Most Competitive/Cut throat students

[moonpie]

What confuses me about these discussions is that, esp. in student comments on princeton-review like things, everyone says 'Well, it's not like anybody is razoring out pages or something", as if this was the binary trigger for competitiveness. It just seems like a straw man so everyone can seem not extreme, like somewhere there is a law school where none of the books have pages left in them. (The exception might be Liberty U, who probably only bothers with one book, one nobody would ever rip pages out of.)

Law schools don't have arsenic poisonings, shootings, candle-stick clubbing, noosing, or anything else you might encounter in a night's Clue game. But its not like people when asked if their school is competitive say "It's not like we stab law-review competitors in the face or anything." The false implication of that statement is that somewhere there is a Stabface University School of Law where this is a common and accepted practice.

So i'm left wondering: What are the worst contemporary instances of cutthroat behavior that actually happen?

[MindTheGap76]

What confuses me about these discussions is that, esp. in student comments on princeton-review like things, everyone says 'Well, it's not like anybody is razoring out pages or something", as if this was the binary trigger for competitiveness. It just seems like a straw man so everyone can seem not extreme, like somewhere there is a law school where none of the books have pages left in them. (The exception might be Liberty U, who probably only bothers with one book, one nobody would ever rip pages out of.)

Law schools don't have arsenic poisonings, shootings, candle-stick clubbing, noosing, or anything else you might encounter in a night's Clue game. But its not like people when asked if their school is competitive say "It's not like we stab law-review competitors in the face or anything." The false implication of that statement is that somewhere there is a Stabface University School of Law where this is a common and accepted practice.

So i'm left wondering: What are the worst contemporary instances of cutthroat behavior that actually happen?

The worst it gets is people not helping each other out. I don't think anyone actively takes any steps to subvert their classmates. There are a few people I've studied with who, when they send me notes or something, say "Remember, this stays inside the group." That's about as bad as I've seen it.

[slacker]

The worst it gets is people not helping each other out. I don't think anyone actively takes any steps to subvert their classmates. There are a few people I've studied with who, when they send me notes or something, say "Remember, this stays inside the group." That's about as bad as I've seen it.

I'd agree with this. I'm at a T2, where things are more competitive in some respects since more people are competing for fewer options. Still, it's mostly a non-help than outright action against others.

[wannaB1L]

this is just a stereotype but when I interned overseas I was surrounded by east coast ivy leaguers, also a dude from emory i think. well they were all so competative and backstabby it was a shock how they all tried to out do eachother and dominate eachother. they were like chimps vying for dominance.I ended up hanging with the few westcoaters there were- one from washington state, two from berkely and a dude from princeton who was a laid back half irish half hindi-indian. the others were wound too tight to hang with- they were super annoying and I was shocked as I went to a hippy school where even though they lacked hygeine we were all pretty helpful to eachother. basically if you are east of the appalachians you are cut throat (sterotyping has basis in reality though is not always true in every case)

[dbgirl]

Law schools don't have arsenic poisonings, shootings, candle-stick clubbing, noosing, or anything else you might encounter in a night's Clue game. But its not like people when asked if their school is competitive say "It's not like we stab law-review competitors in the face or anything." The false implication of that statement is that somewhere there is a Stabface University School of Law where this is a common and accepted practice.

So i'm left wondering: What are the worst contemporary instances of cutthroat behavior that actually happen?

I'm telling you I saw some corpses outside Hastings swinging in the breeze, dripping something on the street, and they looked like 1Ls

The good news is those of us who survived are better and stronger!
We're like mutants.

[lawswow8]

 really miss the era of the students, we can help each other, the community does not the same person, full of intrigues. Horrible.

[SaraJean]

What confuses me about these discussions is that, esp. in student comments on princeton-review like things, everyone says 'Well, it's not like anybody is razoring out pages or something", as if this was the binary trigger for competitiveness. It just seems like a straw man so everyone can seem not extreme, like somewhere there is a law school where none of the books have pages left in them. (The exception might be Liberty U, who probably only bothers with one book, one nobody would ever rip pages out of.)

Law schools don't have arsenic poisonings, shootings, candle-stick clubbing, noosing, or anything else you might encounter in a night's Clue game. But its not like people when asked if their school is competitive say "It's not like we stab law-review competitors in the face or anything." The false implication of that statement is that somewhere there is a Stabface University School of Law where this is a common and accepted practice.

So i'm left wondering: What are the worst contemporary instances of cutthroat behavior that actually happen?

When I was an undergraduate, my on-campus job was filing looseleaf in a law school library.  I heard librarians discussing students who had cut out the portions of class reserve books necessary to complete assignments (maybe twice?) and intentionally mis-shelved books in the library (often).

[nealric]

Wow- zombie thread.

[bigs5068]

I think every single school has competitive people and non-competitive people and that probably applies to Medical School, Nursing School, etc. Some people are just competitive and some are not. 

Team America the movie said it best three kinds of people no matter where you go

We're dicks! We're reckless, arrogant, stupid dicks. And the Film Actors Guild are pussies. And Kim Jong Il is an a-hole. Pussies don't like dicks, because pussies get screwed by dicks. But dicks also @#!* assholes: assholes that just want to *&^% on everything. Pussies may think they can deal with assholes their way. But the only thing that can @#!* an a-hole is a male private part, with some balls. The problem with dicks is: they @#!* too much or @#!* when it isn't appropriate - and it takes a female private part to show them that. But sometimes, pussies can be so full of *&^% that they become assholes themselves... because pussies are an inch and half away from ass holes. I don't know much about this crazy, crazy world, but I do know this: If you don't let us @#!* this a-hole, we're going to have our dicks and pussies all covered in *&^%!

[Cicero]

ROFL! I had forgotten about that monologue.

Speaking from personal experience, I think it is entirely possible to be a competitive student and do well in law school without screwing people over. If someone has a question or needs help, I have no problem helping them. Sometimes I have questions too and need a little help. LS is a much better place when everyone works together and you don't have to worry about the cutthroat students. I think these cut throat students are just worried about how well the really know the material. If they knew the ins & outs of it, then they'd have no problem working with others because they'd be confident in their own abilities. Of course, there are other cut throat people who are just jerks, but I think most are probably insecure.