SMU for Intellectual Property Law worth the $$? Forum

[Kevlar88]

Hey,

I figured I could receive some decent advice from you guys on the idea becoming a IP attorney.

BIO:
I have just graduated from Arkansas with a BS in Chemical Engineering (grad May 12). My GPA was considerably low due to the fact that I transferred Junior year and only my ChemE credits went towards my GPA (~3.2/4.0). I am employed full-time here in Dallas. I am currently on salary making a bit over $60K. I am employed as an industrial automation engineer and the job outlook is pretty solid, esp. once I get into more leadership roles.

Here are my questions:
With a low GPA, what are the chances of getting into law school? specifically SMU's evening program.
Is the salary and job outlook for an IP attorney outweigh the high cost of SMU's tuition?
What are the chances of receiving scholarships for law school?

Note: Being that I am employed in Dallas, I am only considering the evening program at SMU. Also, I assume that if I work for a couple years while studying for the LSAT, I can earn a high score and add some industry experience to my resume, which could 'water-down' my low GPA. What are your thoughts?


Thanks in advance!

[rinkrat19]

Well, that won't be your LSAC GPA. ALL your credits at all schools attended will count. Will that make your GPA higher?

[lawschoolisfun2012]

.

[SMU2013]

Is SMU known for IP? I go to SMU and honestly I have know idea if it is or not. I know there is a lot of IP litigation in the E.D. of Texas.

I enjoy SMU, and your GPA is better than mine was.

Hope it works out for you.

[bk1]

I went to a law school in 70s, and I ended up transferring to a top 20.

At first I thought you meant you went to law school in the 1970s.

[twenty]

If your GPA is actually higher (i.e, 3.7~), consider prepping the LSAT up to 170/172 and EDing to GWU/NU.

I know you don't like the sound of this, are sure you'd only consider Dallas, etc, but in all honesty, you're probably not going to get (much) scholarship money to do a part time program at SMU. You're paying 115k, excluding interest from loans, for a school that doesn't give you a great shot of getting IP law. On the other hand, spend three years at GWU or NU for free and be more or less set to make significantly more money with a lot less debt.

Before doing this, though, find out if SMU gives out substantial scholarships for its PT program. Fair warning; most schools don't.

[Kevlar88]

Thank you all for the quick replies!

Yes if they added the credits from my other universities, my gpa would increase. The result would be ~3.4 (still low imo).

The reason I am considering SMU is purely because I could potentially work and attend school part-time. Furthermore, I could live with my parents and avoid apt./housing costs... basically I could support my tuition and still have some money to save.

My game plan at the moment is to begin studying for the LSAT and take it a year from now. In the meantime I would gain some work exp. Ironically even though I am ChemE, I work primarily with computers and electronics (industrial automation). How does work exp look to future employers?

I have no idea if SMU is ranked for IP Law but from a little research on the forums, they aren't regarded as anything special. How important is that?

[nouseforaname123]

If your GPA is actually higher (i.e, 3.7~), consider prepping the LSAT up to 170/172 and EDing to GWU/NU.

I know you don't like the sound of this, are sure you'd only consider Dallas, etc, but in all honesty, you're probably not going to get (much) scholarship money to do a part time program at SMU. You're paying 115k, excluding interest from loans, for a school that doesn't give you a great shot of getting IP law. On the other hand, spend three years at GWU or NU for free and be more or less set to make significantly more money with a lot less debt.

Before doing this, though, find out if SMU gives out substantial scholarships for its PT program. Fair warning; most schools don't.

Yes, SMU does give substantial scholarships for the PT program. Only difference is that your scholarship is spread out over four years instead of three, so you end up paying a little more because you get hit with a third year of tuition inflation (your fourth year).

OP, I am not IP but am currently in my final year of SMU's PT-program. I was in a similar position to you and things worked out well for me. Shoot me a PM if you have any questions.

[kalvano]

SMU is pretty generous with money, and the good news for you is they prefer high LSAT over high GPA. There are a few IP people I know around here, and they all have jobs.

[Kevlar88]

Again thank you all for your advice.

To those of you in the Dallas area, do you know anything about the demand for a Chem. eng. IP attorney? I have done a few job searches and it seems that electrical engineering is much more desirable. I would hate to waste 4 years to intense schooling only to be relocated out of Dallas. I worked hard to land a ChemE job here as there aren't many.

I hate to bring this up but does an IP attorney make much more than a mid-career Chemical engineer? I only ask because I have no intentions of racking up debt and jumping into a completely different job market only to have a slight increase in salary.

[Kevlar88]

I forgot to ask in my last post: how important is it to work within the attorney/law system in ways like an internship or summer job?

I can obviously see the benefits (making connections with future employers, etc.) but as I mentioned before, I am employed full-time and would much rather work while attending school.

[timbs4339]

I forgot to ask in my last post: how important is it to work within the attorney/law system in ways like an internship or summer job?

I can obviously see the benefits (making connections with future employers, etc.) but as I mentioned before, I am employed full-time and would much rather work while attending school.

Extremely important.

[jenesaislaw]

If your GPA is actually higher (i.e, 3.7~), consider prepping the LSAT up to 170/172 and EDing to GWU/NU.

I know you don't like the sound of this, are sure you'd only consider Dallas, etc, but in all honesty, you're probably not going to get (much) scholarship money to do a part time program at SMU. You're paying 115k, excluding interest from loans, for a school that doesn't give you a great shot of getting IP law. On the other hand, spend three years at GWU or NU for free and be more or less set to make significantly more money with a lot less debt.

Before doing this, though, find out if SMU gives out substantial scholarships for its PT program. Fair warning; most schools don't.

ED'ing to GW? You must go there, considering your transfer post.

[Tiago Splitter]

If your GPA is actually higher (i.e, 3.7~), consider prepping the LSAT up to 170/172 and EDing to GWU/NU.

I know you don't like the sound of this, are sure you'd only consider Dallas, etc, but in all honesty, you're probably not going to get (much) scholarship money to do a part time program at SMU. You're paying 115k, excluding interest from loans, for a school that doesn't give you a great shot of getting IP law. On the other hand, spend three years at GWU or NU for free and be more or less set to make significantly more money with a lot less debt.

Before doing this, though, find out if SMU gives out substantial scholarships for its PT program. Fair warning; most schools don't.

ED'ing to GW? You must go there, considering your transfer post.

?? It's free.

[twenty]

If your GPA is actually higher (i.e, 3.7~), consider prepping the LSAT up to 170/172 and EDing to GWU/NU.

I know you don't like the sound of this, are sure you'd only consider Dallas, etc, but in all honesty, you're probably not going to get (much) scholarship money to do a part time program at SMU. You're paying 115k, excluding interest from loans, for a school that doesn't give you a great shot of getting IP law. On the other hand, spend three years at GWU or NU for free and be more or less set to make significantly more money with a lot less debt.

Before doing this, though, find out if SMU gives out substantial scholarships for its PT program. Fair warning; most schools don't.

ED'ing to GW? You must go there, considering your transfer post.

I'm a 0L not going anywhere just yet. ED to GWU is free with a reasonable LSAT and GPA, and I wish more schools did exactly this.

EDIT> Boston University does, also, but GWU is an objectively better school for IP unless you live in Boston.