Recently Graduated UT Law Student taking questions Forum

[timmyd]

I'm a transfer student this year and have a question about law journals. Obviously law review is head and shoulders above the rest but as for the other journals, are some considered more prestigious than others? I did the write on and got The Texas Review of Law and Politics...just wondering what the relative prestige of this journal is? Very excited to get the offer regardless.

[mrsmartypants]

Used to be that TROL and TILJ held themselves out to be the next most "prestigious" journals behind TLR, with the rest trailing behind. Not sure if that's still the case.

[philosoraptor]

Used to be that TROL and TILJ held themselves out to be the next most "prestigious" journals behind TLR, with the rest trailing behind. Not sure if that's still the case.

Yeah, these two journals claim to be more selective and better known to employers. Doubt if it makes a huge difference. I was on TROL and had a lot more fun hanging out with TRESL people than TROL people. (Nothing against TROL in general, but it was a tad gunnerific and had a noticeable inferiority complex w/r/t TLR.)

If it makes any difference to you, timmyd, the Law and Politics journal is a right-wing publication and tends to attract a lot of vaguely obnoxious pseudo-intellectual libertarian types.

[timmyd]

Thanks, for the info y'all. One of the reasons I asked to be looked at by The Texas Review of Law and Politics is because I am very libertarian leaning. I can truly say I am passionate about my political beliefs which I believe will make writing notes/comments much more bearable.

[nonprofit-prophet]

Thanks, for the info y'all. One of the reasons I asked to be looked at by The Texas Review of Law and Politics is because I am very libertarian leaning. I can truly say I am passionate about my political beliefs which I believe will make writing notes/comments much more bearable.

Most people just use their seminar paper as their note. You have to take a seminar to graduate anyway.

[timmyd]

Oh...I was not aware you could do that...either way the more writing experience the better.

[bimmer11]

Thanks for the fast response.

Also, forgot to ask could anyone say about where one needs to place in the class for the "Texas big law" jobs in Dallas like Jackson Walker and Looper Reed?

It's tough to say where you need to be, since so much of it comes down to personality. Top 25% should be an ok spot to be in for a firm job in Dallas. Houston is a bit easier to crack, especially for non-texans.

So would being around median be a deal breaker? Or can personality and/or having very strong ties to DFW bridge that 25% gap?

I've read (not sure how much is fact) that going to UVA or a similar school and coming back is easier to do from median and below. I was planning on doing Early Action to UT but since they changed it to binding this year, I'm rethinking my application process. Thanks for the advice.

ETA: UT is by far my #1 choice, I just want to make sure I have some slack if needed (if that's even possible).

[Stache]

Anyone with info on Blinkova for legal writing or Robertson for torts?

Great thread, thanks everyone!

[nonprofit-prophet]

Anyone with info on Blinkova for legal writing or Robertson for torts?

Great thread, thanks everyone!

Robertson is great. You really don't need a supplement since his textbook is so great. Make sure you study the notes section in each chapter. His exams focus on where the law is going, not where it is, so many of the questions come straight from the notes.

[philosoraptor]

So would being around median be a deal breaker? Or can personality and/or having very strong ties to DFW bridge that 25% gap?

I've read (not sure how much is fact) that going to UVA or a similar school and coming back is easier to do from median and below. I was planning on doing Early Action to UT but since they changed it to binding this year, I'm rethinking my application process. Thanks for the advice.

ETA: UT is by far my #1 choice, I just want to make sure I have some slack if needed (if that's even possible).

I'm no expert, but I would think that it's such a buyer's market right now that it wouldn't make sense to do binding ED anywhere. Applications are way down, so schools will be throwing cash at 0Ls to keep their numbers up.

From what I can tell, plenty of c/o 2013 and 2014 people with ties did fine in DFW (or Houston) as long as they were above median.

[philosoraptor]

Anyone with info on Blinkova for legal writing or Robertson for torts?

Great thread, thanks everyone!

Robertson is great. You really don't need a supplement since his textbook is so great. Make sure you study the notes section in each chapter. His exams focus on where the law is going, not where it is, so many of the questions come straight from the notes.

+1 to this. Robertson was by far my favorite prof at UT. Did three classes, a seminar, and an independent study with him. An excellent writer and teacher of writing.

As nonprofit said, he presents everything really straightforwardly, so no need to do much beyond the materials he gives you. But he's one of the few whose LR articles it can actually be helpful to read, if you feel like it. For his torts exam, it was really helpful to put together a short "attack" outline focusing on the points he emphasized in class.

[Chaucer1343]

Are there any places to easily get hot water in the law school building? (for instant coffee/tea)

[Longhorn88]

Any thoughts on Cross for torts?

You lucked out, he's awesome.

Thanks for the fast response.

Also, forgot to ask could anyone say about where one needs to place in the class for the "Texas big law" jobs in Dallas like Jackson Walker and Looper Reed?

50% to get a screener

I'm a transfer student this year and have a question about law journals. Obviously law review is head and shoulders above the rest but as for the other journals, are some considered more prestigious than others?

No not really, after TLR it really just comes down to specialties. TROL people do tend to have an inferiority complex and try to prop themselves up as the #2 journal. I don't think anyone else really cares though.

Are there any places to easily get hot water in the law school building? (for instant coffee/tea)

Yes, George's (or whatever they're calling it now) in the basement or the kiosk in the foyer will normally fill your thermos for you.

[TheJanitor6203]

Used to be that TROL and TILJ held themselves out to be the next most "prestigious" journals behind TLR, with the rest trailing behind. Not sure if that's still the case.

Yeah, these two journals claim to be more selective and better known to employers. Doubt if it makes a huge difference. I was on TROL and had a lot more fun hanging out with TRESL people than TROL people. (Nothing against TROL in general, but it was a tad gunnerific and had a noticeable inferiority complex w/r/t TLR.)

If it makes any difference to you, timmyd, the Law and Politics journal is a right-wing publication and tends to attract a lot of vaguely obnoxious pseudo-intellectual libertarian types.

Sounds like my kind of people.

[TheJanitor6203]

I think a similar version of this has been asked but I'll do it anyways..

With a 3.29 LDAS GPA what would y'all say I need to score on the LSAT? I've heard that UT is a "GPA whore." I'm a veteran which will help some hopefully. Does anyone know if there is any noticable bump for veterans? And I can apply EA if that will improve my odds.

Edit: I scored a 159 on the Feb LSAT and I'm retaking in October and I think I should be able to score a 165+.

[WokeUpInACar]

I think a similar version of this has been asked but I'll do it anyways..

With a 3.29 LDAS GPA what would y'all say I need to score on the LSAT? I've heard that UT is a "GPA whore." I'm a veteran which will help some hopefully. Does anyone know if there is any noticable bump for veterans? And I can apply EA if that will improve my odds.

Edit: I scored a 159 on the Feb LSAT and I'm retaking in October and I think I should be able to score a 165+.

EA IMO will have very little effect, as they didn't really seem to accept any splitters that early last cycle despite letting tons in later in the cycle. UT has softened their GPA requirements considerably the last few years. 3-4 years ago they had a pretty damn hard 3.5 GPA floor, but they accepted quite a few 3.0-3.3 splitters this year, and gave most of them scholarships (myself included). The LSAT you need will be pretty dependent on being a Texas resident. If you are in-state, I think a 167 will eventually get you accepted, but you might have to wait until April or May. 168+ would make you very nearly a lock to get in. Out of state is a whole different ballgame and I'd advise you to move to Texas and work for a year to establish residency, or else UT will almost certainly be prohibitively expensive for you to attend.

[Longhorn88]

I think a similar version of this has been asked but I'll do it anyways..

With a 3.29 LDAS GPA what would y'all say I need to score on the LSAT? I've heard that UT is a "GPA whore." I'm a veteran which will help some hopefully. Does anyone know if there is any noticable bump for veterans? And I can apply EA if that will improve my odds.

Edit: I scored a 159 on the Feb LSAT and I'm retaking in October and I think I should be able to score a 165+.

As mentioned, 3 years ago (when I applied) I got in off WL w/ a 172/3.4. With a 3.3 you'd probably need at least low 170's.

That said, with applications #'s so low, it's a crapshoot now.

[TheJanitor6203]

I think a similar version of this has been asked but I'll do it anyways..

With a 3.29 LDAS GPA what would y'all say I need to score on the LSAT? I've heard that UT is a "GPA whore." I'm a veteran which will help some hopefully. Does anyone know if there is any noticable bump for veterans? And I can apply EA if that will improve my odds.

Edit: I scored a 159 on the Feb LSAT and I'm retaking in October and I think I should be able to score a 165+.

As mentioned, 3 years ago (when I applied) I got in off WL w/ a 172/3.4. With a 3.3 you'd probably need at least low 170's.

That said, with applications #'s so low, it's a crapshoot now.

This is heart breaking.

[mg7]

Just saying.. but I was admitted this past January with a 3.4 and a 167.

[mediocrity]

You lucked out, he's awesome.

Sent you a PM about Cross.

[ajclark1992]

You lucked out, he's awesome.

Sent you a PM about Cross.

Want to CC me on the exchange?

[utlaw2007]

I think a similar version of this has been asked but I'll do it anyways..

With a 3.29 LDAS GPA what would y'all say I need to score on the LSAT? I've heard that UT is a "GPA whore." I'm a veteran which will help some hopefully. Does anyone know if there is any noticable bump for veterans? And I can apply EA if that will improve my odds.

Edit: I scored a 159 on the Feb LSAT and I'm retaking in October and I think I should be able to score a 165+.

If you are a veteran, you should incorporate that into your personal statement somehow. But you have to say something very insightful. UT does place much emphasis on softs. But that really depends on the strength of the numbers from the rest of the admitted class. If the rest of the admitted class is very strong, numerically speaking, the more likely they are to place much more emphasis on your softs, namely, your personal statement. This way, they can admit someone with lower numbers who doesn't affect median numbers. But if you want them to place a lot of emphasis on your personal statement, it has to be a fantastic personal statement that is very insightful. I feel this is true because that's what happened to me. I did not have outstanding numbers. However, I wrote several addenda to showcase my writing. And I did it to have a very persuasive and compelling application. And I was admitted within days of the application deadline of Feb 1 in a very competitive year. At that time, they had reduced the seats by over 100 and had received a record number of applications.

So there is some hope. I just don't know if that is realistically obtainable for you. Each applicant is different. But for the most part, the odds are drastically against you if you don't have the numbers. Bumps are not necessarily given just because you may have a unique trait. You have to articulate it somehow, insightfully.

Edit: And I was admitted with a decent amount of money without me negotiating for it.

[utlaw2007]

Good to know! As a Texan, I always want to imagine UT was more of a national school and glad it atleast can be.

I think the hit the economy has taken has had a huge impact on the difficulty of a UT Law grad finding work outside of Texas. When I was at UT, 60% of our OCI came from out of state firms. Obviously, someone who wants to work out of state but couldn't is not going to say that. So all I heard were the success stories of people seeking out of state employment. But the general impression I got was that out of state employment wasn't difficult to get if you had the grades, which usually meant about top 3rd, maybe even a bit lower pre 2008.

I have no idea if that's still true because of the economy. But my point is that the fact that it used to be true illustrates the that the UT Law brand travels outside of Texas.

[timeandspace11]

I have Bracha for Contracts. Any useful supplement recommendations?

[dkb17xzx]

I have Bracha for Contracts. Any useful supplement recommendations?

as do I..I'm going through Chirelstein right now. it's semi-helpful