SMU Reduced Load Program

[Contract2008]

LSAC says they reported 100%; check it out:

http://officialguide.lsac.org/SearchResults/SchoolPage.aspx?sid=139

93.2% Employed
1.5% Pursuing Graduate Degrees
5.0% Unemployed (Seeking, not seeking, or studying for the bar)

Surely LSAC wouldn't let them put up bad numbers...

You're so naive. I just looked at my own law school's data and its reporting rate is 100% as well and I can assure you that's not accurate.

93.2% employed (9 long months after graduation) includes Joe Smith who's waiting table at Denny's and Jane Doe who works at her dad's farm and Jen Johnson who babysit her neighbor's daughter on a part-time basis.  All three of them are included in that 93.2% employed rate, because they are employed 9 months after graduation.  So, technically, they are right.  So, in other words I was "wrong" when I referred to those SMU law graduates being unemployed, because many of them are technically employed.  I hope that make things more clear. 

[gooseisland]

# employed in law firms 169 68.7%
# employed in business and industry 40 16.3%
# employed in government 17 6.9%
# employed in public interest 3 1.2%
# employed as judicial clerks 11 4.5%
# employed in academia 6 2.4%

FYI...

[Contract2008]

# employed in law firms 169 68.7%
# employed in business and industry 40 16.3%
# employed in government 17 6.9%
# employed in public interest 3 1.2%
# employed as judicial clerks 11 4.5%
# employed in academia 6 2.4%

FYI...

I think you meant it to be without the "%."

A restaurand is a business and an "industry" and the samething can be said about a farm.

The ones who are employed by law firms include positions such as law clerk that get paid $12/hour, document reviewers, and paralegals as well as runner, administrative assistants, etc.  In addition, if they can lie about their reporting percentage, what makes them stop at lying about the percentage employed in law firms or their starting salaries? 

[Holden Caulfield]

LSAC says they reported 100%; check it out:

http://officialguide.lsac.org/SearchResults/SchoolPage.aspx?sid=139

93.2% Employed
1.5% Pursuing Graduate Degrees
5.0% Unemployed (Seeking, not seeking, or studying for the bar)

Surely LSAC wouldn't let them put up bad numbers...

You're so naive. I just looked at my own law school's data and its reporting rate is 100% as well and I can assure you that's not accurate.

93.2% employed (9 long months after graduation) includes Joe Smith who's waiting table at Denny's and Jane Doe who works at her dad's farm and Jen Johnson who babysit her neighbor's daughter on a part-time basis.  All three of them are included in that 93.2% employed rate, because they are employed 9 months after graduation.  So, technically, they are right.  So, in other words I was "wrong" when I referred to those SMU law graduates being unemployed, because many of them are technically employed.  I hope that make things more clear. 

You have some good points; however, there's no reason (except cynicism) to assume that most/many of the people in "business and industry" are working in restaurants or farms. I'll agree that at least a few probably are, but anything beyond that is pure speculation.

There's also no reason to doubt the reporting rate. It's very possible to get answers from 264 people. At my undergrad they prompted us to take a survey several times after graduating; if you didn't take, they called you once a week until you did.

[Betty_Crocker]

# employed in law firms 169 68.7%
# employed in business and industry 40 16.3%
# employed in government 17 6.9%
# employed in public interest 3 1.2%
# employed as judicial clerks 11 4.5%
# employed in academia 6 2.4%

FYI...

I think you meant it to be without the "%."

A restaurand is a business and an "industry" and the samething can be said about a farm.

The ones who are employed by law firms include positions such as law clerk that get paid $12/hour, document reviewers, and paralegals as well as runner, administrative assistants, etc.  In addition, if they can lie about their reporting percentage, what makes them stop at lying about the percentage employed in law firms or their starting salaries? 

Obviously you have some sort of animosity against Karen Sargent or Beth Lee or SMU. Go and actually ASK them if your theory about how they report their numbers are actually true. While I am sure there are some grads out there who are struggling and are probably working part time after graduation, these people will not be reported as employed for statistical purposes. I just graduated from SMU and don't have a job yet, but I know that the bulk of people will get jobs after bar results come out in November. I took the employment questionnaire from career services and they have an "employed but still looking for permanent employment" option as a response to their employment question. SMU is actually one of the few schools that honestly reports its numbers. If you notice, SMU's employment numbers AT graduation is extremely low in comparison to other similarly ranked schools. The reason is that SMU still reports people who are seeking government jobs (DA, prosectuors, and the like) as unemployed since those jobs require you to pass the bar before they hire you. Most schools will not report these people as "seeking" employment since they are only waiting for bar results until they get the position. I actually have a legal temp position and Karen Sargent asked me if this is permanent or something in the interim. When I told her it is only a job until bar results come out, she said "OK, I will leave your employment survey response as unemployed."

Yes, there are many more unemployed this year compared to last year. If you haven't noticed, the economy is not in the world's greatest condition at the moment. Our employment numbers are as good or better than comparable schools in our area: just compare our numbers to Baylor and Houston. The city of Houston has more NLJ250 firms than Dallas yet SMU has a higher percentage of its graduating class in NLJ250 firms than the University of Houston. Before you badmouth your school based on hearsay and ad hominem arguments do some actual research. The people who female dog the most are those in the bottom half who expected salaries in the six figures. I know 2 people who graduated in my class in the top 25% without jobs on a personal level and I can guarantee that their personalities are their greatest obstacles and NOT the fact that they have SMU on their resume. Now if you expect SMU's Career Services Office to magically create jobs for you, then you need to rethink your employment strategy. Guess what, even the 3Ls at Harvard Law school are struggling at 3L OCI and employment in general (according to AbovetheLaw, none of the 3Ls who participated in OCI this year got offers). I actually graduated from SMU Law AND I am jobless and I am not whining as much as you. If you think SMU is faking its numbers, take it up with Career Services. If I was in your position, I would buck up, study more, and stop crying that the sky is falling at SMU Law.

[Betty_Crocker]

Oh and yes, SMU will have a 100% reporting rate. You will NOT get your diploma if you did not fill out the survey. I know several people who were pissed off at graduation when their envelope had a piece of paper telling them they can pick up their diploma at career services after they finished the survey.

[OasisFan]

so in the end what is SMU's reduced load program? 8-) what is its purpose?

[Contract2008]

so in the end what is SMU's reduced load program? 8-) what is its purpose?

To get more tuition money and at the same time creating more SMU graduates with tons of debt but without a job.

[gooseisland]

so in the end what is SMU's reduced load program? 8-) what is its purpose?

To get more tuition money and at the same time creating more SMU graduates with tons of debt but without a job.

And do you mind enlightening us on where you go to school, Contract? Do you like to find threads that mention SMU so you can bash SMU? Why the hostility towards SMU? You have really added no value to this thread. You obviously have little clue into what you are talking about concerning SMU based on your past post. I know it is fun to bash SMU with your witty and well thought post but please spare us all. Go start a thread about whatever random school you go to so you can add some insight for users of this message board.

[Betty_Crocker]

so in the end what is SMU's reduced load program? 8-) what is its purpose?

To get more tuition money and at the same time creating more SMU graduates with tons of debt but without a job.

And do you mind enlightening us on where you go to school, Contract? Do you like to find threads that mention SMU so you can bash SMU? Why the hostility towards SMU? You have really added no value to this thread. You obviously have little clue into what you are talking about concerning SMU based on your past post. I know it is fun to bash SMU with your witty and well thought post but please spare us all. Go start a thread about whatever random school you go to so you can add some insight for users of this message board.

Contract (unfortunately) actually goes to SMU. He/she is one of those people who blames all his/her failures on everyone else.

Like I said before, I graduated in the top half of the class, don't have a job, paid full tuition, and I am still happy with my decision to go to SMU and law school in general. It is a long-term investment. Contract hasn't provided a shred of evidence supporting his/her constant rants about SMU other than his/her opinions.