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Stanford vs Harvard

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Brazilian LLM

Joined: 08 Mar 2007
Posts: 10
Stanford vs Harvard
Thu Mar 08, 2007 11:15 PM
What do you think?
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Brazilian LLM

Joined: 08 Mar 2007
Posts: 10
Stanford vs Harvard
Fri Mar 09, 2007 02:35 PM
What would you do if you were admitted to both???
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fg

Joined: 02 Feb 2006
Posts: 329
Stanford vs Harvard
Fri Mar 09, 2007 02:58 PM
You have to give us more information about what you are looking for in an LLM program.
I would probably go to Stanford because the LLM class is smaller but it is a matter of personal preference.
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Brazilian LLM

Joined: 08 Mar 2007
Posts: 10
Stanford vs Harvard
Fri Mar 09, 2007 08:07 PM
Do you think the size of the program makes it more competitive than the other LLM programs? So competitive that you do nothing but studying?
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V-2007

Joined: 26 Oct 2006
Posts: 126
Stanford vs Harvard
Sat Mar 10, 2007 09:09 AM
I would definately chose HLS - for the opposite reason - class is large! Besides, HLS is not far from NYC...
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Borat

Joined: 28 Nov 2006
Posts: 2
Stanford vs Harvard
Sat Mar 10, 2007 10:23 AM
Hello V-2007:

I understand you are from Russia too! Nice to meet you here!

I called Stanford yesterday. Unfortunately, they told me that nobody from Russia has been admitted to the Stanford LLM Program (Corporate) this year. I am now waiting from Harvard (I have been accepted to Columbia, NYU and Chicago so far) but the question "Stanford v. Harvard" is definitely not for us this year!

Personally, I would have chosen Stanford over Harvard but both are great choices!

Hope to see many Russian people in New York or Boston next year!

I.

[Edited 10 Mar 2007 by Borat]
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black

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 67
Stanford vs Harvard
Sat Mar 10, 2007 08:18 PM
Stanford rocks! Be nerdy but with flip-flops, be exclusive and feel priviledged, be an entrepreneur! The Stanford class of 2007 is happy to welcome the future class of 2008.
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letsgo

Joined: 11 Mar 2007
Posts: 11
Stanford vs Harvard
Mon Mar 12, 2007 12:34 AM
Black, what about living in Palo Alto??? Is there anything to do other than studying??? I was admitted to Stanford but am still waiting for HLS...
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black

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 67
Stanford vs Harvard
Mon Mar 12, 2007 01:01 AM
Today, March 11, on campus, people were lying in the grass in swimming suits and playing volley-ball. This is what you get at Stanford. It is not living in a city. You must like having space, the outdoors. You can surf and ski very close. You can do any possible sport on campus. There is a huge pool center, with heated pools yearlong. There are no cars; It s bike zone. You have wild little animals, flowers smells, palm trees.
Palo Alto is lively, but in the style of a cute along-the-sea small city. You have restaurants and bars where you can hang out. I do not know which country you are from so it is tough to compare.
If you want the big city, San Francisco is 40 minutes drive one-way. We do not go very often but it is up to each person of course. I did go twice this week, including once just for drinks and once for dinner.
I would advise that you get a car (I bought mine for 2,000usd and will resell it for same price or a little less so it does not cost much to have a car. basically insurance and few hundreds dollars for the purchase/resale). It is easier than the train.
I am not sure how Harvard is close from Boston. but for sure, the climate is better here. and Stanford is west coast. it s different from the east coast culture.
I see Stanford as a break year from living in big cities. It s like living in a bubble. All of us share that feeling. You feel protected, priviledged. It is just unique.
Good luck in deciding.

[Edited 12 Mar 2007 by black]
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Brazilian LLM

Joined: 08 Mar 2007
Posts: 10
Stanford vs Harvard
Tue Mar 13, 2007 05:09 PM
Great! It sounds like fun (specially for a Brazilian student...)
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michal

Joined: 23 Mar 2006
Posts: 28
Stanford vs Harvard
Tue Mar 13, 2007 10:51 PM
I always read about California with envy -- because of the weather. It's just amazing. Studying at Harvard this year I must say that New England weather is the only bad thing about the school. January & February were really tough this year. I live really close (about 100 meters from the Hark) and recently appreciated this distance a lot. And I am used to strong winters, coming from Eastern Europe.
Boston is very close - a 25 min. ride from Harvard Square by the underground ("T"), but believe me that classes & library are far more attractive. So don't choose the school because it's close to any big city. Cambridge or New Haven are nice enough. Description of Palo Alto sounds even nicer :)
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jordan

Joined: 17 Mar 2007
Posts: 2
Stanford vs Harvard
Sun Mar 18, 2007 03:08 PM
Stanford rocks! Best LLM Corporate Program. It's "elite". Great place to live and study! I did turn down HLS for SLS and it was the best thing I could ever have made!
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josepidal

Joined: 18 Oct 2005
Posts: 237
Stanford vs Harvard
Sun Mar 18, 2007 06:25 PM
Could you describe the SLS corporate courses?
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jordan

Joined: 17 Mar 2007
Posts: 2
Stanford vs Harvard
Sun Mar 18, 2007 06:38 PM
small classes. intense interaction. great teachers. undisputable reputation. leading venture capital/private equity/corporate governance courses.

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josepidal

Joined: 18 Oct 2005
Posts: 237
Stanford vs Harvard
Mon Mar 19, 2007 04:52 AM
...in a little more detail?

Private equity is something I'd have loved to have more exposure to, in retrospect, or even the practical side of 144A/Regulation S transactions. It's really one of the big things right now, but not a lot of students realize it.
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michal

Joined: 23 Mar 2006
Posts: 28
Stanford vs Harvard
Mon Mar 19, 2007 05:11 AM
small classes. intense interaction. great teachers. undisputable reputation. leading venture capital/private equity/corporate governance courses.



sounds pretty generic to me, no offense - i know that the school is great & appreciate warm weather
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V-2007

Joined: 26 Oct 2006
Posts: 126
Stanford vs Harvard
Mon Mar 19, 2007 07:34 AM
Hello V-2007:

I called Stanford yesterday. Unfortunately, they told me that nobody from Russia has been admitted to the Stanford LLM Program (Corporate) this year.


Hi! Are you going to call Harvard? I guess it might be a long wait... and hard choice btw. CLS & HLS if accepted to HLS... what are your thoughts?
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black

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 67
Stanford vs Harvard
Mon Mar 19, 2007 04:47 PM
Stanford generic? It s all but generic. I advise anybody who hesitates a lot between two schools to come check it out if possible. I have no doubt that you'll pick Stanford when you see what it is exactly.
It is very close to individual tuition, i.e. top scholars know you personally and advise you as per your needs and aspirations. The diversity of courses is huge (reminder: you can pick courses at any school outside the law school, i.e business school obviously, but probably also history or political sciences, or medicine or engineering). The law library is not crowded, you do not fight to access a printer (free printing). We have seats and couches where people take naps during the day in between two readings. There will be a 24h reading room from next year. Outside speakers come all the time to give lectures during lunch time (practioners and researchers). There are plenty of workshops and clinics. This year, you could meet on campus Bill Gates or Nobel prizes. Finally, and without sounding dramatic, Stanford is an identity for life. The alumni network is strong. You can send your kids on summer camps here. Amazing trips organized for alumni. etc etc. In short, come if you believe in top quality and entrepreneurship.

[Edited 19 Mar 2007 by black]
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josepidal

Joined: 18 Oct 2005
Posts: 237
Stanford vs Harvard
Mon Mar 19, 2007 04:58 PM
The diversity of courses is huge (reminder: you can pick courses at any school outside the law school, i.e business school obviously, but probably also history or political sciences, or medicine or engineering). .

This doesn't sound like a diverse law school curriculum, though, the merits of cross-registration aside.

Not to pick a fight, but the rest looks a bit generic, in the sense that you have your generic big law school versus small law school arguments. (Is there a law school where the library is notorious for always being crowded by the way?)
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black

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 67
Stanford vs Harvard
Mon Mar 19, 2007 05:43 PM
I did not elaborate on the law school course offerings as it has been described repeatedly by other Stanford students posting on this website and it is available for review online at
www.law.stanford.edu/program/ and
lawreg.stanford.edu/
The access to other schools within Stanford university is however unique, so sthing to be reminded.
I have been to two other law schools libraries and it was very crowded and messy.
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michal

Joined: 23 Mar 2006
Posts: 28
Stanford vs Harvard
Mon Mar 19, 2007 11:01 PM
Stanford generic? It s all but generic. I advise


Gee, I was referring to the other guy post, not to Stanford.
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josepidal

Joined: 18 Oct 2005
Posts: 237
Stanford vs Harvard
Tue Mar 20, 2007 01:32 AM
I have been to two other law schools libraries and it was very crowded and messy.

Then the library plus is shared by SLS and HLS.

Heh, sorry, but if there's one thing immediately striking about HLS, it's the palatial library.
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asterion

Joined: 25 Apr 2005
Posts: 103
Stanford vs Harvard
Tue Mar 20, 2007 04:05 AM
Hey guys,

My two cents.. I was admitted to both HLS and SLS last year. I decided to come to SLS because of my strong interest in IP/IT Law. I think I made the right call. I had the opportunity to visit HLS before deciding. The school is great, the library even better. In terms of people, Jeanne Tai from HLS is wonderfully nice but so is Krista and Roland from SLS's LST LLM. HLS's library is THE largest in the country. No questions asked. However, I really don't think it makes a difference, since most publications are available online or through interlibrary loans. If you absolutely need any publication from ANYWHERE in the world, almost all of the top law schools will get it for you. SLS has a highly entrepreneurial spirit. I'm actually thinking of doing an MBA now and sillicon valley is a way of life that you will not experience anywhere else, regardless of what people say. If technology is your thing there is nothing like the bay area. If you want to work in the U.S. after graduating, consider whther you would like to work on the east or west coast. SLS has an office of career services dedicated to aiding LLM students. This said, California law firms are more reluctant to hire LLMs than NY ones. NY firms would like both SLS and HLS alumni, but being closer to NY, HLS alumni will probably find it easier to interview with NY and east coast firms. I did not fully review HLS IP curriculum, but I can assume that SLS may offer more, since IP and Technology is in the mind of every professor here, not only those devoted to IP. By the way, at least 3 of the nation's top IP professors are at SLS. Despite being a securities lawyer, Joe Grundfest's Venture Capital course is one of the best I have seen. Having the opportunity of engaging in discussions of patent law with Mark Lemley or being personally known by Paul Goldstein, or aiding Larry Lessig in a cyberlaw clinic are also things that could not happen if classes were larger. Where else can you get the chief privacy officer of facebook, the founder of a thriving internet company or a partner at Sequoia Capital to share his experience with a group of 10 LLM students? Even though the class is small, and in terms of fun and networking a large class is better, I have made good friends among the JDs, people doing PHDs and some from other schools (MBA, MD, etc.). One of my best friends went to HLS and in terms of networking among LLMs, HLS has probably the best and most important network amongst top international lawyers. I suggest that you focus on the program and on the professors when making a decision. Do some research. In terms of quality of life, I love California, SFO is my favorite US city, but Boston is also amazing (despite having the Red Sox -I'm a Yankee fan-). Good luck making choices. You can't go wrong with anyone.

[Edited 20 Mar 2007 by asterion]
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black

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 67
Stanford vs Harvard
Tue Mar 20, 2007 04:18 AM
Reading the last two posts, I must clarify that I mentioned, among other reasons which made me choose Stanford, the library because it is a truly nice environment to study. The point was not to rank it vs. Harvard, and make books and chairs the key decision factor. and I agree that any source is nowadays accessible online or through inter-library loans.

[Edited 20 Mar 2007 by black]
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Brazilian LLM

Joined: 08 Mar 2007
Posts: 10
Stanford vs Harvard
Tue Mar 20, 2007 05:10 PM
HLS decisions are out. After few nights thinking about it, I will most probably turn HLS down for SLS... Is anyone else in the same situation???
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