Prawfsblawg contains blogs on law issues, news, and other matters from law professors. These professors are from a mix of universities in the United States. The site is operated by PrawfsBlawg LLC, a limited liability corporation based in Florida. The site has been up and running since December 2008, and has the tagline: “Where Intellectual Honesty Has (Almost Always) Trumped Partisanship?Albeit in a Kind of Boring Way Until Recently?Since 2005.”
What makes it a good read
The site has a three-column layout, and its color of choice is in the shades of purple. Listed on its leftmost panel are links to recent comments and posts, blog categories, archives, a search bar and a space for advertisements. The middle panel contains blog posts, while the rightmost portion of the site lists the authors (the site?s regular Prawfs, guests and alumni). It also contains a list of links to sites recommended by PrawfsBlawg.
Posts on PrawfsBlawg concentrate on law, but although written by professors, the tone of the entries is not too academic. They are still an easy and practical read for non-law folk, like one regarding child obesity or another on video surveillance. Then there are posts that link law to unlikely topics, such as music or film.
A bit of disappointment
One off-putting factor in PrawfsBlawg, however, is the shift of layout when opening a category link. From three columns, the layout becomes two columns, and the color also changes. Although variety is welcome in a site, a constant look should also be kept to create an identity for the blog.
There are also the long lists on the left and rightmost frames. Both exceed the length of the blogs resulting in a lot of scrolling down by readers, which can ultimately become boring. It would be better if all frames ended on the same point, and any extra links, which can?t be fitted into the page, just be referred through other links.
Quality law education does not come cheap. This is why many students avail of scholarships, grants, and other forms of financial aid to help them finance their studies. Below are some of the financial aid options available for law students:
Student loans
Law students can apply for student loans from the federal government, as well as from companies, organizations, and private institutions. A lot of banks and other financial institutions also offer student loan plans, programs, and packages, that have low interest rates.
Merit-based financial aid
As the name implies, merit-based aid is granted to individuals who have good grades and are thus deserving of financial assistance to pursue their studies. Schools such as Duke University give grants to their applicants who meet the requirements for financial aid. Students can also apply for scholarships from foundations, organizations, and private individuals, who are dedicated to making education available to people from all walks of life.
Need-based financial aid
This type of financial assistance is granted to students who can prove that they can’t pay for their law education solely through their own means. In need-based financial aid programs, the amounts given to students are computed according to their documented and proven monetary needs. To compute this, institutions and schools take into account the student’s family income, nationality, etc.
Post-graduation service
Some companies and schools also grant financial aid to students in exchange for certain lengths of service after graduation. Harvard Law School, for one, has announced that it will pay for students’ tuition on their third year under the condition that these students will do post-graduation public service for five years. Similarly, students who applied for federal loans may also get loan forgiveness in exchange for service to government entities, charity organizations, army and military, etc. The length of service required varies depending on the school or institution, so make sure you read the loan terms and agreements before you sign up and apply.
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