Archive for November, 2008

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Harvard Graduate Council Update

Friday, November 28th, 2008

Following is a report from one of HLS’s four representatives to the Harvard Graduate Council, Nilab Rahyar ‘10, on the latest HGC meeting:

The last Harvard Graduate Council meeting was held at HLS on Tuesday, November 25th. The University Planning Office organized a focus group with HGC members to discuss the Common Spaces Project–an effort to bring together Harvard students from the various schools. Many HGC members expressed interest in a graduate student center (with space for social events, sports, dining, studying, etc.). The feedback from HGC will be relayed to the Common Spaces Steering Committee. We look forward to working with the University Planning Office on this exciting project!

Please share any thoughts or questions you have on the HGC with us via email or leave us a comment here.

David

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Posted in Committees and committee reports | Comments Closed

Financial Services Committee update

Monday, November 24th, 2008

Gregory Dworkowitz, a student representative on the Financial Services committee, reports:

“We had our first meeting last week.  We focused primarily on the SFS website, brainstorming ways to simplify the internal site, make it more user-friendly, and help the office run more smoothly.  This is a big project and will occupy much of our time this year.  We also reviewed the data from the last year and projections for this year, focusing on early response to the PSI.  Finally we spoke about the Harvard endowment and any impact its fluctuations might have on our mission.  This was just a preliminary discussion, as we don’t yet know what the budget will look like going forward. We also discussed the need for a 1L on the committee!” 

Posted in 1Ls, Committees and committee reports | Comments Closed

What I Wish I’d Known Before I Took My First HLS Exams: Advice from 2Ls and 3Ls who’ve been there already

Sunday, November 23rd, 2008

The Student Government just emailed all 1Ls and LLMs a document called “What I Wish I’d Known Before I Took My First HLS Exams: Advice from 2Ls and 3Ls who’ve been there already.” This document is full of helpful study advice from 2Ls and 3Ls, as well as a series of links to poetntially helpful sites about studying for law school exams.

If you did not get the Student Government’s email, let us know (studentgov@law.harvard.edu) and we’ll send you a copy.

David

Posted in 1Ls, Exams, LLMs, Other projects | Comments Closed

Miscellaneous Issues We’re Working On – Updated

Thursday, November 20th, 2008

News@law:

Many people have noted that News@law has been coming out quite late.  Later, in fact, than some of the morning event that are listed in it.  The Communications office is aware that this is not ideal and is working on ensuring that it comes out earlier.

Office supplies in the vending machines:

They’re supposed to be there.  If not in all of them, then in enough so that you shouldn’t have a problem finding them.  They should include pens and highlighters at a minimum.  Have you seen these items in the vending machines you go to?  What other items would you like to see?

CORRECTION/CLARIFICATION: the office supplies are only in the snack vending machine in the tunnel to Lewis, and there are only pens and highlighters.  Do you think they should be anywhere else or contain any other supplies?

Tea, hot chocolate, soy milk…

All of these things are supposed to be at the free coffee stations in the mornings.  We are still working with Restaurant Associates to increase the consistency.  Are you finding them consitently?

What else should we be doing for you?

Brian

Posted in Food/drink, Other projects | Comments Closed

New Student Groups Approved

Wednesday, November 19th, 2008

At our last meeting, the Student Government approved the creation of two new student groups.

The Health Issues Awareness Society:

The Health Issues Awareness Society aims to promote awareness and fundraising for various medical conditions and health related causes and to inspire students and alumni of Harvard Law to use their positions of influence to advance research, charity, and government action aimed at promoting these causes.
To this end, the Health Issues Awareness Society shall seek to sponsor events to raise funds and awareness for various medical conditions and health issues; inform members of outside opportunities and events promoting health related causes; sponsor events with health law scholars and practitioners for discussions of issues in the field; and to foster good relationships among interested students and faculty.

The Harvard Legal Theory Forum:

The Harvard Legal Theory Forum (“the Forum”) will promote the study of legal theory at Harvard Law School by holding regular meetings of reading groups to discuss texts on legal theory and hosting colloquia for students and/or professors to present works in progress on legal theory.

Your thoughts are always welcome,

Brian

Posted in Student Groups | Comments Closed

Harvard Graduate Council Update

Wednesday, November 19th, 2008

The Harvard Graduate Council is a University-wide student government body, made up of representatives from all of the graduate schools.  HLS has four representatives on the Graduate Council.  Following is a report from one of the those reps, Nilab Rahyar ’10, on the latest HGC meeting:

The meeting began with general introductions from the members of the various grad schools. Aaron Chadbourne will be meeting with people from Queenshead Pub, they have expressed interest in working with the HGC and individual grad schools to attract grad students there. Aaron would like an update on how each grad school feels about this, any thoughts we have, etc. The events committee has organized a mixer at Redline this weekend which they want publicized through each school. Future events include speed dating (both opposite and same sex) and a winter formal. The meeting ended with everyone splitting up into committees that they expressed interest in being involved in. I am on the committee that will be drafting a document/vision plan on behalf of the graduate students of the university and which will be presented to President Faust, deans and other university leaders. The document will address the objectives and proposals of HGC, we will develop these issues after analyzing survey data from grad students that was compiled last year (the data includes concerns and comments from grad students).

Please share any thoughts or questions you have on the HGC with us via email or leave us a comment here.

Brian

Posted in Committees and committee reports | Comments Closed

1L Exam Prep and Study Advice Panel

Sunday, November 16th, 2008

The Student Government and the WLA are hosting a panel about exam preparation and study for all 1Ls on Wednesday, December 3rd, at 12:00 PM. Lunch will be served.

If there are particular questions you’d like addressed, let us know at studentgov@law.harvard.edu or just respond to this post.

We’ll also have copies of the “What You Wish You’d Known” pamphlet we’re currently putting together.

David

Posted in 1Ls, Exams, Grade change, LLMs, Other projects | Comments Closed

HGSE Looking for Spanish Speaking Volunteers

Monday, November 10th, 2008

This seemed like a worthy cause so I thought I would post the info here for those of you that might want to volunteer to read to kids.

Brian

Volunteer to Read to Children in Spanish!

If you speak Spanish, like kids and enjoy volunteering, please join us! We are looking for Spanish-speaking volunteers for our reading program, Lectores y Amiguitos. Lectores y Amiguitos is a Spanish-language volunteer reading program run by Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Office of School Partnerships and Cambridge School Volunteers, Inc. We meet on Thursdays from 12:05-12:45 at the Amigos School, where volunteers read aloud and talk with second graders.

Volunteers are matched with 2nd graders and work one-on-one with them for the academic year. We follow Harvard University and Cambridge Public School holidays.  Volunteers read every Thursday for 35 minutes during lunchtime and we ask for a one year commitment (October until early May).

The Amigos School is a dual language immersion Cambridge Public School located right outside of Harvard Square.  To learn more about the Amigos School, please visit:
http://www.cpsd.us/AMI/

You can also visit our website at: http://www.gse.harvard.edu/schoolpartnerships/

We hope you will join us! Please feel free to call or email us anytime. Our telephone number is 617-496-4822 or you can send us an email to partners@gse.harvard.edu

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Closed

Faculty Student Lunch Program – Lunch slots still available

Monday, November 10th, 2008

A quick update on the ongoing Faculty Student Lunch Program.

First, emails are still going out letting students know which lunch they’ve been assigned to.  Second, many students did fill out their surveys “anonymously” and, thus, we were unable to match those requests with the student that submitted them.  If you haven’t heard from us by the end of this week you may want to email studentgov@law.harvard.edu to see if you filled out your poll anonymously.

Third, there are still several lunches with slots available.  If you are interested in attending any of the following lunches, please get in touch with us asap.

Professor Alford: 12/1
Professor Forbath: lunch on Nov.18
Professor Barkow:  Nov. 21, 12:15
Professor Issacharoff: Nov 11 at 5 pm.
Professor Leff: Nov. 19 at noon.
Professor Michelman: Nov. 11 at 1 pm.
Professor Kaufman: Nov. 20 at noon.

Finally, a special thanks goes out to 1L Representatives Jennifer Dein, Marissa Ronk, and Tamara Wyche for their hard work in planning and coordinating these lunches.

Brian

Posted in 1Ls, Food/drink, Student Groups | Comments Closed

Restaurant Associates Feedback Sought

Monday, November 10th, 2008

We are opening an ongoing discussion with the new food service provider at the Hark, Restaurant Associates.  An important part of that discussion will come from your input.  Drop us a comment or an email and tell us what you think about the Hark and the Hark Cafe.  Like the food?  Don’t like the food?  Want something different?  Love a new element that RA has brought in?  Let us know!

Brian

Posted in Food/drink, Other projects | 5 Comments »

Yet another bagel and coffee update

Monday, November 10th, 2008

We’ve received a lot of feedback from you guys about various ideas and issues surrounding the free coffee and bagels.  Here’s an update on some of those requests and ideas:

Toasters!  Thanks to your feedback, we now have toasters at the bagel stations on Mondays.  Also thanks to your feedback we have strawberry creamcheese, and the Dean of Students office is looking into getting us peanut butter as well.

We’ve heard a lot of feedback asking for soy milk, regular milk, and hot chocolate available at the free coffee stations.  All of these things are supposed to be available.  Restaurant Associates is going to work on ensuring they are more consistently provided.

We are aware that coffee is sometimes running out in some locations before those of you with 10:00/10:15 classes can get some.  The Dean of Students office is going to work with Restaurant Associates to see if the coffee amounts can be better managed at each location to ensure some locations do not have too much coffee while others have too little.

All of this is thanks to your feedback.  Keep it coming.

Brian

Posted in Food/drink | 2 Comments »

New Student Group Approved

Monday, November 10th, 2008

At our last Student Government meeting we approved the creation of a new student group:  The Southern Law Society.

The goals of this group are: “1) to foster community among all HLS students interested in Southern cuisine, history, art, music, culture and lifestyle and 2) to promote the South as a practice destination for HLS graduates. To these ends, the Southern Law Society will sponsor periodic social events with Southern themes; educate students on professional and volunteer legal opportunities in the South; and publicly celebrate the diversity and contributions of Southern culture. A common thread connecting the activities of the Southern Law Society is a commitment to “bringing Southern hospitality to HLS.”

I’m sure you’ll here more from them in the future.

Brian

Posted in Student Groups | Comments Closed

Spring Course Evaluations available!

Monday, November 10th, 2008

Thinking about which electives to take this spring? Check out the unofficial course evaluations for Spring 2008 at https://www.law.harvard.edu/current/orgs/student-gov/secure/unofficial-course-evaluations.html.

David

P.S. If you find that a course in which you are interested has only a few responses, or that a course isn’t mentioned at all, remember that the unofficial course guide  depends on the contributions of students like you. This guide will get better and better as more people contribute at the end of each semester.

P.P.S.  Thanks to 2 and 3L Representatives Doug Tilley and Jess Nachman for their help getting these together.

Posted in Course evaluations | 2 Comments »

New Hark Hours!

Saturday, November 8th, 2008

Beginning Wednesday, November 12, the Harkness Commons will be open throughout the afternoon (2:30 to 5) for snacks, sodas, and prepackaged sandwiches and salads. Larry Harris of Restaurant Associates explained that “We have a rush of students in the afternoon in the Hark Café. Hopefully this will serve the community better.”

David

 

Posted in Food/drink | 1 Comment »

Opportunities to work with HLS professors?

Thursday, November 6th, 2008

As grades become (at least a little) less important, interaction with professors will become more important. Today in the HLS Record, I wrote about my belief that there are many opportunities to work with HLS professors (http://media.www.hlrecord.org/media/storage/paper609/news/2008/11/06/Opinion/Letter.Opportunities.To.Work.With.Famous.Professors.Plentiful-3528545.shtml). The trick, in my view, is making sure to go to office hours to cultivate those opportunities. Do you agree? Or is there a problem on campus with the availability / accessibility of HLS professors?

Let us know what you think (studentgov@law.harvard.edu).

David

Posted in 1Ls, Other projects | Comments Closed

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