The New York Law School Vol. V !,ssuell •
In Your Heart, You Know We're Right
• December 1987
On Failing The Bar by DP November 2, 1987 The Bar results are coming out today. I know this because I have called the Board of Law Examiners in Albany at least a dozen times since mid-October. I pace back and forth on the 20th floor of 100 Maiden Lane. No I don't work at Cadwalader, I am a temp here. I have been on several interviews since September but I didn't really want to do negligence law for 20K, especially since once you are in the office the interviewer tells you its only 20K after you are admitted and 16K until then, but J should be lucky for this opportunity. but fincling a job without contacts is a different article. The bus ride up to Rockland County is worse then usual. Maybe its because its the first time I am doing it since last year. (I just moved back home yesterday). I phone my mother to come pick me up at the bus stop and her voice is shaky and she sounds sad. I know r failed the bar, (yes a thin envelope is passing. a thicker one is not), J always knew this was a possibility. About l/3 of all first time takers fail the test. But now I'm unemployed and unemployable until sometime in March. Oh, shit! what course do I take now? No one tells you what to do when you fail. My notes from Peiper are perfect and
typed and its probably not worth taking over again anyway. By now I'm close to hysterical. My mom pulls up and as I get in the car she tells me how sorry she is. The ride Lo the house is silent. My phone is already ringing off the hook. LO passed... BM passed... VVHdid not. .. RH did... RB did ... I take my phone off the hook and hide the reciever under a blanket. I have a splitting headache and I don't know which is worse the loss ofself esteem, the fact that I can't get a real job until after February, the fact that 1 must gear up to study again or that the names are printed in next Mondays Law Journals, or the endless chorus of 'Tm sorry". November 10, 1987 I am sitting in the Reporter office typing this article. The law journal has not been delivered yet but I already know whose names are not going to appear. l have cancelled the last remaining interviews and notified the places that were waiting ro hear my results. 1 .still don't know what course to take but I know if I had done better on jusi 2 of my essays I would have passed. MBE was great and l even made sense our of the NY multiple choice. I bet I passed New Jersey but I still have to retake New York. Failing the Bar isn't the end of the world, but it is inconvenient and it sure as bell sucks.
Urban Law Panel Addresses Homeless service community, including HPD, the Coalition for the Homeless, P.A.L., and Lhe Citizen's Action Committee. A significant contribution to lhe event was afforded by a group of 17 youths, many living in temporary housing situations. The topics discussed ran the gamut from alternative housing pro• posals, to the constitionality of Lhe Mayor's "Prospect Roundup" of undomiciled persons. H arrison Goldin Agreements were made between ULS by A nthony Maza and the NY Civil Libeties Union to On October 22, 1987. the Urban Law work together to represent those perSociety of New York Law School spon- sons picked up and admitted to Bellvue sored a symposium on the Legal Rights during "Project Roundup", and acand Issues concerning the Homeless tions were commenced to ensure that and Welfare Hotel Populations of undorniciled youths would be able to atNYC. The distinguished panel included tend schools in their own districts. NYC Comptroller, Harrison Goldin; , One disturbing aspect of the entire Executive Director of the New York symposium concerned the noted Civil Liberties Union, Norman Siegel, absence of the law school community at Director of the Legal Action Center for large. Only one faculty member and less the Homeless, Douglas Lasdon; than ten students were in attendance. It Manhattan Borough President's Direc- was expected that such a pressing contor of Homeless and SRO Conditions, temporary issue would have been better Nancy Wackstein; the Vice-Presidnet received by the members of NYLS. of the Staten Island Chamber of ComThe ULS has made an ongoing commerce, Mark Muscaro, and a Youth mittment to continue to address this Representative of Jovenos Unidos, issue. Any students or faculty wishing Ralph Bryant. to participate or contribute time should The program was well attended by feel free to inquire in the office. respresentatives from the prima ry care (C-104), or call X349.
NYLS Purchases 240 Church by Jeffrel Dickey On August 24, in a special meeting, the New York La,\ School Board of Trustees exercised an option to buy two buildings neighboring the school: the one next door on Church Street (240 Church Street), and the one behind at 56 Leonard Street. According to Dean Simon, the primary reason for the purchase was because, "our present library facilities are not equal to our caliber." Total cost of the buildings, including purchase assumption of debt, and renovation, is $12 million. The money is to be raised by a capital fund program. Bernard H. Mendik '58, addressing the alumni upon receiving the 1987 Distinguished Alumnus Award, November 12, stated that NYLS had commited $7 million to the purchase of the two buildings. There were previous negotiations in which would have allowed the school to purchase the properties for a few million some years ago. The school decided not to purchase as it felt "no urgency for a law library," said Mendik in a phone interview. The property was then sold for $6 million to a holding company. Now that the need for the law library is great, NYLS's purchase for $7 million was approved by the Board of Trustees. The purchase means that the school will own the entire Church Street block front, and it gives the school an adcliLional 39,000 square feet of useable space. The Church Street building bas four floors, and the Leonard Street Building has two. The buildings were previously owned by a real estate holcling company and leased to the city. The new buildings will be completely renovated, including a new facade, entrance, and lobby. Renovation will probably begin next summer, as soon as the City, who presently occupies the buildings, leaves. The renovation is ex-
pected to completed by next the academic year. All of the libraries will be moved to the new buildings, with the exception of Froessel. The new library's capacity will double in size, and Dean Simon calls it "a first rate facility to point the law school to the future." Froessel will be used as a reading room and for ceremonies. Since the present library space wiJI be emptied, and only 21,000 of the new space is allocated to the library, the administration plans to move the clinics and possibly moot court into "B" building. Other plans include additional office, study, and classroom space. Dean Simon said ir will "certainly create better and more varied study areas'', such as space for study groups. It is not yet known the school will do with the third floor of the "D" building at Leonard Street. In 1984, the builcling committee, chaired by Professor Dent, consulted ith faculty, students, and staff, and it was decided then that the library was the most important need. There is a third building on Leonard Street behind the two being purchased that the school is also interested in. Ac~ cording to Mendik it is "derelict and has residential tenants." The school wishes to purchase it vacant as it does not want to be a slumlord.
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