Ask me about UNLV... Forum

[Vegas_Rebel]

Books run more or less what you want to spend on them.

I tend to buy old editions, used, off the internet. Thus, I pay about $100-$200 / semester in books. If you buy them all new, maybe $600-$700.

The bus system is horrible generally, but can be decent if you live on a street like Tropicana that is essentially a straight shot to the school. The more bus changes you need, the longer it'll take.

Utilities are another 'what you want to spend' sort of thing. I'd expect between $200-$500 a month, depending on how long you like your showers, how cold you like your air, how many TV channels you want and how fast you like your internet. That doesn't include food or cell phone, etc.

[SplitLife]

I've been dreaming of attending UNLV Law for a while now. Unfortunately my ugpa is a horrendous 2.4 from UC Irvine in CA (CA native fully prepared to relocate to NV). I do have a 164 lsat score and URM status. I recently graduated (June '11). I really want to practice law in NV however I don't think it can happen through UNLV. Does anyone on TLS have an educated idea of my chances of being accepted during this cycle? Or perhaps what I should do to strengthen my application? Any advice/information will be greatly appreciated. Thanks, great thread!

[Vegas_Rebel]

If you have a 164 and URM status, send an application to UNLV with a strong personal statement that clearly expresses your interest in working in NV. Even if it's a long shot, I imagine it's a better prospect than other schools that wouldn't be a long shot. Hiring seems decent in NV, but I don't know whether that holds for non-Boyd grads.

[SplitLife]

If you have a 164 and URM status, send an application to UNLV with a strong personal statement that clearly expresses your interest in working in NV. Even if it's a long shot, I imagine it's a better prospect than other schools that wouldn't be a long shot. Hiring seems decent in NV, but I don't know whether that holds for non-Boyd grads.

What exactly do you mean by "strong personal statement?" Shouldn't all my personal statements be strong, regardless of the school I'm applying to? Or do you mean strong in the sense that I am making it very clear that I desire to work in NV...if so, please explain...

Thank you!!

[Vegas_Rebel]

If you have a 164 and URM status, send an application to UNLV with a strong personal statement that clearly expresses your interest in working in NV. Even if it's a long shot, I imagine it's a better prospect than other schools that wouldn't be a long shot. Hiring seems decent in NV, but I don't know whether that holds for non-Boyd grads.

What exactly do you mean by "strong personal statement?" Shouldn't all my personal statements be strong, regardless of the school I'm applying to? Or do you mean strong in the sense that I am making it very clear that I desire to work in NV...if so, please explain...

Thank you!!

Yes, on both counts. You should have a strong personal statement for all schools you apply to, but if you really want UNLV then you're counting on your LSAT score and personal statement to compensate for your GPA. This should be possible (your LSAT is > 75% for non-URM candidates), but you need to make it clear to the admissions committee that you really do have a strong interest in staying in the Las Vegas community after graduation. I don't have any secret insight into the admissions process, but it's no secret that Boyd largely feeds the Las Vegas market and is looking to become a stronger regional player. If you want to work in the Vegas market, then I imagine the committee will see a stronger link between your future career and Boyd than if you intended to go to (say) California after law school. In that sense, a "I want Boyd because of my future plans" personal statement may be stronger than an "I'm an awesome candidate because" personal statement.

[saw83]

Vegas_Rebel, do you mind talking a bit about the legal community in Vegas (biglaw, good firms, etc.)? Thanks for answering questions!

[SplitLife]

Yes, on both counts. You should have a strong personal statement for all schools you apply to, but if you really want UNLV then you're counting on your LSAT score and personal statement to compensate for your GPA. This should be possible (your LSAT is > 75% for non-URM candidates), but you need to make it clear to the admissions committee that you really do have a strong interest in staying in the Las Vegas community after graduation. I don't have any secret insight into the admissions process, but it's no secret that Boyd largely feeds the Las Vegas market and is looking to become a stronger regional player. If you want to work in the Vegas market, then I imagine the committee will see a stronger link between your future career and Boyd than if you intended to go to (say) California after law school. In that sense, a "I want Boyd because of my future plans" personal statement may be stronger than an "I'm an awesome candidate because" personal statement.

Thank you so much that makes perfect sense!

Another question: How much would you say UNLV values URM candidates? Should I be thinking about a diversity statement as well, or should I tie the diversity factor in with my personal statement? Also, how approachable is UNLV's admissions committee? If I gave them a call, would they steer me in the right direction or would I be wasting their time?

Thanks again!

[Vegas_Rebel]

@SplitLife: I think UNLV makes an effort to include diverse students, and we have a number of groups catering toward diverse students on campus, but I think you'll do better to focus on why you want to work on Vegas than by emphasizing your URM background. If you can reasonably work both in, that would probably be fine too. But that's just my opinion.

The admission staff is awesome, and has been helpful every time I've approached them. Call Nathan up and ask him anything you like (assuming you can't find the answer with some basic research) and I'm sure he'll be happy to talk with you.

@Saw83: Did you have a specific question, or just firm life generally? Mostly there seem to be a number of firms that would be mid-law in New York or Chicago (a couple hundred attorneys) like Lionel Sawyer and Lewis and Roca. There are some major regional players with Vegas branches that target the top 10%+, and a lot of small to boutique firms. The OCI staff was just saying the other day that smaller firms are the vast majority of hiring firms in town. The relationship between lawyers and students seems excellent, and I haven't yet met an attorney who wasn't willing to answer questions or take me out to lunch if I wanted to go.

Otherwise, I'm a really bad person to ask. I didn't OCI at all, probably won't work as a lawyer in a firm, and so haven't really been paying much attention since about second semester 1L year. Grades and everything are fine, and everyone at the school has been awesome, I just decided to go a different way. If you have a more specific question, though, I'm happy to either answer if I know or try to find out.

[llachans]

Sorry if some of these questions are repeated buuuut

- How is the overall environment towards LGBT individuals (i'm assuming it's pretty open)?
- How is the job placement, specifically if an individual wants to be employed by the DA?
- What job markets does UNLV feed into?
- Is there a prosecution clinic or any "special" program geared towards individuals wanting to become a prosecutor?

Thanks!

[Vegas_Rebel]

Sorry if some of these questions are repeated buuuut

- How is the overall environment towards LGBT individuals (i'm assuming it's pretty open)?
- How is the job placement, specifically if an individual wants to be employed by the DA?
- What job markets does UNLV feed into?
- Is there a prosecution clinic or any "special" program geared towards individuals wanting to become a prosecutor?

Thanks!

Hi Llachans,

1: From an outside perspective, things seem good. There is a student org dedicated to the subject, and I've seen a few emails with opportunities geared to LGBT students. Vegas itself has a strange community; there are a lot of very open people, but also a lot of socially conservative people (largely Mormons, but also just old school, rural Nevada types.) If I had to guess I'd say that the environment is probably better than most, but not Berkeley or UT-Austin.

2: I'm not sure. I haven't really looked into much with the DA.

3: Largely NV, but also CA, UT, and AZ, to some extent. People go elsewhere, of course, but those seem to be the major markets, with Vegas/NV expectantly taking a large lead and CA a significant but distant second.

4: Not that I know of. The closest would probably be the Innocence Clinic, but then you'd be working on the other side of things. However, everyone from the legal community that I've met has been exceedingly friendly and willing to talk, and if you joined the Criminal Law Society and/or the Nevada Justice Association along with the local and American bar associations I'm sure you could find an in. I know one of our professors (Eric Johnson) works with the DA, so he could be of some help too.

[llachans]

Vegas Rebel,

Thanks so much! You've provided me with some really useful info!

[coyote2011]

Hello,
I was wondering what you believe my admissions prospects are for UNLV: LSAT 156, GPA 3.6. I'm an out-of-state applicant.
Thank you

[trickydicky]

Hello,
I was wondering what you believe my admissions prospects are for UNLV: LSAT 156, GPA 3.6. I'm an out-of-state applicant.
Thank you

not good, re take december lsat

[AZWhitebread]

OOS(AZ) student here, just got offered a full ride to UNLV, so unless U of A or ASU matches it, there's a good chance i'll be going to UNLV.

What's the housing situation like around UNLV? I'm married, but there's a chance I might not move my wife with me until after my first year. So, i'd either need to rent a place cheap that's not too far from campus, or live in student housing. Anyone have any experience with student housing at UNLV, or know cheap, but not ghetto, neighborhoods to look into?

[asanborn]

I was offered a full tuition scholarship with the stipulation that I am in the top 33% of the class each year. I am just curious about how difficult it is to achieve this?

[Vegas_Rebel]

I was offered a full tuition scholarship with the stipulation that I am in the top 33% of the class each year. I am just curious about how difficult it is to achieve this?

It's possible, but not easy. And not easy to predict based on LSAT. My score was significantly higher than most at Boyd, but I struggle to maintain top-third standing.

It's a good deal, and as best I can tell they play fairly, but don't underestimate your classmates based on ranking snobbery.

[Observant_Poster]

Thanks for all your input Vegas_Rebel!

Can you go over the student housing situation a bit?

How competitive is the student body? With the 1/3 stip, is it pretty cut throat or would you say most people are friendly/helpful? Is the law school mixed in or separate from the undergrad campus?

Also, I think I read it takes 1 year for residency. I also think I read that they only rank after the first year. I am assuming this means if you lose your scholarship, the next two years will only cost around 25k a year? Also, can you regain your scholarship the 3rd year?

My apologies if any of this is answered in the packet, I do not currently have access to it and received a phone call from family informing me that I was admitted with a fill ride.

[Vegas_Rebel]

Hey Observant,

So far as I know, all housing is off campus. The good news is that almost nowhere in Las Vegas is more than about 30 minutes from the school. Plus, since the housing market is terrible here, property can be pretty cheap. UNLV has a mailing list if you're interested in living with another student, but I'm not aware of any other options.

I'm not sure whether scholarships can be regained in the third year, since I'm just now in the last semester of my second. I think some of us asked last year, but I don't remember the answer. I'd check with admissions to be sure. You're right about residency and tuition though; even if you lose the scholarship you should qualify for in-state tuition by the time 2L starts.

In terms of competitiveness; students are competitive, but not mean in my experience. In fact, almost everyone at the school is incredibly friendly and we all congratulate each other on our successes and console each other if there are hardships. None of the nonsense about tearing out pages or hiding books is true at Boyd (almost everything is electronic anyway, but I just haven't met anyone who had that attitude) and even competitions for law review are friendly. My feeling is that everyone is largely going in a different direction, and there's a lot of people for which getting a "big law" job (to the extent it exists in Vegas) isn't even desirable, whatever their ranking. Most students who looked found jobs (though not often through OCI). I know of a couple of students who, once they had a job, got a couple more students into the firm. In terms of grades; everyone was a little neurotic at the end of the first semester, but after that we don't often discuss grades; there's really no point, and I don't know of anyone that lords a high GPA over other students. We'd probably laugh at anyone that did.

In all, I can't say enough good things about the civility of the class.

[SplitLife]

Haven't posted in this thread in a while. UNLV remains my top choice for a variety of reasons. Specifically my desire to live and practice law (maybe gaming?!) in NV and because of its top-ranked legal writing program. I am currently on the waitlist. I did take Vegas_Rebels' advice and I attached an addendum to my application expressing my sincere desire to live and practice in NV. I also stated something to a similar extent in my e-mail communication with Elizabeth Karl in the admissions office.

My question is: Given everything I have done, is there anything else you UNLV students (both current & newly admitted) can recommend as far as getting me over this waitlist hump and into the admitted student category?

Thank you!!

[reasonable_man]

I think its great that people have all of these detailed questions about UNLV. I really do. But sadly, the truth of the matter is that any TTT is about as good or as bad as the next. With that said, I'll ask the only really important question in this thread.. The undergrads girls.. Are they as hot and as lacking in morality/judgment as you would expect; or what?

[Vegas_Rebel]

Haven't posted in this thread in a while. UNLV remains my top choice for a variety of reasons. Specifically my desire to live and practice law (maybe gaming?!) in NV and because of its top-ranked legal writing program. I am currently on the waitlist. I did take Vegas_Rebels' advice and I attached an addendum to my application expressing my sincere desire to live and practice in NV. I also stated something to a similar extent in my e-mail communication with Elizabeth Karl in the admissions office.

My question is: Given everything I have done, is there anything else you UNLV students (both current & newly admitted) can recommend as far as getting me over this waitlist hump and into the admitted student category?

Thank you!!

I think at this point it's just a waiting game

Good luck!

But sadly, the truth of the matter is that any TTT is about as good or as bad as the next. With that said, I'll ask the only really important question in this thread.. The undergrads girls.. Are they as hot and as lacking in morality/judgment as you would expect; or what?

Well, to be fair, UNLV is only second tier My experience has been that, at least for UNLV, the TTT thing is just elitism. Everyone I know who wants a job so far has found one, and for reasonably good pay. I don't know anyone that's making $180k like the folks in NY, but even our public defenders start at about $80k, and they don't have to live in NY so it goes a lot further.

The undergrad girls are a mix. For serious lack of judgment, the constant influx of tourists is the way to go

[reasonable_man]

Haven't posted in this thread in a while. UNLV remains my top choice for a variety of reasons. Specifically my desire to live and practice law (maybe gaming?!) in NV and because of its top-ranked legal writing program. I am currently on the waitlist. I did take Vegas_Rebels' advice and I attached an addendum to my application expressing my sincere desire to live and practice in NV. I also stated something to a similar extent in my e-mail communication with Elizabeth Karl in the admissions office.

My question is: Given everything I have done, is there anything else you UNLV students (both current & newly admitted) can recommend as far as getting me over this waitlist hump and into the admitted student category?

Thank you!!

I think at this point it's just a waiting game

Good luck!

But sadly, the truth of the matter is that any TTT is about as good or as bad as the next. With that said, I'll ask the only really important question in this thread.. The undergrads girls.. Are they as hot and as lacking in morality/judgment as you would expect; or what?

Well, to be fair, UNLV is only second tier My experience has been that, at least for UNLV, the TTT thing is just elitism. Everyone I know who wants a job so far has found one, and for reasonably good pay. I don't know anyone that's making $180k like the folks in NY, but even our public defenders start at about $80k, and they don't have to live in NY so it goes a lot further.

The undergrad girls are a mix. For serious lack of judgment, the constant influx of tourists is the way to go

If you have spoken to a public defender that has told you that the starting pay is "80k" you are being lied to my friend. I doubt the ADAs even make that much in Nevade. They certainly don't make that much here in NY.

[Vegas_Rebel]

If you have spoken to a public defender that has told you that the starting pay is "80k" you are being lied to my friend. I doubt the ADAs even make that much in Nevade. They certainly don't make that much here in NY.

I was rounding bennies and whatnot. Starting salary is a bit over $61k, plus benefits: http://www.clarkcountynv.gov/Depts/publ ... yment.aspx

Other parts of NV vary. The smaller towns are usually $50k+, some other parts are up to $78k plus bennies.

http://publicdefendersalary.com/NV/1/sa ... der-Salary

Edit: Lemme see if I can find a better link for that second point. The 'high salary' they cite clearly isn't, so I'd rather find another application. Here's what some longer term PDs are making --LinkRemoved-- ($160k+)

Edit 2: Here's a list of the salaries of PDs in NV. granted, they're not all starting salaries, but I think it does a decent job of illustrating the point combined with the app above: http://transparentnevada.com/salaries/s ... =any&t=job

[CaptAdams]

If you have spoken to a public defender that has told you that the starting pay is "80k" you are being lied to my friend. I doubt the ADAs even make that much in Nevade. They certainly don't make that much here in NY.

Edit: Lemme see if I can find a better link for that second point. The 'high salary' they cite clearly isn't, so I'd rather find another application. Here's what some longer term PDs are making --LinkRemoved-- ($160k+)

Edit 2: Here's a list of the salaries of PDs in NV. granted, they're not all starting salaries, but I think it does a decent job of illustrating the point combined with the app above: http://transparentnevada.com/salaries/s ... =any&t=job

$80K isn't far off. Go to Transparent and search PD I's in Clark County. You'll see they aren't doing bad.

[SplitLife]

I was recently admitted off the waitlist. I plan to arrive in Las Vegas this coming Tuesday.
I need to find an apartment. I was wondering if anyone could offer me suggestions/ advice as far as all that goes...
Also, does UNLV have graduate student on-campus housing?