The Ivey Files

Interview with "Ahead of the Curve" Author (and HBS Alum) Philip Delves Broughton

Anna — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:15:47 -0600

Recently I posted my reactions to a new book about Harvard Business School called "Ahead of the Curve," by recent alum Philip Delves Broughton.

"Parent-Approved" Companies

Anna — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:32:02 -0500

A lot of Gen Y experts out there are telling companies to suck up to Gen Y's parents. Here's an excerpt from a blog posting, for example, by Tammy Erickson in connection with her book ("Plugged In: The Generation Y Guide to Thriving At Work") put out by Harvard Business Publishing (meaning, she's obviously no slouch):

Distribute packs of information for parents to students at universities and job fairs

Hold a career fair in your community designed specifically for parents

Create special FAQ material directed at parents' likely questions and concerns (retirement, health benefits, 401(k) plans, educational opportunities and so on

Hold parent orientation sessions or conference calls

Invite parents of interns and new hires to visit the Y's place of work and meet the boss and colleagues

Provide the staffing necessary to follow through with parent requests

Run ads communicating your positive attributes as an employer aimed at parents

Provide incentives for parents to refer their children (beginning with your current employees - if your current employees won't refer their own children, consider whether you really are a good employer)

Include parents in employee benefits

Do you have a parent-approved brand?

Need Mom to Pick Your Clothes Out?

Anna — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 21:51:57 -0500

So I was catching up on my Tivo'ed Project Runway episodes the other night when I couldn't sleep. (I won't call it a guilty pleasure -- I will defend Project Runway 'til the end!) Thought I could escape Gen Y issues for a brief spell? No sir. In this particular episode, the lovely Frau Klum challenged the designers to "design a look for recent college graduates who are starting their lives as independent professional women."

Independent?

Chat with Michigan Law School's Dean of Admissions about the Wolverine Scholars Program

Anna — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 20:36:09 -0500

The blogosphere has come down hard on Michigan Law School's recently announced Wolverine Scholars Program. I'm excited when any law school innovates, so I chatted with Dean of Admissions Sarah Zearfoss to find out what's what. Our Q&A below:

1. Could you explain what the Wolverine Scholars Program is and who is eligible for it.

Our new Wolverine Scholars Program will invite applications from University of Michigan undergraduates who have at least completed their junior year and at most are scheduled to graduate in Winter or Spring 2009 (that is, rising and graduating seniors) who have cumulative GPAs of 3.

Federal Loan Forgiveness Program Becomes Law

Anna — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:45:16 -0500

Good news for prosecutors, legal aid attorneys, and public defenders here.

"My International Summer Internship Was a Bust"

Anna — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:01:40 -0500

Anna,

I read your blog before making the decision to attend law school and right on through my 1L year. I've learned a lot. Thank you.

I attend the [deleted] School of Law and received a public interest fellowship to do a summer internship at [deleted], an NGO that provides free legal services to poor farmers in Cambodia. I'm part of the land law unit, which tries to protect rural farmers from land seizures.

In a nutshell, I signed on for a summer internship in a foreign country and have done almost no substantive legal work, partly because I was placed in a dysfunctional unit, partly because of the low English level of my colleagues, and partly because I'm having a hard time creating good opportunities to do legal work.

Don't Sweat It

Anna — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 08:42:58 -0500

Usually the parents of applicants drive me a little nuts, but yesterday I received a lovely email from an applicant's father who reminded me that a little perspective goes a long way when people go into panic mode. And this time of year, applicants are going into serious panic mode.

The family crisis? The applicant -- call her X -- had just found out that the superstar professor who had promised to write her a recommendation a few months back has decided not to write any this coming semester.

Best Schools for Aspiring Legal Academics

Anna — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 11:33:47 -0500

I'm intrigued by Brian Leiter's rankings of law schools based on the success rates of its graduates in the 2006-2008 law school teaching market. If you don't want to read the rankings, here are some take-aways:

1. Yale was the most successful school (45% placement rate); Chicago was second (43%), followed by Stanford (41%), Harvard (37%), and UVa (35%).

2. Harvard and Yale accounted for 40% of all new faculty hires (90 out of 231).

3.

Whining about Harvard Business School

Anna — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 08:56:11 -0500

I don't get books like this new one called Ahead of the Curve by recent HBS graduate Philip Delves Broughton. He was apparently shocked to discover that students there are competitive! And graded on a curve! They work hard/play hard! And head off to stressful, high-paying jobs! This guy was a journalist for ten years before going to business school. Why were these newsflashes to him?

The HBS culture is a strong one, and it's pretty transparent.

Law, Baseball, and Pennant-Waving Schoolboys

Anna — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:14:28 -0500

Justice Blackmun may be famous for having authored the majority opinion in Roe v. Wade, but he's also famous for the "sappy" 1972 baseball antitrust decision Flood v. Kuhn, which exempted baseball from antitrust laws just because baseball is, well, special:

[Flood v.