University of Chicago Class of 2011

[aporia]

Yeah, I take the Metra and transfer to the CTA. It's not bad.

Seconded.  The Metra is the unsung hero of the Hyde Park scene.  $2 for an express train downtown is unbeatable, especially given the dismal state of the CTA.  Also, you can drink on the train.  Party time!

[JusAbstinendi]

So, yeah, who else loves it when major casebooks (see: Yeazell's Civ Pro) release a new edition a few months before classes begin? Weeeeeee. LUCKY.

[Visual Dictionary]

Eh.  Couldn't you buy the old one and settle for the oldie but goodie cases?

[JusAbstinendi]

Eh.  Couldn't you buy the old one and settle for the oldie but goodie cases?

It's a possibility. Will you do that? If the professor is listing the latest casebook, I'm inclined to use it.

[Visual Dictionary]

I might do that.  Worse comes to worse, I heard that Lexis or Westlaw have the cases on them.  We'll see.  I'll talk to a few of the 2Ls.

[....,,.,]

About books...I figured it was worth it to drop the extra couple hundred bucks and buy new copies of the latest edition.  A lot of times in class a professor or another student might reference a page number and you might want to look it up, especially if it's while the professor is calling on you.  Plus the effort of going to lexis,etc if cases are missing from your edition wouldn't be worth it for me, especially since you're getting the whole case on lexis, which will probably include lots of stuff irrelevant to that class, instead of the edited casebook version. 

But I know some people who bought old versions.  I'm sure it worked out fine for them.

[Hazard]

I might do that.  Worse comes to worse, I heard that Lexis or Westlaw have the cases on them.  We'll see.  I'll talk to a few of the 2Ls.

The cases on Westlaw and Lexis - and they do have cases, was this a joke? - are long. You mainly read squibs in law school, case excerpts that are just a small fraction of the case. Maybe 10 lines long. Maybe 2-3 pages. Sometimes you read the dissents, sometimes you don't. Most full cases are anywhere between 20 and 200 pages. You need a book, although you don't need to buy one. I heard that libraries have books in them. And that includes casebooks, although not as many copies as are needed for the full class.

[Hazard]

Eh.  Couldn't you buy the old one and settle for the oldie but goodie cases?

It depends on whether or not the law has changed since the last edition. Some casebooks in certain areas of law put out yearly updates since it changes so much. Look at Federal Jurisdiction.

Also, Civ Pro has been making a lot of movement in the electronic discovery stuff. The change was made to the Federal Rules not two years ago. A supplement for that area is necessary, and perhaps a new edition depending on what other changes have been going on.

[sillyberry]

Piece of Advice:  if you still can, get the full laptop warranty.  The kind that covers you if you spill coffee on your laptop or drop it down a flight of stairs.  Preferably the kind where they come to your house to fix it.

It is a lot of money (usually), but provides a great peace of mind.

[annonymous]

Yes. Case in point: I just had to buy a new laptop.