|
The following are questions frequently asked at the Sturm College of Law, and the answers most often given.
A method of organization by "topic of question" has been used for ease of navigation.
The Bar Exam
Planning My Class Schedule
Jobs & Careers
Student Events - How To's
Lockers
Financial Aid
Academics
Exams
Computers
Health Issues
Put Me In A Courtroom
Grades & Transcripts
Security & Parking
Where Do I Go? Who Should I See?
==========================
THE BAR EXAM [+]
Q. How important is it to take Bar related classes in law school?
A. Studies have shown that there is no correlation between classes taken in law school and bar passage rates. The law as it is taught in law school differs from the law as it is tested on the bar exam. First of all, state specific law is not tested on the bar exam. Most of the subjects on the multi-state bar exam are first year subjects (Torts, Constitutional Law, Property, Contracts, Criminal Procedure, Evidence, and Criminal Law). You will have a good working knowledge of these subjects when you begin to prepare for the bar exam.
The overwhelming difference between someone who passes the bar and someone who doesn't boils down to bar-specific preparation. You will greatly increase your chances of passing the bar if you do the following: take a bar-review course such as BAR/BRI and/or PMBR, follow the study schedules which they suggest, and avoid working while studying for the bar exam in order to dedicate yourself fully to passing. If you study hard for those two months before the bar exam, and you make passing the bar your full-time job for that time, you will be much more likely to pass.
Q. Where on campus can I find a notary?
A. Lauri Kraus, in the Dean's Suite, is happy to notarize bar applications and related documents for students.
For more information on the Bar Exam in Colorado click here.
Colorado Supreme Court Board of Law Examiners
PLANNING MY CLASS SCHEDULE [+]
Q. How do I plan for classes that will be offered in the future?
A. The Registrar's office keeps a tentative schedule of when classes will be offered in the future. You can see when certain classes are traditionally held (each semester, fall, and/or spring and summer). This can be used as a general guide. However, it is important to remember that things can come up. Class offerings often depend on what professors and adjunct professors are available to teach each semester, and what other classes are being offered that semester. It can also be difficult to gauge student interest. The general rule is that when you see a class offered that you are sure you want to take before you graduate, you should sign up at the first available opportunity. You never know whether the time the class is offered will work for you the next time around, or whether another class you want to take will be offered at the same time. It is best to be proactive in signing up for classes that interest you.
JOBS & CAREERS [+]
Q. How do I start looking for a job?
A. Career Services is a valuable and useful resource that will help you in your job search. There are career counselors to help you get started and to give you ideas. The Resource Room is available for students and alumni. Here you will find job postings, information on different types of careers, information about different areas of the law, and many other resources about agencies, corporations, and firms. It is a good idea to get started on this sooner rather than later because targeting your talents and experience to available opportunities is time consuming, but effective. You can make an appointment with a career counselor as early as November of your first year of law school. Don't wait! You'll be glad you acted early.
Q. How do I know if my resume is appropriate?
A. It is very important that your resume appear appropriate for the legal market. The legal style and appearance of a resume can be very different from the resume you made as an undergraduate or for your previous career. One of the functions of the Career Services office is reviewing resumes. Career counselors are trained to give you feedback on content, style, and organization of your resume specifically for legal employment. You can drop off your resume in the Career Services office and receive prompt feedback. It is also recommended that you drop off your cover letters as well. The feedback you receive could make all the difference in being granted an interview or being thrown in the circular file!
Q. Can I schedule a mock interview to prepare for a real one?
A. Absolutely! This is highly recommended! The Career Services office sponsors a mock interview day each fall. However, if you miss this day, sign up for a mock interview at any time in the Career Services office. You will be expected to dress appropriately for an interview and to treat the mock interview just as you would a "real" one. Career counselors will be able to give you feedback on how prospective employers will perceive you as an applicant.
STUDENT EVENTS - HOW TO's [+]
Q. How do I schedule an event for my student organization?
A. You must fill out an Events Form with Beverley Roberts in the
Alumni Development office, they are also available at http://www.law.du.edu/stuaffs/.
You will be asked to fill in pertinent information about your event
and student organization. Beverley will assign you a room to hold
your event in. Once you have your room you can submit your event
information to the "Events Calendar" located on the main law school
Webpage www.law.du.edu.
If you plan to serve alcohol at your event, you will need to thoroughly explain and plan for that on the form. Alcohol may only be served in compliance with the law school's alcohol policy (which can be obtained from the Office for Student Affairs). All events where alcohol is served must be approved by the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs.
Once you have submitted the information to the events calendar an email will be sent to the Office for Student Affairs, who will approve your event for it to appear on the calendar. You event will then be added to the 7-Day forecast email, which is sent and updated every Monday. Be sure that your event will be accessible for students with disabilities. If you have questions about this, please ask Katie Kostka, Manager of Student Affairs.
Q. How do I send an e-mail to all students?
A. To announce a law school related event, email the information
to Katie Vilders in the Student Affairs Office at student_affairs@law.du.edu.
Daniel Vigil, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs or Katie Kostka,
Manager of Student Affairs, must approve all school wide emails
before they can be sent.
Q. Where can I find out about events at the law school?
A. The Student Events Calendar is located from a link on the Law School's homepage at www.law.du.edu. along with the 7-Day forecast http://www.law.du.edu/studentstreet/forecast/sevenday.htm.
Q. How do I have an event added on to the Student Affairs Calendar?
A.
- 1) Go to www.law.du.edu and click on Events Calendar;
- 2) Go to the Law: student affairs calendar in the drop-down menu;
- 3) Click the yellow “submit event” button on the right side;
- 4) Fill in the information/description INCLUDING room number and contact information;
- 5) Click Submit at the bottom of the page and the event will be sent to Student Affairs for approval.
Q. How do I join the Moot Court Board?
A. Each spring, applications are made available to first and second year students interested in applying for the Moot Court Board. Applicants must have participated in at least one moot court board sponsored competition before applying.
Q. How do I start a student organization?
A. For advice and support about starting a student organization, see Katie Kostka, Manager of Student Affairs or email her at kkostka@law.du.edu. You must register your student organization with the Office for Student Affairs. To obtain funding for your organization, you must be recognized by the Student Bar Association. Information on how to get a new organization recognized can be found at www.law.du.edu/sba.
Q. How do I get funds for my student organization?
A. The Student Bar Association funds student organizations. You must apply for funding from the SBA, but to do so your organization must be registered with the Office for Student Affairs. All funds, whether allocated by the SBA or separately fundraised, must be kept in a University of Denver Sturm College of Law account. For more information about accounts, see Keryn Goldstein in the Dean's Suite.
LOCKERS [+]
Q. How can I get a locker?
A. You can rent a locker from the Student Bar Association/Student Affairs Office for $15 per year. The University will provide you with a lock. Please keep the University issued lock on your locker. For more information, please come to the Student Affairs Office, Suite 115.
FINANCIAL AID [+]
Q. Who do I see with questions about financial aid and work study?
A. The Office of Financial Management can answer your financial aid related questions and arrange work study positions for those students who qualify. If you are suddenly encountering financial difficulty, the Office of Financial Management may be able to arrange an emergency loan.
Q. How much am I allowed to work?
A. American Bar Association requirements dictate that full time students may not work more than 20 hours per week. Evening students who work full time are not able to take more than twelve credits.
Q. Where can I find information about scholarships that recognize my achievements while in law school?
A. Check out the College of Law financial aid web page at www.law.du.edu/finaid
Q. I am concerned about managing my debt. Who can I talk with?
A. Students concerned about managing debt should contact the Student Financial Planning Coordinator at (303) 871-6557.
Q. Where can I get information about bar study loans?
A. The Office of Financial Management is happy to help arrange for bar study loans.
Q. Does the school offer short term emergency loans?
A. The Office of Financial Management will work with you to obtain short term emergency loans.
ACADEMICS [+]
Q. Who can help me with making an exception to an academic policy?
A. If you feel the need to withdraw from a class or from law school, you should immediately contact the Office of Student Affairs. We will work with you to help you cope with serious, unusual circumstances in order to help you stay in school. If you do decide to withdraw from a class and/or from law school, you must fill out a petition, available in the Registrar's Office.
EXAMS [+]
Q. Who do I talk to about exam/scheduling conflicts?
A. If you have many exams scheduled in a short amount of time, you may be eligible for rescheduling. You must fill out an Out-of-Sequence Exam Request in the Registrar's Office. The deadline for submitting this request is published by the Registrar's Office each semester. If an emergency arises that causes a conflict with exams, you should speak with Daniel Vigil, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs or Katie Kostka, Manager of Student Affairs.
COMPUTERS [+]
Q. Who do I call about computer difficulties?
A. The Computer Help Desk will help you through any University of Denver network related computer difficulties. You can reach them at (303) 871-6464. They can also help you get access from home and help you find your password.
HEALTH ISSUES [+]
Q. What do I do if I need medical attention?
A. If it is an emergency, and you are on campus, you should call 911!! You should notify Campus Safety at (303) 871-3000 immediately following. For minor emergencies such as to be escorted to your vehicle late at night, suspicious activity, etc. you may contact Campus Safety at (303) 871-3000. For other Campus Safety Related questions see their website here.
Q. Who can help me with questions about my school health insurance?
A. If you have health insurance through the university, you should call (303) 871-4136 or email jmashore@du.edu.
Q. Is there someone I can see for personal counseling?
A. The Counseling and Consultation Center is available for counseling, psychotherapy, consultation, emergency services, psychiatric consultation, and psychological assessment. All records are kept strictly confidential. Typical problems addressed at the center include relationships, stress, depression, anxiety, family problems, homesickness, discrimination, grief, drug/alcohol concerns, sexual concerns, financial, academic issues, and other mental health concerns. A counselor is on call at all times. Students may call (303) 871-3511 during business hours, and may call (303) 871-3000 during emergencies.
If you are experiencing academic related stress or other concerns that are affecting your law school experience, you are also welcome to speak with Daniel Vigil, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, or Katie Kostka, Manager of Student Affairs.
PUT ME IN A COURTROOM! [+]
Q. I might want to do Student Law Office at some point - what should I do to prepare?
A. SLO sponsors five clinics: Criminal, Civil, Mediation, Civil Rights, and Tax. In order to participate in the criminal and domestic violence clinics, students must take Legal Professionalism and Evidence (as Pre- or Co- Requisites). First year students may take these during the summer (if they are offered) to participate in the clinic for their second year of law school. Some fall semester second year students have a tough time with SLO's rigorous schedule and may wish to take SLO during their third year. Students receive 5 credit hours each semester and are expected to complete at least 250 hours of service during the semester. Students keep cases until they are done, even if the semester has ended. There are two classes per week, 85 minutes per class. The clinic is very selective.
Q. What do I do if I want an internship?
A. Please contact Karen Steinhauser at ksteinhauser@du.edu.
GRADES & TRANSCRIPTS [+]
Q. Who do I see about transcript and ranking requests?
A. The Registrar's office can help you with transcript and ranking requests. You will need to fill out a Request Form, available in the Registrar's Office. You must request these services in writing, in compliance with the Buckley Amendment. A fee of $2 is charged for official copies of transcripts, and $0.50 for an unofficial student copy. However, transcripts will not be released to students who have outstanding financial obligations to the University.
SECURITY & PARKING [+]
Q. Can someone walk me to my car at night?
A. For an after-dark escort to your car, call (303) 871-2334. The law school also provides a free shuttle that runs a circular route around the campus from 5:30 - 10:30 PM. For further information about the exact route, see the Office of Student Affairs.
Q. How do I contact Campus Safety if I see something suspicious on campus?
A. Call (303) 871-3000. We have campus security officers ready to assist in any situation.
Q. How does parking work?
A. Parking permits can be obtained from the Department of Parking Services located at 2400 Gaylord Street or www.du.edu/parking.
WHERE DO I GO? WHO SHOULD I SEE? [+]
Q. Who can I talk to if I'm stressed about exams?
A. The Office for Student Affairs is always available to help you through the tough times. Feel free to make an appointment with Daniel Vigil, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs or Katie Kostka, Manager of Student Affairs, to talk about things that are upsetting you. Together we can work out ways of coping with academic related stress.
Q. What if I have a concern with a professor?
A. If you have a concern about a professor, you should see the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, in the Dean's Suite. You may also approach Daniel Vigil, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs or Katie Kostka, Manager of Student Affairs.
Q. How do I request exam accommodations for my disability?
A. If you have a disability that requires accommodations for exams, you need to contact the Office of Student Affairs as soon as possible to have your accommodations approved. In most cases this will require detailed documentation, and our office can tell you exactly what would be needed. Once accommodations are granted, you will need to fill out an Exam Accommodation Request Form (available in the Office for Student Affairs, the Registrar's Office, and on the Student Affairs web page) each semester a few weeks before exams so that your exams can be scheduled accordingly. A copy of the Disability Handbook is available at www.du.edu/disability.
Q. How do I request class accommodations for my disability?
A. Schedule an appointment with the Office for Student Affairs as soon as possible. We will work to accommodate your documented disability.
Q. I've got problems on my tuition bill - who do I call?
A. Contact the Office for Student Financial Services on main campus at (303) 871-4900.
Q. How can I get a travel grant?
A. Students wishing to attend conferences and competitions may apply to the Student Bar Association bylaws available at www.law.du.edu/sba.
Q. Who do I tell if I have a complaint about a student, employee or faculty member?
A. The Office for Student Affairs is happy to help you with any of these matters.
Q. Who do I tell if the toilets won't work, light bulbs are burned out, and other maintenance issues?
A. Students should contact Steve Favreau, Assistant Dean of Administration at sfavreau@law.du.edu.
|
