University Of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law Forum

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University Of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law is located in Salt Lake City, UT. It appears on the Top Law Schools Rankings page.

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[byu85]

The U is sweet! Go there!

[XxSpyKEx]

Is having 18 wives and 52 children a prerequisite to being granted admission at the university of utah?

[Sparky]

Is having 18 wives and 52 children a prerequisite to being granted admission at the university of utah?

If so, I got by without all the prerequisites. 52 children? Wow, you could only focus a week on each of them during a year if you divided your time equally. Maybe that's only a prerequisite to founding the first university west of the Mississippi (it was then called the University of Deseret).

[yo!]

I just applied, so I'm gonna bump this thing. I hadn't considered the school before receiving my low LSAT score, but it seems like a good option for me at this point. How religious is UU? Would an agnostic feel out of place?

[usuaggie]

I go to a public undergrad school in utah. I would say 50 percent are mormon, which is even with the state. It is the overwhelming culture, but not impossible to deal with if you are not mormon. Especially in law school, you will find that the students are more open, but the state is still very very very (very) conservative. I would guess 85 percent of my friends are republican, and I have been dumped more than once for arguing in favor of liberal ideas.

That said, I LOVE the state, but I am mormon. The best way for you to get a good picture of it is to visit, but if you want more specific answers feel free to PM me.

[wardboro]

I'm a UU 2L. You'll be fine in the law school as an agnostic, you'll be fine if you hang out with the more left-leaning crowd in the SLC bars. The student body would have easily elected Obama, and the faculty is largely very liberal (as is expected at any law school). The school's political leaning is best described as bipolar--there are a lot of liberals, but more conservatives than would exist at most other law schools. As such, you'll get some good diversity of viewpoint in the student body. Some people who come to Utah Law from out of state hate it--the SLC bar scene isn't as great as other comparably size cities and so your social life my suffer some. If you're strongly against organize religion you'll find the culture in the community stifling.

The law school itself splits about half Mormon, and you'll find that your social circles for better or worse will more or less divide on religious lines. The divide will become clearer your second and third years. That doesn't mean that people aren't cool, cordial, and nice, but that's just how it is. Part of this is more attributable to the fact that many of the Mormons are a little older and married, and many of the other folks are younger and single.

The last point is that you'll have a tough time finding a good job in SLC if you don't have any previous ties to the state. The good SLC firms can get a zillion applicants who would love to stay in SLC forever, so you'll need to establish that you're actually interested in staying for the long haul.

It's a good place, and I'd recommend it, but make sure to come out and see it yourself. See if you can come to a Thursday night bar review and meet some people who share similar views and see if they'd come to Utah Law again. If you want, after you're admitted, you can PM me and I'd put you in touch with some people I know that love and hate the school, and might be able to help you with your decision. Also, the facilities are old if that matters to you.

Good luck with your cycle.

P.S. as much as I love usuaggie, I think that Logan/USU is different than SLC/UU and undergrad is different than law school. I haven't found but two people in my 1L class (one very conservative, one very liberal, neither particularly well liked) who would not like you/associate with you based on your political/religious views. The state is very conservative and religious, but you're pretty safe inside the law school.

[straxen]

The state is very conservative and religious, but you're pretty safe inside the law school.

Or in Salt Lake City in general, which, while not having the greatest nightlife in the world, is a decidedly liberal city in contrast to the rest of the entire state. I grew up in SLC, agnostic and liberal, and while I won't be going to U of U Law personally, I know plenty of people who've gone to U of U Law who fit the same description without a problem. While you might have to learn some of the mormon/non-mormon social dynamics that native Utahns are used to, you should certainly have no hesitation going to U of U Law due to your political affiliation or spiritual beliefs. (BYU on the other hand...).

[yo!]

I'm a UU 2L. You'll be fine in the law school as an agnostic, you'll be fine if you hang out with the more left-leaning crowd in the SLC bars. The student body would have easily elected Obama, and the faculty is largely very liberal (as is expected at any law school). The school's political leaning is best described as bipolar--there are a lot of liberals, but more conservatives than would exist at most other law schools. As such, you'll get some good diversity of viewpoint in the student body. Some people who come to Utah Law from out of state hate it--the SLC bar scene isn't as great as other comparably size cities and so your social life my suffer some. If you're strongly against organize religion you'll find the culture in the community stifling.

The law school itself splits about half Mormon, and you'll find that your social circles for better or worse will more or less divide on religious lines. The divide will become clearer your second and third years. That doesn't mean that people aren't cool, cordial, and nice, but that's just how it is. Part of this is more attributable to the fact that many of the Mormons are a little older and married, and many of the other folks are younger and single.

The last point is that you'll have a tough time finding a good job in SLC if you don't have any previous ties to the state. The good SLC firms can get a zillion applicants who would love to stay in SLC forever, so you'll need to establish that you're actually interested in staying for the long haul.

It's a good place, and I'd recommend it, but make sure to come out and see it yourself. See if you can come to a Thursday night bar review and meet some people who share similar views and see if they'd come to Utah Law again. If you want, after you're admitted, you can PM me and I'd put you in touch with some people I know that love and hate the school, and might be able to help you with your decision. Also, the facilities are old if that matters to you.

Good luck with your cycle.

P.S. as much as I love usuaggie, I think that Logan/USU is different than SLC/UU and undergrad is different than law school. I haven't found but two people in my 1L class (one very conservative, one very liberal, neither particularly well liked) who would not like you/associate with you based on your political/religious views. The state is very conservative and religious, but you're pretty safe inside the law school.

Thanks wardboro, you have been extremely helpful. Obviously costs of attendance and employment prospects are two primary concerns for me, so could you explain the employment situation in SLC a little further? To be honest, I am worried (perhaps irrationally) that not being LDS could negatively impact my ability to network/secure employment within the state. Thanks again for your help.

[wardboro]

I wouldn't worry that your religion would affect your ability to get a good job in the state. Folks in Salt Lake--especially at the reputable firms--make a pretty concerted effort to avoid making any decisions based on religion. Because religion is such a huge influence in the state they make sure that there is no appearance of favoritism--they want to CYA.

On the other hand, establishing ties to the state or a long-term interest in staying in-state will affect your ability to secure good employment. Maybe you can marry a local. haha

Your employment prospects will pretty much mirror your class-rank with some exceptions. If you're URM, or even ORM you'll likely get a few more interviews and offers than your class rank would suggest. If you're female, you'll likely get a modest bump over a similarly situated male candidate. This is because the local legal market is very white and very male. Firms are looking for ways to boost diversity in both areas and so they are hiring women and minorities of all stripes more aggressively.

In 2008, students who finished in the top 1/3 generally all got firm job offers starting around at least 80k. Others went to smaller solo shops and government/PI work making more modest amounts. They still made decent wages at the time. To my knowledge there haven't been any significant (or perhaps any) layoffs with the good local firms in this economy, but hiring for recent grads dropped. Some 2009 grads have been deferred. A handful of 2010 students I know of were not no-offered per se, but they are still waiting to hear if there will be a need for them when they graduate. Fall OCI for 2011 was pretty brutal. Students outside of the top 10% (and a few in the top 10%) generally did not get summer associate offers. Those outside the top 10% who got offers brought meaningful diversity (see above) or had some other credential (or connection) that got them a position.

What 2013 will look like is anyone's guess. On the upside, Utah is a growing state, with a fairly robust economy. The economy is based on medicine, education, and the LDS Church HQ which all are fairly recession resistant. On the downside, Utah attracts professionals because a lot of LDS folks try to go into careers that pay well enough that the family can live comfortably on a single income. As such there are a lot of attorneys, doctors, pharmacists, optometrists, and don't even get me started on dentists.
Utah (even relatively progressive SLC) isn't for everyone. As such, firms are concerned that people will cut and run after a few years. I've loved my experience at the U law school, and I think you should come out and see the place.

[yo!]

I wasn't really talking about blatant religious discrimination among employers. I was more referring to the fact that my networking ability may be severely limited if I am new to the state and only associate with 1/2 of the class. I have visited salt lake before, but I certainly will again if I get accepted. I will definitely PM you to get some pointers before the trip, if it isn't too much trouble.

[wardboro]

No prob--PM away. If you're out this way I'd love to sit down with you provided it's not right before a project is due or during finals. And don't misunderstand me, if you're a decent person you'll be good friends with a lot more than 1/2 the class. I can think of a good share of my class who aren't my best friends who I study with at school and would recommend as competent, so don't worry about that so much. Nearly everyone gets along really well, it's just that your closest associates will likely be people who have the same social schedule as you (whether that's making it to bar review every Thursday, or hanging out with the wife and kids on weekends--or both). Honestly my associations with classmates in law school have made the experience worthwhile.

[Scurredsitless1]

Utah gets the best snow in the country. The culture is conservative, but that might fit a lot of people, esp law students. The skiing is amazing, the weather is awesome, and the people are generally very upbeat and positive.

I once ran into Tom Hanks in Park City.... so if you see him, tell him I said "hey"..

[justcap]

Any thoughts on how the U places compared to BYU in the Utah market?

[shillim]

No prob--PM away. If you're out this way I'd love to sit down with you provided it's not right before a project is due or during finals. And don't misunderstand me, if you're a decent person you'll be good friends with a lot more than 1/2 the class. I can think of a good share of my class who aren't my best friends who I study with at school and would recommend as competent, so don't worry about that so much. Nearly everyone gets along really well, it's just that your closest associates will likely be people who have the same social schedule as you (whether that's making it to bar review every Thursday, or hanging out with the wife and kids on weekends--or both). Honestly my associations with classmates in law school have made the experience worthwhile.

Agreed.

Its a small school and most of the kids play nice together (although rumor has it that 2Ls have it out for us 1Ls). Then again, 1Ls tend to be whiny and need some hand holding. But I digress...wardboro is correct in saying that as long as you're not a complete jerk (you can be a little bit of a jerk), you'll have no problems getting along with people.

[shillim]

I just applied, so I'm gonna bump this thing. I hadn't considered the school before receiving my low LSAT score, but it seems like a good option for me at this point. How religious is UU? Would an agnostic feel out of place?

Nope...you'll fit in with all the other agnostics. I was quite surprised to learn how many of us roam the law school.

[yo!]

Well, now that we have a couple of students on here........

Do either of you have a rough estimate of the tuition increases over the next few years? How much have they gone up traditionally?

[usuaggie]

"Under Review" as of the 14th. Here's to a quick, positive decision.

[yo!]

I'm still at "Application Complete 12/30/09." When did you apply? According to LSN, it seems that they give most decisions mid Feb.

[usuaggie]

I'm still at "Application Complete 12/30/09." When did you apply? According to LSN, it seems that they give most decisions mid Feb.

I went complete around 11/19

[prana479]

This was supposed to be my safety school. Why has there not been movement on my app since 12/29!?!


Anyone know how they inform you of their decisions? Email, "unofficial emails", snail mail, phone?

[yo!]

This was supposed to be my safety school. Why has there not been movement on my app since 12/29!?!


Anyone know how they inform you of their decisions? Email, "unofficial emails", snail mail, phone?

I think this is the thread that you want:

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 2&t=100279

[darknightbegins]

If I go to Utah would I still have a decent shot at getting a job in a near by state like Nevada? Or is Utah pretty much exclusive to the state? I wouldn't mind living in Utah but the state itself is not my first choice.

[usuaggie]

If I go to Utah would I still have a decent shot at getting a job in a near by state like Nevada? Or is Utah pretty much exclusive to the state? I wouldn't mind living in Utah but the state itself is not my first choice.

talking to vegas attorneys, utah > unlv even in vegas.

[darknightbegins]

If I go to Utah would I still have a decent shot at getting a job in a near by state like Nevada? Or is Utah pretty much exclusive to the state? I wouldn't mind living in Utah but the state itself is not my first choice.

talking to vegas attorneys, utah > unlv even in vegas.

Hmm is that because UNLV law is so new? I find this surprising.