HLS Says Globe Inflated Plans for Class Reform

Despite news reports of a policy overhaul at Harvard Law School (HLS), plans for student life reform are still in the planning stage, according to Gottlieb Professor of Law Elizabeth Warren.

In a Dec. 28 article, The Boston Globe reported that, in light of a spring McKinsey & Co. study at the school, HLS is ready to address issues that students and faculty have complained about for years: large class size, inaccessible professors, a stringent grade policy and general student unhappiness.

But, according to Warren, nothing definitive has happened yet.

"I don't know who gave [The Globe] that story, but it's way ahead of where we are," she said.

Warren heads up the Institutional Life Committee at HLS, which was responsible for commissioning the McKinsey firm last spring to pinpoint areas of concern.

After conducting a series of surveys, interviews and meetings at HLS, the McKinsey firm issued a report suggesting a series of improvements, mainly in the areas of class size, grading policy and the student-to-faculty ratio.

Right now the committee is simply reviewing the data and plans to meet with faculty members later this month to share the findings, Warren said.

"[The Globe story] acts like we're on the threshold of some big change here at the law school--nope," she said. "Maybe eventually, but now we're still in the discussion phase."

Students have criticized HLS's use of a consulting firm to collect information that some feel the school could have gathered by simply talking to students themselves.

"The general feeling about the McKinsey report is that students have been saying these things for years," said Susan Lee '96, a first-year student at HLS. "The issues raised in the report aren't new things, but because of the report maybe now there is a better chance that [HLS] is going to do something about them."

The grading policy is one that has received particular criticism by students. While many other law schools use a pass/fail system, especially in the first year, HLS still uses letter grades, a move which some students say garners added pressure and competition.

"Grading on pass/fail would relieve stress and not really detriment the learning process in any way," Lee said.

Hanna L. Stotland '99, also a first year student at HLS, said that although HLS says that letter grades allow firms to better distinguish between students, the negatives of the grading policy far outweigh the positives.

"I don't think that firms would stop hiring Harvard students just because it is harder to distinguish us," Stotland said.

"The school has an insecurity complex," said Daniel J. Levin, a third-year student at HLS. "There has to be that 'wheat from the chaff' crap."

Stotland added that the grading system is also often seen as arbitrary and therefore creates an "artificial hierarchy."

"The grading policy is one that could be changed practically and soon," she said.

Levin also listed large class size among his concerns.

"While willing to concede that I might not be here if this advice was taken, I think the class size should be smaller," he said.

However, Stotland said she didn't find the classes that different from her undergraduate years at Harvard and that, in a lecture class, it does not matter how many other people are sitting there with her.

As for the general unhappiness that is reputed to pervade the student body, HLS' atmosphere feeds off its reputation, according to students.

"Some people come here expecting to be unhappy and they kind of look for it," Stotland said.

"A lot of people aren't happy with the law school because they're not happy with themselves," Levin said. "They're prideful and aggressive just like the law school."

"Everyone here is very smart," he added. "People need to just get over that and enjoy the community more."