Want to learn how to get more money for your student org?

ASM Funding Workshop
Tuesday, April 19 (TODAY)
12:30pm- Room 5229

Cale Plamann, our Law School's ASM Representative, will be there to talk about the ASM funding process.
Learn about:
-types of grants
-presenting to ASM
-becoming eligible for additional funding sources

NOW is the time to start thinking about ASM funding for NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.
This is a great event for newly elected E board members.

Questions? Please email see.law.uw@gmail.com

Brought to you by Students Editorial Expressions (SEE)
http://uwlawschool.blogspot.com

Say Goodbye to Blind Bucky

UW Law School has received a cease and desist letter regarding Blind Bucky.

The Office of Trademark and Licensing will no longer approve the use of the Blind Bucky logo. According to the Office's policies, "University campus departments, camps, clubs and organizations may use University marks to promote their activities (i.e., posters advertising functions, brochures, stationery, etc.) but the Office of Trademark Licensing must approve all usage." It is unclear whether the Blind Bucky poster that hangs in the atrium will have to come down, but it is clear that no new merchandising will be approved for sale with the Blind Bucky logo.

Last Chance for Blind Bucky Merchandise:
WLSA is having a Clothing Sale, including Blind Bucky tshirts and sweatshirts. You can also buy undies that say "Rebuttal"...

SEE Law's YouTube channel

SEE's YouTube channel can be found at http://www.youtube.com/user/SeeLawUW

Currently, our channel only hosts the SBA candidate forum videos. Please subscribe to our channel, and look for more law school related videos to come.

These videos will serve as a good starting point for improving student government this year. The president elect talked about transparency, accountability, and flexibility. If there is anything that you saw in the candidate forum that gave you an idea for how we can improve our school, or a question, please do not hesitate to go to the SBA website and contact your representatives.


The Results of the SBA election are as follows.

President
Michelle Yun

Vice President of Academic Affairs
Christy Coombs

Vice President of Community Affairs
Cassandra Best

Vice President of Public Service
Paul Blalock

Treasurer
Michael Weigel

Secretary
Brittany Nanzig

3L Representatives
Allison Donenberg
Jason Foster
Jacob "Jack" Idlas
Amanda Jadin
Jessica Lin
Laura McCabe
Ben Wood

2L Representatives
Marie Bahoora
Jonathan E. Barnett
Alex George
Ajit Iyer
Nico Mittnacht
Julie Sagers
Erica Zurawski

Congratulations to the newly elected representatives.

Moot Court Tryout Results

2011 1L TRYOUTS RESULTS

COMPETITORS

FREDERIC BEHRENS
PAUL BOROVAY
ALEX BROUSSEAU
CHIP CORWIN
BRYCE CUMMINGS
CHELSEY DAHM
KEVIN DU
AMIRA ELSHAREIF
ABUKO ESTRADA
LINDSAY FEDLER
MATTHEW GIESFELDT
KRISTEN IRGENS
JENNIFER JOHNSON
SARA JORDAN
SAMUEL KOHN
JEREMY LYON
MONICA MARK
SARA MARKHAM
RACHEL MILLER
ILANA MINDELL
KELSEY MORIN
DAVID NANGLE
LANE OLING
MARCEL OLIVEIRA
CAROLYN ORR
MICHAEL POWELL
MARK SAMARTINO
CHRISTIPHER SCHMIDT
BRIAN SPANGLER
EMILY TREMBLAY
ELLIOT VILDERS
MICHAEL WEIGEL
ANDREW WESTGATE
MATT WIESKE
SAMANTHA WOOD

BEST OVERALL
ANDREW WESTGATE

BEST BRIEF
SARA MARKHAM

BEST ORALIST
CAROLYN ORR

ALTERNATES
TIM LACOMB
AARON LINSSEN

Gender Journal Board 11-12

Congratulations to the 2011-12 members of the
Wisconsin Journal of Law, Gender & Society

Editor-in-Chief
Peter Bailon

Senior Note & Comment Editor
Erika Padgett

Senior Managing Articles Editors
Andrew Brenton
Chrissie Nelson

Senior Submissions Editor
Mikell Coleman

Symposium Editor
Meredith Davis

Business Editor
Trevor Jones

Note & Comment Editors
Gregory Ainsley
Michelle Yun

Managing Articles Editors
Ia Cha
Abuko Estrada
Christina Hamati
Dominique McQueen
Jill Parikh
John Pasowicz
Torrie Williams
Sarah Wood

Submissions Editors
Brittany Nanzig
Julie Steigerwaldt
Rukmini Vasupuram

The Wisconsin Journal of Law, Gender & Society congratulates its Spring 2011
OUTSTANDING CITE-CHECKERS:

Nicholas Hahn
Courtney Kay Lanz
Christine Mumma
Joe Rectanus
Brittany Wilson
Michelle Yun

Recent Moot Court Happenings

Competing while handling law school courses can be an especially stressful task. Make sure you Congratulate these Moot Court competitors when you see them in the hall:


Anne Readel, Wes Anderson, and their coach, Cora Holt won the Midwest Regional for the Saul Lefkowitz Intellectual Property Competition. Anne and Wes finished 1st out of 26 teams. After winning regional, Wes Anderson and Anne Readel (coached by Cora Holt) finished as semi-finalists at the national competition in Washington D.C. and won Best Oralists overall.

Anamarie Jezo and Rich Orton received Best Brief at the Ruby R. Vale Interschool Corporate Moot Court Competition sponsored by Widener University School of Law in Wilmington, DE. This was out of 24 teams representing 22 schools.

Trevor Leverson and Zach Ramirez placed 3rd overall out of 26 teams at the Wechsler First Amendment Moot Court Competition in Washington, D.C. Zach Ramirez also received an award for Runner-Up Best Oralist.

Adam Weil and Amanda Grady received Best Brief at the Appellate Lawyers Association competition in Chicago, IL.

At the McGee National Civil Rights Competition at the University of Minnesota Law School, Samir Jaber & Lina Ragep (coached by Heather Hazelwood) placed 4th overall (out of 37 teams) and Samir won both Best Oral Advocate of the Preliminary Round and Best Oral Advocate Overall.

At the Cardozo/BMI Entertainment and Communications Law Competition at Cardozo School of Law, Kerry Gabrielson and Daniel Spirn (coached by Tom Rybarczyk) placed 2nd overall (out of 26 teams) and won Best Brief.

Wisconsin Law Review Election Results

Wisconsin Law Review Election Results:
(These will be the students in charge for the 2011-12 school year)

Editor in Chief: Zachary Pfeiffer
Senior Articles Editor: Anne Readel
Senior Note & Comment Editor: Brandie Morgenroth
Senior Managing Editors: Jayme Durkee and Jenna Pritsos
Business Editor: Shane Hoffman
Symposium Editors: Elizabeth Sanger and Nate Inglis-Steinfeld
Diversity Committee: Felice Borisy-Rudin, Nate Inglis-Steinfeld, Melita Schuessler, and Thomas Larkin

Also, Law Review has announced next year's symposium:

The Wisconsin Law Review is proud to announce the topic for next year’s Symposium, “The Evolving Role of In-House and General Counsels.” The event will be hosted by Wisconsin Law School’s own Professors Jonathan C. Lipson, Darian Ibrahim, and John Ohnesorge. This event will focus on recent changes in the world of business law and their effect on the work done by in-house attorneys, and, conversely, how the changing role of in-house attorneys affects the broader market for legal services. These questions have a profound impact on topics such as regulation of the financial industry, the recent credit crisis, and even specific industries such as tech start-ups and non-profits. More details and event dates will be available soon.

Cheap tickets to Legally Blonde

$20 UW Student Tickets to Legally Blonde
TUE, APR 5 - SUN, APR 10 | Overture Hall
Cash only. 2 tickets per student ID. Select seats. All performances. Window only. Not valid on prior sales.
Student offer begins Monday, March 21 at 11 AM. For details call (608) 258-4141.

Law students might be interested in student priced tickets to see "one Elle" Woods live. It's always good to take study breaks.

Orientation Recap

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 25^th, 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 26^th, 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 27^th, 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 28^th, 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 30^th, 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 31^st, 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.

First Day of Classes- Fall 2010

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.

SEE wishes you a wonderful school year!!

Welcome to Madison A-Z

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.

Brats- Madison has the world's largest Brat Fest every summer. And of course, State Street Brats is a staple. Post finals parties are usually held there.

Brocach- An irish pub on the square, popular for student org parties held upstairs

Bike trails- Lots of great bike trails here! Madison is one of the most bike friendly cities in the country. See a biking map of the city.

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.

Glass Nickel- One of the best pizza places in Madison. They try to be green- so much so that the delivery drivers have cars that run on vegetable oil!

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.

Independent coffeehouses- There are lots of independent coffee houses near the law school, like Michealangelo's, Fair Trade, Steep n Brew, and Barrique's.

Independent films- Stop by Four Star Video Heaven for a great selection of documentaries and foreign films, or if you'd rather go out, check out the Sundance theater or the annual Independent Film Festival.

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!

WHAT DID WE MISS? POST YOUR IDEAS HERE!!!

Posted by Janet Mitchell with help from Anamarie Jezo and Sara Stellpflug

Social Networking this Orientation Week!

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)

at Johnny O's (map)

Friday, August 27th, 2010

Progressive Law Student Organization Social 4:30pm

brought to you by ACS, DLSA, ELS, LSRJ, NLG

at Genna's (map)

Qlaw Reception 7pm

at 202 N. Hamilton St.,Hamilton Place Apartments, Community Room (map)

Saturday, August 28th 2010

Kickball at Rennenbohm Park 1pm-5pm (map) 1Ls will be transported by 2Ls or by bus.

Small Section Parties in the evening- for times and places ask your small group leaders

Please email us if we missed anything!

Posted by Janet Mitchell jcmitchell2@wisc.edu

Book/ Orientation Updates

Books:

There are 2 additional ways to get a list of your required books for fall semester according to Kevin Kelly:

http://registrar.wisc.edu/textbook_information_students.htm and go all the way down to "Downloadable Textbook data by term". This will allow you to see all currently available textbooks data in a spreadsheet format.

In approximately a day or so, the Bookmart's booklist for Fall 2010 will be placed in each student hang-file on the second floor.

The book list has also been posted to the law school website at http://law.wisc.edu/current/book-mart.html

Service Day for Orientation:

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).

Book Buying 101

New?

Used?

Rented?

Online?

Bookmart?

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:

www.amazon.com

www.lawbooksforless.com

www.cheap-textbooks.com

www.cheaptextbooks.com

www.textbooksrus.com

www.textbookpricecomparison.com

www.textbooks.com

www.allbookstores.com

www.bookfinder.com

www.addall.com

www.textbookhunting.com

www.campusbooks.com

www.bookase.com

www.bigwords.com

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!

Update: Amazon is offering free shipping for students.

(Thanks to Bonnie Shucha from the law library for sharing)

Update: Also see this article on Kiplinger for more ideas on cutting the cost of buying books.

Posted by Janet Mitchell with help from Anamarie Jezo.

Orientation Overhaul

The Law School has posted the Orientation schedule on their website.

______________________________________

The (abridged) breakdown:

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

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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!

Posted by Janet Mitchell

Supreme Court of Wisconsin schedules diploma privilege debate

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.

You can read the petition here: http://www.wicourts.gov/supreme/docs/0909petition.pdf.

The diploma privilege is part of Supreme Court Rule 40.03, available here: http://www.wicourts.gov/sc/scrule/DisplayDocument.html?content=html&seqNo=1073.

Obama nominates UW Law Prof to Ct of Appeals

President Obama has appointedUW Law prof Victoria Nourse to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Check the links below for more info:

Victoria Nourse's profile on the UW Law Website

Report by Madison.com