Top Law Schools

I got accepted to both for spring of 2016 and am very confused about which one i should pick considering future prospects and earning prospects. here are some details about my acceptances:

Baylor: 36k per year scholarship with 2.75 GPA stipulation. i would have to take out about 30k in loans every year.
South Texas: 22.5k per year scholarship with 3.0 GPA stipulation. i would have to take out about 22k in loans every year.

My biggest dilemma is that i want to practice in Houston and want to live there long term. South Texas has good ties in Houston, while Baylor has more of a strong name in Texas. Baylor would cost more. I just want to earn enough to comfortably live and pay off debts, biglaw is not a must-do.

PS, please don't waste time telling me to retake and go somewhere else.

negotiate the offers off of each school to get a full ride at one or both, then the decision to attend either school could be slightly defensible if you have Texas/Houston ties

Negotiate with both for more money (as suggested above).

.

Go to UH or UT or don't go at all.

I cannot in good conscience recommend either if you want to be a lawyer in Houston.

Both are poor options, at a bare minimum you should go to UH for cheap. Ideally UT for cheap. Just focus on your LSAT retake for now.

did any of you even bother reading the entire post? useless. get off from this forum if you can't give people realistic advice other than "retake" or "don't go."

.

rougelove wrote:did any of you even bother reading the entire post? useless. get off from this forum if you can't give people realistic advice other than "retake" or "don't go."

In this situation, that's the only realistic advice people can give

You shouldn't go to either school if you want to be a lawyer in Houston. And if you need a higher LSAT score to get into UH or UT then you need to retake.

Traynor Brah wrote:Go to UH or UT or don't go at all.

+1

rougelove wrote: PS, please don't waste time telling me to retake and go somewhere else.

It's not what you want to hear, but it's what you need to hear. Take it from a Houston lawyer.

rougelove wrote:did any of you even bother reading the entire post? useless. get off from this forum if you can't give people realistic advice other than "retake" or "don't go."

Kid, several of us in this thread are either texas law students or practicing texas attorneys: we all agree your options are objectively poor for your goals. But you know better than us, it seems. Good luck!

Also why the boner for starting in spring? (Referencing your other thread). Assuming that means you would graduate in the winter, that's going to be a relative detriment to your job hunt (but of course that will be a pretty insignificant detriment compared to the other employment issues youd have at either school).

Here's a good thread on Baylor: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=224879

We could probably whip something up on South Texas College of Law if need be.

I know a judge who went to South Texas; she doesn't even list her law school in her bio. (Which isn't to answer the OP's question about what they should do; I just always found that interesting.)

Neither school has any particular compelling reason to attend. Texas should only have 3 law schools, really - UT, UH, and SMU.

I will echo everyone else in saying that neither school will likely get you what you are seeking. Baylor places very poorly in Houston, and South Texas places just as poorly.

For practical advice, if you insist on choosing one of these options, both have other pros and cons.

South Texas has a pretty awful building. Few windows, bad lay out (imo) and it is downtown Houston, which means traffic and parking on top of everything else. Also (and this goes for both schools) are you factoring in COL in your loans? Houston is not nearly as cheap as it was 5-10 years ago. You can still keep rent <1,000 with a roommate pretty easily, but nicer places and one bedrooms are all 1200+ it seems. Plus gas, plus parking, plus life, it will add up.

Baylor has a much nicer faculty, and Waco is improving. That being said, there is almost no legal market in Waco, and Houston is 3 hours away. Baylor is also over 52 grand a year. No law school is worth that, especially Baylor. Also, dont rely on GPA stips, you have little control over how a section is put together.

Seriously, dont go to either school .

rougelove wrote:did any of you even bother reading the entire post? useless. get off from this forum if you can't give people realistic advice other than "retake" or "don't go."

The reason you're unhappy with this advice is because you, like so many others who post here, posted your question knowing very well that retake/don't go is the correct choice. You're hoping for one of us to justify the decision you've already made to ignore rational advice - which we just won't do. You think you know better? Fine, do what you want. But you've been warned.

South Texas, there's not contest here. Look, you probably won't be getting a decent job as lawyer from either of these schools so you might as well enjoy your time in law school. Houston is a lot more fun than Waco. Pay for everything with government loans. When you graduate, go on the pay as you earn program. Your salary will so low your payments will probably be zero. Don't listen to people telling you not to go. For people like you law school is a three year, government paid vacation so choose the school in the most fun location.

FutureSuperLawyer wrote:South Texas, there's not contest here. Look, you probably won't be getting a decent job as lawyer from either of these schools so you might as well enjoy your time in law school. Houston is a lot more fun than Waco. Pay for everything with government loans. When you graduate, go on the pay as you earn program. Your salary will so low your payments will probably be zero. Don't listen to people telling you not to go. For people like you law school is a three year, government paid vacation so choose the school in the most fun location.

This is fucking stupid, and you should feel bad.

Do not go to Baylor or South Texas law schools. There is a very high likelihood that you will regret it.

Neither. I go to SMU with a decent scholly and I wish I had retaken and gone to UT. You'd be putting yourself at a severe disadvantage in terms of career prospects by going to either one of these schools.

FutureSuperLawyer wrote:South Texas, there's not contest here. Look, you probably won't be getting a decent job as lawyer from either of these schools so you might as well enjoy your time in law school. Houston is a lot more fun than Waco. Pay for everything with government loans. When you graduate, go on the pay as you earn program. Your salary will so low your payments will probably be zero. Don't listen to people telling you not to go. For people like you law school is a three year, government paid vacation so choose the school in the most fun location.

FTFY.

I am going to ignore the end of your post because it is for your benefit.

What is your LSAT score? How long did you prep and what materials did you use?

Neither of these schools give you many options. It would be wise for you to forget about these schools (especially for the price) and focus on getting a full ride at UH or a decent scholarship at UT. UH gives you a realistic shot at landing a job in Houston and UT gives you a more than realistic shot at landing a job anywhere in Texas.

I was in a similar situation last year and I am glad I took the LSAT 3 times. Now I am a 1L at UT. In the long run, it is definitely worth it to maximize your opportunities by sitting for the test again. It is still early in the cycle.

Best of Luck....

I'll bite and not tell you to retake or choose a different school (even though you should)...

I work in DFW and go to school at SMU. I run into Baylor grads on a fairly regular basis. Not nearly as much as SMU, UT and T14 grads, but I've certainly met more Baylor grads in good law jobs than I could count on two hands. I have met all of one person from South Texas, and he was a current student representing his school at a Texas-wide event. Frankly, A&M, UNT, and Tech get better play than South Texas in DFW. In my experience, the DFW market is:

UT, T14, SMU >>> A&M, Tech, Baylor, T1 outside of TX >> UNT > South Texas