Now that Orientation is behind us and the semester is underway, SEE would like to do a recap of orientation week, including hits and misses of its new structure and programming. We will address the Main 1L orientation only in this article, as it was the subject for the most changes this year. If you would like to raise an issue regarding LEO orientation or transfer student orientation, I encourage you to do so by emailing see.law.uw@gmail.com or by commenting below.
Wednesday, August 25th, 2010
Registration; speeches to the 1L class; Org Fair
Speeches: The word in the atrium is that Mike Hall again did a charming 1L welcome speech, though it seems he did not pull various and sundry donuts and bacon out of his pocket this year. I guess prop humor must have gone out of style? Also, did Ruth Robards really tell 1Ls, "some of you will get pregnant"? Let's hope she doesn't mean at bar review.
Org Fair: This year the student orgs were furnished with these great posters to help in the recruitment process. Each student org was allowed to choose the pictures and text for its poster, but they all had a cohesive design. The effect was really impressive. Thanks to SBA for purchasing these great signs for all the student orgs! Just in case you're reading this for the pictures:
Thursday, August 26th, 2010
Community Service Day; BBQ
Community Service Day: Everyone had color coded tshirts: red for the 1Ls, grey for the mentors. The color coding helped a lot when 1Ls needed to know who to ask for direction. (They gray was not as flattering, though.) The day started with groups piling onto buses to travel to different nursing homes/retirement communities to volunteer with the elderly. And when I say piled onto buses, I mean it. The group 2/3/9 bus was overloaded. There were more people on the bus than it legally could carry (not cool, organizers). People literally had to stand in the aisles all the way across town. (See photo below)
Once groups 2 and 3 arrived at Coventry Village, the staff welcomed them and was very organized with different activities for smaller groups of volunteers to do. Some worked with seniors one on one, some worked at a rummage sale, some cleaned up the art room, some organized the library, and so on.
After lunch, the majority of groups 2 and 3 had a Q & A with 4 retired attorneys who spoke about their careers and gave advice to new law students. It was amusing as each retired attorney tried to outdo each other with advice and jokes.
The feedback from the students who went to Coventry was pretty positive about the experience, however, other groups report a more disorganized experience. Some places did not have as much to do, and some students complained about performing routine office tasks such as photocopying without connecting with the eldery folks. So while the experiences may have been inconsistent, the return of Service Day seems to have been an overall success.
BBQ: As is customary, a generous smattering of faculty and staff attended the outdoor BBQ (the weather was amazing this year!).
The food was good...
Even more exciting was a visit from Bucky Badger!
This event was both a great way for 1Ls to get to know the faculty and each other, it also provided an opportunity for 2Ls to take a needed break from On Campus Interviews (OCI).
Friday, August 27th, 2010
Case Briefing; Mentor advice; Sample Class; Qlaw reception
Case Briefing: This year the 1Ls were given cases to prep to see what briefing is like. A professor went over the case with them and talked about what should go in their briefs. This came before meetings with small group section leaders to talk academics, which meant when mentors gave ideas on best practices for briefing, students had a basis of reference.
Below, Professor Barkan goes over Hammontree with Camic's small groups:
Saturday, August 28th, 2010
Kickball Tournament; Small section parties
Kickball Tournament: It was a beautiful day for kickball: sunny with a hint of wind. This year marks the start of a long tradition of orientation kickball tournaments for the UW Law School. A trophy is on order, and will list each year's winner in the manner of the Dean's Cup. Since the trophy was not yet ready, this year's champions, Group 2: "Camic Relief", were presented with a Justin Bieber poster.
Small Section Parties: In order to have a more consistent experience, all small groups were to have their parties on Saturday night. Some chose to start with a party at a private residence, and some chose to go directly out for appetizers, etc. (Logan's was a popular destination)
Monday August 30th, 2010
Library Tours; Book buying
Stay tuned for a forthcoming investigation into the Book Mart itself and issues surrounding 1L books this year. See also our article on the need for used copies of the UCC- please email Jason Foster jdfoster@wisc.edu if you have a copy!!
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010
Academic Enhancement
I have heard good things about the academic enhancement day- but encourage you to submit specific comments. What did you find most helpful?
Side Note on Mentor Training:
Some students took off a half day of work to come to the mentor training, which ended up lasting 15 minutes. It didn't seem to be the best cost-benefit ratio. The idea was a good one, but maybe there should be some brainstorming on this aspect of orientation before next year.
Yesterday marked the first day of classes for the school year.
New 1Ls gathered in the atrium to form new friendships and reflect on their professors so far.
The library was filled with students trying to get ahead.
Even 2Ls were fresh faced and attentive, excited for the start of their new classes.
SBA was selling Dean's Cup tshirts for $10 in the atrium- the perfect outfit to wear to the Dean's Cup kickoff tonight at Madhatters at 9pm- and also the perfect outfit to wear to any Dean's Cup event.
And everyone was marveling at the new break room/ Side Bar Cafe, complete with a sink, more cubic feet of fridge space, a flat screen tv, and a fancier and more extensive food sales setup.
Bethany Pluymers sent out an email with a pdf copy of the new Sidebar menu.
This time of year we have many transfers and 1Ls that are new to the law school and the city. We here at SEE have confidence that you'll find lots to love about our fair city and our campus. Therefore, we have put together a list.
Why you'll love Madison, A-Z
Arboretum- Over 1200 acres of restored ecological communities, the Arboretum offers a wonderful place for recreation and retreat. Visit uwarboretum.org for more info and directions.
Art- The Chazen museum is free and includes not only paintings, but also sculpture, furniture, and artifacts such as ancient coins. It is only about 1 block from the law school, so it makes a quick retreat from studying!
Active People- There are many opportunities to be physically active in Madison, being surrounded by 2 lakes, and with so many organizations on campus devoted to sport/exercise, it's easy to find a group of people with similar interests. You will need a healthy way to manage stress in law school (especially your first year), and exercise is a great way to do that. Yes, you can fit it into your study schedule.
Barrister's Ball- A formal dance held in the spring, this is referred to as law school prom.
Blogging Profs- Some of our professors publish blogs in their spare time. They range in topics from politics to travel.
Cart lunches- Library Mall hosts a wide variety of ethnic food carts, all within a quick walk from the law school. Many students will stop and pick up lunch here on a nice day.
Chili Cookoff- PILF holds a chili cookoff once a year at the law school- impress us with your best recipe!
Dean's Cup- With events from basketball to baking, there are events to showcase everyone's talents. Participating in these events is a great way to build friendships and support the law school. We lost the cup last year, and its time to earn it back! This Friday, September 3rd at 9pm at Madhatters is the Dean's Cup kickoff. Don't miss it!
Date Auction- Every year SBA holds a charity date auction at the law school. You have to see it to believe it.
Essenhaus- The first official bar review after school starts is always held here. (This Thursday night!) Come out for a famous boot of beer.
Farmer's Market- Every Saturday morning there is a farmer's market on the square (around the capitol building). There is more than just vegetables here- there is fresh pasta, flowers, meat, and more. One of the most talked about items is a spicy cheese bread. Sometimes there is live performances by magicians and the like.
Fresh ice cream/ Fresh cheese- Ice cream and cheese are both made on campus. Stop by the union for some Babcock ice cream. You can find the Bucky Badger brand cheese at your local grocery store. If you care about buying local it is worth the effort.
Great Dane - Both a Pub and Brewing Company, this is a great place to gather to play shuffleboard and pool or relax on the patio.
Genna's- A small, comfortable bar on the square, preferred by many law students.
Hoofers- The UW Hoofers is an organization at UW dedicated to outdoor activities. You can learn to sail, scuba, windsurf, ski, and much more, all at really cheap rates!
Historical Society Library- This beautiful library is just across the street from the law school on library mall. It was recently renovated and has plenty of outlets for studying with laptops.
Ian's Pizza- This by-the-slice pizza place has more creative combinations, like steak n fries pizza or the ever popular mac n cheese pizza. (pictured below) Ian's is a late night hotspot for after bartime food on either the state st or university avenue locations.
Juice boxes from Mike Hall- Mike Hall cheerfully distributes juice boxes and well wishes in the morning of some of your finals. Stop by and say hi!
Karaoke Kid- This karaoke bar on university avenue has karaoke, wii, and sake bombs. $1 a song. If you're lucky, maybe you can convince your professor to join you in a number or two!
LEO contracts study groups- Starting in late September, these study groups are attuned to your specific professor and taught by 2Ls who were successful with that prof's exam last year. HIGHLY RECCOMMENDED
Malpractice Bash-A chance to socialize with future doctors and other future lawyers before the liability sets in. Held at the Memorial Union, it's a night for dressing up, dancing, and enjoying a beverage with other professional students.
Mentoring Program- At this point in the school year 1Ls will have met their small section leaders, who will remain a resource to them, and additionally each will have a 1 on 1 mentor, who should be contacting them soon and checking in generally on a monthly basis.
Madtown Munchies- Open until 3am, Madtown Munchies is a green delivery service (they use bicycles!) for snacks, drinks, and important conveinience items like corkscrews, toilet paper, condoms, and even ping pong balls for your late night beer pong needs. Save $3 if you order something by Friday, September 3rd at midnight entering the code 'second' at checkout.
New Glarus Brewing Company- This local Wisconsin brewery is nearby to Madison, and some of its popular beers include Fat Squirrel and especially Spotted Cow.
Old Fashioned- Great for a Sunday brunch or a happy hour drink with friends, this restaturant/bar is located on the square.
Picnic Point- Owned by the university, this land is designated as a nature preserve. A nice spot to boat, hike, picnic or... kiss! According to its website: On February 9, 1992 the San Francisco Examiner (in a scientific study, no doubt!) did a survey of the ten best places to kiss in the world, and announced that Picnic Point "may just be the kissing-est spot in North America." It said that for more than a century, "thousands of couples have found themselves in each other's arms...at the tip of the peninsula, where the kissing tradition was born." Visitors may wish to plan accordingly.
Qlaw Gala-Gala is a reception and benefit for QLaw held in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin Law School’s Admitted Students Weekend.
Quidditch team- Yes, you read that right. UW Madison has its own quidditch team. The Wisconsin State Journal made it a front page story last year. The team also has a facebook group. Just remember: BYOB means bring your own broom.
Race Judicata- PILF sponsors this 5k run/walk each year, the proceeds going to help students who choose to do public interest work. Each summer, PILF awards grants to law students to do public interest legal work that would otherwise be unpaid, or undone. Last summer, PILF awarded $43,000 in grants to 20 students who worked in various positions across the country.
Stuart’s Law Revue- This student written, student produced, and student performed satirical sketch comedy show is performed once every spring, right before spring break. It is free and open to the public, and any law student may participate regardless of skill level or past experience. Stuart's also produces 2 short and one longer comedic videos as part of the festivities. Last year's long video is included below:
State Street- State Street is a main artery of the city and of campus life. Shops, restaurants, services, pubs, and a great view of the Capitol Building can be found here. If you live on State, you can expect to hear flute music during the day (not so good), sax music at night (not bad), and horses clopping by as they pull a carriage with a happy couple behind them. It is not rare to see impromptu live music performances at any time of day. At night there are rickshaw transports ("pedicabs") and greasy food carts for drunks. There are also lots of unconventional events that take place here, so keep your eyes peeled for naked bike riders, Iron Men, and the occasional undie run.
Terraces! (Monona and Union)-
Monona terrace is a community/convention center near the Capitol on lake Monona. Watch for events on in the rooftop gardens.
Better known to the UW law student is the Union Terrace, with its distinctive colorful chairs overlooking lake Mendota. This is the only student union to serve beer! Come watch a sunset here after class.
University Avenue/ University Square Food Court-University Avenue has a lot of great places to eat, drink, and be merry! The food court on East Campus Mall is a comfy place to eat or study and has an open air room overlooking University Avenue that can be reserved for meetings or events. Vendors include Bubble Tea, Quizno's, and Sbarro.
Varsity Sports- Whether its UW football, basketball, hockey, or any of the other great sporting events on campus, you'll have a great time at a varsity sports game. There is always something to see: I once took a study break to go to a basketball game during finals and saw Professor Whitford on the jumbo tron! And Bucky will always be there to keep you entertained:
Wando’s- With full sized fishbowls of liquor and free bacon on Tuesday nights, Wando's is an extremely popular choice for a night on the town.
Willy Street - "Willy Street" is the nickname for Williamson Street on Madison's East side. This area is preferred by some grad students, and attracts a more green or "crunchy" or hipster type crowd. It hosts a number of small shops, some great organic and vegetarian friendly restaurants (like the Weary Traveler), and some cool bars (like Plan B). If you like organic and local food, join Willy Street Co-Op to buy groceries or to stop by the deli for great veggie and vegan entrees and sides, the fresh organic salad bar, or the juice bar.
Walking everywhere- With so much, so close and a great bus system, many people find it easy and conveinient to live without a car. Still others use a car sharing program.
Xbox breaks from studying- There are plenty of people who love video games around here! If you're a gamer, don't miss the Mario Kart event in the Dean's Cup competition!!
Yoga at the SERF- The Southeastern Recreational Facility (SERF) on campus is located next to the Kohl center and holds a wide array of classes, as well as basketball courts, a pool, an indoor track, and cardio equipment.
Zoo- Madison's Vilas Zoo is free to the public and open year round. Can't beat that cost on a law school budget!
Getting to know other law students is easiest at the beginning of the semester. We are all well rested, fresh, and open to meeting new people! So here is this week's social calendar- plan to be at all of these events! (1Ls welcome at all events)
Thursday, August 26th, 2010
Bar Review (unofficial first bar review of the school year)
Our service day this year will involve helping the elderly. Everyone who plans to attend should plan to spend the entire day. Buses will leave at 9am. It is not possible to accommodate latecomers for that reason and for security reasons. Additionally, students will be issued tshirts to wear to service day activities. For security reasons, you must wear this tshirt and must not alter it (so no cutting up shirts).
We answer all your textbook queries. For an incoming 1L, the process of buying textbooks seems like it will be straightforward at first. They give you a specific date and time to come to the UW Bookmart and purchase all of your books new at full price. However, the UW Bookmart is not your only option for most purchases, and may not be the best option for all of your books. Therefore SEE has put together some information that we think may be helpful for you to consider as you think about purchasing books for the upcoming semester.
How do I know which books to buy?
Login to your Student Center from the my.wisc.edu website. Under Course Enrollment, click on Term Information, and Textbooks. Not all of your professors will post books here. Some will email you instead. At some point, the UW Bookmart will post a list of the Fall 2010 required texts online. Make sure you know which edition you need. Sometimes it is crucial to have the most recent edition. In other cases, you can get away with buying older editions and saving money, since the newer editions basically fixed some typos. (ex. this has been the case in the past with the Substantive Crim & Crim Pro textbooks) Also, there are some books (like the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure) that you can get for free from LexisNexis, and you can save money by not purchasing them. Ask your professors and small group leaders and for guidance on these issues.
Should I buy or rent?
Renting texts is a newer option. Although local used booksellers like the Textbook Exchange on State Street claim to offer this as an option, they don't have law books on hand, so don't waste your time. Westlaw recently announced that they will be renting books. Pros: earn westlaw points, mark up the book as much as you'd like, no shipping costs, pay less than full price, option to purchase it if you keep it for 7 months. Cons: Rental costs and there's no money made back by reselling the book later.
Where should I buy from?
The law school is going to direct you to the bookmart, which sells brand new texts only. Some learners prefer books with no writing or highlighing in them, and new books are most appealing to those students. Keep in mind that you may be able to find used books with no writing or highlighting in them. (Also, if you're concerned about resale value of your books, think carefully about whether you want to highlight in them or not before the semester begins.) Your professor may also require you to purchase a supplement that is only available through the bookstore. Keep in mind also that the bookmart only accepts check or cash, NO Credit or Debit cards. For more information, visit the UW Bookmart's website.
One alternative is to buy from fellow students. Your small group section leaders (current 2Ls and 3Ls) are a good source of used books. SBA may be selling used books during orientation (they did last year), so keep your eyes peeled at the locker rental table in the atrium. Additionally, there is an online textbook exchange on Facebook where UW Law students offer to sell their books to one another.
Another alternative is to buy online. The following is an inexhaustive list of sites to try:
Anecdotally, I know one student who saved over $100 on the lawbooksforless site, and one student who paid about $300-$400 for about $700 of books on sites like Amazon. And don't forget Ebay! This in no way means SEE endorses one site over another. But buying used saves money.
What kind of discounts are available?
Students can join certain organizations to get discounts on books. For example, PAD members get a 10% discount at BarristerBooks.com. Joining the ABA will also get you discounts on certain books. Some students who participated in a law preview class may have a textbook discount as a result of taking the class. Find out about what discounts you can get before you buy.
COMMON 1L MISTAKE TO AVOID: Going to the wrong bookstore.
The University Bookstore, on Library Mall, where undergraduates buy their textbooks, is NOT where the UW Bookmart is located. You need to be in the law school building at the designated time for book buying. Every year someone goes to the University Bookstore by mistake, and the employees there aren't always good about politely redirecting you. Pass this article on to your fellow 1Ls to make sure their book buying process goes smoothly!
If there is info we have left out, please comment or email us and let us know!
Tues, Aug 24th- LEO Orientation, (optional) & picnic @ Tenney Park
Wed, Aug 25th- Orientation starts at 8:30am
Student Org Fair from 4:30-5:30pm
(Training for small group leaders in the morning)
Thu, Aug 26th- "Community Outreach" (Service Day) starts at 9am
BBQ @ the Law School, 4:30pm
Fri, Aug 27th- Theme: "Preparing for Class"
Small section leaders and profs teach how to brief cases
Sat Aug 28th- Small Section Kickball Tournament and Parties
(optional- but why miss this??)
Mon Aug 30th- Library Tour and Book Buying
Tues Aug 31st- "Academic Enhancement Program"- Open to all
reading, organization, planning, and learning styles
Wed Sept 1st- Transfer Student Orientation
______________________________________
Changes this year
I had a chance to talk to SBA's VP for Academic Affairs Jason Foster about this year's orientation, including the changes to the program from last year. Orientation is planned by a committee including Mike Hall, Ruth Robards, Professor Heinz Klug, Professor Katherine Henley, Alumni & Student Services Coordinator Kim Frank, Information Processing Consultant Karen Koethe, as well as SBA executive board members like Mr. Foster.
According to Foster, the administration "gave student input a lot of consideration" when planning for this year's orientation. I asked Foster to point out what he believes to be the most significant changes to the orientation program. Here are his top three:
1. The Academic Enrichment Program: This is designed to incorporate both the information that was presented in structured study groups this spring, as well as the information from the academic enrichment presentations for 1Ls that were held during the fall. The goal of tacking this onto orientation according to Foster is to "create better lawyers sooner. Helping 1Ls achieve more ensures that this law school continues to be a viable place to send talent."
2. "Preparing for Class" Day: This year both incoming 1Ls and small section leaders will be emailed a case to read and brief before orientation starts. On this day students will bring their briefs and go over them with both their small group professor, who can point out what he or she prefers them to do, and with small section leaders, who can help 1Ls learn what has been most helpful with other professors. This strikes this reporter as a way to add structure into the orientation process, which was lacking in our unstructured conversations at last year's orientation. This reporter also remembers that many students worried about briefing and it was never formally addressed at orientation. The fact that small section leaders are also going to be trained this year (last year this was not the case) should also help in giving orientation a structure that recognizes how precious time is for the leaders and the new students.
3. Community Outreach Day: Last year we skipped out on this law school tradition, but it's been brought back! Watch for a future article with more details.
This reporter is looking most forward to the Kickball Tournament, which will replace last year's fun but pointless (we never got to see the pictures and never found out who won!) Scavenger Hunt. Sporting events are one of the preferred methods of getting to know new people, combining competition and collaboration. As Foster points out, "this event furthers not only the 'getting to know you' process, but also the 'let's succeed here' process, since in a more comfortable environment, people will succeed at higher rates". That sentiment pretty much sums up this reporter's experience with UW Law school and the small group system in particular.
So come on everybody, its fall 2010: Let's Succeed Here Together!
Recent law graduates around the nation are preparing to take grueling state bar exams this week. For the past few months, recent UW law grads were buried in BARBRI and other bar exam prep materials. Sleep-deprived and full of caffine, these students know how important the bar exam is to their future in another state. However, as one friend remarked, "Hey, at least if I fail the bar exam, I know that I can still be a lawyer in Wisconsin!" That may be true...for awhile anyway.
A March 20, 2010 settlement in Wiesmueller v. Kosobucki brought an end to the more well-known challenge to Wisconsin's diploma privilege. In that case, Wiesmueller, originally an Oklahoma law student, brought suit challenging the diploma privilege in federal court alleging that it violated the dormant commerce clause. The Wisconsin Attorney General countered with the argument that UW and MU law schools teach Wisconsin law, rendering out-of-state law school graduates not similarly-situated for purposes of a dormant commerce clause challenge. After a tumultuous trip going back and forth between the district court and the court of appeals, Wiesmueller finally agreed to drop the suit.
While the Wiesmueller settlement ended one challenge, a lesser known challenge to the diploma privilege still looms. In September of 2009, former Wisconsin State Bar president Steven Levine filed a petition with the Wisconsin Supreme Court asking for the court to either expand Wisconsin's diploma privilege to all ABA-accredited law school graduates or abolish the privilege completely. This petition tries to do something that has been twice before struck down: once in 1927 when the state bar declined to abandon the privilege; and a second time in 1974 when an assembly bill extending the privilege to graduates of all law schools failed. On July 6, the Wisconsin Supreme Court held a debate on the petition. A public hearing with an open administrative conference is now scheduled for September 20, 2010 at 9:30 am.
