I am an incoming LLM student at NLS. I did my undergrad from what people on LI would call a Tier I nlu. My interest is in academia. Since I have 6 months till I join, I want to get a headstart and do a RAship with some faculty member at NLS. My interest is in public law, but I am open to an RAship in any other field as well. I want to build these connections soon so that I can craft a career in academia. With this objective in mind, who are the faculty members that one should approach? I have seen the list on the nls website, and I know many of them by reputation, but which ones take RAs (or even TAs), give proper guidance, and provide good reference letters? TIA.
I mean, no one can answer this really. Youre going about it all wrong. Figure out which professor does work that interests you- email them and ask them if they have research projects you can assist with. People on a random anonymous blog will not know which professors currently need RAs, or which ones you would have a good time working with, or whether they would write you a good letter. They can at best tell you about their experiences which may not be the same as yours. Research collaboration is a difficult thing where you work intimately together and a lot needs to go right for it to be a good experience all around. Why do an LLM if you dont even know what research area interests you?
FWIW- almost all the faculty at nls have some history of engaging with junior scholars and students and have written letters and guided people. maybe not folks who are very very early career- but most of them.
I do know my broad interest areas. I am interested in public law generally, and constitutional law specifically. I have research topics for my dissertation too in mind. I am not asking for help with that. I am also not asking who are the faculty members who are looking for RAs or what are their research interests. I am asking who are the faculty members who generally take student RAs, who provide good mentorship, who write good reference letters. I am asking about people's experiences working with faculty members. I understand experiences are subjective, but that doesn't mean I can't learn from them.
if corp law faculty take RAs and mentor and write references will you work with them? It doesnt make any sense at all- you dont build an academic career like this. Constitutional law is very very broad. Research collaborations are not like school- its a job. You have to behave like a colleague, and you have to approach getting these jobs like a potential colleague. Literally all of the professors at NLS have worked with student RAs and mentored students and written letters- thats part of their job. It doesnt mean anything at all about whether theyd do any of those things for you or whether youd have a good experience working with them.
FWIW- almost all the faculty at nls have some history of engaging with junior scholars and students and have written letters and guided people. maybe not folks who are very very early career- but most of them.