University of Minnesota Law School Forum

[Miranda 18]

I am wondering what the on campus dorm baths look like. I remember seeing a slightly higher rent for "semi-private" baths in an M-- dorm building, so what is a non-private bath?? Never lived in a place where baths are public.

Also wondering about the dating/social scene in Minneapolis. Is it difficult to blend in? Do people accept new comers? From the info I have gathered so far, Minneapolis seems a nice place to spend the next 10 years at, but if locals are like those here in STL...I'd think twice before I move up north.

Gweng--as someone who just moved out of the Twin Cities. I can comment on the social scene in Minneapolis. Its like most cities where all the expensive clubs and bars are in downtown but because Minneapolis is a bit small there all one street (Hennepin Ave), another kind of swanky area is Uptown which is GORGEOUS in the summer. Lots of fun restaurants, bars, stores, and they have great happy hours. There is also Dinkytown which is where all the UofM students/grads enjoy their time. Definitely has a younger feel to it but prices are unbeatable. Minneapolis is pretty diverse anyone can find a great part of town or bar they have a great time at, but I will admit meeting new people can be a little difficult (this may be due to my own shyness) nonetheless Minnesota is known for nice people so you should not be worried! Hope that helps....let me know if I can answer any specific questions about the city for you!

[Thomas Jefferson]

I am wondering what the on campus dorm baths look like. I remember seeing a slightly higher rent for "semi-private" baths in an M-- dorm building, so what is a non-private bath?? Never lived in a place where baths are public.

Also wondering about the dating/social scene in Minneapolis. Is it difficult to blend in? Do people accept new comers? From the info I have gathered so far, Minneapolis seems a nice place to spend the next 10 years at, but if locals are like those here in STL...I'd think twice before I move up north.

I don't think law students can live in dorms.

[Gemini]

Whats going on with this thread? I have a million questions!

I'm from NYC but am definitely looking to get out for law school. I'm not sure if I will want to go back or not, but chances are, I will (my family is all there).
I'm wondering about summer jobs and the legal market in general.

Are UMN's summer jobs only for the TC area? Or would it be possible for me to find a 1L summer job in NYC, so I can at least spend summers in NY, should I attend UMN?

Does UMN have a good national reach or is it basically regional? I know I would have great options in MN, but how does it fare in the Northeast?

How is Minneapolis in general? Is the law school in a good neighborhood? Is MN safe? I really don't know much about it!

Thanks for any input!

[Gemini]

bump.

Plus, do you need a car?

[Thomas Jefferson]

Pro-tip: wait more than 4 hours before bumping.

I'm a 1L at UMN so I'll try to answer your questions.

If you do want to end up in NYC, it's simple: go to a T6 or stay in NY. Everything outside of HYS is regional. I'm from New York originally so feel free to ask any other questions about the school or area, but you should look at northeast schools if you want to stay around NY. Generally though, UMN places very well throughout the Midwest, especially the upper-Midwest. You can get "jobs" from any TTT (or at least things that get reported as "jobs" by the deans), but without knowing more of what you want (BigLaw, PI, etc.) I'll just refer you to the search function and the placement threads.

Minneapolis is a great city; I really love it. I somewhat disliked NYC though because I hated feeling packed-in like a sardine everywhere (packed into a dirty can at that), but I do miss the food. Minneapolis is a safe, clean city and I've had a lot of fun since moving out here. The law school isn't in the greatest neighborhood, but it's not in the ghetto either. Most people don't live right by the school, however; although some live right down the street, most of the people I know live either in Uptown or Northeast--each generally a 15 min bus ride or 20 or so minute car ride, at most. On that note, you don't need a car. Lot's of people have them, but I've been getting along more than fine without one. The bus/lightrail system is very good and you can get an unlimited transit pass through the university for $100 a semester.

I'll try to answer any other questions too, but it may take me a day or so to respond--this week is kind of busy.

[Gemini]

Pro-tip: wait more than 4 hours before bumping.

I'm a 1L at UMN so I'll try to answer your questions.

If you do want to end up in NYC, it's simple: go to a T6 or stay in NY. Everything outside of HYS is regional. I'm from New York originally so feel free to ask any other questions about the school or area, but you should look at northeast schools if you want to stay around NY. Generally though, UMN places very well throughout the Midwest, especially the upper-Midwest. You can get "jobs" from any TTT (or at least things that get reported as "jobs" by the deans), but without knowing more of what you want (BigLaw, PI, etc.) I'll just refer you to the search function and the placement threads.

Minneapolis is a great city; I really love it. I somewhat disliked NYC though because I hated feeling packed-in like a sardine everywhere (packed into a dirty can at that), but I do miss the food. Minneapolis is a safe, clean city and I've had a lot of fun since moving out here. The law school isn't in the greatest neighborhood, but it's not in the ghetto either. Most people don't live right by the school, however; although some live right down the street, most of the people I know live either in Uptown or Northeast--each generally a 15 min bus ride or 20 or so minute car ride, at most. On that note, you don't need a car. Lot's of people have them, but I've been getting along more than fine without one. The bus/lightrail system is very good and you can get an unlimited transit pass through the university for $100 a semester.

I'll try to answer any other questions too, but it may take me a day or so to respond--this week is kind of busy.

Thanks for the info! Very much appreciated! I'm looking through the UMN law brochure and it does have some NY placement. There are some law firms. I honestly would leave NY and never come back if it wasn't for my family who have all moved to America via Ellis Island and just never left NY, lol.

Please take your time answering, I understand that the life of a law student is very busy. With that said:

1. How is the faculty? Are they super nice and approachable? How are the classes overall? Is there a competitive environment?

2. Social scene: obviously, if accepted and enrolled at UMN, I would be moving to a new state, knowing absolutely no one. So I just wanted to know how the social/dating scene is.

3. Any other interesting tid bits you'd like to share.

Thanks!

[Thomas Jefferson]

I'm sure a few people make their way (back) to NY every year, but my sense has been that they either have stellar grades or strong connections back east. You shouldn't bank on the former and I don't know if you have the latter. Other than that, I haven't interacted with Career Services much yet, so I can't tell you much more than what you'll find in other placement discussions.

The faculty is superb. The professors are very good and you clearly get the sense that they genuinely care about the students. It is very easy to approach them in office hours, from what I hear. I haven't really gone to office hours, but everyone who has seems to have had positive experiences with the professors.

The environment at the school is definitely not competitive and is incredibly cooperative. For example, it's common for people to send you their notes unsolicited if you miss class and everyone definitely gets along very well. I know of only maybe 2 gunners in all 5 sections.

Socially, there's the weekly bar reviews and people organize their own section or inter-section events as well. Everyone is friendly and it's easy to make new friends out here. The culture of the school is definitely very welcoming. I was struck by how many people are in relationships, many long distance, but there's plenty to do in the Cities to meet people.

Let me know if there's anything else.

[chrisbru]

Favorite thing about Minneapolis?

[Fast_Fingers]

Favorite thing about Minneapolis?

The people. Hands down. Educated, friendly, and open for conversation. Just be careful when taking the 2 bus.

[Gemini]

What happens on the 2 bus?

Edit for 500th post!

[Fast_Fingers]

What happens on the 2 bus?

Edit for 500th post!

When it's relatively dark, the crazy people come out, since a bunch of the area around Franklin Avenue is not a good neighborhood. Fortunately, the express buses offer a clear way to Uptown with minimal fuss during the weekdays, and if you get a bike, going to school is relatively easy. If you live in Grandmarc or 7 Corners, you won't have to worry about any of this...you'll have to deal with other stressed out law students day in and day out though.

[dreakol]

How far is the campus from downtown?

If there are any students on here that came from the southwest, was it difficult to adjust to the winters?

[jayn3]

How far is the campus from downtown?

If there are any students on here that came from the southwest, was it difficult to adjust to the winters?

Downtown is close and easy to get to by bus.

I can't speak for the southwest, but the Florida kids are going nuts. Parking in mpls is not easy, and gets exponentially harder when it snows and emergency plow routes go into effect. If you come here, make sure your apartment at least has a slab/parking lot. And buy a coat during spring/summer, when they're cheap, and you can get something heavy duty. No one cares if you look like a marshmallow. Or at least that's what they tell me.

Also: winter boots.

[uniqlaw]

My wife and I are from Florida, and I will be attending UofM in the fall of 2011. We are looking for apartments but don't know if there are apartment complexes or neighborhoods where UofM law students (students in general) live. Can anyone help us out?

[chrisbru]

Thoughts on living for an OOSer?

I visited over Christmas break, since I was in the midwest. Campus looked decent (but not as nice as St. Thomas... Not that age of the building matters). It's in kind of an odd part of town, from what I could gather. No buildings near the law building (that I could find) would accept pets. The best ideas I could come up with were the west end of downtown (near St. Thomas grad campus) and Uptown (which is an awesome neighborhood). Both are a bit of a jaunt from UM Law.

Any thoughts for me? I'm looking for a 1 bed/1 bath or 2 bed/2 bath for me, my gf, and our dog (small, 10 pounds) to live in... If we get a 2 bed, we'll have a roommate. I'd like to keep the 1 bed in the $750-$1000 range, or $1000-$1400 for a two bed.

[drleather]

Live in Uptown. There's express buses from Uptown right to campus that take 15 minutes either way.

You can easily find a nice 1BR apartment for about $900 within 6 or 7 blocks of Calhoun Square, the heart of the neighborhood.

A lot of your friends will spend 1L year living in 7 Corners, and you'll be jealous at first because most of the Bar Review and post-classes hanging out will be right at their doorstep, but by the end of Spring semester, they'll all be 100% sick of 7 Corners and half will end up moving to Uptown, anyway.

[chrisbru]

Live in Uptown. There's express buses from Uptown right to campus that take 15 minutes either way.

You can easily find a nice 1BR apartment for about $900 within 6 or 7 blocks of Calhoun Square, the heart of the neighborhood.

A lot of your friends will spend 1L year living in 7 Corners, and you'll be jealous at first because most of the Bar Review and post-classes hanging out will be right at their doorstep, but by the end of Spring semester, they'll all be 100% sick of 7 Corners and half will end up moving to Uptown, anyway.

Thanks for the advice! This confirms what I originally felt when looking at places in both areas. I definitely don't mind taking a bus, especially if it's only 15 minutes.

Edit: After Googling 7 Corners, I actually walked in there, set up a tour, and then realized they don't take dogs. Sorry, I'm not willing to leave my buddy with my parents for three years just to live close to school!

[drleather]

Nobody is happy they live in 7 Corners after 1st semester. Or, if they are happy they live there, they're deranged. It's a glorified dorm, and overpriced to boot. It's fine for 1L year if you're single because it lets you meet people a little easier, but if you have a significant other, it's pointless to live there. First of all, your GF will already feel swamped with your law school social life, at least until she manage to establish her own. Living amongst the law student horde will just exacerbate any frustrations she will inevitably have.*

Also, Uptown has more stuff to do. It has the lakes, which are nice for walking/running around, there are dog parks, it's close to bike paths, farmers markets in the summer, restaurants, grocery stores (note: 7 corners has no proximate grocery stores)... And, seriously, it's nice to be on break or during a low-key weekend to not have to see the law school when you leave your house in the morning. Law school can be emotionally overwhelming for some people, and it's important to take a break.

7 Corners continues to exist merely because it preys on incoming 1Ls who are too timid to dare to live more than a few blocks from the law school.

Finally, somewhat counter-intuitively, living in 7 corners will require a car more often than if you live in Uptown, because Uptown has all necessary features within walking distance. I mentioned the grocery stores (uptown has 3 full sized ones, 7 corners has 0), but also things like movie theaters, clothing stores, hardware stores, decent restaurants, liquor stores... you have to drive from 7 corners for all of these things (or take a bus). You can walk to any of them in Uptown.

*Law students are especially dull during 1L year because all we ever talk about is law school. It's incredibly interesting to us, but to non law students it's like listening to people talk in depth about school board elections in a city that they've never been to or plan to visit. Dull, dull, dull.

[chrisbru]

*helpful info*

Thank you very much for this. That makes a lot of sense... And was my concern about the west end of downtown too, being that Target seems to be the only "grocery" store near there. Uptown sounds more an more promising... Now I just have to hunt down an affordable place in that area!

Anyone have any references as far as buildings, property managers, or sites to use to search for places?

[Fast_Fingers]

*helpful info*

Thank you very much for this. That makes a lot of sense... And was my concern about the west end of downtown too, being that Target seems to be the only "grocery" store near there. Uptown sounds more an more promising... Now I just have to hunt down an affordable place in that area!

Anyone have any references as far as buildings, property managers, or sites to use to search for places?

I found my place in Uptown indirectly through Craigslist, having known some 2Ls. I pay $477 for everything.

I plan on using Craiglist and places advertising available spaces (there are many around Hennepin/Garfield) next year to find a similar apartment/living area near the 113/114/115 bus lines.

[greeklee11]

There are a few locations close to the school that I would avoid. For example, I live in the "Seward" neighborhood on Franklin, 15 minute walk to school -- looked dynamite on Google Maps. We had a triple homicide right outside my window last winter, and a few months ago I pulled a man off of a woman -- he had her pinned against a street sign; slugging her in the face (she was too drugged-out to issue a thanks). It seems like most students have successfully avoided this part of town, and I only share this post because I wish I had seen something like it before I moved.

[chrisbru]

There are a few locations close to the school that I would avoid. For example, I live in the "Seward" neighborhood on Franklin, 15 minute walk to school -- looked dynamite on Google Maps. We had a triple homicide right outside my window last winter, and a few months ago I pulled a man off of a woman -- he had her pinned against a street sign; slugging her in the face (she was too drugged-out to issue a thanks). It seems like most students have successfully avoided this part of town, and I only share this post because I wish I had seen something like it before I moved.

I've heard similar opinions about Seward. Seems that a lot of 1L's start there and move as soon as their lease is up.

[Fast_Fingers]

There are a few locations close to the school that I would avoid. For example, I live in the "Seward" neighborhood on Franklin, 15 minute walk to school -- looked dynamite on Google Maps. We had a triple homicide right outside my window last winter, and a few months ago I pulled a man off of a woman -- he had her pinned against a street sign; slugging her in the face (she was too drugged-out to issue a thanks). It seems like most students have successfully avoided this part of town, and I only share this post because I wish I had seen something like it before I moved.

I've heard similar opinions about Seward. Seems that a lot of 1L's start there and move as soon as their lease is up.

Absolutely. I avoid taking the 2 bus which goes around Franklin, but I can't imagine living there. There is a guaranteed amount of crazy once it's 6-10PM. There was a nearby shooting one night...guns sound just like firecrackers. And another time, a gangbanger wearing shorts on his knees in 20 degree weather was constantly cursing and threatening another passenger. It's just a really bad place, and doesn't at all represent the rest of Minnesota, which is as friendly as you can imagine.

[paragliderwoods]

If this is the wrong place to post this question, please kindly point me in the right direction.

Do you know of UMinn grads going to the southwest (LA/Phx)? Does Career Services have connections in these markets?

Thanks for fielding q's

[37duncan]

What happens to those in median? What do they do? Where do they work? Happy with decision to attend MN?

MN still worth instate prices if graduate median?

Don't care what kind of job or location as long as not doc review

Apologize if this was already covered
Thanks!