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Cynthia Lebow
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Lebow is an extremelly difficult teacher and is not very helpful. I went to her office hours multiple times and she would shut down questions from the students often if she simply did not feel like answering them and often times would proceed to rant about things not pertaining to the class material at all. Her two-hour lectures are brutal and your hand will hate you for the 6-10 pages of notes you will take per class. She makes it obvious who she likes and dislikes and it will show in your grade as she grades you in the end based off of what she thinks you deserve rather than an actual calculation. You will learn a lot from this class but it is not worth the pain.
This is the second class I have taken with Lebow and she is still incredibly helpful. Having had her before and made myself known, she was much more engaged with me than my first quarter. She really does like students that go to office hours and take her classes multiple times. She likes to see students develop academically throughout their time at UCLA and wants the best possible for everyone that comes to her. I came to her hoping for a letter of recommendation for the CAPPP program and not only did she also help me with my application essay, she interceded with the administration on my behalf when I was on the waitlist. She does everything in her power to help students who she sees as trying their best.
It is very helpful in this class and any of her classes to have solid writing skills, the final paper is incredibly important to your grade and her perception of you academically - if you do not write papers well I would recommend you not take her class or go to the writing center because she will be looking at writing ability.
This class is very informative and helped me going forward with my time at UCLA. It gave me a much better idea of how to manage my workload by forcing me to budget my time better. Further, Professor Lebow is incredibly forgiving when it comes to your final grade. She does not base your grade at the end of the quarter off of points, rather she bases it off of how much you’ve learned and improved. I failed the midterm badly, below 40%, and I talked to her and explained that it was my fault and I had prioritized work over school - I ended up getting an A- on each of the final papers and she gave me a B+ in the class when based on the actual weights in the syllabus I’d have gotten a C+ at best. She wants to help students succeed and looks to make her class work for everyone, even if at times she gives some tough love.
This class is incredibly different from her Political Science courses. Her PoliSci courses involve an exam and two-part final paper, meanwhile this class is based off of one group presentation and one final paper. The topics covered in class are very interesting and her lectures are very informative. Unfortunately, much of the class is devoted to said group presentations. Groups of 3-5 students give their presentations for nearly the entire two hour session, one group presenting each session. Usually there would have been a few more days devoted to her lecturing, but she was sick and had scheduled absences so the majority of class was student-led. These presentations were great at times but have the downside of sort of becoming book reports after a while rather than spending two hours talking about the key concepts of the book.
It is easier than her other classes work-wise in that you read one book with your group to present on and two much shorter books that give context to the class as a whole, along with a course reader. The presentation groups provide notes on their presentations and books that can be used in the final paper. I found that I did the least reading in this class out of the three classes of hers I’ve taken in this one, and felt the least stressed about it over all. I highly recommend taking this class if you want to seriously delve into a topic in privacy and security, but honestly you only get out of this class what you get into it - if you zone out you can still do fairly well but you won’t actually learn any of the incredibly relevant information discussed.
This class was amazing and opened up my eyes to how the Supreme Court and US legal system worked. Each class period focused on specific, detailed, and interesting topics. Lebow even tied the legal topics she taught to present-day events which was very engaging. This class is book heavy, meaning that if you really want to get a good grade in the class, you MUST read & take notes of the book, course reader, and the cases. This class really teaches you how to time manage.
Tip: when reading court cases from the book / reader, write a summary case brief for every one. The tests focus heavily on the arguments made in each case so know what they are and the outcome.
Overall, this class was very challenging, I would take it with lighter classes, but it was extremely rewarding especially for those interested in Law.
My initial impression of the class and the professor was bad, as weeks gone by, I realized I severely misjudged Lebow. I thought she fed off from flexing her authority and intelligence, but she actually deeply cares about her students and their education. But you have to make it known that you care about your learning experience through effort, by going to her office hours, attending every lecture, showing you are engaged during lecture. She will recognize your face and your EFFORT. Discussions in class are usually engaging and thought provoking. It's amazing to see deep and civil discussion among your peers despite their polarizing ideologies and principles. Students may be intimidated by Professor Lebow's cutthroat demeanor, but I believe she does it to prepare her students for the professional world (especially if you plan to become a Lawyer or Politician). The workload in the class is heavy, but by the end of the quarter, you will immensely learn about the Supreme Court and how the Government and people of the United States deal with controversial issues. And if you haven't already, you will develop discipline and the skill of time management, because the class is simply hard. I vehemently recommend this class to students that are passionate about the specific subject or even just Political Science. Most importantly, you must be prepared for a challenging course, Ultimately, if you are genuinely interested, the satisfaction you will get from class is indescribable.
This class was the reason I decided to go to law school and also the reason I love ConLaw. That being said, it was the most rewarding but toughest course I have taken in my life. Professor Lebow is a very lovely, intelligent, and understanding professor. I looked forward to attending her office hours not only because the material was so interesting, but because she is a true intellect that you can absorb so much from. From all the classes I have taken at UCLA, this was the one I have walked out of with the most information and knowledge. The workload was absolutely insane, and I wish I had taken this class later on in my UCLA career where I would have developed a better grip of the quarter system, but regardless I am very glad I took this class and look forward to taking her again. Highly recommend if you are interested in Con Law.
Lebow takes a lot of flack on BruinWalk which I think is somewhat unwarranted. She tells you that if you do the readings and show up to class you will do fine and she isn't lying - the midterm covered basic themes arising from important cases that are discussed in class. The final essays were difficult but not impossible.
I will say she makes you read a lot about stuff she ends up not testing you on, which is a little frustrating, but she will tell you in class what the important readings are, so make sure to refer to your lecture notes when deciding what to study for the midterm.
She talks fast in class and has no slides - pretty old-school type operation she runs. Lectures are helpful, you go to them (obviously).
On the whole, it was a difficult class. I am glad I took it. I took this class with a few friends of mine and we all ended up doing pretty well to my knowledge. I would not be afraid to take this class if I were you - student reading this review contemplating whether to bite the proverbial bullet and "take Lebow's class" - I would only prepare to work hard.
I highly recommend 145B with Lebow if you're considering law school and have an interest in learning the basics of legal reasoning and Constitutional interpretation. Be aware, it's extremely important to stay apprised of class material and at least skim the readings before lecture so that you understand what's going on. Electronic devices aren't allowed, so be prepared to write at least 5 pages of notes by hand for each class. Participation in class (demonstrating knowledge of the readings and current events) and attendance at office hours are also a good idea, especially since she reserves the right to adjust people's grades if she feels they've put in substantial effort during the quarter.
What an amazing class. Challenging, but very cool. I took this course right before Trump's impeachment, so the second half of the quarter was a lot of info on Trump's presidency and how actions were and were not constitutional according to different interpretations.
Prof Lebow tells you how to do well in the class: come to lecture, come to office hours, and make a study group. I always went to lecture, went to office hours/conlaw in the park 4-5 times, and joined a study group right before the midterm, and I got an A- in the class. I was honestly expecting a lower grade, so I think attending office hours helped.
Ugh the midterm though. I don't get stressed before tests, but this one was different. We were required to be familiar with, I don't know, thirtyish supreme court cases? And Prof Lebow does not provide a study guide. Once I took the test, I agreed with Lebow saying how she is "really not trying to trick you [on the exam]". I felt like the exam was very fair. I appreciated in lecture when Lebow would point out which specific topics would be on the exam. However, it would have been extremely helpful (and far less stressful) had we known what would NOT be on the exam. I got a B.
Last, the reading. In the first half of the quarter, I did almost all of it before each corresponding lecture. The second half of the quarter I maybe did 20% of the readings? I read whatever (posted to ccle) articles looked interesting and short. I slacked off because there wasn't a set class plan for each lecture – the plan was to talk about whatever new impeachment news there was.
So, when finals week rolls around and I have to write two final papers for this class, I hadn't read the 2 books we were supposed to cite throughout the paper. So, I basically skimmed the books while writing the final papers, finding quotes and paraphrases as I went. Then, I pulled quotes and paraphrases from that 20% of readings along with the readings from the first half of the course. There is a lot of reading, but you don't need to cite everything [read: read everything] to get an A- on both papers ;)
Lebow is an extremelly difficult teacher and is not very helpful. I went to her office hours multiple times and she would shut down questions from the students often if she simply did not feel like answering them and often times would proceed to rant about things not pertaining to the class material at all. Her two-hour lectures are brutal and your hand will hate you for the 6-10 pages of notes you will take per class. She makes it obvious who she likes and dislikes and it will show in your grade as she grades you in the end based off of what she thinks you deserve rather than an actual calculation. You will learn a lot from this class but it is not worth the pain.
This is the second class I have taken with Lebow and she is still incredibly helpful. Having had her before and made myself known, she was much more engaged with me than my first quarter. She really does like students that go to office hours and take her classes multiple times. She likes to see students develop academically throughout their time at UCLA and wants the best possible for everyone that comes to her. I came to her hoping for a letter of recommendation for the CAPPP program and not only did she also help me with my application essay, she interceded with the administration on my behalf when I was on the waitlist. She does everything in her power to help students who she sees as trying their best.
It is very helpful in this class and any of her classes to have solid writing skills, the final paper is incredibly important to your grade and her perception of you academically - if you do not write papers well I would recommend you not take her class or go to the writing center because she will be looking at writing ability.
This class is very informative and helped me going forward with my time at UCLA. It gave me a much better idea of how to manage my workload by forcing me to budget my time better. Further, Professor Lebow is incredibly forgiving when it comes to your final grade. She does not base your grade at the end of the quarter off of points, rather she bases it off of how much you’ve learned and improved. I failed the midterm badly, below 40%, and I talked to her and explained that it was my fault and I had prioritized work over school - I ended up getting an A- on each of the final papers and she gave me a B+ in the class when based on the actual weights in the syllabus I’d have gotten a C+ at best. She wants to help students succeed and looks to make her class work for everyone, even if at times she gives some tough love.
This class is incredibly different from her Political Science courses. Her PoliSci courses involve an exam and two-part final paper, meanwhile this class is based off of one group presentation and one final paper. The topics covered in class are very interesting and her lectures are very informative. Unfortunately, much of the class is devoted to said group presentations. Groups of 3-5 students give their presentations for nearly the entire two hour session, one group presenting each session. Usually there would have been a few more days devoted to her lecturing, but she was sick and had scheduled absences so the majority of class was student-led. These presentations were great at times but have the downside of sort of becoming book reports after a while rather than spending two hours talking about the key concepts of the book.
It is easier than her other classes work-wise in that you read one book with your group to present on and two much shorter books that give context to the class as a whole, along with a course reader. The presentation groups provide notes on their presentations and books that can be used in the final paper. I found that I did the least reading in this class out of the three classes of hers I’ve taken in this one, and felt the least stressed about it over all. I highly recommend taking this class if you want to seriously delve into a topic in privacy and security, but honestly you only get out of this class what you get into it - if you zone out you can still do fairly well but you won’t actually learn any of the incredibly relevant information discussed.
This class was amazing and opened up my eyes to how the Supreme Court and US legal system worked. Each class period focused on specific, detailed, and interesting topics. Lebow even tied the legal topics she taught to present-day events which was very engaging. This class is book heavy, meaning that if you really want to get a good grade in the class, you MUST read & take notes of the book, course reader, and the cases. This class really teaches you how to time manage.
Tip: when reading court cases from the book / reader, write a summary case brief for every one. The tests focus heavily on the arguments made in each case so know what they are and the outcome.
Overall, this class was very challenging, I would take it with lighter classes, but it was extremely rewarding especially for those interested in Law.
My initial impression of the class and the professor was bad, as weeks gone by, I realized I severely misjudged Lebow. I thought she fed off from flexing her authority and intelligence, but she actually deeply cares about her students and their education. But you have to make it known that you care about your learning experience through effort, by going to her office hours, attending every lecture, showing you are engaged during lecture. She will recognize your face and your EFFORT. Discussions in class are usually engaging and thought provoking. It's amazing to see deep and civil discussion among your peers despite their polarizing ideologies and principles. Students may be intimidated by Professor Lebow's cutthroat demeanor, but I believe she does it to prepare her students for the professional world (especially if you plan to become a Lawyer or Politician). The workload in the class is heavy, but by the end of the quarter, you will immensely learn about the Supreme Court and how the Government and people of the United States deal with controversial issues. And if you haven't already, you will develop discipline and the skill of time management, because the class is simply hard. I vehemently recommend this class to students that are passionate about the specific subject or even just Political Science. Most importantly, you must be prepared for a challenging course, Ultimately, if you are genuinely interested, the satisfaction you will get from class is indescribable.
This class was the reason I decided to go to law school and also the reason I love ConLaw. That being said, it was the most rewarding but toughest course I have taken in my life. Professor Lebow is a very lovely, intelligent, and understanding professor. I looked forward to attending her office hours not only because the material was so interesting, but because she is a true intellect that you can absorb so much from. From all the classes I have taken at UCLA, this was the one I have walked out of with the most information and knowledge. The workload was absolutely insane, and I wish I had taken this class later on in my UCLA career where I would have developed a better grip of the quarter system, but regardless I am very glad I took this class and look forward to taking her again. Highly recommend if you are interested in Con Law.
Lebow takes a lot of flack on BruinWalk which I think is somewhat unwarranted. She tells you that if you do the readings and show up to class you will do fine and she isn't lying - the midterm covered basic themes arising from important cases that are discussed in class. The final essays were difficult but not impossible.
I will say she makes you read a lot about stuff she ends up not testing you on, which is a little frustrating, but she will tell you in class what the important readings are, so make sure to refer to your lecture notes when deciding what to study for the midterm.
She talks fast in class and has no slides - pretty old-school type operation she runs. Lectures are helpful, you go to them (obviously).
On the whole, it was a difficult class. I am glad I took it. I took this class with a few friends of mine and we all ended up doing pretty well to my knowledge. I would not be afraid to take this class if I were you - student reading this review contemplating whether to bite the proverbial bullet and "take Lebow's class" - I would only prepare to work hard.
I highly recommend 145B with Lebow if you're considering law school and have an interest in learning the basics of legal reasoning and Constitutional interpretation. Be aware, it's extremely important to stay apprised of class material and at least skim the readings before lecture so that you understand what's going on. Electronic devices aren't allowed, so be prepared to write at least 5 pages of notes by hand for each class. Participation in class (demonstrating knowledge of the readings and current events) and attendance at office hours are also a good idea, especially since she reserves the right to adjust people's grades if she feels they've put in substantial effort during the quarter.
What an amazing class. Challenging, but very cool. I took this course right before Trump's impeachment, so the second half of the quarter was a lot of info on Trump's presidency and how actions were and were not constitutional according to different interpretations.
Prof Lebow tells you how to do well in the class: come to lecture, come to office hours, and make a study group. I always went to lecture, went to office hours/conlaw in the park 4-5 times, and joined a study group right before the midterm, and I got an A- in the class. I was honestly expecting a lower grade, so I think attending office hours helped.
Ugh the midterm though. I don't get stressed before tests, but this one was different. We were required to be familiar with, I don't know, thirtyish supreme court cases? And Prof Lebow does not provide a study guide. Once I took the test, I agreed with Lebow saying how she is "really not trying to trick you [on the exam]". I felt like the exam was very fair. I appreciated in lecture when Lebow would point out which specific topics would be on the exam. However, it would have been extremely helpful (and far less stressful) had we known what would NOT be on the exam. I got a B.
Last, the reading. In the first half of the quarter, I did almost all of it before each corresponding lecture. The second half of the quarter I maybe did 20% of the readings? I read whatever (posted to ccle) articles looked interesting and short. I slacked off because there wasn't a set class plan for each lecture – the plan was to talk about whatever new impeachment news there was.
So, when finals week rolls around and I have to write two final papers for this class, I hadn't read the 2 books we were supposed to cite throughout the paper. So, I basically skimmed the books while writing the final papers, finding quotes and paraphrases as I went. Then, I pulled quotes and paraphrases from that 20% of readings along with the readings from the first half of the course. There is a lot of reading, but you don't need to cite everything [read: read everything] to get an A- on both papers ;)