Any Texas Tech Students/Graduates in here? Forum

[TheJanitor6203]

Title says it all. I know the Dean is here but I'd like to talk with a current student or recent graduate.

[texas man]

Yes. What questions do you have?

[TheJanitor6203]

Yes. What questions do you have?

Awesome.

Well, I guess to start could you just tell me the main things you like/don't like about the school?

How competitive is it to get on the criminal defense clinic or the public defender clinic/externship?

How do you like Lubbock? I'm from Texas but I've only passed through. I'm married with kids so I'm more interested in knowing if there are nice/safe places to live close to the school than if there are lots of bars.

How are the professors? Are the students competitive or friendly and helpful?

I'll probably come up with more but that's all I've got for now. Thanks for your help!

[texas man]

First, I am a May 2013 graduate.

Well, I guess to start could you just tell me the main things you like/don't like about the school?

Like:
1. Professors are exceptional. Of all my professors, maybe two (who were adjuncts) weren't great. I believe eight or nine are ALI members. As well, the open-door policy is wide open—all professors I had were very approachable and more than happy to talk/assist me with course or even general law school matters—they are really interested in seeing our students succeed.
2. Facilities. Great courtroom, library, etc. And if you want to stay in shape, the University Rec. Center is a few hundred yards from the Law School.
3. Several great law journals. Law Review; Business & Bankruptcy Law Journal; Estate Planning and Community Property Law Journal; Administrative Law Journal; Journal of Biosecurity, Biosafety & Biodefense Law; and Texas bank lawyer.
4. Advocacy program is awesome. If you want to be a litigator, we have the Board of Barristers, and our national teams consistently bring home national championships.
5. Legal Practice Program. When our students go to work, they know what to do.
6. Required courses tested on the bar exam. When you're studying for the bar, you really appreciate this.
7. PRICE.
8. I really like Lubbock.

Don't Like:
1. We have a tougher curve than many other schools.
2. If you want to work at a big law firm, it is more difficult than if you graduate from a few other Texas schools (but you are by no means precluded).

How competitive is it to get on the criminal defense clinic or the public defender clinic/externship?

I wasn't interested in practicing criminal law, but from what I understand, it isn't terribly competitive.

How do you like Lubbock? I'm from Texas but I've only passed through. I'm married with kids so I'm more interested in knowing if there are nice/safe places to live close to the school than if there are lots of bars.

I've lived in several cities (and visited many) in Texas, and the people in Lubbock are by far the friendliest I've experienced. Lubbock is very family friendly (and there are also bars, if someone has that preference), and there are nice places to live relatively close to the school (depending on how much you want to spend). There is little traffic, so getting around is typically painless. And there are some really good restaurants. The only things I would watch out for—the sun shines a little brighter and hits you a little harder than in other places (so you might want to use sunscreen), and occasionally the smell of cow manure drifts through town.

How are the professors? Are the students competitive or friendly and helpful?

1. Professors are awesome, as I mentioned above.
2. Students at any law school are competitive, but at Texas Tech they are also friendly and helpful (for the most part—I'm sure there are at least a few jerks at any school).

I'll probably come up with more but that's all I've got for now. Thanks for your help!

Sure—any time.

[sinfiery]

I can only talk about Lubbock. The area around the campus is essentially siphoned off (in my experience) from the rest of the city at large and all the areas around the campus are quite nice and safe. The campus is beautiful (though quite large) and it's a great place to spend a few years of your life. The living standards are something that would be very acceptable for a family near that area though I'm unsure of schools.

[TheJanitor6203]

Thank you both for the info.

[sener212]

First, I am a May 2013 graduate.

Well, I guess to start could you just tell me the main things you like/don't like about the school?

Like:
1. Professors are exceptional. Of all my professors, maybe two (who were adjuncts) weren't great. I believe eight or nine are ALI members. As well, the open-door policy is wide open—all professors I had were very approachable and more than happy to talk/assist me with course or even general law school matters—they are really interested in seeing our students succeed.
2. Facilities. Great courtroom, library, etc. And if you want to stay in shape, the University Rec. Center is a few hundred yards from the Law School.
3. Several great law journals. Law Review; Business & Bankruptcy Law Journal; Estate Planning and Community Property Law Journal; Administrative Law Journal; Journal of Biosecurity, Biosafety & Biodefense Law; and Texas Bank Lawyer.
4. Advocacy program is awesome. If you want to be a litigator, we have the Board of Barristers, and our national teams consistently bring home national championships.
5. Legal Practice Program. When our students go to work, they know what to do.
6. Required courses tested on the bar exam. When you're studying for the bar, you really appreciate this.
7. PRICE.
8. I really like Lubbock.

Don't Like:
1. We have a tougher curve than many other schools.
2. If you want to work at a big law firm, it is more difficult than if you graduate from a few other Texas schools (but you are by no means precluded).

How competitive is it to get on the criminal defense clinic or the public defender clinic/externship?

I wasn't interested in practicing criminal law, but from what I understand, it isn't terribly competitive.

How do you like Lubbock? I'm from Texas but I've only passed through. I'm married with kids so I'm more interested in knowing if there are nice/safe places to live close to the school than if there are lots of bars.

I've lived in several cities (and visited many) in Texas, and the people in Lubbock are by far the friendliest I've experienced. Lubbock is very family friendly (and there are also bars, if someone has that preference), and there are nice places to live relatively close to the school (depending on how much you want to spend). There is little traffic, so getting around is typically painless. And there are some really good restaurants. The only things I would watch out for—the sun shines a little brighter and hits you a little harder than in other places (so you might want to use sunscreen), and occasionally the smell of cow manure drifts through town.

How are the professors? Are the students competitive or friendly and helpful?

1. Professors are awesome, as I mentioned above.
2. Students at any law school are competitive, but at Texas Tech they are also friendly and helpful (for the most part—I'm sure there are at least a few jerks at any school).

I'll probably come up with more but that's all I've got for now. Thanks for your help!

Sure—any time.

I don't go to Tech, but just to clarify something... you're not precluded from Biglaw... but it's HIGHLY unlikely. Tech placed 10 students out of 215 into firms with 101 more attorneys in 2012. http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school= ... h&show=ABA

So 95% of the class isn't getting a high-paying firm gig. I'm guessing you already knew this; but I thought I would add this info just in case considering how overwhelmingly positive this post was about Tech.

[TheJanitor6203]

Yeah, I'm not really shooting for big law. I'm wanting to do PD or maybe a midsize firm in Dallas doing criminal defense or general lit making a very comfortable $70k a year with no student loans and a low col

[timbs4339]

Yeah, I'm not really shooting for big law. I'm wanting to do PD or maybe a midsize firm in Dallas doing criminal defense or general lit making a very comfortable $70k a year with no student loans and a low col

Hows 50K sound, because that's probably more like it. Tech could confirm 14% of its grads making more than 70K a year in the last year for which we have data.

[TheJanitor6203]

Yeah that's good too.

[sinfiery]

50k in Dallas with no debt obligations is a great salary for someone with a family and that data leaves room for improvement once you distance yourself from graduation.

No/minimal debt obligations is very key here though'

[TheJanitor6203]

I'm currently debt free and if all goes well it'll stay that way. I'm cool with $50k as long as the bills are paid. Once my wife gets her PhD she'll be the big money maker anyways.

[paul554]

http://www.law.ttu.edu/career/2012WebData.pdf This gives you a good breakdown of expected employment rates and so forth.

I currently attend Tech and think it's great, of course I am being paid to go to law school so my situation is very unique. I decided on tech due to their dual degree program that seemed to fit my particular niche area I was interested in as well. Like others have said the campus is very nice, albeit very big, and the city is very friendly. People ADORE Texas Tech in Lubbock and you will constantly be reminded of that. Also, within Lubbock they love the law school and see it as being somewhat prestigious, this of course fades once you leave the city limits. A lot of people warned me that Lubbock was a small hick town, but it is not. I've lived in major cites before and while Lubbock can't compare to them it isn't exactly a closed off desert trailer park either.

You wont be guaranteed a job with 100% certainty when you graduate, and your chances of big law are very low compared to U of H, SMU and of course UT, so unless you top 10% it will be tough. A good 60-70K job though in either Dallas or a smaller town is very likely if you do reasonably well and can interview. Also, it seems to me that Tech has a lot more married and older students than other schools. You'll find that they really do take this into consideration and seem to provide a better atmosphere for families. If your wife is looking into a PHd, then there is also the chance that she could get that at Tech but of course that brings up a whole new slew of questions that need to answered first.

[TheJanitor6203]

http://www.law.ttu.edu/career/2012WebData.pdf This gives you a good breakdown of expected employment rates and so forth.

I currently attend Tech and think it's great, of course I am being paid to go to law school so my situation is very unique. I decided on tech due to their dual degree program that seemed to fit my particular niche area I was interested in as well. Like others have said the campus is very nice, albeit very big, and the city is very friendly. People ADORE Texas Tech in Lubbock and you will constantly be reminded of that. Also, within Lubbock they love the law school and see it as being somewhat prestigious, this of course fades once you leave the city limits. A lot of people warned me that Lubbock was a small hick town, but it is not. I've lived in major cites before and while Lubbock can't compare to them it isn't exactly a closed off desert trailer park either.

You wont be guaranteed a job with 100% certainty when you graduate, and your chances of big law are very low compared to U of H, SMU and of course UT, so unless you top 10% it will be tough. A good 60-70K job though in either Dallas or a smaller town is very likely if you do reasonably well and can interview. Also, it seems to me that Tech has a lot more married and older students than other schools. You'll find that they really do take this into consideration and seem to provide a better atmosphere for families. If your wife is looking into a PHd, then there is also the chance that she could get that at Tech but of course that brings up a whole new slew of questions that need to answered first.

Thanks for the info. I do realize the chances of big law are slim to none but I'm not too concerned about that. I don't think that is my career goal (although things change and I don't want to limit my options just because it isn't what I want now). Dallas is my target market and SMU is my target law school but Tech is my backup. From everything I've read it sounds like a great backup for me so I'd be excited to go there. I really want SMU though because I already own a house there and my wife wouldn't have to wait to start her PhD.

Again, thanks for all of the responses.

[lnh819]

Current 1L here! Loving it so far!