The University of Texas at Austin, School of Law Forum

[hookem7]

Just wondering if you guys had any insight into any boost from being in-state. I'm slightly below both medians and am white as can be, should I give up the staying in Austin for 3 more years dream?

[japes]

Just wondering if you guys had any insight into any boost from being in-state. I'm slightly below both medians and am white as can be, should I give up the staying in Austin for 3 more years dream?

i doubt the in-state boost is that significant. I'd retake.

[ocuviper]

I understand it was mentioned earlier that about the top quarter can get big law, but around what percentage of UT grads are able to secure either big law or midlaw?

I'm asking this because I think I want to go private but the numbers thrown around earlier in this thread are a little concerning.

[moneko]

.

[mineralwater>soda]

Putting in my two cents ... actually im gonna put in like 17 cents, almost enough to ride the bus so get ready...

I chose to go to UTLaw and I am happy I did. I am from Philadelphia, went to a top private undergrad, and got into a bunch of similarly ranked schools in the north and southeast. (georgetown, BU, cornell, vanderbilt, emory)

People asking about numbers for BigLaw etc, don't worry about it. It does NOT matter where you go to school. I repeat, the school you choose will NOT be a super strong determinant. Any of the top 30 schools are respected among employers. There will always be certain firms who are very loyal to a particular pool, but really what matters is how you do on exams and if people enjoy talking to you. That being said, of course employers in Texas will love you for going to UT, but I have spoken to/received offers from many firms/judges in the Northeast and no one blinks twice when I say I am at UT. If anything they are impressed, and over hearing stories about Austin / football and whatever else. The faculty at UT is literally incredible. They do not skimp on the 1L classes, they give you the big guns.

Austin is a city, and that is a prerequisite for me. But it is a city with open space and water and parks and sunshine. It is also the capital, so anyone interested in legislating/governmental lobbying is covered.
Bottom line is, go to a place you will enjoy for three years, a place where you will be willing to work hard because you are genuinely happy. Austin is definitely a happy place.

[Magnifique1908]

So I noticed that UT is pretty much unrepresented in the law school pictures thread. Anyone care to snap a few relevant photos for this Ohio girl and post them?

I need something to look at until March

Also, if there are any student parents around, any comments on law school, extracurriculars and parenting would be greatly appreciated. I have one brand new little one who will be a year old when I start law school.

Thanks!

[Hjones33]

Best thing about this thread is to see the front page and view the more innocent times of 2007 when Lindsay Lohan was considered hot.

[japes]

So I noticed that UT is pretty much unrepresented in the law school pictures thread. Anyone care to snap a few relevant photos for this Ohio girl and post them?

I need something to look at until March

Also, if there are any student parents around, any comments on law school, extracurriculars and parenting would be greatly appreciated. I have one brand new little one who will be a year old when I start law school.

Thanks!

There's a reason we aren't eager to run to the pics thread. Austin is a beautiful city; UT law is just plain ugly.

[Magnifique1908]

So I noticed that UT is pretty much unrepresented in the law school pictures thread. Anyone care to snap a few relevant photos for this Ohio girl and post them?

I need something to look at until March

Also, if there are any student parents around, any comments on law school, extracurriculars and parenting would be greatly appreciated. I have one brand new little one who will be a year old when I start law school.

Thanks!

There's a reason we aren't eager to run to the pics thread. Austin is a beautiful city; UT law is just plain ugly.

Oh no! Lol. Thanks for the heads up tho.

[hownowbrowncow]

Hey guys. So I was wondering if any UT students could talk about the non-profit/PI legal opportunities they've had at UT. Do UT students have good experiences with landing enviro law jobs?

[japes]

Hey guys. So I was wondering if any UT students could talk about the non-profit/PI legal opportunities they've had at UT. Do UT students have good experiences with landing enviro law jobs?

I'm a 1L (so my knowledge is not the best) pretty dead-set on PI work. There are lots of opportunities for PI experience here - the public service listserv sends out at least an email a week with a new pro bono project. In terms of jobs, a significant amount of 1L PI hiring happens at the public service career fair, which just happened last week. Most of the people I talked to about the career fair got 5-6 interviews out of it. Also, a lot of getting good PI experience as a law student comes from your own ability to get out there and network. I interned at a local PI org last fall simply by asking if they needed help - non-profits (especially ITE, especially in Texas ITE) are pretty understaffed and are generally receptive to people who *want* to volunteer. I haven't had a time in which I haven't been working on a pro bono project with a local PI org - and I have been fairly selective about working within my interest area to shape my resume. I think it would probably be pretty easy to get a foot in the door with a local enviro org just by asking, and I think CSO would probably be pretty willing to help.

The caveat to all this is that not a lot of out-of-state employers come to the public service career fair - between that and the few PI orgs at 1L OCI I can only remember there being a few out-of-state employers. This isn't to say that I don't think people have success getting internships out of state, just that you may have to hustle a little harder to get there. Also, I'm not at all interested in enviro law, but my read is that there really aren't a lot of enviro law orgs here - someone feel free to correct me on this if I am wrong.

HTH.

[Rawlberto]

Visiting for ASW and hear that I have to eat a dope BBQ spot that is 40 miles outside of the city. Where it be!?

[de5igual]

http://www.saltlickbbq.com/

[nonprofit-prophet]

Visiting for ASW and hear that I have to eat a dope BBQ spot that is 40 miles outside of the city. Where it be!?

Salt Lick is great, but my favorite is Black's in Lockhart. Check it out if you have a chance.

[de5igual]

Visiting for ASW and hear that I have to eat a dope BBQ spot that is 40 miles outside of the city. Where it be!?

Salt Lick is great, but my favorite is Black's in Lockhart. Check it out if you have a chance.

that's right. forgot about that place.

[Rawlberto]

Visiting for ASW and hear that I have to eat a dope BBQ spot that is 40 miles outside of the city. Where it be!?

Salt Lick is great, but my favorite is Black's in Lockhart. Check it out if you have a chance.

Thanks for the tip!

[sn20]

Any 2L's or 3L's want to comment on current employment prospects for BigLaw? How was OCI for those at the top, median and bottom?

[johansantana21]

Putting in my two cents ... actually im gonna put in like 17 cents, almost enough to ride the bus so get ready...

I chose to go to UTLaw and I am happy I did. I am from Philadelphia, went to a top private undergrad, and got into a bunch of similarly ranked schools in the north and southeast. (georgetown, BU, cornell, vanderbilt, emory)

People asking about numbers for BigLaw etc, don't worry about it. It does NOT matter where you go to school. I repeat, the school you choose will NOT be a super strong determinant. Any of the top 30 schools are respected among employers. There will always be certain firms who are very loyal to a particular pool, but really what matters is how you do on exams and if people enjoy talking to you. That being said, of course employers in Texas will love you for going to UT, but I have spoken to/received offers from many firms/judges in the Northeast and no one blinks twice when I say I am at UT. If anything they are impressed, and over hearing stories about Austin / football and whatever else. The faculty at UT is literally incredible. They do not skimp on the 1L classes, they give you the big guns.

Austin is a city, and that is a prerequisite for me. But it is a city with open space and water and parks and sunshine. It is also the capital, so anyone interested in legislating/governmental lobbying is covered.
Bottom line is, go to a place you will enjoy for three years, a place where you will be willing to work hard because you are genuinely happy. Austin is definitely a happy place.

Everything bolded is just false.

[nonprofit-prophet]

Putting in my two cents ... actually im gonna put in like 17 cents, almost enough to ride the bus so get ready...

I chose to go to UTLaw and I am happy I did. I am from Philadelphia, went to a top private undergrad, and got into a bunch of similarly ranked schools in the north and southeast. (georgetown, BU, cornell, vanderbilt, emory)

People asking about numbers for BigLaw etc, don't worry about it. It does NOT matter where you go to school. I repeat, the school you choose will NOT be a super strong determinant. Any of the top 30 schools are respected among employers. There will always be certain firms who are very loyal to a particular pool, but really what matters is how you do on exams and if people enjoy talking to you. That being said, of course employers in Texas will love you for going to UT, but I have spoken to/received offers from many firms/judges in the Northeast and no one blinks twice when I say I am at UT. If anything they are impressed, and over hearing stories about Austin / football and whatever else. The faculty at UT is literally incredible. They do not skimp on the 1L classes, they give you the big guns.

Austin is a city, and that is a prerequisite for me. But it is a city with open space and water and parks and sunshine. It is also the capital, so anyone interested in legislating/governmental lobbying is covered.
Bottom line is, go to a place you will enjoy for three years, a place where you will be willing to work hard because you are genuinely happy. Austin is definitely a happy place.

Everything bolded is just false.

Agreed. HYS and some CCN kids got Big 3 offers without grades. They don't really do that for us UT kids. That being said, if you do well here, you can compete for great jobs.

Also, a point about the 1L classes. I've found that the "small guns" have been better teachers than the big guns. My two best professors have both been assistant profs (added fairly recently).

[whenwin]

Any 2L's or 3L's want to comment on current employment prospects for BigLaw? How was OCI for those at the top, median and bottom?

^ Interested in this, too.

Also, not to be negative, but I just read some pretty disparaging comments on an article in the Austin American Statesman regarding job prospects at UT. Could anyone more familiar with the situation comment on the accuracy of these comments? Article here.

[nonprofit-prophet]

Any 2L's or 3L's want to comment on current employment prospects for BigLaw? How was OCI for those at the top, median and bottom?

^ Interested in this, too.

Also, not to be negative, but I just read some pretty disparaging comments on an article in the Austin American Statesman regarding job prospects at UT. Could anyone more familiar with the situation comment on the accuracy of these comments? Article here.

I'm only a 1L, but have had quite a few friends go through the law school and graduate in each of the last few years. From what I gather, hiring hasn't been great, but that's true of every school. I've been told by my friend working in big law that you really need a 3.6 (a hair below top quarter) to have a shot at it. That being said, if you do well, you have quite a few options not just in Texas, but in NYC and various clerkships.

Edit: i should also clarify that the 3.6 might not (for better or worse) apply to female and minority students. My friends have said that their firms dip into the 3.4-3.5 range to boost diversity numbers. DISCLAIMER: I am making no judgments about the various benefits or costs associates with such practices, nor am I implying that women or minority students are less intelligent. Just telling you what I've heard from a number of people.

[japes]

Putting in my two cents ... actually im gonna put in like 17 cents, almost enough to ride the bus so get ready...

I chose to go to UTLaw and I am happy I did. I am from Philadelphia, went to a top private undergrad, and got into a bunch of similarly ranked schools in the north and southeast. (georgetown, BU, cornell, vanderbilt, emory)

People asking about numbers for BigLaw etc, don't worry about it. It does NOT matter where you go to school. I repeat, the school you choose will NOT be a super strong determinant. Any of the top 30 schools are respected among employers. There will always be certain firms who are very loyal to a particular pool, but really what matters is how you do on exams and if people enjoy talking to you. That being said, of course employers in Texas will love you for going to UT, but I have spoken to/received offers from many firms/judges in the Northeast and no one blinks twice when I say I am at UT. If anything they are impressed, and over hearing stories about Austin / football and whatever else. The faculty at UT is literally incredible. They do not skimp on the 1L classes, they give you the big guns.

Austin is a city, and that is a prerequisite for me. But it is a city with open space and water and parks and sunshine. It is also the capital, so anyone interested in legislating/governmental lobbying is covered.
Bottom line is, go to a place you will enjoy for three years, a place where you will be willing to work hard because you are genuinely happy. Austin is definitely a happy place.

Everything bolded is just false.

Agreed. HYS and some CCN kids got Big 3 offers without grades. They don't really do that for us UT kids. That being said, if you do well here, you can compete for great jobs.

Also, a point about the 1L classes. I've found that the "small guns" have been better teachers than the big guns. My two best professors have both been assistant profs (added fairly recently).

Which profs? jw

[nonprofit-prophet]

Putting in my two cents ... actually im gonna put in like 17 cents, almost enough to ride the bus so get ready...

I chose to go to UTLaw and I am happy I did. I am from Philadelphia, went to a top private undergrad, and got into a bunch of similarly ranked schools in the north and southeast. (georgetown, BU, cornell, vanderbilt, emory)

People asking about numbers for BigLaw etc, don't worry about it. It does NOT matter where you go to school. I repeat, the school you choose will NOT be a super strong determinant. Any of the top 30 schools are respected among employers. There will always be certain firms who are very loyal to a particular pool, but really what matters is how you do on exams and if people enjoy talking to you. That being said, of course employers in Texas will love you for going to UT, but I have spoken to/received offers from many firms/judges in the Northeast and no one blinks twice when I say I am at UT. If anything they are impressed, and over hearing stories about Austin / football and whatever else. The faculty at UT is literally incredible. They do not skimp on the 1L classes, they give you the big guns.

Austin is a city, and that is a prerequisite for me. But it is a city with open space and water and parks and sunshine. It is also the capital, so anyone interested in legislating/governmental lobbying is covered.
Bottom line is, go to a place you will enjoy for three years, a place where you will be willing to work hard because you are genuinely happy. Austin is definitely a happy place.

Everything bolded is just false.

Agreed. HYS and some CCN kids got Big 3 offers without grades. They don't really do that for us UT kids. That being said, if you do well here, you can compete for great jobs.

Also, a point about the 1L classes. I've found that the "small guns" have been better teachers than the big guns. My two best professors have both been assistant profs (added fairly recently).

Which profs? jw

PM'd

[sn20]

.

[nonprofit-prophet]

Any 2L's or 3L's want to comment on current employment prospects for BigLaw? How was OCI for those at the top, median and bottom?

^ Interested in this, too.

Also, not to be negative, but I just read some pretty disparaging comments on an article in the Austin American Statesman regarding job prospects at UT. Could anyone more familiar with the situation comment on the accuracy of these comments? Article here.

I'm only a 1L, but have had quite a few friends go through the law school and graduate in each of the last few years. From what I gather, hiring hasn't been great, but that's true of every school. I've been told by my friend working in big law that you really need a 3.6 (a hair below top quarter) to have a shot at it. That being said, if you do well, you have quite a few options not just in Texas, but in NYC and various clerkships.

Edit: i should also clarify that the 3.6 might not (for better or worse) apply to female and minority students. My friends have said that their firms dip into the 3.4-3.5 range to boost diversity numbers. DISCLAIMER: I am making no judgments about the various benefits or costs associates with such practices, nor am I implying that women or minority students are less intelligent. Just telling you what I've heard from a number of people.

So all the clamoring by TLS saying "go to UT if you want to practice in Texas" (read: don't go to better, out-of-state schools) is just wrong? COA at UT is still $143,136 over 3 years and you have to make top 25%. COA at Duke/UVA is about $210,000 over 3 years and normally students at median can get BigLaw?

well you are sort of asking two different questions. You first mention "go to UT if you want to practice in Texas," but then you reference Duke's overall big law numbers. My advice would be this: if you want big law anywhere you can get it, go to Duke or UVA. if you want big law in Texas, go to Texas. A median student at Duke will probably have a harder time getting big law in Texas than a median student at UT (though both are in for stressful OCI). I mentioned above that firms seem willing to give out offers like crazy to HYS students, but when you get to the bottom of the T14, they are much more serious about ties to the state (heck, even ties to the city. I know people from one major TX city with top 10% grades that had a very hard time getting big law in another major texas city).