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Socratic Method / Re: Social Security Numbers = De Facto National ID Card
« on: March 01, 2007, 12:29:11 AM »
Quote from: kinakjou on September 17, 2006, 07:09:16 AM

Some people use a made up number, some others actually buy the SS card of somebody else to whom was legally issued to, and some others secure a legal SSN fraudulently via a fake birth certificate.


A 54-year-old homemaker owns one house. Imagine her shock when she was told that her Social Security number had been used to buy two houses in Ohio and one in Texas. The four combined mortgages totaled more than $500,000. Then there were the 9 car loans totaling more than $200,000. And 10 additional credit lines from various department stores and wireless service providers. An investigation by the Social Security Administration revealed that an illegal immigrant was using her Social Security number as a means to enjoy his slice of the American dream. And like most folks in this country, he was using credit to do it.

There are an estimated 9 million illegal aliens living in the U.S. In order to work and obtain credit, they need Social Security numbers — something they cannot obtain legitimately because of their illegal immigrant status. But a fake number isn't hard to get. There's a very good black market that has fostered this. You can buy a Social Security card on the street for $20. Fake cards are produced and sold by organized crime groups, which generate Social Security numbers and sell them to illegal immigrants with their own names on the card. The numbers, however, often belong to real people.

The result can be a bizarre form of identity theft. Traditional theft typically involves a person stealing someone's name and identification and then racking up huge debts under that name. But with Social Security-number-only theft, oftentimes abusers have no intent of stealing anybody's good credit. They simply want the number so they can work and establish their own lines of credit — in their own name. In essence, two separate identities are created from one Social Security number. Even in above-mentioned case, where there were a suspiciously large number of loans, the perpetrator had kept current on most of his payments, although the victim says he's under criminal investigation for other activities.

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General Board / Re: curves? i dont get it.
« on: March 01, 2007, 12:21:01 AM »
Quote from: modena99 on July 25, 2006, 06:36:08 PM


You cannot compare low ranked law schools to high ranked law schools because of attrition. Although, I think the person making the Cooley and Harvard comparison was on to something. It's easier for a person at an Ivy caliber school to not put forth much effort as a Cooley type student and still pass. However, it's unfair to presume those Ivy League students aren't studying as hard. Also, the higher ranked schools have extremely high bar passage rates, so the challenge on the competence of these students at face value is moot. Although, I can understand the outrage at these top-ranked schools blatant grade inflation, while lower ranked schools stand steady with low curves as employer's expectations rise. 


At Harvard there is not the degree of rigorous classroom discussion that entering students envision. They near graduation especially cognizant of the school's pedigree as they navigate the frigid waters of the job market. However the fact that the school has a strong alumni network and its name has currency in the real world helps them a lot.

There is grade inflation at Harvard and other top law schools. Hey, if it can happen at Harvard, this should come as no surprise that it happens elsewhere. According to a typical student transcript, he has an GPA worthy of magna cum laude honors. While many students study hard, there are some techniques and concepts they simply do not master. They remember times when they were clearly baffled by exam questions, but they got an A for the semester nonetheless. In real terms, after they subtract out (grade) inflation, they know they probably earned a B+. I know there are many hardworking law students across the country getting the similar kid glove treatment from their professors, and that sends the wrong message.

Law schools have to abandon a trade press ranking system that evaluates them more like competing college football teams than sure-footed institutions producing the nation's attorneys. In the meantime, here is a handy formula for employers looking to hire JDs. It can be considered a discount rate for obtaining the net present value of the degree. It goes like this: Take a graduate's GPA and discount it by 15%. Take his elite school tag and discount it by a further 10%, then make him an offer. If the graduate rejects your offer, his decision may have had more to do with hefty loan repayments than his believing he is overqualified.

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