University of Utah 1L Taking Questions! Forum

[Cmoss]

can someone start a Utah 2011 thread its not letting me

[byu85]

If anyone this cycle has any questions let me know. I am now a 2L and more than loving Utah Law!!! Best decision I have ever made. Have made a great new friends, have found great part-time work while I am in school, and I am going to actually miss the U's law school after I graduate. One other exciting thing going on this year is that about 30-40 law students got seats together in the "MUSS" student section at Utah football games and it has been a great season (even though we lost our last two games...). Things are going well up here at the U! Good luck with the application process and taking the December LSAT!

[byu85]

applying for this cycle! stoked!

Good Luck!

[hrourke]

What is the atmosphere like at the U? It sounds like it's pretty laid back. Not like that school down south, from what I hear.

Also, what has been your experience with OCI and finding legal jobs in the SLC market?

[Cmoss]

applying for this cycle! stoked!

Good Luck!

thanks!


What are your impressions on your first year now that its in the books? What are somethings you wished a 2L had told you going into Utah Law as 1L

[Michael_Smitty]

byu85, I have read some of your posts and you seem like a really nice person. I appreciate your thorough knowledge and willingness to take questions.

I am currently an UG at the U, and consider S.J. Quinney to be at the top of my list for law school choices.

I hope I can gain admission (I don't graduate until Spring 2013.. so I've got a while)

Good luck to all!

P.S. What made you choose the U over Pepperdine?

[shillim]

University of Utah 2L also taking questions.

I can answer questions about Utah from an out of state, non LDS, minority perspective...

Just off the top of my head here are some pros and cons:
Pros:
-Small student body (it's relatively easy to get to know people).
-Professors/Faculty/Administration fairly accessible.
-Close proximity to the mountains for hiking and skiing.
-Easy to get around town.
-Great support for 1Ls starting starting off.
-Low turnover rate.
-Law community relatively active with school.

Cons:
-Drab facilities
-Crappy parking
-Strange drinking laws (you really don't get use to it)
-Hard to get into some of the more popular classes
-Snow and cold
-The inversion
-Not a city for foodies

I'm really digging deep for things I don't like about the school and the City. It does have it quirks, but generally a great place for law school...

[Cmoss]

University of Utah 2L also taking questions.

Hows OCI?

[shillim]

University of Utah 2L also taking questions.

Hows OCI?

Not having gone through the OCI experience this semester, I wouldn't be able to give you a first hand accounting. However, the general consensus I get from looking around is that it's a pretty tough market out there. Having said that, it seems as many of my fellow compatriots have found something for the following summer either through OCI or through directly contacting firms.

There is something to be said about making your own opportunities in law school.

[boilerup89]

So I just got a fee waiver from the U today in the mail.

Problem is I applied like a month ago and already paid the app fee. Do I let the admissions office know of this and ask for a refund? I've heard of some students do this at other schools. Then again I don't want to look like a jerk Utah is prob in my top 3 .

Survey Says????


And in an unrelated question for current Utah Students, Just how good is the skiing and how much (if at all) do you go. I'd be lying if said that the proximity to amazing snowboarding wasn't a major part of my decision for applying to the U

[Pink]

Best snow on earth

[byu85]

What is the atmosphere like at the U? It sounds like it's pretty laid back. Not like that school down south, from what I hear.

Also, what has been your experience with OCI and finding legal jobs in the SLC market?

It's very laid back, especially compared to BYU Law (I have several friends there and they are having a pretty crappy life compared to me because of the cutthroat nature down there). I've made a lot of great friends at the U, both mormon and non-mormon, which has been nice because I went to BYU as an undergrad so I've welcomed the diversity. Living in the SLC is awesome, I live in the avenues near downtown and highly recommend it; there are a ton of college students living near the avenues and sugarhouse. OCI is competitive, especially right now, but if you have the grades and interview well you will be fine. I am barely in the top 30% and got a part-time job working in downtown SLC at a small law firm. My friends in the top 15% got jobs everywhere from NYC to Phoenix for next summer. Grades are important here just as they are at every law school, at least for your first job anyway.

[byu85]

applying for this cycle! stoked!

Good Luck!

thanks!


What are your impressions on your first year now that its in the books? What are somethings you wished a 2L had told you going into Utah Law as 1L

Your first year grades are BY FAR the most important, so keep that in mind and try your best. Also, reading every case in detail is NOT NECESSARY at all, just make sure you understand the big picture because most of the final exam hypos are pretty broad so don't get caught up in the knit picky stuff. Reading commercial outlines and making sure you understand what is going on is way more important than being prepared for class each day with the details of case you were supposed to read because your entire grade is usually the final exam, not class participation. In other words, I wish I would have been less worried about making myself sound stupid in class by not knowing a case and been more focused on reading up on the commercial outlines and summaries of the course topics in preparation for final exams.

[byu85]

Best snow on earth

Like

[byu85]

So I just got a fee waiver from the U today in the mail.

Problem is I applied like a month ago and already paid the app fee. Do I let the admissions office know of this and ask for a refund? I've heard of some students do this at other schools. Then again I don't want to look like a jerk Utah is prob in my top 3 .

Survey Says????


And in an unrelated question for current Utah Students, Just how good is the skiing and how much (if at all) do you go. I'd be lying if said that the proximity to amazing snowboarding wasn't a major part of my decision for applying to the U

I didn't get a pass my first year, which I am glad I did because you probably won't have time. Your second and third years you definitely will have time to board/ski though because things get A LOT easier because you know what it going on and how it all works. Your first year you will still have 2-3 weeks during Xmas break to get in all the snow you want though so don't worry.

[jdemmitt]

How long did it take for you to get your acceptance letter? Utah is one of my top four schools, so I am going crazy waiting to hear back from them. Also, how are the professors? It sounds like there is a great culture there, I am a BYU undergrad myself. Will I be looked down on for that?

[usuaggie]

How long did it take for you to get your acceptance letter? Utah is one of my top four schools, so I am going crazy waiting to hear back from them. Also, how are the professors? It sounds like there is a great culture there, I am a BYU undergrad myself. Will I be looked down on for that?

i know this isn't what you are looking for exactly, but I didn't get my rejection letter until the last week of april.

[bsm909]

Would also love any thoughts on the overall first year experience in terms of having any time with your family outside of school, etc. From what the administration told me once when I mentioned that I was close with my family (live close enough we do dinner once a week, etc), they made it seem that the two were completely incompatible. I'm sure the two aren't completely incompatible- but I'd love to know the view from someone in it. I'm sure its what you make out of it to a degree as well, but I'd love to know from someone who feels they get a lot out of the programs, got good grades, etc. how they felt the time was with their spouse, family, etc. My husband is convinced I literally wont see him for the entire time. I know thats a bit extreme so would love any insight!

Thanks in advance for helping those in our situation now! I hope that next year at this time I'll be able to do the same!

[Sparky]

Would also love any thoughts on the overall first year experience in terms of having any time with your family outside of school, etc. From what the administration told me once when I mentioned that I was close with my family (live close enough we do dinner once a week, etc), they made it seem that the two were completely incompatible. I'm sure the two aren't completely incompatible- but I'd love to know the view from someone in it. I'm sure its what you make out of it to a degree as well, but I'd love to know from someone who feels they get a lot out of the programs, got good grades, etc. how they felt the time was with their spouse, family, etc. My husband is convinced I literally wont see him for the entire time. I know thats a bit extreme so would love any insight!

Thanks in advance for helping those in our situation now! I hope that next year at this time I'll be able to do the same!

My first year at the U was really not nearly as bad as everyone made it sound. I woke up a little early (6:00am), got ready and studied until class. I skipped a lot of the on campus lunch events to continue my studying. Then in the afternoon after class got out at around 3:00 I would just go home and spend the rest of the day with my family. I managed to land in the top 30%. I didn't do any school work on the weekends. The only exceptions to this light schedule occurred near due dates for the Legal Methods class and the final exam period.

For some people, sacrificing lunch time events and socialization for more family time later isn't worth it. To get good grades, someone like this would have to find other time to study. Also, some people just really need to spend more study time than others. I definitely tend to be on the needs-less-study-time end of the spectrum.

My second year has been much more demanding. I'm taking more credits than first year, and I'm working a part-time job. I have a lot less time to spend with my family, but I still spend the whole weekend with my family. I am gone all day until about 8 or 9 pm, so I get to hang out out with my spouse for a couple of hours before bed every night. It is a little hard, but we both know it is temporary, and will be worth it in the long run.

[bsm909]

Thank you for your reply! Have you enjoyed the program so far?

[Pink]

How much does the average student study? Is it an incredibly competitive environment? What's your least favorite thing about the program?

[Pink]

[quote="jdemmitt"]How long did it take for you to get your acceptance letter? Utah is one of my top four schools, so I am going crazy waiting to hear back from them. Also, how are the professors? It sounds like there is a great culture there, I am a BYU undergrad myself. Will I be looked down on for that?[/quote]


Oooooh Cougy.....Grrrrr

I kid, I kid...sort of.

[jdemmitt]

How long did it take for you to get your acceptance letter? Utah is one of my top four schools, so I am going crazy waiting to hear back from them. Also, how are the professors? It sounds like there is a great culture there, I am a BYU undergrad myself. Will I be looked down on for that?[/quote]


Oooooh Cougy.....Grrrrr

I kid, I kid...sort of.

[/quote]


Hey, hey. I tried to be a Ute, but the commute was a biatch from Provo. It was a tough call honestly to turn down the U which is why I am thinking of law school there. I read though that they do not place as well as other similar ranked schools. How are OCIs?

[Sparky]

Thank you for your reply! Have you enjoyed the program so far?

I have greatly enjoyed the program. I had a lot of great options, and the University of Utah made the most sense. If I could go back, I wouldn't have even hesitated to go to the U again. The law school here has its strengths and weaknesses, but the strengths far outweigh the weaknesses. I love it here!

[Sparky]

How long did it take for you to get your acceptance letter? Utah is one of my top four schools, so I am going crazy waiting to hear back from them. Also, how are the professors? It sounds like there is a great culture there, I am a BYU undergrad myself. Will I be looked down on for that?[/quote]


Oooooh Cougy.....Grrrrr

I kid, I kid...sort of.

[/quote]

The people at the U law school are great. I haven't seen anyone looking down on anyone for any reason. Sure, during rivalry week, you might get a couple of good natured jabs, but its all good fun. I have a degree from the Y, and nobody hates me for it.