Where are you buying your books?

[bobcatpanther]

I think you can get an ID card as of August 1 (today). The Litchfield Towers lobby is across the pedestrian bridge from the law school.

http://www.pc.pitt.edu/card/photoid.html

[Jaimalia82]

We have to read A Civil Action before classes start?  Where did you see that, Matt?

[Kittenhawk]

Someone here asked me about dictionaries.  I bought Black's and a pocket-sized one (total nerd).  I used them for about 2 weeks and haven't opened them since.

I'm pretty sure one of the legal research engines (Westlaw, I think) has Black's on it, so you can just look up the occasional word you need defined online.

[jomolungma]

Do you know how we can get our Pitt ID cards?  Can you get them before tuition is paid?  Free bus riding would be nice before school starts. 

I picked up my ID card on August 1.  Just go to the towers and wait in line.  I didn't have to pay for it or anything.  I haven't used it for anything yet though.  I'd recommend getting it early if you can to avoid any potential crush toward the beginning of school.

As for books, I bought all new texts at the book store.  Most of my law school friends said they did that and it was a waste, but for some reason I felt like it was some kind of initiation thing.  Just had to do it.  I'll look to save money down the road.  Plus, I did think of doing that LSC multi-color briefing thing, so a new book can be good for that.  As for study aids and outlines, I have been buying various things throughout the last year just for kicks (I needed something to read on the train to work every day) and so I don't have anything left to buy really.  But, as someone who has never taken a law school class, I can say that I find the Examples & Explanations series easy to read and understand with helpful examples.  The nutshell series by West was also easy to read and short, though really high level and probably not very useful come study time.  The outlines are way too foreign to me right now.  I think they would be more appropriate down the line.

But like I said, I've never taken a class so I'm no authority.  And I had A LOT of time (13+ months) to read some of these.

[VivaLaMuerte]

Nathenson's site doesn't mention it, but does anyone know if we'll be discussing the book for more than a single day?  I would be annoyed if I read the whole thing for an hour of class discussion.  I would prefer merely to watch the movie.

[jomolungma]

Nathenson's site doesn't mention it, but does anyone know if we'll be discussing the book for more than a single day?  I would be annoyed if I read the whole thing for an hour of class discussion.  I would prefer merely to watch the movie.

I have no inside info, but I've spoken with friends who've read books for class that were never discussed in class and never showed up on the final.  But, of course, you don't know that until after the final.

[Painting101]

Do you know how we can get our Pitt ID cards?  Can you get them before tuition is paid?  Free bus riding would be nice before school starts. 

I picked up my ID card on August 1.  Just go to the towers and wait in line.  I didn't have to pay for it or anything.  I haven't used it for anything yet though.  I'd recommend getting it early if you can to avoid any potential crush toward the beginning of school.

As for books, I bought all new texts at the book store.  Most of my law school friends said they did that and it was a waste, but for some reason I felt like it was some kind of initiation thing.  Just had to do it.  I'll look to save money down the road.  Plus, I did think of doing that LSC multi-color briefing thing, so a new book can be good for that.  As for study aids and outlines, I have been buying various things throughout the last year just for kicks (I needed something to read on the train to work every day) and so I don't have anything left to buy really.  But, as someone who has never taken a law school class, I can say that I find the Examples & Explanations series easy to read and understand with helpful examples.  The nutshell series by West was also easy to read and short, though really high level and probably not very useful come study time.  The outlines are way too foreign to me right now.  I think they would be more appropriate down the line.

But like I said, I've never taken a class so I'm no authority.  And I had A LOT of time (13+ months) to read some of these.

How much did you end up spending?  I think I'm going to get all new books, too. 

[jomolungma]

Well, tough call on total expenses because the bookstore didn't have three books I needed from classes they had listed, and they didn't have any books listed for my crim law class.  So, after buying those three books online, and still waiting for the crim law books to be listed, I'd say the final bill will be around $600.

[bobcatpanther]

I've had good luck with this site (and there are plenty of others like it):

http://www.campusbooks.com/law-textbooks.asp

You can compare prices for new and used books on a bunch of discount sites. Even if you order books that are new or "like new," which is what I did, you can still save quite a bit. The older the book, the cheaper you can usually get it.

Of course, buying books online doesn't compare to the instant gratification of the campus bookstore.

Joe

[Kittenhawk]

Some are asking if Nathenson would place questions re "A Civil Action" on the final.  I didn't have him for Legal Process (I had Infanti), but I have taken a class with Nathenson.  If part of the exam is multiple choice, it would not surprise me if he put a question on there re A Civil Action.  Most professors would not, but Nathenson might.

Nathenson and Infanti will elicit lots of mixed commentary from 2Ls and 3Ls - I really like Infanti, but he is one of the toughest graders.  Nathenson gave lots of low grades to his Sales class last year - e.g. "Cs", but he curved his Business Orgs class much more generously [he took Business Orgs over for an incapacitated prof midway through the semester].  Not sure how Nathenson will be for Legal Process.