Professor

Cynthia Lebow

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3.0
Overall Ratings
Based on 73 Users
Easiness 2.4 / 5 How easy the class is, 1 being extremely difficult and 5 being easy peasy.
Workload 2.3 / 5 How light the workload is, 1 being extremely heavy and 5 being extremely light.
Clarity 3.3 / 5 How clear the professor is, 1 being extremely unclear and 5 being very clear.
Helpfulness 3.2 / 5 How helpful the professor is, 1 being not helpful at all and 5 being extremely helpful.

Reviews (73)

5 of 5
5 of 5
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Feb. 6, 2012
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A

Professor Lebow is one of the most sincere and effective professors here at UCLA. She cares more for student learning than any academic I've encountered in my life. She has inspired me to be a better student and individual. Her teaching methods are largely socratic; while she lectures, she tries her best to maximize student participation throughout her classes. The material is dense--but what would you expect, it's constitutional law. But she makes it very approachable and guides you in understanding the concepts and holdings of every case. Her class consists of an in-class midterm and two take home papers. The midterm is largely conceptual and fairly straightforward. If you do the readings and go to lecture, you should do just fine. The two papers give you flexibility to write about key concepts relating to Constitutional Law. As a result of her classes, I have become more aware of how the law works and operates in everyday life. Contrary to what a lot of reviewers said, she quite frequently espouses the notion that the Supreme Court is a highly political branch of government, thereby qualifying it as a political science class. She is open to all students during her office hours and if you prove to be a hard worker, she will write a very good letter of recommendation for whatever future endeavor you choose to pursue. Don't let some of these reviewers fool you into not taking an interesting and engaging class with a concerned and effective professor. I promise, you won't regret it.

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July 11, 2012
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A

Professor Lebow is a very effective instructor. She is proficient in her field and certainly works hard to help her students succeed in her courses. I have taken every class she has taught thus far and from her I have learned how to think about the law and the function of the Court as a political institution. The courses aren't easy for those who do not pay attention or do the readings, these things are essential to success in her classes. But if one works hard, does the reading, and participates in class, then the outcome will be well worth the effort. The readings will certainly help to alter the way in which one thinks analytically about issues. She is always willing to listen to a student's needs as long as one approaches her early enough. If you're having trouble, DO NOT wait until the last minute to let her know. Study groups are very helpful for the midterm, I would recommend getting one together right away. The finals are more like hypotheticals where one applies the principles of the law and Constitution that have been built upon during the course, so make sure you understand the core precedents so as to write effectively. Overall, I would highly recommend this instructor and her courses.

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May 9, 2011
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A

Prof Lebow is very impressive: became a lawyer when women weren't regarded highly in the field, worked for VP Biden, Janet Reno, worked the RANT Corporation and did public and private law. All her classes are intense. She expects you do not only memorize a bunch of cases which will probably be your first time being exposed to law at UCLA but to know the ins and outs, the implications, and connect them to other law cases. She is helpful and welcomes office hours if you go. While she doesn't pick "favorites" she does have a core group of students that tend to participate and go to her office hours and they seem to be doing well but the majority of students seem lost. This class is intense workload and hard grading. She expects you to be super serious. This class is barely political science and mostly law. If you want to get a feel for law I encourage you to take any of her classes in a low work-load quarter and with some friends. I did not get good grades in her class (lowest ever grades at UCLA) but I am not upset with her, mostly just aware that I had way too much going on to fully commit myself hours a week to this class. Her classes are usually 2 hours, no breaks and cover a HUGE range of material. Take it and learn something but remember 1)This is nothing like a Political Science class 2) She grades hard. 3) You NEED friends in the class 4) Be okay with getting a lower grade for putting the same effort in another class 5) Go to her office hours 6)Sit in the front, she has a soft voice 7)Be prepared to really be challenged

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June 25, 2013
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A

Good Luck taking Lebow.
She is one of the most pretentious professors I have taken thus far in my UCLA career. She is very self-involved, which comes across in her lectures and teaching style. She thinks a lot of herself and her personal subject, acting like you have no other obligations at your time at UCLA. She expects you to focus on her class and her class only. There was a absurd amount of reading for the class topic and the midterm was ridiculous. Ranged from broad very obvious questions (which she later berated us for not giving her verbatim answer) to extremely specific questions on the most obscure court cases. She does try to get student involvement, which is mostly all the students who worship at her feet and go to every office hour trying to get that precious letter of rec. Her grading is super subjective and her lectures are just what she feels like talking at you about that day. My advice if you have to take her: your essay and midterm just match the exact words that came out of her mouth in lecture or in the book, because she is just looking to see her own ideas.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
POL SCI 140A
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Feb. 6, 2012

Professor Lebow is one of the most sincere and effective professors here at UCLA. She cares more for student learning than any academic I've encountered in my life. She has inspired me to be a better student and individual. Her teaching methods are largely socratic; while she lectures, she tries her best to maximize student participation throughout her classes. The material is dense--but what would you expect, it's constitutional law. But she makes it very approachable and guides you in understanding the concepts and holdings of every case. Her class consists of an in-class midterm and two take home papers. The midterm is largely conceptual and fairly straightforward. If you do the readings and go to lecture, you should do just fine. The two papers give you flexibility to write about key concepts relating to Constitutional Law. As a result of her classes, I have become more aware of how the law works and operates in everyday life. Contrary to what a lot of reviewers said, she quite frequently espouses the notion that the Supreme Court is a highly political branch of government, thereby qualifying it as a political science class. She is open to all students during her office hours and if you prove to be a hard worker, she will write a very good letter of recommendation for whatever future endeavor you choose to pursue. Don't let some of these reviewers fool you into not taking an interesting and engaging class with a concerned and effective professor. I promise, you won't regret it.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
POL SCI 140A
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
July 11, 2012

Professor Lebow is a very effective instructor. She is proficient in her field and certainly works hard to help her students succeed in her courses. I have taken every class she has taught thus far and from her I have learned how to think about the law and the function of the Court as a political institution. The courses aren't easy for those who do not pay attention or do the readings, these things are essential to success in her classes. But if one works hard, does the reading, and participates in class, then the outcome will be well worth the effort. The readings will certainly help to alter the way in which one thinks analytically about issues. She is always willing to listen to a student's needs as long as one approaches her early enough. If you're having trouble, DO NOT wait until the last minute to let her know. Study groups are very helpful for the midterm, I would recommend getting one together right away. The finals are more like hypotheticals where one applies the principles of the law and Constitution that have been built upon during the course, so make sure you understand the core precedents so as to write effectively. Overall, I would highly recommend this instructor and her courses.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
POL SCI 145A
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
May 9, 2011

Prof Lebow is very impressive: became a lawyer when women weren't regarded highly in the field, worked for VP Biden, Janet Reno, worked the RANT Corporation and did public and private law. All her classes are intense. She expects you do not only memorize a bunch of cases which will probably be your first time being exposed to law at UCLA but to know the ins and outs, the implications, and connect them to other law cases. She is helpful and welcomes office hours if you go. While she doesn't pick "favorites" she does have a core group of students that tend to participate and go to her office hours and they seem to be doing well but the majority of students seem lost. This class is intense workload and hard grading. She expects you to be super serious. This class is barely political science and mostly law. If you want to get a feel for law I encourage you to take any of her classes in a low work-load quarter and with some friends. I did not get good grades in her class (lowest ever grades at UCLA) but I am not upset with her, mostly just aware that I had way too much going on to fully commit myself hours a week to this class. Her classes are usually 2 hours, no breaks and cover a HUGE range of material. Take it and learn something but remember 1)This is nothing like a Political Science class 2) She grades hard. 3) You NEED friends in the class 4) Be okay with getting a lower grade for putting the same effort in another class 5) Go to her office hours 6)Sit in the front, she has a soft voice 7)Be prepared to really be challenged

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
POL SCI 145A
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
June 25, 2013

Good Luck taking Lebow.
She is one of the most pretentious professors I have taken thus far in my UCLA career. She is very self-involved, which comes across in her lectures and teaching style. She thinks a lot of herself and her personal subject, acting like you have no other obligations at your time at UCLA. She expects you to focus on her class and her class only. There was a absurd amount of reading for the class topic and the midterm was ridiculous. Ranged from broad very obvious questions (which she later berated us for not giving her verbatim answer) to extremely specific questions on the most obscure court cases. She does try to get student involvement, which is mostly all the students who worship at her feet and go to every office hour trying to get that precious letter of rec. Her grading is super subjective and her lectures are just what she feels like talking at you about that day. My advice if you have to take her: your essay and midterm just match the exact words that came out of her mouth in lecture or in the book, because she is just looking to see her own ideas.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
5 of 5
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