Montana 2011

[thedive]

Just curious if there is anyone out there.

[trickydicky]

I did not attend UM but I am familiar with the school and Missoula because I am from the city.

Blast away with any questions

[alanaleigh14]

I applied but have yet to hear a decision.

[alanaleigh14]

I really want to go there though!

[thedive]

I really want to go there though!

Are you in-state?

[alanaleigh14]

Yes! I do have resident status according to UM but haven't lived here that long, do you think that matters?

[thedive]

I did not attend UM but I am familiar with the school and Missoula because I am from the city.

Blast away with any questions

What do you think of the overall legal market in MT? I'm also from the area(not around Missoula) and it seems that there is a pretty loyal alumni base throughout the state.

[alanaleigh14]

I know you didnt ask me but every judge/attorney I have met in this state graduated from UM.

[thedive]

Yes! I do have resident status according to UM but haven't lived here that long, do you think that matters?

Yes, I think it will help. On the admissions site it states that they reserve more seats for residents than non-residents. Don't expect scholly information right away though, I guess they don't decide until after most have paid their deposits. On the up-side, in-state tuition is very reasonable and Missoula is an awesome area. Best of luck!

[thedive]

I know you didnt ask me but every judge/attorney I have met in this state graduated from UM.

Yeah, same here. Large firms for the area like Clowley Fleck seem to have a lot of UM grads too.

[alanaleigh14]

How did they notify you BTW?

[thedive]

How did they notify you BTW?

Email.

[trickydicky]

Like the rest of Montana, the legal hiring market is in shambles. It is a scary dire situation. Garlington in Missoula (white shoe for Missoula haha) is struggling and attorneys have little work. Firms are not hiring. I have a few former friends that graduated in the top half and could not find a real job. They ended up being contract attorneys making less than 20 dollars/hr.

The economy is going to get worse in Montana. Smurfit shut down and the timber industry is a shadow of what it once was. All there is in Montana is tourism and service jobs. Montana's population is flatlining. Not a good sign for 100+ new law students entering the market.

It is sad because I think that UM is a solid school. I have met a few of the professors and they seem pretty solid.

Be careful and make sure that you consider all the contingencies. Although in state tuition is low, do not expect much if any scholarship money because there is simply no money available. Therefore, you will be in debt if you are paying your own way.

[thedive]

Well that is not exactly what I wanted to hear but good to know. Why do you think the economy will decline in the future? It seems that towards the eastern part of the state there has been some progress in oil but I'm not sure what impact that will make. I have also heard on TLS that it may be hard to return to MT from a T2 school in say, the Midwest, do you think this is true?
Thanks in advance.

[trickydicky]

I write that there is little hope of the economy improving in the future because there is no job or industry on the horizon that will replace the timber industry. The big push is for clean coal but that is wishful thinking now.

If you are dead set on working in Montana, I recommend going to UM. Going to law school generally is risky. If you go to UM, tryto kill it in school and network the shit out it. That will give you the best chance.

Going to a school in the midwest does not make much sense IMO. Few if any people (attorneys included) will distinguish between UM law school and a T1 or T2 school