archangel

Htsguy - Speaking for myself, I think the faculty is excellent and better than schools of comparable rank. It features several true stand-outs in their field, such as Leon Gabinet in Tax, who is retiring at the end of next year, but who will be replaced with someone pretty good because one of his former students gave the school 1.5M for that purpose, and Max Mehlman in Health Law, which obviously is important in Cleveland, and the guy is a former Rhodes Scholar and is very busy doing things in the Med School as well. As a 1L, we have six classes + legal writing; of my seven profs, I'd say three were 'great', three were 'good' and one was 'not so good', but opinions vary widely, and often change after we get our grades :-D There are a number of faculty members who have authored textbooks that aren't terrible, and are respected in their field. The new hires seem really good. There are a lot of adjuncts, but there's also a new tenure track specially for clinical faculty. The adjuncts aren't bad (I'm sure at least a few of them are, but I don't know) and many of them are only supplements to full-time faculty who handle the course most of the time (for instance, the 1L legal writing lass has a full-time faculty member and a part-time adjunct who basically 'keeps it real' by sharing their actual experience and what really works). I don't know which areas normally get full-time faculty at law schools, but I'm not sure I'd turn down the adjunct I'm going to have next year in one class for a full-time faculty member, because the adjunct is extremely experienced in a practice area I am interested in. Hts121 - Sorry you've had a lot of entitled hires out of Case. Doesn't really surprise me. Many people here are from very privileged backgrounds (moreso than myself, anyway) and it is a private school. In fact, I met someone from Marshall recently and when I said I was at Case, he made a "money" sign with his hand while grimacing. :? But, I think it's hard to pigeonhole CWRU students; there is a great deal of interest in public interest/international law/NGO work. Some students recently won their clinic client an absurd amount of money in a civil case. And like you, I am disturbed by the fact that nearly half of my classmates have no real work experience prior to law school, and yet everything is decided by grades.

A lot of these problems would be solved if law schools were forced to produce accurate employment outcome information and then held accountable by it by the ABA. 'Tier 4' schools acting as diploma mills would suffer, and they would argue that they have successful graduates (they do, everyone has some), and the ABA would be forced to back off...it's not an easy problem to solve without heavy government intervention, or a massive free market shift against bad schools, which won't happen because the ratio of people desperate to improve themselves to 'sure thing' law schools is hopelessly out of whack, and law schools don't require prior experience or anything 'proving' you actually want to practice law or at least use the degree in some productive way. In the end, it is caveat emptor and there is a good argument that there needs to be a more effective watchdog or authority, especially given the growing student loan bubble, which now exceeds consumer credit card debt in size. Law schools tend to get a pass because they're advanced education, but they shouldn't. They should either be structured so people who aren't going to make good lawyers actually do not make it past the first year (like in the old days), fewer people are accepted in the first place, or the schools at least need to be more frank about people's prospects. Even if they are, some idiot will convince himself that the non-ABA approved Whatever School of Law with a shiny building is the fast track to success. What needs to change is that schools, like students, must be allowed to fail, and not have their failure concealed by marketing and blind optimism. Anyway, I don't think that fairly applies to CWRU. Is the school disorganized? Somewhat, but especially in regards to alumni from the past 10-15 years. Would I replace parts of the administration? Yes. Would I publish actual employment numbers, including the number of people who didn't respond? Yes. Would I still recommend the school to someone looking to work in Ohio? Sure. Just know, specifically, what you're getting into and what your options (given LSAT/GPA) really are. One addendum to the initial announcement: President Snyder indicated she was going to invest some of CWRU's main pot of money into the Law School. No specifics mentioned, but that's good news. I'd guess it's not a ton of cash and it'll mostly go to personnel changes, more new faculty, a more active schedule for the Dean in terms of recruitment/fundraising, and perhaps to boosting merit scholarships to bring selectivity up. Mitchell also mentioned wanting to set up more programs like the one we have already, where 1L/2Ls work with federal judges (about 35 students every summer), except in business/law firms centered in NYC and DC, where Mitchell has extensive ties and the CWRU alumni network is pretty decent.

Not at all. It just isn't as emphasized as the other programs. I know several students who are working while in school. I may try to do this next year. TBD - Wow. I know there are some serious issues, but suing the school? Tell your friends to sue the ABA, instead. They're the ones enabling ALL law schools to do what you're talking about, and it becomes a game of brinksmanship. Inability to retain Deans...you would have preferred they keep Simson? Firing him really threw a wrench into things, since it took so long to replace him, but I think the new Dean is a huge leap in the right direction...also, the school hired three new professors this year and will be hiring a tax professor to a new named professorship. I think I know who you're talking about in terms of administrators, but that person has had very little impact on anything I've done. The negative things I've heard are more about admissions, in that they are just disorganized and not really on top of things. My incoming class was supposed to have 205 students. There were, at one point, about 240. There are not 240 jobs. And, who wants to bet we take 20 transfer kids for the money? If I was the new Dean, I'd be out for blood when it comes to the Admissions office. I'd also be wary of faculty members and students (!!!) who are incredibly rigid and slavishly dedicated to their political beliefs or pet projects. Those of us who are here for a fundamental education are able to quickly identify the good profs and schedule around the iffy ones, and hope to avoid the hopelessly academic/political among us. I would say I've had only one prof I'd actually describe as 'not good.' Of course, that's one too many... I'm here for three reasons: First, I had personal reasons to be in the area. Second, there are certain things/faculty members about the school, including a fat scholarship, that specifically attracted me, and Third, I didn't get into a "top ten" school. Because I agree that law school is a scam in terms of dollars, I'm not going into debt for, say, William and Mary, if I can come back to Cleveland and save myself a LOT of money. So far, I don't regret my decision. Without the financial incentive, I probably would agree with you: Not worth it. But there's good parts, and more potential.

They need to loosen up on the out of classroom requirements as well. Makes it very difficult for Case students to get real world experience while still in school. If you're talking about law firm experience, you're right, but the civil/criminal clinic programs are very active and they do a decent job of getting students summer experience and meetings with alumni. The problem is, not many alumni are eager to be engaged with the school. There are varying reasons, including a perception that the school abandoned them in pursuit of specialty interests, but I'm not sure. Opinions vary widely. I'm only a 1L. But again, I really like this new Dean.

A subway station? In my Cleveland? Nice. Good catch, too - I didn't notice. Re: The Parking Garage, are there any structural/engineering reasons that argue against putting greenspace on the top? How many spots does that eliminate?

Most of the tax is collected on the coasts. Basically, they'll be subsidizing Ohio, unless there's an agreement to provide local funding from elsewhere. If I were Steve, I'd just make it an abatement, not a permanent removal, and add a permanent carve-out for the ferry traffic. You want the prospect of revenue down the road, even if "you" are the government.

Mitchell has a business background and significant international experience, plus strong ties in NYC/DC. When I met him, he seemed to be truly excited about Cleveland and openly stated he'd take the job over his other finalist offers (Colorado-Boulder, San Diego, Brooklyn, and George Washington itself). Looks like he meant it. If any alumni are reading, it might be worth it to get in touch with him. And ditto on the class sizes.

Case Western Law has finally chosen its new Dean. This is the press release. Personally I think this is a good choice. *** President Barbara R. Snyder announced today that Lawrence E. Mitchell, an internationally prominent business law scholar at George Washington University, will become the new dean of the School of Law at Case Western Reserve University. “Lawrence Mitchell possesses the intellect, energy and enthusiasm required to lead our law school forward,” Snyder said. “He is creative, collegial and absolutely committed to engaging students, staff, faculty and alumni.” At George Washington, Mitchell is the Theodore Rinehart Professor of Business Law and the founding executive director of the Center for Law, Economics & Finance (C-LEAF). Mitchell founded the center in 2009 to promote interdisciplinary research and advance public dialogue. The center sponsors public conferences and faculty workshops and also publishes working papers and scholarly anthologies. Earlier in his career, Mitchell launched the Sloan Program for the Study of Business in Society, an initiative that brought together scholars of corporate law, business and the humanities for conferences and retreats. A major focus of the program was to provide mentoring and support for promising junior faculty. “The School of Law at Case Western Reserve is an extraordinary place. Many of its faculty are leaders in their fields, and the legal skills program is one of the most forward-thinking in the nation,” Mitchell said. “I am eager to work with students, staff, faculty and alumni to learn more about the school and its potential.” Pamela B. Davis, dean of the School of Medicine and vice president for medical affairs, chaired the search committee. Maxwell Mehlman, Arthur E. Petersilge Professor of Law and director of the Law-Medicine Center, co-chaired the group. “I want to thank Dean Davis, Professor Mehlman and the entire search committee for the enormous time, thought and energy devoted to this process,” Provost W.A. “Bud” Baeslack III said. “The group spent nights and weekends interviewing the most promising candidates, checking references and ultimately making recommendations to the president and me. Their dedication to the School of Law is remarkable, and we are most grateful.” The appointment is not final until approved by the university’s Board of Trustees.

That was one of the worst innings of pitching I've seen in awhile from Chad Durbin. Why is he here?

I have good feelings about Huntington's long-term prospects. They aren't an aggressive growth company, but they're persistent and wise enough to maintain presence in several different markets. Having used them as my personal/family bank...forever, I have always gotten good service from them. Plus, I saw in Crain's that they're the biggest SBA lender in the region by a wide margin.

I, too, am baffled at people throwing their cigarette butts everywhere. I carry things ridiculous distances to a trash can if I have to. I wish I didn't have to. But I do it.

That was a nice win, which I watched online and not in person... As for attendance, I'm poor/busy and can't go much. I get Netflix for 8 dollars a month, or around a 50% chance of seeing a decent game for considerably more. I want to be involved and I want them to do well, but we all know the MLB is a stacked deck and it only gets interesting when an underdog crushes one of the big budget teams. Hoping against hope is not going to fill those seats for 80+ games a year. Our collective desperation gets enough of a workout from the Browns. I don't entirely blame the Dolans, but I don't think they're part of the solution, either. Perhaps when the team just randomly strikes gold, they'll sell the team and get out. I hope.

Seems like there is a holdup with the lettering... Well, that's one place you don't want to make a typo. Too bad Uptown won't be done by this Fall. I'd probably try and live there. Together with the finally-approved apartments on Hazel Rd., this should offer some better housing options for CWRU people who aren't enamoured with Cleveland Heights.

Hts, I agree. When I lived in Asia the best places were older neighborhoods that had been partially renovated but retained the 'old' character. There are certainly many candidates for that sort of project in Cleveland, but in that area there isn't a lot of density and everything feels like it exists on islands. The area overall needs to develop a bit more and perhaps they could build in/around tyler village to create a solid core. It's the largest thing around there, anyway. I'd consider living around there if there were more/better options. I shop at the Chinese supermarkets as much/more than I do at the WSM.

Hollins has gotten a lot of crap this year, but I was never sure why we didn't settle on him as the starting center immediately after Andy went down. He's soft, but how is he going to get tougher unless you give him a chance? He was decent in the beginning of the year, and he had a ridiculous +33 statline last night. Anyway, good game.

Re: Ohio City that's ridiculous. Nobody saw anything? I'm glad I have secure parking. I'd like to doubt that an Ignatius student would do that.

Which of these do you think will 'age' best? Nice pictures, thanks.

It boggles my mind when people act violently on mass transit. It's a confined, moving space, full of strangers. That alone should send a signal to behave oneself...in a less law-obsessed society, troublemakers would probably be thrown from the train between stops by the other passengers. Sadly, we've embraced a binge drinking culture, so our drunks are especially violent/profane/entitled/insufferable. I was in Beijing on the day the Olympics opened, and I took the subway after the opening ceremonies. They kept it open all night, normally it closes fairly early. I think we made it there, somewhat intoxicated, at around 3 AM, and rode a half-empty train full of locals and foreigners all the way across town. And just like every other day for years, it was smooth and no serious problems with the system or the other passengers. I will forever wish heaps of money and talent upon RTA because I know what a good mass transit system feels like and how much trouble it saves. I'm sure there are some lazy RTA workers out there, but mostly I think RTA needs more money. For their budget, I am fairly impressed at what they manage to do, even if it's far from perfect.

Worth a look: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/realestate/20Lizo.html?src=recg "The areas that many young adults seek are “walkable to the train and to a downtown,” said Nina Petraro Bastardi, 28, who is active with the Young Adult Alliance of Action Long Island, a nonprofit that will host a housing and rental expo on April 9."

Just so I understand the hatred of Larkin, it's because he's friends, or has supported politicians who made negative changes to downtown? I don't find him nearly as negative as most posters here do.

Good. Thank you, CPD.

I don't even know what the penalty is for public fighting between two minors. Repeated offenses get you sent to juvenile hall? Love how the city wouldn't pay for overtime.

Graduate school rankings are out from US News. The overly-influential rankings have good and bad news for Case this year. http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/03/case_western_reserve_universit_23.html Medical Research - 22 Primary Care - 55 Biomedical Engineering - 8 Business - Not Known, last year was 75 Law School (Overall) - 61, down from 55, which was down from 49 Business School - Has aggressively attacked GMAT/GPA rankings by admitting many overseas (read: Chinese) students who are groomed for the best possible overseas education possible, and most of whom pay full price as well. Might move up because of that. Law School - Overadmitted in 2010 and still didn't manage to move their LSAT/GPA rankings in any meaningful way. Bar passage rate now best in the state. Overall judge/lawyer opinion of the school remains very good for a school of its rank (3.2/5) but the school is just not selective enough to maintain a spot in the top 50, because the rankings are based largely on selectivity, including LSAT (Law School Admissions Test) score, undergraduate GPA, and overall admissions %. One thinks this would be a fairly easy, if expensive, fix...and given that they say they 'spent too much' on this year's class, I have no idea what their problem is. (I am a student here)

And it's great news for Jones Day. Hooray M&A. Something random I enjoyed: When companies buy other companies, the stock immediately shoots to the acquisition price or thereabouts. But there is still trading as people sell and auto-orders bring the price back in line. Additionally, some people gamble that possibly the merger won't happen for whatever reason. So the daily price chart is still jagged, if in a very narrow range. When Berkshire buys someone - it produces a straight, almost unbroken line. No doubt, no gambling. Result = massive wealth. And Lubrizol's chart shows them to be one of the most successful companies in this region over the past ten years. Never cut their dividend since 1988 (!), never seriously in debt. Great news all around. http://www.google.com/finance?q=NYSE%3ALZ

Why not just blanket the area in security cameras? Are they that expensive? One or two incidents doesn't mean the district itself is at fault, honestly. It bothers me that the stabber got away. Enforce loitering ordinances on the street vigorously. Don't they sweep the street at 2 or 3 with police?