"Class sizes are, in my view, not the most important issue facing Harvard students, and things like the mandatory public service requirement are preposterous," says Aman Verjee, a third-year student. " I am of the view that law school should be cut down from 3 years to something like 1.5, and made into an apprenticeship program."

Students Practice Litigation

Aside from commenting on the faculty discussions, students have been instrumental in influencing faculty decisions.

During the faculty's development of the strategic plan this year, students presented a Bill of Expectations, which focused on five main themes: reducing class size, strengthening advising, increasing academic feedback, making registration easier and reforming the grading system.

"They've addressed four of those five concerns pretty accurately," says Jay M. Munir, president of the student government and a third-year law student.

Munir says the students have indeed been influential. Last Friday, he spoke out against the faculty proposal to decrease the number of students at the law school, and the proposal was subsequently defeated.

"Students have played a direct role with faculty members on committees," Munir says. "I think that we are [being listened to]."

Munir says students face not only the challenge of gaining the ear of professors, but also of establishing a majority student opinion.