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Well they're both affiliated with a christian religion that is not your own so I guess that part is a wash. But no, in all seriousness, we need to know whether you have $$ at SMU. That being said, even you're leaving sticker at SMU for sticker at ND it is probably unwise to leave SMU if you want to work in Dallas, albeit less unwise than leaving $$ at SMU for sticker at ND.

Don't leave SMU for ND if you want Dallas. Period.

UVA2B wrote:Don't leave SMU for ND if you want Dallas. Period.

Yes, agreed.

OP: My understanding is that your LSAT score & undergraduate GPA are not relevant when applying as a transfer student. Notre Dame, or any other target transfer school, is primarily concerned with your grades & class standing achieved during your first year of law school. Law school professor recs may also be a factor.

Dallas is a great city, South Bend is not so great.

With respect to job opportunities in Dallas from Notre Dame law, you need to contact current Notre Dame law students & recent graduates.

Law school is about job placement in a field & geographic area where you want to live & work. Undergraduate school is more about enjoying the experience. Some might say "if you enjoy law school, then you're not doing it right."

In conclusion, top 35% (you're outside of the top third) may not be enough to get you a coveted spot at Notre Dame law as a transfer student.

TierForceOne wrote:165 on LSAT, slightly below ND's median for GPA.

Just outside of top 33% at SMU after 1 semester.

I like Dallas, and want to work here eventually. But I'm not totally infatuated with SMU, and am interested in a different experience. I grew up conservative Baptist, and as you can guess, am a fairly religious person. (I also went to another religious private school in UG).

What do you think? Considering my circumstances, would you transfer? What are the pros and cons?

My biggest reason is in hope of a varied LS experience, and also for a better shot at a meaningful clerkship after LS. Also going to Notre Dame seems like it would be a good experience and there would be people there with my same background. (religious, decent economic upbringing, sexually oppressed).

I don't know what kind of distinction you're hoping to gain at ND, but the bolded is weird. Insofar as religion infuses the law school ( which is very little at both schools). ND is a Catholic school and SMU is Methodist/Episcopalian. The "decent" economic upbringing sounds extremely snobby, if intended that way, which means that you should fit right in at SMU. There is no lack of money in Highland Park. The last point is not even worth addressing.

TL;DR what's your $$ situation and where do you wanna work?

Pepperdine might be a match.

Good idea. Transfer from a school in Dallas to a non-t14 school not in Dallas, with the ultimate goal of working in Dallas.

No. Do not transfer.

Transferring to a different school because you want a varied experience is something you should do in undergrad, not law school. Especially when you're looking to work in the market where your current LS serves.

Ronan wrote:No. Do not transfer.

Transferring to a different school because you want a varied experience is something you should do in undergrad, not law school. Especially when you're looking to work in the market where your current LS serves.

Thank you kind sir.

No. If you want to work in Dallas, why would you leave the best school in the DFW area? If you were leaving for UT, then I would say by all means go for it. But not ND.

As someone who got into ND via transfer. Don't apply to ND if you solely want Dallas. Sure there are ND alums in Dallas, but not a ton.

Apply to ND if you want: IN, MI, MN, MO, IL, OH, WI.

ND is good for flexibility in the midwest/great lakes. ND is *pretty* good/OK (compared to most "super-regionals") for flexibility nationwide, but won't hold a candle to UT in Texas (or Vandy in Texas).