Law School Discussion

Good luck to everyone still making decisions!  If I can help out with info on UM or the city of Miami, let me know!

Hi everyone!
Sorry this is late....and for the record, yes I am a she hahaha!!!

Anyway, so here's my take on ASD.  On the whole I was very pleased - I definitely echo Justin's sentiments on all the various programs available to you.  They do a lot of clinical programs and other types of pro bono work that I thought were really cool, and can be great on resumes.  The panel of professors, I thought, was impressive and inspiring.  All the professors come with really, really great credentials.  I asked one at the break what made her come to Miami given that she had such great credentials (i.e. Yale Law, which is common among the professors).  Her response was that for what she was interested in - a lot of pro bono stuff, immigration, international law - Miami was the place where it was all happening and that's what made her come.  The professors seemed to be really accessible.  Every student I spoke to said that they had had no problems getting internships and jobs (if they were 3L's) and that they all got their "dream job" or at the very least one they really liked.  It didn't seem like anyone settled for a crappy job because they had no choice.  Quite a few were going to prominent firms outside of Florida or the DOJ in D.C.

The facilities were well-kept, I thought, but yes they are somewhat outdated.  To me the beauty of U.M.'s campus is the gorgeous tropical foliage everywhere and the rockwork/limestone.  But that's a personal preference.  The fact that there is a Starbucks on campus rocks.  Again personal preference.  The law library was well-staffed and the tour by a staff member was informative.  I had a great guide for the actual law school tour as well, but as I looked around I saw some guides that I may not have been AS pleased with.

The professor panel was definitely a highlight for me.  They kept harping on the "international" aspect of Miami, which is very exciting and definitely a huge plus for the school.  They all inspired me to take their classes, and they all had a good personality/sense of humor which I appreciated.

Two criticisms: the continental breakfast was lackluster, and I thought the Dean's answer to the inevitable question regarding the rankings could have been better.  He got a little defensive.  I think the other professors and students handled it better: the rankings are immaterial if you are happy at your school, you're doing well, and you're getting the jobs you want.

On the whole I'm ecstatic to be going to Miami, as everyone knows.  I think it's an awesome place and I think I'll do really well there.  The kids who participated on Friday were all well-accomplished and had a lot of insight to offer.  Then again, these are obviously the students who go the extra mile.  I'm sure there are others that float through their 3 years and get nothing out of it, but you'll find that anywhere.  It was obvious to me that there is a LOT to be gotten out of the Miami experience if you so choose.

Hope that helps!  I'd be happy to elaborate if you're curious about anything in particular!

Thanks Cosmo!  That makes me feel even better about my decision!  Honestly I just figure that I was going to commit and commit all the way...it helps that's it's a "hometown favorite" though.  I'm not going to torture myself about rankings.

Anyone else going to ASD tomorrow?? I am! 

I should probably also mention that I really grappled with whether or not to claim URM status on my application because I didn't want to feel like I had been accepted just because of that.  On my UG application I decided NOT to claim URM status and I got into a fabulous school.  This time around I decided that if other people were taking advantage of it there was no reason that I shouldn't.  There are some aspects of this whole debate that I really don't agree with, but the principle is at heart a good one.  My issue is with people who just assume that because you're a URM you're mediocre and taking advantage of the system.  Or worse, accusing me of whining because I didn't get in somewhere and am a URM - as though URMs just assume that we can float through life while others work hard.  Shame on you.