Baylor vs. SMU Forum

[JXander]

I have been accepted to both of these schools. Baylor offered me a $72k scholarship (for Spring of 2013) and SMU is planning to send me their scholarship offer before the end of January (they say I have a good chance at getting a half-ride).

I want to do trial work, primary criminal defense, but am also considering doing some family law. I would like to work for a large firm.

I would appreciate any advice as to how I should select the school. I know that SMU tends to secure more high-paying jobs for graduates more quickly, but Baylor does have some strong ties to the Austin area and released very well prepared graduates.

[BigZuck]

Neither. Go to UT. Retake until you can make that happen.

[Richie Tenenbaum]

1) Baylor doesn't have very strong Austin ties at all. Austin is a very small legal market that is dominated by UT and the T14.
2) Baylor has a reputation for making law school a miserable experience experience.
3) If you want to work in Dallas, SMU has decent placement there.
4) Big law is going to be hard to get from either.
5) If you want to do criminal law defense or family law, you will most likely not be working for a big firm. Big firms primarily defend big corporations, do transactional work for big corporations, do restructuring for big corporations, etc. It is also very unlikely that you will be spending a lot of time in a courtroom if you do litigation for a big law firm.
6) Have you considered retaking? Increasing your score into the 160s could have a huge impact on scholarship money and where you may be competitive at. It is well worth the effort to put in extra work that result in literally tens of thousands of dollars saved.

[kalvano]

1) I saw your post in the SMU thread, but I am still very skeptical about your admission. SMU is the slowest, most backwards and intractable school on the planet. Unless you have pictures of Attanasio with a goat (and if you do, please share), I don't see how you got an admission already.

2) Don't go to either one, a 154 is a massive waste with a 3.8.

3) Big firm and criminal / family law are not really compatible. There are a couple of biggish firms that do white collar defense, and a couple of big family law firms in Dallas. But they are hard to get into.

4) You'll need to be one of the top 5 or 10 students from Baylor to get Biglaw, and top 10% - 15% from SMU.

[Moultdog]

Don't go to Baylor. I'm at UT, and I've heard so many stories about people regretting the choice to go to Baylor. They apparently turn out good litigators, but they make you work much, much harder than other schools and it doesn't give you any real job advantage. Definitely don't expect a job in Austin (they even tell us that, and we go to school here). SMU would be acceptable if you wanna work in Dallas and get a significant scholarship, but anywhere else in the state, it's all about UT.

[patrickd139]

Just to emphasize what others have said in this thread, Baylor presents effectively zero ability to break into the Austin legal market.

Go to SMU when (if?) you get in. That way, when you wake up halfway through and think "I'd rather make $100k+ per year instead of $45k+ per year." you'll be in a position to do so.

[CanadianWolf]

Assuming that you do get the half scholarship, SMU.

[deadpanic]

1) Baylor doesn't have very strong Austin ties at all. Austin is a very small legal market that is dominated by UT and the T14.
2) Baylor has a reputation for making law school a miserable experience experience.
3) If you want to work in Dallas, SMU has decent placement there.
4) Big law is going to be hard to get from either.
5) If you want to do criminal law defense or family law, you will most likely not be working for a big firm. Big firms primarily defend big corporations, do transactional work for big corporations, do restructuring for big corporations, etc. It is also very unlikely that you will be spending a lot of time in a courtroom if you do litigation for a big law firm.
6) Have you considered retaking? Increasing your score into the 160s could have a huge impact on scholarship money and where you may be competitive at. It is well worth the effort to put in extra work that result in literally tens of thousands of dollars saved.

Yep, this. The experience at BU is miserable...and apparently 3L year is the most work. Let that sink in. Plus you have to live in Waco.

Retake & go to TX or if you must, SMU. SMU has better placement than Baylor.

[fathergoose]

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