Baylor Law and Child Advocacy Forum

[esq]

Hi everyone,

I was hoping that you all could help me brainstorm. When all is said and done, I want to be an attorney who practices child welfare law in TX. I am applying to all the schools in TX for this reason, but Baylor is a bit different.

Instead of appealing to a strong clinical program like I would with SMU or UT, Baylor is all about training in litigation and a rigorous curriculum. This boot-camp experience is what makes Baylor grads stand out as exceptionally prepared when they finish, but I need some good ideas on how to relate this to child advocacy in a way that doesn't sound cliche. I also need to give them the impression that they really might be as good a fit for me as other schools with clinical programs - I think its important to an admissions committee to feel like their school can benefit an applicant.

I just want to make sure I put my best foot forward with all the schools that I apply to. So anyone with a really good knowledge of how Baylor relates to child advocacy, or just some good ideas of how to go about relating Baylors strenghts to my legal interests, please chime in. I'll be working on some of my other applications in the mean time. Thanks.

[Marionberry]

If you don't mind my asking, what are your numbers? I'm looking at Baylor as well, and while I don't know anything about their child advocacy program, I found this online. "The Waco Youth Law Advocacy Project", which appears to be a pro-bono program for Baylor Law students. If you look into that, you might could find the program director and set up an appointment with them. It's not a big school, and from what I hear the faculty are pretty accessible.

[kalvano]

Are you asking about your personal statement or what?


For what it's worth, Baylor is never the correct answer unless you have no other choices.

[truffleshuffle]

Instead of appealing to a strong clinical program like I would with SMU or UT, Baylor is all about training in litigation and a rigorous curriculum.

Tell them this. You want the unique experience that Baylor offers. A Baylor alum came and spoke at my undergrad and he talked about how the third year at Baylor is basically hell. Apparently you spend every waking hour working on your own case, serving in some role in one of your classmate's cases, or you are in class.

This is what sets them apart from everyone else, tell them it appeals to you and that you want to stay in Texas.

[esq]

Thanks Marion, your info is actually really helpful. I think that it will be helpful regardless of whether it is directly affiliated with Baylor. I could talk about how their rigorous work routine, which will sharpen my advocacy skills, combined with a program like the yout advocacy law program will best help me prepare for a career in child welfare law. I think that this would be a logical connection with how their school will prepare me? I'm at 162 and 3.9 LSDAS, and I'm curious as hell to see how my cycle goes down this fall. And regardless of the horror stories I've heard about Baylor, its reputation in TX is great, and working like hell during my third year should only prepare me for the rest of my career - so I'll take it as a sign that I can't hack it if they break me.

ps. And why you hatin' on Baylor kalvano. I've heard that they've become much more hip since 1996, when they lifted their ban on dancing. I've even heard that Baylor students have learned to do the Running Man by this point, a dance move that I fully support! I've left the final paragraph of my PS to work my appeal to any specific law school in. Digging through Baylors site, it just seems that I will have to flatter them in a different way than I would a school that has a great clinical program - which is what seems to be most helpful for child advocates.

[El_Gallo]

This is a little off topic, but I have a buddy that volunteered in the CASA program as a child advocate. He said it really set him up well for law school. If you have enough spare time you should look into it.

[kalvano]

its reputation in TX is great,

It's OK. Your stats will get you in to far better schools.

and working like hell during my third year should only prepare me for the rest of my career

And be completely unnecessary. They will work you to the bone for no real reason, and then you can watch a UT / SMU / UofH grad get the job you were angling for.

[esq]

I agree with you kalvano. I wouldn't be opposed to going there, though, if it end up being my best option. I think I could handle it, though if SMU or UT come a knockin', Baylor is certainly out of the plans. I guess I'm using it to simply hedge my bets.

[kalvano]

I agree with you kalvano. I wouldn't be opposed to going there, though, if it end up being my best option. I think I could handle it, though if SMU or UT come a knockin', Baylor is certainly out of the plans. I guess I'm using it to simply hedge my bets.

You'll get in to SMU, with some money. Same with UofH.

UT, probably not. Maybe, maybe, maybe, if you're in-state. They seem to like high GPA's.

They should take you just for the avatar alone.

[Marionberry]

Baylor is a good school, especially if you want to do trial law or litigation. And if you do, the torture of practice court will, from everything I've heard, do a good job of preparing you for after graduation.

If you're solely interested in the money and landing a $100k+ job right out of the gate, then you're going to have a hard time in Dallas, Houston and Austin against all the SMU, UH, and UT grads, respectively. But even from one of those schools, it looks like your chances of landing one of those jobs isn't gonna be great.

Baylor has a pretty good rep across the whole state, as does SMU and U of H, though they're gonna go a lot further in their respective cities. It seems like none of us 0Ls have a very realistic or founded perspective on how our degrees will play in the real world, but it definitely seems like few of us will be making six figures right after we graduate. That doesn't mean that a non-T14 degree is a death sentence or a waste of money. It does mean that we may not be rich at 30, and may have to spend some time developing our careers like most people. Wah.

[gwuorbust]

see

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 0&t=123722

[Mithrandir]

And be completely unnecessary. They will work you to the bone for no real reason, and then you can watch a UT / SMU / UofH grad get the job you were angling for.

This. Save your money and go to a state school. For the love of god, do NOT go to Baylor Law School. Seriously.

/baylor law grad