Law School Discussion

Anyone who passes the bar can go out and hang up a shingle.

This is what most law students fail to realize.  The vast majority of lawyers are self-employed.

Quote from: NATUREBOY on February 18, 2008, 02:47:49 AM

The curve is pretty brutal.  My class started with 260 students and we’re down to about 200.  The required median is C+, which translates to a 2.33.  Additionally, at least 10% of the class must get a C- or worse (which is below a 2.0) and only 20% of the class can get a B+ or better.  It’s really difficult to break a 3.0 GPA. 

The professors have an open door policy.  You will rarely need to schedule an appointment.  Most are pretty good.  Some aren’t.

The top 5% have a shot at biglaw.  Of the remaining 95%, the upper half typically take jobs with the DA or JAG, or with a small firm; and the bottom half start up their own firms.

There is pretty cheap housing close to campus.  They also set aside on campus housing for law/graduate students.

Good info.  I'm starting this fall, and I got a small scholarship, that is renewable if I keep my grades in the top 25% of my class.  What's the ballpark range for the top 25%?

Thanks-
JJ

1L scholarships at St. Mary's are NOT renewable.  You have to reapply each year through the financial aid office.  Currently the requirement is that you be in the top 10% of your class.  Below that, don't expect anything.  (Sorry, you were misinformed.)

Quote from: 2LMan on March 20, 2008, 02:56:54 PM

Yes, in your happy little dream world, on AVERAGE, the T3 and T4 grads will do as well or better than the Top 25 grads...... That's not reality though.  Sure, there are EXCEPTIONS, but they are just that.....

In my happy little dream world there are unicorns and people can ride them and they give you free icecream.
I'm pretty realistic about the fact that people from better schools have better odds at better jobs, and I don't think I've ever said otherwise.

I am just curious to see how it plays out in ten years.  I am curious whether the "oh wait we're just as good" group faces a harsh reality, or if the "oh no, I am so much better because of my school" crowd finds out that it doesn't make as much of a difference as they thought.

I'm interested in public interest law and government work, so all the bickering about the top of the food chain is really abstract for me.

There are 2 types of lawyers.  Keanu Reeves from Devil's Advocate and Rudy Baylor from the Rainmaker.  90% of law students are going to end up being Rudy Baylor.  I have several friends that graduated from very highly-ranked schools (T25 or better) that are making less than $50k/year.  All of them had summer associate gigs and thought they were superior to everybody else when in law school.  People overestimate how much a school's ranking helps.  All it does is give you better odds.  Wanna be Keanu Reeves?  Here's your odds: T1 (20-30%), T2 (15-20%), T3 (10%), T4 (5%).  The rest of us are all in the same boat and if you disagree, PM me in 10 years.

I was offered a job in a city about 35-45 minutes away. Small firm, salary is 10 per hour. I'll be taking over for the paralegal (and his duties) all summer long (leaving to take the bar)he does all the paperwork for immigration, juvenile court, etc. I'll also be translating at court on certain days, and some other clerk work. They've offered 10 dollars per hour w/ a review at 90 days for a possible raise. The owner guaranteed position when I graduate and pass the bar (salary unknown). I'll also have work on a p/t basis during the fall of next year and whenever I'm free. I'm top 25% at T4. The salary is imo insanely low and I'm wondering if I should counter, further is it appropriate to make a counter offer at this stage in the game. I think I'm probably the top candidate from either of the two schools near the firm because I can speak and write in Spanish which is the firms main clientèle and really no one in these area seems to speak or write spanish. Advice appreciated.

Let me comment on something I think everybody else missed.  You are not taking the bar, right?  The paralegal is, correct?  You are a 1L, right?  OK, then.  Let me give you my standard advice regarding summer jobs.  Unless you get an offer from one of these big firms paying you $2k a week or something comparable, at least for your first summer, you should just go to summer school.  Get ahead in your hours.  Try to graduate a semester early.  Whether your attend summer school or take a $10/hour job will have ZERO bearing on your interviews as a 2L.  Trust me!  A lot of people here will say I'm full of *&^%, and I myself would had told you the exact opposite of what I'm telling you now when I was a 1L, but it's true!  2L OCI is all about grades, grades, grades.  What you did the summer before is just something to talk about during the interview.  If you choose NOT to believe me, do so at your own risk.  I don't care.  I'm going to get totally scoffed at for even posting this.  I don't care; in my experience it's the truth. 

Quote from: txlec on February 20, 2008, 09:51:08 AM

I hear it is decent since St. Mary's is the only law school in the South Texas area.  Good luck!

This is definitely true.

Oh, except SOUTH TEXAS College of Law, University of Houston, and TEXAS SOUTHERN University...All of those are equal or better than St. Marys.

Oh, and an hour and 20 minutes north is the University of Texas, which is unquestionably the best law school within 900 miles, and you have to go at least 1,300 miles to find a legitimately better law school.

None of those schools are in south Texas.  Houston is a good 5 hour drive EAST of San Antonio.

The downtown San Antonio legal market is about 70/30 St Mary's/UT (excluding biglaw).