Ask me about UNLV... Forum

[CanadianWolf]

An article in the National Law Journal cautions that UNLV's law school is in line to get a substantial cut in state funding.

[Vegas_Rebel]

For those currently attending, their FAQ mentions that most applicants won't hear back until April. Is that accurate?

It's tough to tell because not all that many of us were on TLS, but that sounds about right. There's an ASD this weekend, so some people must have heard by now, but I seem to recall batches going out sporadically from Jan to April or so.

An article in the National Law Journal cautions that UNLV is in line to get a substantial cut in state funding.

This is true - NV is hosed even more than most places when it comes to budget. The last news out of the dean's forum was to expect tuition hikes, even if Governor Sandoval doesn't get exactly the budget he wants. There weren't a lot of hard numbers yet because the legislature hasn't actually decided anything yet, but I wouldn't expect things to fully turn around.

That said, I don't think the hikes are going to increase tuition such that Boyd is on par with California schools. The undergrad is probably going to take the brunt of the budget cuts, and Boyd is continuing to hire professors, so I don't think the law school is going anywhere any time soon.

It's a problem; most of the student body is trying to get active / lobby state congressfolks, and otherwise keep an ear to the ground. The deans have been pretty forthcoming with information, but it's a dicey situation because no one has all the information yet. As far as I know, however, no one feels like they need an exit plan immediately, and tuition generally goes up each year whatever the economy is like. It's a little disheartening because Boyd has raised tuition significantly (proactively) over the last four years or so, but when the state has no money, what can ya do?

[CanadianWolf]

In fairness to UNLV, earlier articles suggested that many, maybe most, state supported law schools would raise tuition rates by 10% to 25% over the next two years.

[brandonNV]

Just got my acceptance letter on Feb 26th! Good to see everyone starting Aug.

[Vegas_Rebel]

Just got my acceptance letter on Feb 26th! Good to see everyone starting Aug.

Congratulations, Brandon

[renorunningirl]

In fairness to UNLV, earlier articles suggested that many, maybe most, state supported law schools would raise tuition rates by 10% to 25% over the next two years.

Even with tuition rising UNLV is looking better and better to me... Private schools are going up too, tuition at Lewis and Clark has risen nearly $7,000 since I was offered admission near the end of January....

[constitution23]

They stipulate top 1/3 of class for most schollys, and then put all the scholly kids together in one section. Since there's a mandatory curve, a lot of people lose those scholarships after first year. That and nevada's governor (R) is going at unlv funding with an ax. They lost 16% the last couple of years, and they're facing even more in the near future.

On the upside, it is the best law school in nevada (also, only one).

your call

Note: This quote is from a different thread, but it's the subject of my question.

I just got my acceptance letter to UNLV two days ago, but this post has me really worried. I'm from Vegas and I want to live and practice in Nevada, and I've been offered a nice scholarship to stay in the top 33% of the class. Have any of you experienced Boyd Law students heard/experienced anything like this? Anyone can say bad things about a school, I just wanted to see if this had any validity, particularly the part about lumping all the scholarship students together and then curving grades so they lose the scholarships.

Many thanks for any opinions!!!

[Vegas_Rebel]

I just got my acceptance letter to UNLV two days ago, but this post has me really worried. I'm from Vegas and I want to live and practice in Nevada, and I've been offered a nice scholarship to stay in the top 33% of the class. Have any of you experienced Boyd Law students heard/experienced anything like this? Anyone can say bad things about a school, I just wanted to see if this had any validity, particularly the part about lumping all the scholarship students together and then curving grades so they lose the scholarships.

Many thanks for any opinions!!!

I know of several students in both sections who have schollys. We don't really sit around and talk about who got scholarships and who didn't, but when you spend a year (or eight months) with the same group of people, you pick things up. I've also heard rumors that Boyd offers more than 33% of their class scholly's, such that some people have to lose their scholarship. Informal polling suggests to me that that's false as well. I heard the same rumors before school, but my experience leads me to believe that the scholly offer is a fair deal.

I have heard of people losing their scholarship for not maintaining top 1/3rd status. No one is ranked until the end of the first year, but I can say that more than a few of us are sweating after the first round of finals.

Grades are curved, but like any other school you'll be competing against the whole class.

I might mention, as a related note, that despite the general tone of TLS (and I'm not knocking TLS, just making an observation) everyone outside of T-14 isn't stupid. Some of those people sweating their scholly's were accepted to T-14/T-20 schools and chose Boyd for a variety of reasons. It's easy to think that going to a lower ranked school gives you an edge on the class; my experience is that if there's an edge at all, it's minimal. Don't overestimate it when you're making your decisions

Also, Congratulations!

[MNHockey09]

Is it really that difficult to gain admission if you are from out of state but intend to work in Las Vegas? Especially if your numbers fall within the 25th-75th ranges?

[Vegas_Rebel]

Is it really that difficult to gain admission if you are from out of state but intend to work in Las Vegas? Especially if your numbers fall within the 25th-75th ranges?

It's more difficult, certainly, for OOS students to gain admission generally. Nevada laws are written such that priority is given to NV students. That said, one of the more important things the Admin Committee says they look for is a commitment to the school and the state, so if you have both plus numbers within their admission range you're sitting in a good spot. Obviously the closer to 75% your numbers are, the better the chance. If you didn't stress your desire to go to Boyd, and to stay in Vegas (and provide reasons for both), in your admin packet you might follow up.

There seem like lot of OOS students in my section though, and lots of people want to leave Vegas. More, since the economy went down the tubes and our new Governor has established that he, too, is a moron (at least when it comes to education). That said, a lot of in-state students want to leave Vegas too, so I'm not sure what to make of all that. The laws make it harder, but you shouldn't have to do circus tricks or anything.

[MNHockey09]

Why is it that so many people want to leave Vegas? Trouble finding work at the moment? Because I really do read the same things about every single school that is not a T-30, a lot of people blame it solely on their specific school but things are obviously going to bounce back eventually, I'm still 2-3 years away from attending law school so the current state of Las Vegas' economy may not be as concerning to me. I love the area and would love to live there. (In the right neighborhood)

[Vegas_Rebel]

Why is it that so many people want to leave Vegas? Trouble finding work at the moment? Because I really do read the same things about every single school that is not a T-30, a lot of people blame it solely on their specific school but things are obviously going to bounce back eventually, I'm still 2-3 years away from attending law school so the current state of Las Vegas' economy may not be as concerning to me. I love the area and would love to live there. (In the right neighborhood)

Generally: Work is a big part of it, but because so many people (non-legal, generally) are in vulnerable spots at the moment they're watching politics more than usual and are pretty unhappy about some of the things coming down the pike (dismantling education being one of them.)

Legally: The legal market is actually doing OK. The folks who want to leave from my class usually came from elsewhere, or have gotten tired of Vegas (moral hang-ups, general burnout, whatever) or are just enamored with other places. Some folks just want to go back north, or to a neighboring state (UT, AZ, CA). A couple seem to want to return or head out east. Some of us have a 'we'll stay or go depending on where we get a job' mentality, but I suspect that's common everywhere.

Vegas has been sort of a transient town for a long time now, so it's not that unusual that people want to leave. Given the legal markets elsewhere, it surprises me that so many of my classmates have plans to leave, but it's up to them.

FWIW, I plan to stay, so the more folks that leave legal jobs open, the better :p

[MNHockey09]

I'm not sure I understand why Vegas gets such a bad rap as a place to live, there are so many nice neighborhoods in the area that people can live in, gated communities and such that are not even that expensive. There is always something to do, from a male perspective a lot of attractive women, and the weather and sunshine are at the top of the nation. I could see myself maybe wanted to go to ASU or U of A instead, but Vegas looks pretty good to me, but then again I've never lived there, just visited. What are prospects for ASU or U of A grads like in Vegas, if you know? Do they place well in Vegas? Better than UNLV? Same as UNLV? Worse?

[Vegas_Rebel]

I'm not sure I understand why Vegas gets such a bad rap as a place to live, there are so many nice neighborhoods in the area that people can live in, gated communities and such that are not even that expensive. There is always something to do, from a male perspective a lot of attractive women, and the weather and sunshine are at the top of the nation. I could see myself maybe wanted to go to ASU or U of A instead, but Vegas looks pretty good to me, but then again I've never lived there, just visited. What are prospects for ASU or U of A grads like in Vegas, if you know? Do they place well in Vegas? Better than UNLV? Same as UNLV? Worse?

I'm not sure exactly, but I would imagine any of the neighboring state's schools would place well. However, I think in Vegas, Boyd has top billing. Many of the firms want to see a commitment from their new associates as well, and even T14 school grads (supposedly) get turned away if the firm thinks they're just being used as a stepping stone.

That said, Boyd isn't very old, so our first class is just now hitting their Partnership / Shareholder decisions. Many of the decision makers went to neighboring schools and ended up in Vegas, so from that perspective being an alum from a different state school that a partner went to could be beneficial.

As wild speculation goes, I'd rank chances of getting BigLaw (by Vegas standards) this way:

T-14/20 with a *demonstrable* connection to Vegas and a moderate to high class rank. (I'd expect folks meeting this criteria to be roughly as common as unicorns, with Berkeley / Stanford / USC / UCLA slightly more common.)
Boyd w/ top 25% class rank / internship history.
Neighboring schools w/ top 25% class rank / internship history
Boyd (slight edge)
Elsewhere (slight detriment)

I have no idea about Reno / Carson City jobs. Maybe a 2L / 3L will chime in here with post-OCI thoughts.

[fireLaw]

I have applied to the part-time evening program and my application has been under review since 12/13/10. Does anyone know if the admissions committee reviews the applications in any specific order, or is this normal for most applicants to not have a decision after almost 4 months?

[MNHockey09]

Vegas Rebel, how is living in Vegas? I'm assuming you like it, maybe tell me some good things and bas things about it. Also how are the girls out there? Materialistic? Or not so much?

[constitution23]

@Vegas_Rebel - Thanks a million! Hearing that really helps me worry less. I think I'll perform fine in the courses, it just worried me hearing that the cards might be stacked against me. I'll be putting in my seat deposit this week.

[Vegas_Rebel]

Vegas Rebel, how is living in Vegas? I'm assuming you like it, maybe tell me some good things and bas things about it. Also how are the girls out there? Materialistic? Or not so much?

I love it. I've been back and forth a number of times, but always keep coming back.

The good things are probably what you'd expect: Almost any sort of entertainment your heart desires, a wide variety of delicious food, a hopping club scene (that you'll get introduced to if you come, because many of our "Bar Review" / weekly drinking sessions are held at clubs or trendy places) and amazing weather much of the year. If you like nature we have a lot of mountains and a giant lake nearby, and if you like it colder a quick trip up to Mt. Charleston will drop the temperately probably 25 degrees at least from whatever it is in the valley. Snow tends to stay in the mountains, making it accessible but not a burden. Legally, Vegas seems to be a very tight knit community and you'll find attorneys are usually willing to help you find your bearings when you're a student.

The bad things are maybe a little more mixed in terms of expectations. The summers scorch; we'll usually hit 90-100 days in a row of 100+ temps. The winters can be cold, even if you're used to midwest weather. The political system is hosed (our legislature meets for three months every two years, no state appellate courts) and we're broke. The universities (but not as much Boyd, see above) are struggling. Unemployment (generally, not legally) is as bad as it is anywhere in the country, and the housing market went with it. It's easy to get caught up in partying (you can see the strip from the school) and lose your focus in a way that seems like it would be hard at, say, Cornell.

In terms of girls (and guys, I suppose): It's really varied. We have a lot of strippers; you'll probably find yourself surprised one day to talk with a nice girl and find out that she's a dancer. That's not a good or a bad thing, unless you have moral compulsions that way, and certainly it's still the minority of girls who dance. The girls here are amazingly attractive; probably more so than anywhere else I've been. I'd say they trend toward the materialistic, but only as a slight majority. A lot of girls here are into the club scene, but not every girl. Because so many Vegas people are transplants from elsewhere, there's a large mix of 'types' of women with different values from staunch Mormon to staunch Hedonist. If you prefer your relationships more short term, we have a million people come into town every weekend from all over the country, and they all leave on Monday.

[MNHockey09]

Sign me up!

[CmonSD]

I have applied to the part-time evening program and my application has been under review since 12/13/10. Does anyone know if the admissions committee reviews the applications in any specific order, or is this normal for most applicants to not have a decision after almost 4 months?

I went in review on 12/13 for part time as well. I just got accepted this week. Hopefully you will hear soon!

@VegasRebel: Do you know much about the part-time schedule? Are classes held once a week? Also, given that summer school is required each year, do PT students get to participate in interships?

Thanks!

[Vegas_Rebel]

@VegasRebel: Do you know much about the part-time schedule? Are classes held once a week? Also, given that summer school is required each year, do PT students get to participate in interships?

Thanks!

I don't know much, but I'll ask around. I believe that they have classes every day, but they have less classes total. I know all the talks and whatnot have to be available for PT students, so I'd imagine they must be able to participate in internships.

I'll check with some of the PT students in my class and get back to you.

[CmonSD]

@VegasRebel: Do you know much about the part-time schedule? Are classes held once a week? Also, given that summer school is required each year, do PT students get to participate in interships?

Thanks!

I don't know much, but I'll ask around. I believe that they have classes every day, but they have less classes total. I know all the talks and whatnot have to be available for PT students, so I'd imagine they must be able to participate in internships.

I'll check with some of the PT students in my class and get back to you.

Thank you!

[Vegas_Rebel]

SD: I talked to my buddy Liz who is a part time student, and this is what she had to say:

PT students take three classes. Last semester that meant she was here for one or two classes every day, but this semester she's only here Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. It just depends on the schedule of the classes you are assigned. After first year, you can pick whatever you want and set your schedule up accordingly.

Part time students have full access to internships, externships, and financial aid. In that respect, PT is just like full time. She didn't say explicitly, but some internships have a number of credits requirement, so in that sense PT students might be somewhat limited as they take less classes and thus have less credits. It probably balances out, however, since they can apply for them for an extra year (PT being a 4 year program as opposed to 3.)

If you have any additional questions, I'll pass them along and get back to you.

[fireLaw]

I went in review on 12/13 for part time as well. I just got accepted this week. Hopefully you will hear soon!

Thanks for the encouragement. I am really excited to find out and still have my fingers crossed.

[non_entity]

What do books typically cost each semester? Does Las Vegas have a decent city buss transit system? Also, what are the expenses for utilities like for an average one or two bedroom apartment?

Thanks!