thank-you/gifts for my fellow 65 law school classmates?

April 5, 2006 2:15 PM

I'm just about to finish my first year of law school, which, because it has a set curriculum, was an experience I shared with 65 other students. I'd like to do something to thank them...thoughts?

We took every class together, learned from each other, laughed at each other and about to go through our second hellish round of exams together.

Next year we choose our courses from a whole array of offerings, so we're breaking up. I'd like to do something to mark the end of our time together.

A cake is my first thought: yummy! But once it's eaten, it's gone. So I thought maybe askme folks might have some suggestions on some small thing I could do or buy for everyone. I'm not looking to spend more than $150, preferrably less (student=poor).

Any ideas?

posted by girlpublisher to shopping (16 comments total)

if someone in my section first year of law school had done that, no-one would have appreciated it or taken it in the spirit you are probably offering it. i don't intend to sound harsh, but my experience of first year (both as a student and an instructor) doesn't lead me to think such a gesture would go over well (even considering that my section spontaneously gave our property professor a standing ovation after his last lecture). i would suggest instead arranging a meet-up for those who feel that commaraderie and leaving behind those who will think you're some sort of pre-firm-sucking-up wanker.

otherwise, the only viable alternative to food is making a donation to the school's loan repayment assistance program in your class's name.
posted by crush-onastick at 2:23 PM on April 5, 2006

Hmmm, for 65 people, I bet you could buy little address books. And everyone could have fun exchanging contact info- yours, of course, would already be in there. And then, in 10 years, you'd have friends in high places.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 2:23 PM on April 5, 2006 [1 favorite]

See if you could broker a deal with mathowie to get them all Metafilter accounts, on the condition that they get user names like lawyer1, lawyer2, lawyer3, ...
posted by onalark at 2:30 PM on April 5, 2006

crush-onastick is right. If someone from my first year had done something like that, it would have seemed just plain weird. Even cake would be weird, frankly.

The only thing that probably would go over well would be free beer. No one ever seems to question free beer. I'm just sayin'.

And I don't even like beer.
posted by ambrosia at 2:42 PM on April 5, 2006

On post-view, I didn't mean to sound all cranky about something that is clearly well-intentioned. Kudos to you for making it through your first year with so much grace and good cheer. I'd just gently suggest that some of your 65 fellow classmates may not share your sense of camaraderie and warm fuzzies.
posted by ambrosia at 2:46 PM on April 5, 2006

Being in a similar situation last year (now finishing my 2nd year in grad school) I would say that, yes, getting presents from someone would kinda creep me out a bit. Last year I just sent an email out thanking everyone etc. and then some of us organised a bit of a night out after final presentations etc. were all done.

If you have a big enough place, have a party. If you really want to spend $150 or so do a BYOB but buy enough champagne for everyone and do a toast. Nobody would mind that, I'm sure.
posted by jimmythefish at 3:01 PM on April 5, 2006

ah, yeah, I did champagne at the end of last term...it was fun...
posted by girlpublisher at 3:07 PM on April 5, 2006

I think a good barometer of whether giving a person a gift seem creepy is if you have to ask yourself (or us) "what could I give these people that wouldn't seem creepy?"

Well, okay, you didn't ask that. But the answer is, as others said, "beer." A simple email of "I got a keg of X, everyone's invited to come by and celebrate the successful conclusion" will get you attendance from everyone who doesn't think "why would this dude invite me for a drink?" or is willing to overlook it for free beer.
posted by phearlez at 3:13 PM on April 5, 2006

Oh, and you should stop thinking in the mindset of "But once it's eaten, it's gone." There's no $2.30 doodad you can get someone that will last them as long as a happy memory of a good time or several booze-soaked hours they can't remember.
posted by phearlez at 3:17 PM on April 5, 2006

As an engineering student with a set curriculum I was part of a realtively tight-knit group of 120 students are so for an entire four-year undergraduate degree. I understand the desire to commemorate the time you spent together (and the collective pain you went through in working through a demanding program).

We celebrated with a big party, wherein we did a big toast. That seemed appropriate and everyone really liked it.

For actual mementos, we have a yearbook filled with photos. We also did a group photo (set up by Josten's) that everyone got a copy of. Maybe you could look into this? Everyone likes being in group photos!
posted by PercussivePaul at 3:18 PM on April 5, 2006

I agree with those who say that gifts would be weird.

Throw a party. Doesn't have to be a kegger, it can be a wine-and-cheese type dealie. If you're so inclined, cook some stuff for the party.
posted by Brian James at 3:47 PM on April 5, 2006

Agree that a gift for your section is totally weird. I had a section of 30-40 people and by the end of first year there was an immense amount of unwarranted and immature bitterness and hostility (italics because I don't condone it or excuse it, just describe it). Years later, we were able to look back and see that we were all insane, but at the time we were all very mean. We would have been mean about your gift.

I'm sorry if this sounds harsh -- it's a nice idea, but people are near-psychotic at the end of first year.
posted by Mid at 4:00 PM on April 5, 2006

I am a law student and would totally dig cake. It's pretty common here for someone to bring brownies/cookies/whatever to class and share. An actual doodad might be taken the wrong way, but if someone brought cake on the last day of some class I would be ecstatic. But I also might like cake abnomally much.
posted by ohio at 4:47 PM on April 5, 2006

I'm a second year law student and last year my lawyering class (about 30 people, 1/4 of our section) got pretty close. I still don't know that I would've bought them gifts (we're all pretty broke). But we did have a party (BYOB) and some people baked.

Also, I carry a digital camera everywhere, so I take a lot of pictures. I don't force anyone into group shots, but I do encourage them, and people like to look at them/order their own copies (I post them online). And someone in my class was talented at making videos and we made a short one for our lawyering professor, using photos of everyone from the year. I have a copy of the video and everyone was really enthusiastic about that.

Overall, I think organizing a get together at a bar or a cake would be fine, especially if your class was close, and not too too crazy or competitive with one another. But a gift might be a little much, and really expensive
posted by Caz721 at 4:54 PM on April 5, 2006

I'm also a 2L and I would have been creeped out by a gift. It seems too much like trying to buy grades or friends. I vote for organizing a party, either at your house or at a bar. $150 is an insane amount of money to spend on your classmates, but if you really want to buy something, put it on a bar tab.
posted by gatorae at 8:52 PM on April 5, 2006

I think I'm going get these: Legal Geek Buttons. Funny, cheap, and no calories. They won't seem generous or extravagent, either. Plus, we're all in massive debt, so what's $80(US)?

Our section is fantastic--maybe more like ohio's lawyering class. No one would dream of thinking I'm sucking up to anyone. Maybe our section is the exception, or maybe our law school is, but we really get along. I'm not the only one who wants to mark the occasion.

PS How can I buy grades from my classmates? That sounds like a great deal!
posted by girlpublisher at 5:35 AM on April 6, 2006