Here is what I propose. Sign your name on this wiki entry if you would also be interested. I imagine that after a week there will be zero signatures on this. And then I will just delete this wiki entry and pretend like it never happened. But it would be interesting if a bunch of people added their names, and we were then compelled to actually put some wild plan into action.

There are no set goals at this point. Just an initial evaluation of interest.

-- ChristopherCrismanCox - 10 Mar 2010

You have my signature. The only problem as I see it is you offer no clear goal. In my estimation, whatever plan would have to get something like 2/3 1L class-wide participation (and preceding that, consensus). I think the most tenable, realistic, and favored change could be making the first semester at CLS to be evaluated on a high pass/pass/fail basis, but I am always in for positive change.

Nona Farahnik

I think a feasible early goal could be assembling signatures for a petition requesting that CLS withdraw cooperation from the US News and World Report rankings. I don't know of anyone who would oppose this (I have never met a defender of the US News and World Report rankings), and it could get the ball rolling for a broader discussion about defining excellence in legal training.

-- DevinMcDougall - 10 Mar 2010

I'm in...but maybe we should talk about what we want? Maybe a bit of haggling about tuition is in order. I agree with Nona, but I also think that some sort of line-item asset/liability sheet for Columbia Law should be made public to us. I have similar feelings about tuition as I do about (not) bargaining with the clerk in Morton Williams - somehow the price has been rationally and fairly arrived at. I'd just like to see EXACTLY how.

Also - Devin, your idea about withdrawing from the rankings is interesting but I am very confident that the administration would oppose it. After all, it serves quite an Arnoldian power-enhancing purpose.

-- JessicaCohen - 10 March 2010