SMU 2014 Forum

[smithc2011]

Does anyone know if we get anything after paying our deposits? Sticker for our car, free pony, Lexus so we can fit in in the UG parking lots?

You get several mandatory OCS lectures about being professional, and a condescending and arrogant look from the Dean.

fna Cotton.

nice reference. I applaud you.

[stereo]

For those who are going to SMU but aren't familiar with the area, I thought I'd write down some things I learned on my visit that will hopefully save you some time. I urge others to add to this information.

The area immediately around SMU law school (north and west) is packed mostly with houses and a few small apartment buildings. It's a bit pricey for a decent place. One landlord I ran into was renting a 2b/2ba for $2,500/mo. Since all students get a parking pass good for both the law school garage and all the other SMU parking garages, I found that living right next to campus is not so necessary.

Most students live in a place called 'the village' which is a block of 7,000 apartments about 5 minutes from campus. They were built in various decades from the 70s to 2007 and are priced accordingly. Each of the 16 or so complexes is served by it's own office and has it's own amenities. The corners in the village is the least expensive at -$690 for 1/1. I found it very unappealing and overpriced. At the top of the spectrum is the Dakotas at around $995 for 1/1. I really liked the lakes in the village. All had kitchens recently updated and for around $760 seemed like the best deal.

The area north of the village is temptingly low priced but was scarily ghetto. That means a lot as I hail from Cleveland. Visit at your own risk!

Phoenix midtown was very nice but pricey at $1050 for 1/1 although reasonable at 1500 for 2/2. Although much closer to campus it is still a ways from the law school (25 minute walk). There is a Kroger in the back yard one one side and a Dart station (Mockingbird) on the other. This would be convenient for free rides to uptown,etc. There is a free shuttle called the mustang express that loops from campus to mockingbird station and the village during classes and on non class days.

Uptown is where all the action is. Apartments restaurants and bars abound.

Downtown is mostly corporate offices and not much else. Pretty to walk through but that's about it.

I found traffic to be tolerable and if you would like to see for yourself there are many traffic webcams that can be found by google.

These were my impressions. I'm not from Dallas so if I'm wrong about anything, please chime in!

Hope this helps!

[kalvano]

Does anyone know if we get anything after paying our deposits? Sticker for our car, free pony, Lexus so we can fit in in the UG parking lots?

You get several mandatory OCS lectures about being professional, and a condescending and arrogant look from the Dean.

fna Cotton.

My favorites are the OCS seminars where they teach you how to separate the wheat from the chaff, the men from the boys, the awkwardly feminine from the possibly Canadian.

[Burgstaller04]

Does anyone know if we get anything after paying our deposits? Sticker for our car, free pony, Lexus so we can fit in in the UG parking lots?

You get several mandatory OCS lectures about being professional, and a condescending and arrogant look from the Dean.

fna Cotton.

My favorites are the OCS seminars where they teach you how to separate the wheat from the chaff, the men from the boys, the awkwardly feminine from the possibly Canadian.

Do they re-air those on The Ocho?

[kalvano]

My favorites are the OCS seminars where they teach you how to separate the wheat from the chaff, the men from the boys, the awkwardly feminine from the possibly Canadian.

Do they re-air those on The Ocho?

Usually you pay double for that kind of action.

[cbSMU33]

Anybody else interested in or have info about the Law Preview class at SMU the first week in August?

[owl05]

(The replies to this will be %80 jokes %20 useful, watch) What types of Must Need things are people thinking they want for law school?
So far I got: DESK and BOOKSHELF.
There has to be more than that. Any help?

Really you can get by without much. One guy in our section didn't have furniture at all for a semester. Basically a good laptop, comfortable studying clothes, and good whiskey are all you really need.

I don't have whiskey but I hope rum'll do.

[owl05]

For the future 1Ls who are wondering how to tell me from the crowd once we get on campus -- I'll be toting this sweet cupcake carrier. Baking is my "de-stressing" method.

--ImageRemoved--

Edit: Didn't realize that the picture didn't show up!

Hey swilson215, don't you write the Twenty Something Law Student blog?

[smithc2011]

for any incoming 1Ls, there is now a document in the facebook group you can add your name to if you're interested in trying to locate a roommate.

[swilson215]

Hey swilson215, don't you write the Twenty Something Law Student blog?

Depends...do you like it or hate it? Hahaha, yes, I do.

[owl05]

Hey swilson215, don't you write the Twenty Something Law Student blog?

Depends...do you like it or hate it? Hahaha, yes, I do.

Haha, actually it helped me to decide on SMU. Great stuff!

[swilson215]

Haha, actually it helped me to decide on SMU. Great stuff!

It was the promise of the cupcakes that did it for you, wasn't it? I'm glad I could help! I'm stoked about SMU in the fall, and I want other people to be, too! Congrats on the decision!

[owl05]

Haha, actually it helped me to decide on SMU. Great stuff!

It was the promise of the cupcakes that did it for you, wasn't it? I'm glad I could help! I'm stoked about SMU in the fall, and I want other people to be, too! Congrats on the decision!

Of course! I'v read somehwere on these threads that a student's proximity to baked goods has a direct correlation to grades

[swilson215]

Haha, actually it helped me to decide on SMU. Great stuff!

It was the promise of the cupcakes that did it for you, wasn't it? I'm glad I could help! I'm stoked about SMU in the fall, and I want other people to be, too! Congrats on the decision!

Of course! I'v read somehwere on these threads that a student's proximity to baked goods has a direct correlation to grades

That's good news...top 10% here I come! bahahahahahahahah.

[kalvano]

Haha, actually it helped me to decide on SMU. Great stuff!

It was the promise of the cupcakes that did it for you, wasn't it? I'm glad I could help! I'm stoked about SMU in the fall, and I want other people to be, too! Congrats on the decision!

Of course! I'v read somehwere on these threads that a student's proximity to baked goods has a direct correlation to grades

There is a cookie store right across the street from the law school that is amazing. If they accepted credit / debit cards, I would go bankrupt.

[HBK]

Once you 0Ls get your class and book assignments, PM me. I have some books you could buy for cheaper than the bookstore.

[fathergoose]

As far as housing goes, if a group of three of y'all are looking to live somewhere, I'm moving out of a 3/2 duplex in University Park. Walking distance from a neighborhood center with a starbucks, grocery store, shopping, movie theater, restaurants, etc.

It is close enough that on most mornings I can leave at 9:50 and be sitting in class by 10.

Quiet neighborhood, near a park, pretty reasonable rent, etc, etc.

PM if you are interested.

[maqkitty214]

Any 1E/2Es able to give me some insight into how much time you spend beyond classes on-campus? I will be living at Frankford and the tollway, and I just want to know how much work I can get done at home vs library. I work very well at home, am able to avoid distractions, etc, but the adcomm who sat with me at the ASD mentioned something about West Law/lexis being disabled our first semester so we get the hang of looking stuff up in the library. Is this true for the whole semester or just the first 2-3 weeks?

[kalvano]

Any 1E/2Es able to give me some insight into how much time you spend beyond classes on-campus? I will be living at Frankford and the tollway, and I just want to know how much work I can get done at home vs library. I work very well at home, am able to avoid distractions, etc, but the adcomm who sat with me at the ASD mentioned something about West Law/lexis being disabled our first semester so we get the hang of looking stuff up in the library. Is this true for the whole semester or just the first 2-3 weeks?

Just the first 2-3 weeks. I live much further out than you, and I never set foot in the library except for printing once we got our Lexis / Westlaw access.

It depends on how well you work from home, but I preferred it. The atmosphere at school can be extremely stress-inducing come finals time, and I found it much better to study at home. Much more relaxing.

[fathergoose]

You honestly could just come on campus for class. Some people do just that and it works for them. I can't work from home at all so if I want to get anything done, its gotta be in the library. Different strokes.

[maqkitty214]

Thanks, guys. Glad to know I won't be forced to spend hours in the library, unless I'm free-printing from Lexis/West Law

[Billy Batts]

Thanks, guys. Glad to know I won't be forced to spend hours in the library, unless I'm free-printing from Lexis/West Law

The only times you'll ever use the Lexis/Westlaw printers are right before the memo and brief. In legal writing, you'll be forced to do some ridiculous assignments at the beginning of the first semester that require you to use the books in the library. That will be the last time you touch any of the books in the library.

[sceva31st]

Thanks, guys. Glad to know I won't be forced to spend hours in the library, unless I'm free-printing from Lexis/West Law

The only times you'll ever use the Lexis/Westlaw printers are right before the memo and brief. In legal writing, you'll be forced to do some ridiculous assignments at the beginning of the first semester that require you to use the books in the library. That will be the last time you touch any of the books in the library.

Why are the number of books listed in the law school profiles on the LSAC website if you don't ever use any them?

[Billy Batts]

Thanks, guys. Glad to know I won't be forced to spend hours in the library, unless I'm free-printing from Lexis/West Law

The only times you'll ever use the Lexis/Westlaw printers are right before the memo and brief. In legal writing, you'll be forced to do some ridiculous assignments at the beginning of the first semester that require you to use the books in the library. That will be the last time you touch any of the books in the library.

Why are the number of books listed in the law school profiles on the LSAC website if you don't ever use any them?

That's a good question. The only logical explanation that I've been given is that schools keep the books because it allows lawyers from the community who don't have access to Lexis and Westlaw to do research for free. My LRWA teacher said she prefers to "start with the books" and then go to the online databases. I don't understand that either, because even the secondary sources (Tex. Jur. and Am. Jur.) are online and have search functions. I cannot imagine why a student would ever use any of those books. Maybe Amish law students could utilize them...

[kalvano]

That's a good question. The only logical explanation that I've been given is that schools keep the books because it allows lawyers from the community who don't have access to Lexis and Westlaw to do research for free. My LRWA teacher said she prefers to "start with the books" and then go to the online databases. I don't understand that either, because even the secondary sources (Tex. Jur. and Am. Jur.) are online and have search functions. I cannot imagine why a student would ever use any of those books. Maybe Amish law students could utilize them...

Some firms don't have Westlaw / Lexis, and you have to use the library books.

Also, before Westlaw Next, Tex. Jur. and Am. Jur. were not so great on-line. They lacked the footnote cases that were so helpful.