University at Buffalo Law 1L Taking Questions Forum

[QueenCity1L]

Shoot.

[helfer snooterbagon]

UB!!!

[Overboostin]

How is the area around the campus? Is there less competition between 1Ls than you would expect from other schools since the class rankings aren't as well known(from what I've heard)?

[QueenCity1L]

How is the area around the campus? Is there less competition between 1Ls than you would expect from other schools since the class rankings aren't as well known(from what I've heard)?

Thanks for the questions. UB has two campuses: North and South Campus. North Campus, where the law school is, is really the heart of the university, while South Campus is the home to the medical, dental, and nursing programs. The North Campus is in Amherst, which is a suburban area that is consistently ranked as one of the safest cities in America (THE safest in 2010). There is an abundance of reasonably priced apartments proximate to North, too, so along with the low tuition, you're not going to be shelling out too much.

In my experience, my classmates are ambitious yet collegial. This is not the cutthroat environment you will find at some law schools. Class-rankings are discreet, there are no scholarship retention requirements (despite remaining in good academic standing), and Buffalo is the city of good neighbors This is a healthy environment to learn!

Any more questions, just let me know!

[HYH (HopeYouHelp)]

wgwag

[northwood]

Other than scholarship- is there any other way to get money from the school? any grants or anything that I can apply to? Or should I just use my FASFA and see how it goes from there?

Also: How is the job prospects from UB. Im really considering it ( its in my top 5). If you know of a place or person that I can get some information or help from, I would greatly appreciate it.

thanks!

[edubs003]

Based on Stats, will this year be harder to get in? I'm just wondering if you've talked to adcom people and overheard things? They've mailed my decision today but I don't know if it's going to be good or bad.

[QueenCity1L]

@ Northwood, http://law.buffalo.edu/Admissions/defau ... holarships
On top of the low in-state tuition and reasonable out-of-state tuition, the school is generous in distributing scholarship money.

Job prospects after graduation are strong. Most graduates stay in WNY, settling in Buffalo or Rochester, but some make it down to NYC.

@ edubs, Admission at UB has gotten more competitive in recent years. This year the median LSAT and GPA is 158 and 3.48, respectively. I heard they missed a 159 median by only a few enrollees, so yeah, the quality of applicant has significantly improved from what it had been (I think it hovered around 156).

Hope the incoming letter brings good news!

[northwood]

where do law students live?

[QueenCity1L]

On-campus housing is reserved for law students. I would not recommend the on-campus housing, though. The cost of living is so cheap in Buffalo, and the University really sticks it to you. I live adjacent to campus, and probably a quarter mile from one of the on-campus housing complexes and pay significantly less. Some students live in the city and make the 20 minute commute each day. This has its advantages on Friday nights, but as was demonstrated this week, can be really burdensome when the weather gets nasty.

Bottom line: you can find a nice place at a reasonable price within five minutes of the law school.

[northwood]

How is the overall atmostphere of the Law School? Is it super competitive and cut throat, or are people chill and willing to help out with notes/ outlines, etc? How are the professors- are they accessable, do their lectures show up on finals, and are they relevant ( dont go off track often) is there a lot of gunners/ gunnery-ish behavior? or do they get shot down, and eventually stop? ( i know there will always be that one or 2 persistent gunners, but overall)?

How have you managed the course work+ some sort of social life? ANy luck with internships over the summer? ( how does career services work- are they accessable and knowledgable, or do they seem hidden and not that bright?) I have recieved a lot of literature from the school, but I would like to know how it is from the perspective of an actual student, and not someone who is working hard to recruit me to spend a lot of money.

If you could do it all over, would you still go to UB, or would you go to another school that accepted you?
Sorry for asking 20 questions. Best of luck on your finals and winter break!

[jetergrl2ss]

How are SUNY budget cuts affecting the law school? Do you know if they are on any hiring freezes or denying faculty tenure? I know my SUNY Undergrad is doing this, leaving vacant faculty lines and I'm concerned about the law school doing the same. I know that Stony Brook Med school is operating in the same way.

Thanks for taking the time to do this!

[edubs003]

@ Northwood, http://law.buffalo.edu/Admissions/defau ... holarships
On top of the low in-state tuition and reasonable out-of-state tuition, the school is generous in distributing scholarship money.

Job prospects after graduation are strong. Most graduates stay in WNY, settling in Buffalo or Rochester, but some make it down to NYC.

@ edubs, Admission at UB has gotten more competitive in recent years. This year the median LSAT and GPA is 158 and 3.48, respectively. I heard they missed a 159 median by only a few enrollees, so yeah, the quality of applicant has significantly improved from what it had been (I think it hovered around 156).

Hope the incoming letter brings good news!

Thanks for the response. I hope it is good news! What's with the "decision rendered" status? I don't understand why the can't just say accepted/denied.

[northwood]

How is the course load for 1L? do you take 4 courses plus legal writing? Is the writign course graded?

[jer.smith83]

I'm curious...I have an LSAT of 153 and GPA of 3.41. I've worked for 5 years in consulting and have stellar letters of recommendation from my employer and a client. Think i have a shot?

[QueenCity1L]

Sorry for the delay.
The overall atmosphere at UB is not super competitive. In my experience, my classmates are very helpful and down to earth. I missed a few lectures this past semester and a number of classmates offered their notes without my asking. I think UB is somewhere around the happy-medium: competitive enough to bring out the best in students, but not to the point of volume-hiding and page ripping.
I was very satisfied with my professors last semester. They were knowledgeable and engaging. I had no hesitation approaching them at the end of class with questions. Each had open office hours as well as office appointments. Despite their excellent credentials, none were smug or elitist. I particularly enjoyed my Civ Pro professor, Prof. Mangold. Everyone dreaded the class heading in, but Prof. Mangold lectured with a dynamism that injected life into a pretty drab subject.
The exams were fair. Civil Procedure was a three hour exam consisting of 21 MC questions and an issue spotter. The MC questions were pretty tricky, but those who prepared found them fair. In Con Law we had a 7.5 hour take out exam. It consisted of 2 issue spotters and an exploratory essay. Property was a 4 hour issue spotter, consisting of 7 short hypotheticals. The consensus among my classmates who were adequately prepared is that each exam was fair, reflecting the readings and lectures from the semester.
I have managed to find a balance between coursework and a social life. It really is essential to your academic success, if not your sanity, to maintain a healthy social life during your first year. Along with a night out every week or so, I found running a particularly helpful outlet for stress management. I would have burned out by October had I not struck this balance.
I cannot give you too much of an assessment on career services. The ABA precludes the office from interacting with the first years until almost ¾ into the semester, so as to not distract us from our coursework. Unfortunately, I am just now beginning my hunt for an internship (not advisable), but as my search progresses I will post on my experiences.
I do not regret my choice to attend UB. Applicants are, at times, cavalier in their school choice. My top choices last year were UB, Case Western, Syracuse, and Loyola Chicago. Granted I had scholarship money from the other schools which made tuition comparable to UB, I chose UB because I knew it would provide the best learning environment. It was stressful enough this past semester. I cannot imagine studying effectively at a school where to overlook the Rule Against Perpetuities in property or misapply Erie in civ pro would mean tens of thousands of dollars in additional debt. Law school grading is nothing like undergrad; you are not assured A’s with hard work. Law school should be empowering not debilitating!
Any more questions let me know!

[pereira6]

Do you go to the basketball games? If not, you should!

(Half kidding response from a UB undergrad who LOVES the school).

For what its worth from a undergrad:

I'm pretty much the poster boy for UB undergrad, so I know a lot about the place in general and I love it. PM me anytime about general Buffalo questions.

[QueenCity1L]

How is the course load for 1L? do you take 4 courses plus legal writing? Is the writign course graded?

It is three substantive courses and research and writing- R&W being graded. R&W grade was determined by a final portfolio consisting of corrected work from the semester (30%) a final memorandum (60%) and professionalism (10%). Course load is demanding yet manageable.

[ohmylord]

Here's hoping there's someone out there that is still helpful.

I recently got accepted into various schools, Buffalo being one of them.
1. How is the rent for the apartments around the area? Are the apartments generally decent? The more details the better.
2. I've seen a few lists that vary quite widely as to where Buffalo ranked. One list ranked Buffalo towards the 60s spot while the list on this site ranks the school towards the 90s. At the end of the day, is it a great school?
3. How is the Buffalo area in general? Are businesses like Wal-Mart or a mall conveniently nearby?

[northwood]

Here's hoping there's someone out there that is still helpful.

I recently got accepted into various schools, Buffalo being one of them.
1. How is the rent for the apartments around the area? Are the apartments generally decent? The more details the better.
2. I've seen a few lists that vary quite widely as to where Buffalo ranked. One list ranked Buffalo towards the 60s spot while the list on this site ranks the school towards the 90s. At the end of the day, is it a great school?
3. How is the Buffalo area in general? Are businesses like Wal-Mart or a mall conveniently nearby?

1. Rent varies. Generally you can find a nice place for 800 or less. If you want to live in the suburbs they may range more towards the 800+, but they are safe

2. Its a good school for western new york. If you want to live and work within a half days drive- it would be a good option. IF you want to live farther away- then no.

3. The school is in downtown Buffalo. There are tons of shopping and stores nearby. The school is close to nearby towns, where you have more stores and choices.. The city is still trying to re disover its identity, and has been doing this for 30+ years. LIke the rest of the region, its in an economic hardship, and people are moving away- but i see things looking better.

[pereira6]

Here's hoping there's someone out there that is still helpful.

I recently got accepted into various schools, Buffalo being one of them.
1. How is the rent for the apartments around the area? Are the apartments generally decent? The more details the better.
2. I've seen a few lists that vary quite widely as to where Buffalo ranked. One list ranked Buffalo towards the 60s spot while the list on this site ranks the school towards the 90s. At the end of the day, is it a great school?
3. How is the Buffalo area in general? Are businesses like Wal-Mart or a mall conveniently nearby?

1. Rent varies. Generally you can find a nice place for 800 or less. If you want to live in the suburbs they may range more towards the 800+, but they are safe

2. Its a good school for western new york. If you want to live and work within a half days drive- it would be a good option. IF you want to live farther away- then no.

3. The school is in downtown Buffalo. There are tons of shopping and stores nearby. The school is close to nearby towns, where you have more stores and choices.. The city is still trying to re disover its identity, and has been doing this for 30+ years. LIke the rest of the region, its in an economic hardship, and people are moving away- but i see things looking better.

The law school is on North Campus, in Amherst, not downtown

[ohmylord]

I'm loving the responses so far. I have a couple of more questions.
1. I have been accepted to a variety of schools so far, with two other schools still pending on their decisions.
Albany Law School (accepted)
Syracuse (accepted)
St. John's (pending)
Hofstra (pending)
Is going to Buffalo better than going to these other schools, in terms of job prospects and tuition? I know the market isn't all that great but I tend to have pretty decent networking skills and a lot of good luck.

2. How are the apartments in general? I'm currently in a city where the apartments are relatively affordable but some of them can be rather rundown or just not all that great. If they're within the range of $800, I'm sort of expecting some decent quality.

3. (For those currently attending Buffalo Law or alumni) If you could redo your decision, would you pick a different school over Buffalo?

[pereira6]

I'm loving the responses so far. I have a couple of more questions.
1. I have been accepted to a variety of schools so far, with two other schools still pending on their decisions.
Albany Law School (accepted)
Syracuse (accepted)
St. John's (pending)
Hofstra (pending)
Is going to Buffalo better than going to these other schools, in terms of job prospects and tuition? I know the market isn't all that great but I tend to have pretty decent networking skills and a lot of good luck.

2. How are the apartments in general? I'm currently in a city where the apartments are relatively affordable but some of them can be rather rundown or just not all that great. If they're within the range of $800, I'm sort of expecting some decent quality.

3. (For those currently attending Buffalo Law or alumni) If you could redo your decision, would you pick a different school over Buffalo?

0L here, currently a UB undergrad responding.

1.) The general consensus is that Buffalo dominates the Buffalo/Rochester market. The ranking difference between Syracuse and Buffalo doesn't even come close to mitigating the drastically lower cost of UB. There isn't even a market advantage for Syracuse. However, take my 0L opinion with a grain of salt; I do know the WNY market very well, though.

2.) You can get on-campus apartments at Flint Village for under 800. They are good quality, but small and with roommates. The higher price/quality ratio comes from the on-campus presence (5 minute walk to law school/rest of campus). There's apartments of all quality with very good prices all throughout the Amherst region. UB North is very accessible.

Also, I'm a UG tour guide for prospective high schoolers, and am very involved in campus activities; so if you want general info about UB/surrounding area you can PM me and I think I can help out!

[QueenCity1L]

I'm loving the responses so far. I have a couple of more questions.
1. I have been accepted to a variety of schools so far, with two other schools still pending on their decisions.
Albany Law School (accepted)
Syracuse (accepted)
St. John's (pending)
Hofstra (pending)
Is going to Buffalo better than going to these other schools, in terms of job prospects and tuition? I know the market isn't all that great but I tend to have pretty decent networking skills and a lot of good luck.

2. How are the apartments in general? I'm currently in a city where the apartments are relatively affordable but some of them can be rather rundown or just not all that great. If they're within the range of $800, I'm sort of expecting some decent quality.

3. (For those currently attending Buffalo Law or alumni) If you could redo your decision, would you pick a different school over Buffalo?

0L here, currently a UB undergrad responding.

1.) The general consensus is that Buffalo dominates the Buffalo/Rochester market. The ranking difference between Syracuse and Buffalo doesn't even come close to mitigating the drastically lower cost of UB. There isn't even a market advantage for Syracuse. However, take my 0L opinion with a grain of salt; I do know the WNY market very well, though.

2.) You can get on-campus apartments at Flint Village for under 800. They are good quality, but small and with roommates. The higher price/quality ratio comes from the on-campus presence (5 minute walk to law school/rest of campus). There's apartments of all quality with very good prices all throughout the Amherst region. UB North is very accessible.

Also, I'm a UG tour guide for prospective high schoolers, and am very involved in campus activities; so if you want general info about UB/surrounding area you can PM me and I think I can help out!

Thanks pereira!! Sorry I wasn't able to make it to the game. The Law School had a mentoring reception.

I just want to add that the employment data for the Class of 2009 is in.
http://law.buffalo.edu/Career_services/ ... atistics10

Where the class of 2008 had a 91% employment rate, really affecting the rankings, the Class of 2009 has a 98% employment rate. For all you ranking-conscious applicants, I think March 15th will bring good news for UB Law.

As far as affordable housing near campus is concerned, you have many options. I live adjacent to campus and split an $840 a month with a fellow law student. I would advise against the on-campus housing. Nearly every 1L I've spoken with who lives on-campus regrets it!

IMO,

Albany Law School (accepted)- If you absolutely want to work in the capital region Albany might be a good choice, BUT think long and hard about how willing you are to amass the kind of debt Albany entails with a average starting salary around 55K.
Syracuse (accepted)- Same idea as Albany only Syracuse seems a bit more generous scholarship-wise. If you weren't offered scholarship, you would be mad to attend. If you were awarded scholarship, think long and hard about the scholarship retention requirements and the seemingly arbitrary nature of law school grading.
St. John's (pending)- Expensive but pretty liberal with scholarship monies. If you get a scholarship and want to work in NYC- worth a look. UB tends to send 30-40 graduates to the big apple each year, offering a cost effective alternative, if that is your goal.
Hofstra (pending)- Don't go.

[ohmylord]

I'm loving the responses so far. I have a couple of more questions.
1. I have been accepted to a variety of schools so far, with two other schools still pending on their decisions.
Albany Law School (accepted)
Syracuse (accepted)
St. John's (pending)
Hofstra (pending)
Is going to Buffalo better than going to these other schools, in terms of job prospects and tuition? I know the market isn't all that great but I tend to have pretty decent networking skills and a lot of good luck.

2. How are the apartments in general? I'm currently in a city where the apartments are relatively affordable but some of them can be rather rundown or just not all that great. If they're within the range of $800, I'm sort of expecting some decent quality.

3. (For those currently attending Buffalo Law or alumni) If you could redo your decision, would you pick a different school over Buffalo?

0L here, currently a UB undergrad responding.

1.) The general consensus is that Buffalo dominates the Buffalo/Rochester market. The ranking difference between Syracuse and Buffalo doesn't even come close to mitigating the drastically lower cost of UB. There isn't even a market advantage for Syracuse. However, take my 0L opinion with a grain of salt; I do know the WNY market very well, though.

2.) You can get on-campus apartments at Flint Village for under 800. They are good quality, but small and with roommates. The higher price/quality ratio comes from the on-campus presence (5 minute walk to law school/rest of campus). There's apartments of all quality with very good prices all throughout the Amherst region. UB North is very accessible.

Also, I'm a UG tour guide for prospective high schoolers, and am very involved in campus activities; so if you want general info about UB/surrounding area you can PM me and I think I can help out!

Thanks pereira!! Sorry I wasn't able to make it to the game. The Law School had a mentoring reception.

I just want to add that the employment data for the Class of 2009 is in.
http://law.buffalo.edu/Career_services/ ... atistics10

Where the class of 2008 had a 91% employment rate, really affecting the rankings, the Class of 2009 has a 98% employment rate. For all you ranking-conscious applicants, I think March 15th will bring good news for UB Law.

As far as affordable housing near campus is concerned, you have many options. I live adjacent to campus and split an $840 a month with a fellow law student. I would advise against the on-campus housing. Nearly every 1L I've spoken with who lives on-campus regrets it!

IMO,

Albany Law School (accepted)- If you absolutely want to work in the capital region Albany might be a good choice, BUT think long and hard about how willing you are to amass the kind of debt Albany entails with a average starting salary around 55K.
Syracuse (accepted)- Same idea as Albany only Syracuse seems a bit more generous scholarship-wise. If you weren't offered scholarship, you would be mad to attend. If you were awarded scholarship, think long and hard about the scholarship retention requirements and the seemingly arbitrary nature of law school grading.
St. John's (pending)- Expensive but pretty liberal with scholarship monies. If you get a scholarship and want to work in NYC- worth a look. UB tends to send 30-40 graduates to the big apple each year, offering a cost effective alternative, if that is your goal.
Hofstra (pending)- Don't go.

That's great to hear and some great news. From what I've been hearing, Buffalo (and the areas around it) sounds like a place I would like to attend and even stay for a job. Thanks for putting some insight on the other schools, too.