jgrin wrote:
Here is a list of the schools that dominate the legal markets in Texas:
Houston - UT, [strike]ST/UH[/strike] UH, and then ST
Austin - UT
Dallas - SMU
Ft. Worth - UT/[strike]Tex Wes.[/strike]
FTFY
By your own logic, STCL is a bad choice because it is not first pick in any legal market. So why would someone go there? Well here are a couple of possibilites: scholarship money, ties to area, interest in specific program, best option because they did not get into anywhere else...
jgrin wrote:So, if you want to go to a school where you are recruited secondarily in the major legal markets in Texas, the Texas Tech is your choice. If you want to go to a school where you are the primary recruitee, go to ST, UH, UT, SMU, Tex Wes. If you wish to hold on hope that you can be one of the 5%, 11% (a TT high), 6%, and 2% of the lawyers in these markets, go for it. I wouldn't, but then again, I am rational. The numbers are in black and white. By going to Tech you condemn yourself to being a back-up option for the largest legal markets in the state. If you want to work in a large legal market, DON'T go to Tech. The statistics of Tech in Dallas, Tarrant aren't statistically significant either, because most ST graduates self-select to not go to the Dallas and Tarrant markets because they have so many options in Harris. If this were not the case, and I admit this is impossible to prove, the numbers would be vastly different in both Dallas and Tarrant. Even as it is, the difference between the stats in Dallas and Tarrant between TT and ST aren't large enough to warrant the risk of Tech, when you have such a statistically better chance of succeeding(in terms of being in a large legal market) at ST. Face it, Texas Tech people just don't get it. Probably the reason they will end up there, when better options exist.
same points I brought up earlier. Money, interest in specific program, ties to area, or best option. For me it was money, interest in wind energy and litigation, and my ties to the area.
I also want to point out that Tech has its own market, where there is no competition from anyone. West Texas is itself a huge area, and there are tons of small/ midlaw firms, county governments, city governments, wind energy firms, oil and gas firms, etc. Just because you want biglaw and are fine with being stuck in Houston does not mean other applicants don't want to live in West Texas or get non-biglaw jobs in other markets across the state. Good luck at South Texas. Again I'm sorry it is the only place you got accepted, but I think you will find it is a great school and will take you where you want to go (maybe not big law, but it will give you a decent shot for it in Houston). There is no need to be bitter and try to justify your decision by trying to reach for arguments to put down other schools, especially when you have no merit.