Law school Q&A

Q. Is it safe to keep my computer in my locker?
A. Glad you asked. NO! You might be better off if your locker is in one of the secure rooms, but if it’s in a hallway, ha. If it makes you feel better, our crowbar-bearing friends seem to only care about computers. When my locker was broken into, my Top Ramen, Kleenex and BLS worksheets were undisturbed.

Q. Um, where do I eat lunch?
A. 540 students / about 30 seats in the café = not enough seats. There’s a lounge in the library but it’s a hike and you can’t get too loud there. You can eat in the library study rooms but that’s not exactly social. You can make a rush for the nice leather chairs on the upper floors. Enjoy the patio while you can. Then try to get on law review or PacRim, their offices are NICE. Sorry, Shidler.

Q. This is such a posh building… why are there wooden benches in the lobby?
A. My guess is when the dean brings donors to visit, three wooden benches looks better than the previous arrangement: several leather couches continually occupied by, er, socially disadvantaged folks from the Ave. Which is what happened for the first year and a half the building was open, until they gave up and moved the couches upstairs.

Q. Well now that you mention it, what about those guys in the library?
A. Donors can’t see them there.

Q. And while we're talking about creepy things, why does it smell like something died in the first floor ladies room?
A. Sorry about the potty humor, but this one's legit. It's some bizarre permanent building smell. What's really cool is when the state Supreme Court or 9th circuit is in session here, that's probably the loo the women justices use. Yeah! Way to make an impression!

Q. Can I ask 2L and 3L friends for their outlines?
A. Yes! Don’t be shy.

Q. Wait a minute, why should I share notes and outlines? Aren’t we graded on a curve? Isn’t this a competition?
A. Well sure, you’re not likely to be in law school if you’re not competitive, somewhere in your bones. But the true competition – for jobs after graduation – isn’t here at the UW, it’s across town.

Q. Is law school a good time to have babies?
A. Aw c’mon, we’re biased. This is PALS. We love the babies. Bring us more babies.