anecdotes about texas law schools

[mccarthy]

 Does anybody have one? I've done plenty of research concerning the schools' numbers and programs, and I was curious to see if the members of this site who have gone to a school in Texas might have something interesting to say. There are 9 law schools in Texas, so someone who posts here is bound to be a student in Texas...

[armyjag]

Um, can you be more specific?  I did my first year at a T4 in Texas and transferred out of state to a T20, but I know people at all the T1 and T2 in state except for TTU, so I guess if you have questions I might be able to get info for you.

Right now though, your question is broad.  Except for UT, the schools all pretty much stay in their city/region and if you know where in the state you want to practice, go there, with the exception of TSU and St. Mary's, no offense to them, but they stink and don't prepare you for the bar which, considering where they are placed, is what they should be doing, ensuring you pass that test.

[Ninja1]

Texas, [big gap] SMU, Houston, Texas Tech, and Baylor are the only schools worth going to, in that order. I would put Baylor higher than Tech, but they have some Liberty-worthy personal conduct rules.

[mccarthy]

Thanks for the interest guys, although I must say I pretty much knew all of that information. I wasn't trying to be broad in posing such a question. I was just asking for anecdotes, you know, stories about the schools from people who had gone there or knew people who had. On a related note, I keep hearing that St. Mary's is trash. My guess is reputation/placement? Care to comment?

[x]

I keep hearing that St. Mary's is trash. My guess is reputation/placement? Care to comment?

Hearsay is information gathered by Person A from Person B concerning some event, condition, or thing of which Person A had no direct experience. 

I have a relative that went to St Marys.  Loved every minute of it and has a job paying the big bucks.  As in everything there were the good parts and the bad parts.  He/She always said that law schoold does not teach you to pass the bar. 

Now compare that to another relative that went to Stanford.  He/She always said that law school does not teach you to pass the bar.

[armyjag]

Okay, here's an anecdote about St. Mary's.  My friend, at the time attending law school in Houston, calls a Federal Judge in San Antonio for a summer internship after 1L.  The secretary demurs saying  something about how the are full.  My friend clarifies that she doesn't go to St. Mary's, at which point the secretary says they have spots.  We go and look at St. Mary's website and to get a gig with the 5th Circuit judge who has chambers in SA, you have to get permission from some faculty commission.

Also, though I haven't looked at St. Mary's website, I'll bet anything that they have, like Baylor and STCL, requirements that you take certain bar classes if your GPA isn't in the top x%.

Lastly, that's not what hearsay is.

[armyjag]

Also, before anyone asks, I have no axe to grind with St. Mary's, and the 2 criminal defense attys I've met who went there seem well qualified.

[mccarthy]

Ninaja--what is your opinion of the schools you left off your list (other than the obvious which is they are not worth going to)? In other words, care to elaborate?

[big - fat - box]

St. Mary's had a much better rep many years ago than it does now. Over time, their admissions standards dropped and so did their bar passage rate. To get the bar passage rate up, they instituted a killer curve that was harsh even for a t2/3/4 school. Basically, a good chunk of the bottom students would automatically flunk out because of the curve.

I know one Baylor student who described the school as very tough and rigorous. They have required classes and such that other schools don't have. They are also on a quarter system instead of a semester system like most law schools.

Personally I would not attend SMU or Baylor unless I had a substantial scholarship with no 1L performance strings or had the money to pay for law school in cash. Placement for the average student at these schools just isn't that good. I don't know how people justify taking out massive loans to go to these schools. In the current economy, placement is really bad. No LRAP at either, I believe.

If you are planning to take out big loans but can't get into UT, I would focus on TTU and UH. I wouldn't bother with the other schools in TX.

[mccarthy]

 That average SMU students don't place well is somewhat of a surprise to me, though "placing well" is a relative term, I guess. What I like about SMU (aside from academic considerations) is that it would give me an opportunity to stay in North Texas while at the same time allowing me to live somewhere with a few more, shall we say, activities to pursue.
 I'm interested in Baylor because of its reputation for rigor and its small class size. Also, I am one of those weirdos who wouldnt mind living in Waco. My hometown is about that size, and the culture is the same, so it wouldn't be a great change for me.