Texas 1L taking questions, 2010-'11 edition Forum

[philosoraptor]

Hey, I'm an applicant this year; thanks for answering questions!

Roughly what percentage of the class get jobs that pay market? Also, in addition to the law library, is the law school planning any other renovations? Thanks

Sadly, I'm not one of those people who can rattle off such specific career statistics. Maybe ask the career services office (1Ls aren't supposed to visit yet) or check with a third-party publication that keeps track of these things.

I don't think any more renovations are planned, but one never knows.

[JazzOne]

Hey, I'm an applicant this year; thanks for answering questions!

Roughly what percentage of the class get jobs that pay market? Also, in addition to the law library, is the law school planning any other renovations? Thanks

Sadly, I'm not one of those people who can rattle off such specific career statistics. Maybe ask the career services office (1Ls aren't supposed to visit yet) or check with a third-party publication that keeps track of these things.

I don't think any more renovations are planned, but one never knows.

This is purely anecdotal, but I would say that the top 10% of my class was pretty safe (found an attractive summer job). Students between 10% and 25% are getting jobs, but they have to scrap for them, and it's not guaranteed. Students below 25% probably have a tough time finding employment unless they have connections or terrific personal skills.

[nonprofit-prophet]

wow really? bottom 75% can't find jobs? I figured top 25% would get big law, middle would get mid-law and below median was SOL. Wow that gives me pause

[JazzOne]

wow really? bottom 75% can't find jobs? I figured top 25% would get big law, middle would get mid-law and below median was SOL. Wow that gives me pause

My comments are based purely on anecdotal evidence. However, here are four quick stories that should scare you. First, a classmate told me at an interview last week that he knew people in the top quarter without summer jobs. Second, another classmate told me that she is not in the top third, so she didn't even get any interviews. Third, I am on law review, and I had some trouble finding a summer job, and I didn't have a biglaw offer until last week. (My employment difficulties were probably due to my poor interviewing skills, though, because most of my law review friends had multiple offers weeks ago.) Fourth, I have a friend on law review who is top 2%, and as of Saturday, he hadn't found a job for the second half of the summer. Granted, very few firms have a second-half summer program, but I was still astounded that his summer wasn't already booked.

[nonprofit-prophet]

wow. Thanks for the info. I have a friend on law review and he made the employment opportunities sound A LOT better.

[AP-375]

Hey, I'm an applicant this year; thanks for answering questions!

Roughly what percentage of the class get jobs that pay market? Also, in addition to the law library, is the law school planning any other renovations? Thanks

Sadly, I'm not one of those people who can rattle off such specific career statistics. Maybe ask the career services office (1Ls aren't supposed to visit yet) or check with a third-party publication that keeps track of these things.

I don't think any more renovations are planned, but one never knows.

This is purely anecdotal, but I would say that the top 10% of my class was pretty safe (found an attractive summer job). Students between 10% and 25% are getting jobs, but they have to scrap for them, and it's not guaranteed. Students below 25% probably have a tough time finding employment unless they have connections or terrific personal skills.

If this is even somewhat true, this could be a serious game-changer. I thought Texas was the only "safe" market and UT was the ticket in. Can anyone verify that it is that ugly?

[JazzOne]

wow. Thanks for the info. I have a friend on law review and he made the employment opportunities sound A LOT better.

The law review crowd is pretty insular. If you sat around the LR office all day, you would get the impression that everyone has multiple V50 offers. However, the LR crowd is highly motivated with terrific grades, so of course you would expect many of them to have attractive offers. Plus, the LR members who are not as successful don't chime in and say, "Hey, not everyone has offers!" Those of us who were down on our luck just smiled and pretended like everything was fine.

The bottom line is this: If you make law review, you're probably safe. But making law review is pretty hard, and some of the factors (i.e., professors) are completely beyond your control. My best friend in law school should be on law review, but he got screwed with a C from a professor who had a clear ideological bias. That professor is no longer at UT, but I am convinced that my friend got royally screwed. Just for some perspective, my friend got an A+ in another class the same semester. I studied with him for both classes, and no one will ever convince me that he deserved a C. It was the whim of the professor, and it was unappealable. Luckily, he got a V20 job offer this semester, but he was pissed last year when the law review list came out.

[nonprofit-prophet]

Hey, I'm an applicant this year; thanks for answering questions!

Roughly what percentage of the class get jobs that pay market? Also, in addition to the law library, is the law school planning any other renovations? Thanks

Sadly, I'm not one of those people who can rattle off such specific career statistics. Maybe ask the career services office (1Ls aren't supposed to visit yet) or check with a third-party publication that keeps track of these things.

I don't think any more renovations are planned, but one never knows.

This is purely anecdotal, but I would say that the top 10% of my class was pretty safe (found an attractive summer job). Students between 10% and 25% are getting jobs, but they have to scrap for them, and it's not guaranteed. Students below 25% probably have a tough time finding employment unless they have connections or terrific personal skills.

If this is even somewhat true, this could be a serious game-changer. I thought Texas was the only "safe" market and UT was the ticket in. Can anyone verify that it is that ugly?

My thoughts exactly! Texas was my number one choice (if I got a little scholarship money), because of the job opportunities I had heard of. I definitely am a bit nervous after reading the above stories.

[grrrstick]

I'm a 1L at UT, so take my comments with a grain of salt. I have connections to Biglaw in Houston and Dallas (not the kind that get you jobs without grades, but its good networking I guess). The partners I speak with are generally optimistic about hiring over the next few years in Texas. UT, in Texas and the immediately surrounding states, has at least as good job prospects as a school like Chicago.

If the economy recovers even a little there is going to be a ton of consolidation in O&G, with the majority of the work going to the big transactional and corporate firms in Texas. Houston is the center of the energy world (yes, Green energy too), and all the big i-banking houses run at least some deals through their offices here because of the taxes, work that generates a lot of billable hours. Austin is arguably the most important market for tech start up right now and almost certainly will continue to be for the next decade thanks to the tax structure in the state. And, as our (hopefully soon to be ex) governor is fond of pointing out, 80% of the private sector jobs created in the US since the recession started have been in TX. The job market isn't perfect, but it is substantially better in the Houston and Dallas markets than in most places. Most people don't even realize that San Antonio is a pretty big secondary market (pay scale is comparable to Boston at the top firms), and there are actually a lot of boutique firms in the Panhandle and West Texas if you have some kind of connection.

And don't let anyone tell you people are miserable here. If you don't like Austin or can't find something to do here, the problem is you.

[JazzOne]

I'm a 1L at UT, so take my comments with a grain of salt. I have connections to Biglaw in Houston and Dallas (not the kind that get you jobs without grades, but its good networking I guess). The partners I speak with are generally optimistic about hiring over the next few years in Texas.

I'm sure the partners are optimistic. It's a total buyer's market for them. I'd be thrilled to be a hiring partner right now.

If the economy recovers even a little there is going to be a ton of consolidation in O&G, with the majority of the work going to the big transactional and corporate firms in Texas.

The firms themselves may undergo a round of consolidation, which would probably decrease the number of SA positions available.

The job market isn't perfect, but it is substantially better in the Houston and Dallas markets than in most places. Most people don't even realize that San Antonio is a pretty big secondary market (pay scale is comparable to Boston at the top firms), and there are actually a lot of boutique firms in the Panhandle and West Texas if you have some kind of connection.

+1

And don't let anyone tell you people are miserable here. If you don't like Austin or can't find something to do here, the problem is you.

No one is arguing that it's miserable in Austin. The argument is that the job prospects for UT Law graduates are dim if you are not in the top 15% or so. I agree with most of your post, but that doesn't mean that it's all peachy for UT Law students. Some of us are doing really well. Most of us are not.

[leopardRAWR]

Thank y'all for answering our questions.

When do most people start looking into housing? I know the undergrads start house hunting insanely early, is it the same for law school students? Also, do most people have roommates or live alone?

Does UT have graded LRW?

People frequently say UT is much more laid back than most top law schools. Would you say UT turned out to be more or less relaxed than you expected?

[JazzOne]

Thank y'all for answering our questions.

When do most people start looking into housing? I know the undergrads start house hunting insanely early, is it the same for law school students? Also, do most people have roommates or live alone?

Does UT have graded LRW?

People frequently say UT is much more laid back than most top law schools. Would you say UT turned out to be more or less relaxed than you expected?

I found my place in early August. There are a lot of places to live, but you could probably set it up in July if you're a worrier. Most law students that I know have roommates. Many live with fellow students. Others live with SOs. I don't know many that live alone. LRLW was graded last year, but the writing curriculum has undergone some drastic changes. You might want to confirm that this is still the case. UT is very laid back. It's easy to make friends here.

[philosoraptor]

Thank y'all for answering our questions.

When do most people start looking into housing? I know the undergrads start house hunting insanely early, is it the same for law school students? Also, do most people have roommates or live alone?

Start early. My roommate and I found a great place over the summer, but the earlier you starting looking, the likelier you are to snag a desirable area/complex for fall. I enjoy having a roommate (lived alone for a couple years before LS, and that got old fast). A lot of people here do go in with someone because it saves a ton of money, but a lot of people find 1BRs as well. Do whatever you think will make you most comfortable.

Does UT have graded LRW?

Yes. Full year, graded, worth half the credit of a normal 1L class. Not fun, but it's a good incentive to practice what we'll actually be doing as lawyers.

People frequently say UT is much more laid back than most top law schools. Would you say UT turned out to be more or less relaxed than you expected?

About the same, but that's a big reason why I chose Texas. Although there are always exceptions, most people I know are remaining pretty chill even as crunch time begins. Might want to ask me again after exams, however.

[mcflooter06]

Thank y'all for answering our questions.

When do most people start looking into housing? I know the undergrads start house hunting insanely early, is it the same for law school students? Also, do most people have roommates or live alone?

Does UT have graded LRW?

People frequently say UT is much more laid back than most top law schools. Would you say UT turned out to be more or less relaxed than you expected?

I secured my apartment pretty early, in March, I believe, and I moved in about a week before school started. Most of my small section lives alone (I do), but plenty of other people have roommates.

Our LRW is graded, and was totally revamped this year. We have several small completion grades, and I get my memo a little over a week (which is the only non-completion grade in the whole class). Its two semesters now, 2 credits each semester, so it follows basically what every other law school has been doing.

I think UT was slightly more laid back when I was looking at other schools in the T14 (UVA, GULC were my other top choices), and I can confidently say that has been one thing I really enjoy about this school since I got here. Students don't show their hyper-competitiveness for the most part, and my whole small section is more than willing to share notes and outlines. No gunners, really, either. It is very easy to make friends here.

[JazzOne]

Thank y'all for answering our questions.

When do most people start looking into housing? I know the undergrads start house hunting insanely early, is it the same for law school students? Also, do most people have roommates or live alone?

Does UT have graded LRW?

People frequently say UT is much more laid back than most top law schools. Would you say UT turned out to be more or less relaxed than you expected?

I secured my apartment pretty early, in March, I believe, and I moved in about a week before school started. Most of my small section lives alone (I do), but plenty of other people have roommates.

Our LRW is graded, and was totally revamped this year. We have several small completion grades, and I get my memo a little over a week (which is the only non-completion grade in the whole class). Its two semesters now, 2 credits each semester, so it follows basically what every other law school has been doing.

I think UT was slightly more laid back when I was looking at other schools in the T14 (UVA, GULC were my other top choices), and I can confidently say that has been one thing I really enjoy about this school since I got here. Students don't show their hyper-competitiveness for the most part, and my whole small section is more than willing to share notes and outlines. No gunners, really, either. It is very easy to make friends here.

Those Pearl flutes are so damn expensive.

[mcflooter06]

Those Pearl flutes are so damn expensive.

The brand?

If we're talking brand (and I didn't miss something, but thats likely), it's a Miyazawa, and continues to hurt my budget...

[JazzOne]

Those Pearl flutes are so damn expensive.

The brand?

If we're talking brand (and I didn't miss something, but thats likely), it's a Miyazawa, and continues to hurt my budget...

My bad. The only open-hole flutes I was familiar with was Pearl. I'll look up the brand you mentioned.

[mcflooter06]

Those Pearl flutes are so damn expensive.

The brand?

If we're talking brand (and I didn't miss something, but thats likely), it's a Miyazawa, and continues to hurt my budget...

My bad. The only open-hole flutes I was familiar with was Pearl. I'll look up the brand you mentioned.

it's a great brand, but generally on the super expensive side. I've been playing most of my life, and I love miyazawa.

[leopardRAWR]

Glad to hear UT lives up to its easygoing reputation! Also nice to hear that instead of griping about LRW like students at most schools seem to, y'all find it useful. I really appreciate all the advice.

A few more questions:

How dressed up do UT students get for class? I can't see business attire every day meshing with the school's vibe haha

Are there certain complexes most law students end up living in, or do people tend to go a wide variety of places? Do certain areas fill up faster than others?

Also, does anyone have a dog? I'm currently planning to get a dog sometime in early 2011, but would consider putting it off another year if the consensus is I will never see my dog during 1L.

Sorry these are so random/specific. I may have spent the better part of my time since I got in daydreaming about every aspect of life at UT next year...totally normal.

Thanks again!

[philosoraptor]

Glad to hear UT lives up to its easygoing reputation! Also nice to hear that instead of griping about LRW like students at most schools seem to, y'all find it useful. I really appreciate all the advice.

A few more questions:

How dressed up do UT students get for class? I can't see business attire every day meshing with the school's vibe haha

We don't usually get dressed up. Most of us plan on wearing shorts and flip-flops as long as possible. I know one guy who wears a tie every day. You can basically do whatever you want, and as long as you're a cool person otherwise, you won't get much grief for it.

Are there certain complexes most law students end up living in, or do people tend to go a wide variety of places? Do certain areas fill up faster than others?

Sure, but I wouldn't worry too much about specific complexes yet. As I've said, Hyde Park is probably the best place to start looking. It has a wide variety of larger complexes and smaller units, including houses for rent. Come to ASD in the spring -- they (we) will have tons of more specific advice.

Also, does anyone have a dog? I'm currently planning to get a dog sometime in early 2011, but would consider putting it off another year if the consensus is I will never see my dog during 1L.

Some people have dogs (though more have cats). If you live close to the law school, you'll have no problem getting home to spend time with the dog. Just make sure he's already well trained and used to hanging out by himself.

Sorry these are so random/specific. I may have spent the better part of my time since I got in daydreaming about every aspect of life at UT next year...totally normal.

Thanks again!

Congrats on your acceptance! Hope to see you here in the fall.

[bmontminy]

yeah....I typically go 2 weeks w/o shaving at a time and often can be seen wearing athletic shorts and some old high school t-shirt. Don't ever feel the need to shave/dress up unless there is some event or something.

For example, tonight we had a 'cocktails and conversations' where 100+ alumni and all students that wanted to go to the ATT convention center mingled freely. Even for that the dress for the day was (shaved obviously) slacks and a button up.

Really am loving all the people here.

[JazzOne]

Glad to hear UT lives up to its easygoing reputation! Also nice to hear that instead of griping about LRW like students at most schools seem to, y'all find it useful. I really appreciate all the advice.

A few more questions:

How dressed up do UT students get for class? I can't see business attire every day meshing with the school's vibe haha

Are there certain complexes most law students end up living in, or do people tend to go a wide variety of places? Do certain areas fill up faster than others?

Also, does anyone have a dog? I'm currently planning to get a dog sometime in early 2011, but would consider putting it off another year if the consensus is I will never see my dog during 1L.

Sorry these are so random/specific. I may have spent the better part of my time since I got in daydreaming about every aspect of life at UT next year...totally normal.

Thanks again!

Very few people dress up for class. When someone is dressed up, you know he/she has an interview, clinic, or job to go to.

I have two dogs. It's kind of questionable whether you should get a dog now. My dogs keep me grounded, and they force me to follow a routine. I have a small duplex with a yard, so that helps. But I enjoy studying at home, and if you think you'd like to be a library studier or really get into the social scene, I'd hold off on a dog.

[leopardRAWR]

So glad to hear UT is casual! That sounds great after going to a slightly dressier undergrad.

I appreciate how helpful and friendly all of y'all have been! Especially appreciate the insights on the dog issue.

I was born and raised in Texas and absolutely love Austin. The only thing that could make me consider going anywhere else would be a full ride from a warm weather t14, and even then, I have a feeling I wouldn't be able to turn down being a Longhorn.

[mcflooter06]

Also, does anyone have a dog? I'm currently planning to get a dog sometime in early 2011, but would consider putting it off another year if the consensus is I will never see my dog during 1L.

I have a dog (who I got about 4 months before school started) and it has not been a problem whatsoever during the year so far, but I think this is because 1. my dog is well trained 2. her activities consist of sleeping, eating, and sleeping some more and 3. I generally study at home. I think having a dog has really kept my stress level down, and forced me to have a routine. Getting a dog before 1L is fine, but I would definitely recommend getting a housetrained, older dog. I think the energy level of the dog is important to consider, too- I have a basset, so she is perfectly happy sitting next to me for hours on end while I study, but a lab would need lots of exercise.

[rundoxierun]

Did Texas offer a travel stipend for asw last cycle?? If so, how much?