Texas Tech Law School vs University of Houston Law School Forum

[nmnm]

I am trying to choose between these two schools. Any Texans have advice? I know the rankings difference and I am familiar with the cities. I want advice on law practice alone. I am interested in public service. Thanks. Tx Tech is half the cost of U of Huston due to a scholarship I received. Id like to be a prosecutor in Texas or the Federal Government.

[StylinNProfilin]

Where do u want to work? Whats total cost of attendance for both?

[holdencaulfield]

What type of public service?

[kalvano]

Where do you want to work? If Houston or southern Texas, then go to UofH. If the Panhandle / northern Texas, go to Tech.

Although, if Tech is markedly cheaper, I'd think about going there regardless.

[lnh819]

I'm in a very similar situation and am strongly leaning towards Tech. They have an excellent bar passage rate, a nicer campus/law facilities than UH imo, are significantly cheaper, and I'd get out of the Houston traffic for a few years (I'm a native). I want to go into family law (at least at this point) and that's a field where the prestige of your institution matters less when applying for job.

Honestly, I'm really just applying to this in order to keep an eye on the thread and see what other people say.

[wannabelawstudent]

The Tech Dean posts here, so I would go to T-Tech because of that.

[20141023]

.

[potterpirate04]

This:

if Tech is markedly cheaper, I'd think about going there regardless.

And this:

They have an excellent bar passage rate, a nicer campus/law facilities than UH imo, are significantly cheaper, and I'd get out of the Houston traffic for a few years (I'm a native).

Tech is the correct choice, in this situation.

[patrickd139]

This decision should be based entirely on two metrics: where you want to practice, and the total cost of attendance.

Both schools will get you past the bar exam. Both have roughly equal pull in their regions. Neither has a high enough chance to get you into biglaw to make a decision based on that.

The only thing I'll add to what others have said is that if you think Tech will open doors to Dallas biglaw or midlaw, please do more research, because I don't think that's true at all.

[b.gump81]

This decision should be based entirely on two metrics: where you want to practice, and the total cost of attendance.

Both schools will get you past the bar exam. Both have roughly equal pull in their regions. Neither has a high enough chance to get you into biglaw to make a decision based on that.

The only thing I'll add to what others have said is that if you think Tech will open doors to Dallas biglaw or midlaw, please do more research, because I don't think that's true at all.

Quality post, especially considering the OP expressly said he is interested in fields other than biglaw and midlaw.

I'm a 3L at Tech and am gunning for state prosecution. The DA job hunt is on a completely different time frame than civil job searching because DA offices can't hire you until you're licensed. But I will tell you that I've gotten an interview and/or offer for a post-bar internship at every single DA office I've applied to so far, including offices in the Austin, DFW, and Houston areas. PM me if you want to talk about the specific offices. Good luck on your decision.

[potterpirate04]

Quality post, especially considering the OP expressly said he is interested in fields other than biglaw and midlaw.

Exactly. OP's clearly not interested in biglaw, in which case the goal is to go to a decent school and minimize debt. Tech let's him do this better than UH, so Tech is the better option here.

[BeautifulSW]

FWIW, Tech also sells well in Eastern New Mexico, both public and private.

[patrickd139]

Quality post, especially considering the OP expressly said he is interested in fields other than biglaw and midlaw.

Exactly. OP's clearly not interested in biglaw, in which case the goal is to go to a decent school and minimize debt. Tech let's him do this better than UH, so Tech is the better option here.

Of course! How could I have been so careless? I mean, after all, 100% of the people who end up in biglaw and midlaw are those who go into law school gunning for biglaw. Absolutely no one, including OP, would ever go to law school without intending to end up in a firm, then change their mind, and actually end up wanting to work at a firm!

[b.gump81]

Quality post, especially considering the OP expressly said he is interested in fields other than biglaw and midlaw.

Exactly. OP's clearly not interested in biglaw, in which case the goal is to go to a decent school and minimize debt. Tech let's him do this better than UH, so Tech is the better option here.

Of course! How could I have been so careless? I mean, after all, 100% of the people who end up in biglaw and midlaw are those who go into law school gunning for biglaw. Absolutely no one, including OP, would ever go to law school without intending to end up in a firm, then change their mind, and actually end up wanting to work at a firm!

Good point.

OP, if your career goals don't include biglaw/midlaw whatsoever, go to the school that has the best placement in biglaw/midlaw, even if it is the most expensive option, because there is a possibility that you might change your mind.

[Legacy Rabbit]

This:

if Tech is markedly cheaper, I'd think about going there regardless.

And this:

They have an excellent bar passage rate, a nicer campus/law facilities than UH imo, are significantly cheaper, and I'd get out of the Houston traffic for a few years (I'm a native).

Tech is the correct choice, in this situation.

OP,
Tech's Moot Court program is nationally renowned. Also, maybe living in Lubbock will be good for you, get away from the big city. However, there are times when Lubbock will smell. I have a cousin who is doing undergrad there.

[potterpirate04]

Of course! How could I have been so careless? I mean, after all, 100% of the people who end up in biglaw and midlaw are those who go into law school gunning for biglaw. Absolutely no one, including OP, would ever go to law school without intending to end up in a firm, then change their mind, and actually end up wanting to work at a firm!

So you're saying take on significantly more debt just in case OP might change his mind in three years? So OP could either end up with a lot of debt but no desire to work at the type of job that'll help him pay that debt or incredibly minimal debt with a job that'll help him, at the very least, pay off that debt.

[patrickd139]

Of course! How could I have been so careless? I mean, after all, 100% of the people who end up in biglaw and midlaw are those who go into law school gunning for biglaw. Absolutely no one, including OP, would ever go to law school without intending to end up in a firm, then change their mind, and actually end up wanting to work at a firm!

So you're saying take on significantly more debt just in case OP might change his mind in three years? So OP could either end up with a lot of debt but no desire to work at the type of job that'll help him pay that debt or incredibly minimal debt with a job that'll help him, at the very least, pay off that debt.

No, I'm saying that OP should be aware of the somewhat limited job prospects he or she faces by attending either school. No where did I suggest OP attend either school, if you care to take the time to actually read my post.

[potterpirate04]

No, I'm saying that OP should be aware of the somewhat limited job prospects he or she faces by attending either school. No where did I suggest OP attend either school, if you care to take the time to actually read my post.

Okay. You're right, in that case. Neither of these schools can get OP into biglaw. The point you made is accurate and important, if OP wanted biglaw.

But:

I want advice on law practice alone. I am interested in public service.

I just can't figure out why you keep bringing biglaw into this when OP clearly does not want biglaw. Biglaw was never the initial issue here, nor will it be. If it weren't for this, then I would completely agree with you, trust me.

[kalvano]

Because a lot of people change their mind when they actually get to school. But if the choices are Tech or UofH, then it really doesn't matter if OP changes his mind or not. Biglaw is t really much of an option from either.

[potterpirate04]

I guess I just assumed OP already knew about the employment prospects of each school. I thought if OP wanted biglaw while staying in Texas, he would've brought up UT. So I just figured since Tech or UH were the only two being discussed ITT, then biglaw wasn't on the table.

[kalvano]

Really, what you want as a 0L and what you want as a 2L are often very divergent.

[potterpirate04]

Really, what you want as a 0L and what you want as a 2L are often very divergent.

Duly noted.

[patrickd139]

No, I'm saying that OP should be aware of the somewhat limited job prospects he or she faces by attending either school. No where did I suggest OP attend either school, if you care to take the time to actually read my post.

Okay. You're right, in that case. Neither of these schools can get OP into biglaw. The point you made is accurate and important, if OP wanted biglaw.

But:

I want advice on law practice alone. I am interested in public service.

I just can't figure out why you keep bringing biglaw into this when OP clearly does not want biglaw. Biglaw was never the initial issue here, nor will it be. If it weren't for this, then I would completely agree with you, trust me.

I know more people who went to law school to do "public service" and ended up practicing in a firm than ALL of the people I know who ended up practicing in public service combined. To suggest that because OP doesn't want biglaw now, s/he won't later is ridiculous.

Will OP change their mind? Maybe not. But that's a dumb reason for not tempering expectations on an anonymous law school forum geared toward people seeking law firm positions.

[patrickd139]

Quality post, especially considering the OP expressly said he is interested in fields other than biglaw and midlaw.

Exactly. OP's clearly not interested in biglaw, in which case the goal is to go to a decent school and minimize debt. Tech let's him do this better than UH, so Tech is the better option here.

Of course! How could I have been so careless? I mean, after all, 100% of the people who end up in biglaw and midlaw are those who go into law school gunning for biglaw. Absolutely no one, including OP, would ever go to law school without intending to end up in a firm, then change their mind, and actually end up wanting to work at a firm!

Good point.

OP, if your career goals don't include biglaw/midlaw whatsoever, go to the school that has the best placement in biglaw/midlaw, even if it is the most expensive option, because there is a possibility that you might change your mind.

Please at least read my post before making an ass out of yourself. I never even remotely suggested that OP go to either school. I simply pointed out that neither law school s/he is considering would likely put OP in position to land a firm job, especially considering the wealth of misinformation that Tech somehow lands a large portion of its graduates in Dallas midlaw and biglaw.

[b.gump81]

Please at least read my post before making an ass out of yourself. I never even remotely suggested that OP go to either school. I simply pointed out that neither law school s/he is considering would likely put OP in position to land a firm job, especially considering the wealth of misinformation that Tech somehow lands a large portion of its graduates in Dallas midlaw and biglaw.

You're assuming that I thought you suggested going to UH over Tech, and that isn't case. I understood what you said, and I responded by saying I disagreed with your notion that a prospective student should go to the school that has the best placement for biglaw regardless of the price. I see your points; I just disagree with them. I do agree that the possibility one might change their mind should be taken into consideration and that people really need to determine the extent of their other interests. But to suggest some sort of absolute rule that people should only go to a school that would give them a great shot at biglaw if they happen to change their mind is a little ridiculous to me. Not everyone changes their mind. And even if people do change their mind they don't all switch to biglaw. Also, the schools that do offer the best shots at biglaw are ridiculously overpriced, and your suggestion seems to disregard the importance of debt management. Your argument seems to suggest that the remote chance one might change his or her mind is more important that limiting one's debt.

I love your anecdotal evidence that you know more people who have switched to firm jobs than all the people you know in PI combined. I'll counter that with my own anecdotal evidence: I know more people that stuck with their passion and reason for coming to law school than those that switched to biglaw interests. Also it may just be me, but I've noticed more people switching from civil law to crim law than the other way around.

I don't contend that a lot of people at SMU or other expensive schools switch. That completely makes sense because people eventually realize that Biglaw is the only realistic way to pay off their hefty student loans in a timely manner. They get mesmerized by the money, basically because that is the only way to survive. Whereas at Tech, the tuition is relatively low, so most people are able to pursue less lucrative areas that they're passionate about because their loans aren't overburdensome. That's why I came to Tech, and that's why I haven't switched interests from what I came to school for.

We get it dude. You don't like Tech for some reason. You went to UT undergrad and OU law, which may explain it. But no need to be so hateful that you come into a thread about a guy wanting criminal law and start arguing about how he needs to go to a school that will place him in dallas biglaw. Who's really the one looking like an ass here?