Top Law Schools

Haven't seen this thread yet so I thought I'd start it. My early admission app is already in. Anyone else?

Applied 9/14. Complete 9/15. Regular decision though.

Where's it on your list?

Good question...I applied to 12 schools, and I'm having a really hard time ranking them. Houston is not #1, but it's not #12 either. I love the state of Texas, and Houston has an awesome Health Law program, which is what I plan to focus on. I am mainly having a difficult time deciding how much weight to put on the following factors: USN&WR ranking, Location, Strength of Health program.
I'll definitely keep you updated if/when my status changes. Currently just "application complete."

I hear ya. Mine says "application complete" too. I'm not really sure on when they begin making decisions but I have a feeling that it's a little bit later than most schools.

What makes you think that?

Are you livin in Houston now? If so, how is it? The TLS profile says that the school is on the worst part of campus which is in the worst part of town. What do you think?

Capitol A wrote:Are you livin in Houston now? If so, how is it? The TLS profile says that the school is on the worst part of campus which is in the worst part of town. What do you think?

I live in Houston and am gonna apply to University of Houston. Its my top choice, since I wouldn't have to relocate and could just drive to school every day. People say its in the worst part of the university because it is the only place that hasn't been renovated yet, the parking lot is still patches of broken concrete, and the law school has a pretty bland exterior.

I'm going to apply sometime in the coming week, since I'm waiting on my LSAT anyway, I doubt it would do any good to apply right at this moment.

Capitol A wrote:What makes you think that?

Eh, just looking at LSN from previous cycles and this thread from last year. It seemed like decisions didn't start going out until December or so. But here's to hoping that it's different this cycle.

That's good reasoning. I guess I was just hoping they would be quick because they sent me my status checker the day after I submitted my app-way the hell faster than anyone else.

Yeah, they were pretty quick with mine too. I wish they'd give admissions decision that fast because I've begun to check my status checker on an hourly basis.

Just submitted my app. Good luck everyone!

Any movement on anyone's status checker?

Nothing here, been complete since mid August

Mid August? I thought apps opened up in the middle of September?

sorry yeah sept

No change on mine either. That doesn't stop me from checking it every day.

Capitol A wrote:No change on mine either. That doesn't stop me from checking it every day.

+1. Except I check it multiple times a day.

I'm a 3L at UH, graduating in May. Let me know if you have any questions and I'll give you my opinion on the school.

You can also read through the posts from last year's admission cycle for lots of info.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... =7&t=53999

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 5&t=115756

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 20&t=60187

Thanks for taking some questions Josh.

What were your impressions from OCI the past couple of years?

Also, how is the atmosphere at U of H? Cutthroat, competitive, relaxed?

I'm sure I'll have a lot more for ya in the coming months, I hope that's cool with you.

Also question for Josh: How far do people commute to campus? If I end up at UH I will be engaged, with two dogs and looking for a more domestic type existence. Any areas that you would suggest were one could get a reasonably priced rental house with a big yard in a decent neighborhood? We had thought about moving down there before, and looked at houses in West Houston, like on Westheimer just past Sam Houston Tollway. Also considering memorial/spring area, and Pearland. Any thoughts on any of this?

Also, what have the opportunities been like for students interested in criminal law? Possibly with the Harris County DAs office or anything like that?

Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions!

Also, to everyone else, I think we can stop checking our status checkers as it doesn't seem like decision will be coming out until December or January, based on what I saw on LSN.

Also, I have heard talk of UH building a new law building or renovating the old on. Is there any truth to this?

maxm2764 wrote:What were your impressions from OCI the past couple of years?

The number of OCI interviews has definitely dwindled the past two years. A lot of incoming 2L's and 3L's weren't exactly happy. However, the career services office has been sending out a lot of emails about events for students. But really, I know of only a few 3L's that really have solid plans for next year, most are really unsure. You're going to hear this a lot, and it's a serious issue that you need to consider: Law School is not a guarantee that you will get a kick ass job paying tons of money. The odds are heavily favored against you getting into Law Review by making the top 10%. Even a lot of people on Law Review at UH don't have offers yet. Unless you're really positive that you want to practice law, and you've gotten a scholarship or have lots of savings already, then you should take a long hard look at whether or not to pursue law school. This isn't specifically about UH, but law school in general. Hopefully you've already heard all of this, but don't blow it off as simply a jaded outlook.

maxm2764 wrote:Also, how is the atmosphere at U of H? Cutthroat, competitive, relaxed?

First semester of 1L year was pretty competitive in my experience. I didn't really see cutthroat stuff, but people were definitely trying to find ways to gain an edge on their peers. After first semester people start to relax a bit more. 2L year was busy for most people that do journals, law review, or moot court or mock trial. You end up spending a lot of time at the law center working on random things. 3L year has been way more relaxed, just working on my seminar paper and somewhat keeping up with readings for class. However, if you get really involved in mock trial, moot court, or a journal then you'll end up spending a lot of time and energy working on those projects at the law center.

Marionberry wrote:How far do people commute to campus?

I'd say the majority probably live inside the 610 loop, so within 15 minutes of campus. However, there are a lot of people that commute from the suburbs. I couldn't really give any specific advice on the actual areas around houston since I'm not as familiar with all of the suburbs.

Marionberry wrote: Also, what have the opportunities been like for students interested in criminal law? Possibly with the Harris County DAs office or anything like that?

There's always a lot of lunch panels during the year with different organizations that you can attend, several of them involve criminal law. We have Professor Dow, who is really well known for his work on the Innocence Project. He represents people on death row that he believes have been falsely accused. I haven't had any of his classes but I've heard he's a great professor. Several of my classmates have interned at the DA's office, and several 3L's have already tried a few minor cases (DUI's and such). There's definitely an opportunity to get involved if you pursue it enough.

Marionberry wrote: I have heard talk of UH building a new law building or renovating the old on. Is there any truth to this?

They've talked about it, but I have no idea of when it will happen. Don't plan on it being done in time for you to benefit from it. If anything it'll be done by the time you're 2L's or 3L's. Most people would rather them build a closer parking garage than renovate the building.

Marionberry wrote:it doesn't seem like decision will be coming out until December or January, based on what I saw on LSN.

Definitely don't get your hopes up for finding out any time soon. If you read the old threads you'll see that people were pretty pissed that admissions waited so long to get back to them. I got my acceptance in March, and I think most get their notice around that time as well.

Josh, you're the man! Thanks for your in-depth responses.

I definitely appreciate the advice about law school not being the sure route to a higher salary that it may have used to be. I know it's a risk, but like any other major financial decision, I'm hoping that the risk will be worth it later on down the road. I just want to get in first and then worry about my shitty job prospects from there.

But thanks again Josh, I hope you don't mind if I have some more questions for you soon.

Marionberry wrote:Also question for Josh: How far do people commute to campus? If I end up at UH I will be engaged, with two dogs and looking for a more domestic type existence. Any areas that you would suggest were one could get a reasonably priced rental house with a big yard in a decent neighborhood? We had thought about moving down there before, and looked at houses in West Houston, like on Westheimer just past Sam Houston Tollway. Also considering memorial/spring area, and Pearland. Any thoughts on any of this?

.

I went to UH for my undergrad and have lived in Houston all my life, so I can give this part a decent answer. I also am recently engaged and have a dog, so I face some of the same issues.

It all kinda depends on your budget and your time. UH is right next to downtown, so if you want a decent house, with a big yard, thats close, in a nice neighborhood, you're gonna be paying 1500+ or so a month in rent. If you move past the beltway, you will definitely find all of the above elements at a much cheaper price (1000 or less), but you're commute is almost assured to be over 45 minutes. These are of course general rules that have exceptions. Occasionally you might snag a good deal if you look hard enough.

If you want the scoop on specific areas/burbs I'd be more than willing to elaborate.