SOUTHWESTERN IS UNETHICAL AND MISREPRESENTS THEIR PROGRAMS!!!

[CALLAW]

DO NOT GO TO SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW IN LA, CA!!!!!
The school practices unscrupulous policies and is only looking to take your $$$$.  ....STAY CLEAR OF THIS SCHOOL!!!
There are so many better reputable schools and if you don't get accepted to them, go to any other school or don't go to law school.....Southwestern is BAD and there are soooo many unhappy students there.  I would even go to a non-aba school before I'd go to this one again.  I truly feel that I wasted al my tuition at this institution.

[anoddduck]

Wow, I'm sorry you feel that way...

On the other hand, the only Southwestern grad I know is now working in-house for a large high tech firm in Silicon Valley and making the big bucks... So it can't be that bad, right?

I mean, what happened that you're so upset?

[jdohno]

Your friend is clearly the exception. Southwestern is not respected in LA. On another transfer board, I have read horrible tales about Southwestern. I'm sorry that your experience at SW was awful and that you weren't informed of the school's reputation before you went there.

Wow, I'm sorry you feel that way...

On the other hand, the only Southwestern grad I know is now working in-house for a large high tech firm in Silicon Valley and making the big bucks... So it can't be that bad, right?

I mean, what happened that you're so upset?

[auto208562]

Right now I am interning at the LA DA's office and in the department I am interning at, the majority of the students there are Southwestern students.  The impressions I got from them was that none of them dislike the school and on the contrary, really like it.  I am curious as to whether the students I encountered during my internship are the exception.   

[jdohno]

Does the DA's office take top students for internships? Top students at T4 schools either transfer up or stay with scholarship money. Also are they in the SCALE program at Southwestern? If you want to read horror stories about Southwestern from a few people who are transferring up, you can go to the transfer group on Yahoo.

Are you doing a split summer with a biglaw firm? Or are you just interning in the DA's office? Which department?

To the first poster: What did SW do that has you so upset?

Right now I am interning at the LA DA's office and in the department I am interning at, the majority of the students there are Southwestern students.  The impressions I got from them was that none of them dislike the school and on the contrary, really like it.  I am curious as to whether the students I encountered during my internship are the exception.   

[auto208562]

In regards to the southwestern students, there are three there, two are top with scholarship money and just finished their 1L, one is not on a scholarship and just finished his 2L.  The are not in SCALE, but in the regular full time day program. 

Me personally, I work full time, have been for around 9 years, and am only interning there for 1.5 days per week.  That is all my work would let me do. I am not interested in biglaw but I am an older non-trad student.   

My impression of the LA DA's office is not like biglaw firms or judges.  Their hiring criteria is not so stringent, like you don't have to be top 10% or anything like that because I was definitely not that.  In the interview, I got the impression that the only class they cared about was legal skills, and they were more wanting to give opportunties to people like me (couldn't do a full time internship and have other priorities like full time employment and/or family).  Every other place I applied for wanted a full time commitment over summer.  Again, this is my own personal experience and so I'm not sure if it's the norm or exception. 

And by the way, I believe Southwestern is a 3rd tier. 

[jdohno]

Something about this first post sounds familiar. I think there is a similar one on the prelaw side. Right, Loyola used to be a 3rd tier and they moved up to second tier. Southwestern is now 3rd tier. I was going to post the 4law link with the law school reviews. But it looks like the site is down.

That's great the DA office would work with you like that. Do you want to work in the DA's office after graduation?

To the first poster: Either way, if you can't transfer from your school then you have to make it work. You can go visit at another school. Load up on classes so you can graduate early. But it sounds like the first poster isn't going to Southwestern anymore. I know a few people who dropped out of law school after first year and got a masters in something else and are working. So good luck with whatever you do regarding Southwestern.

In regards to the southwestern students, there are three there, two are top with scholarship money and just finished their 1L, one is not on a scholarship and just finished his 2L.  The are not in SCALE, but in the regular full time day program. 

Me personally, I work full time, have been for around 9 years, and am only interning there for 1.5 days per week.  That is all my work would let me do. I am not interested in biglaw but I am an older non-trad student.   

My impression of the LA DA's office is not like biglaw firms or judges.  Their hiring criteria is not so stringent, like you don't have to be top 10% or anything like that because I was definitely not that.  In the interview, I got the impression that the only class they cared about was legal skills, and they were more wanting to give opportunties to people like me (couldn't do a full time internship and have other priorities like full time employment and/or family).  Every other place I applied for wanted a full time commitment over summer.  Again, this is my own personal experience and so I'm not sure if it's the norm or exception. 

And by the way, I believe Southwestern is a 3rd tier. 

[auto208562]

Not specifically.  I am more just trying to get whatever experience I can get, while working full time, so if it was a private firm, government, whatever, and would have allowed me a flexible schedule, I would have taken it.  I probably will be more selective as I figure out what type of law I am interested in as the years go on.   

That's great the DA office would work with you like that. Do you want to work in the DA's office after graduation?

[IHEARTLS]

DO NOT GO TO SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW IN LA, CA!!!!!
The school practices unscrupulous policies and is only looking to take your $$$$.  ....STAY CLEAR OF THIS SCHOOL!!!
There are so many better reputable schools and if you don't get accepted to them, go to any other school or don't go to law school.....Southwestern is BAD and there are soooo many unhappy students there.  I would even go to a non-aba school before I'd go to this one again.  I truly feel that I wasted al my tuition at this institution.

Interesting...one of the other interns at my internship attends Southwestern and he loves it!  I guess everyone's experience is different.

[be10dwn]

this is obviously a flame