internet is far different from the language I would ever use in a professional environment, and I seldom, if ever, treat anonymous internet forums as a professional environment (and vice versa).

Thanks for the admonishment, but this is the internet.

[Jonathan]

Another way to think about the use of crass language, no matter the medium as it's still coming from you, is how other people perceive you. How you think you are coming across could be markedly different than reality. If your attitude towards things is in general to be negative, foul-mouthed.. it could be carrying over in some manner even when you think you don't give off such an impression.

If you have a career coach, mentor, anyone you trust to give you objective advice and knows you pretty well, you probably don't have anything to worry about as you have that reality check in place to catch things and have possibly caught things that could hinder you.

[Robert K S]

Thanks for the admonishment, but this is the internet.

This is the Internet, but it isn't 4chan.  This is a pretty special place where a lot of very bright people selflessly give of their knowledge and reasoning on extremely sophisticated matters.  It has a spam problem, yes, but the last thing we need are posts that blur the presentation line between signal and noise.

As I tried to point out and Jonathan reinforced, a "this is the internet" attitude misses the point.  Unity of person is a great virtue and asset in practice and in life.  The demeanor of respect one dons for court shouldn't be as detachable from one's person as one's suit and tie.  Use of harsh language so casually in a professional forum can be indicative of a basic disrespect or lack of sensitivity.

It's easy to let slip and write something nasty in an Office action reply, and the temptation can be overwhelming.  Lucky for me, I've always had the luxury of re-reading my own work and excising before submission anything I've written that was less than polite.  I've read a few Office actions on PAIR or elsewhere where other practitioners apparently didn't have the same luxury, and where, needless to say, the result was not beneficial for the client.

"This is [only] the internet" can extend to "This is only the Patent Office" or "This is only the Board," and the danger in lax decorum, like the danger of running an oil pipeline through the banks of a beautiful river, is that despite best designs, it can leak and spread and ruin everything.  Better not to build the pipeline through the river.

[MYK]

Sup /ipl/,

This is the Internet, but it isn't 4chan.

WAT