Buffalo?

[PreLaw99]

Anyone willing to provide some infor regarding U at Buffalo? I am located near the school and it is one of my top choices. Anyone have any personal experiences worth sharing?

[AH]

I have friends from Buffalo and they say it is a top-notch up-in-coming school.  I wanted to aply, but was dissuaded by the extra essays.

[Saphyrva]

I'm currently in the MSW program at SUNY Buffalo and there are a few students I know who are doing the joint MSW/JD program.  They love the program and have nothing but good things to say about the school of law.  I am also currently interning at the Erie County DA's DV bureau and almost all of the attorneys I have met there are alumni of UB.  So, if you want to stay in the area, it's probably a good place to be.  If you want to leave, however, I would expand your horizons when it comes to the application process!  I don't know how many people successfully get out of the area after graduating.

[140am]

Anyone willing to provide some infor regarding U at Buffalo? I am located near the school and it is one of my top choices. Anyone have any personal experiences worth sharing?

I was accepted there and almost went last year.  I placed a seat deposit and everything and just decided I didn't want to move from PA to Buffalo.  They've got exceptional programs in community development and affordable housing law, which is my chief area of interest, at least for now.  I visited the building and campus so if you haven't been there yet, maybe I can answer a couple of questions, though, to be completely honest, I am not an expert on the school.

[lmc08]

This could be kind of late, but I haven't logged in for a long time.

I am currently an 1L at UB (rising 2L) and I could tell you a few strong points about Buffalo.

Like you said, the school prides itself in Affordable Housing (we have 2 strong clinics). We are also pretty strong in the concentration areas (e.g. Health Law). The best thing about UB is the small size. We have around 250 students per year (meaning 80-90 people per section, and there are 3 sections for the first year law). Additionally you get 15-20 students for research & writing class.

There are, of course, some area that UB is not as strong in: International Law and Patent Law. However, International Law is usually very difficult to get into regardless of which law school you go to. Even with law school experience, law firms rarely allow first year associates to do international law. Almost without exception you will have to work from bottom up before you could work in the area of international law. Patent Law and Intellectual Property class selections are few. If you are interested in Patent or Intellectual Property, I would suggest Santa Clara University.

Of course, for the dollar value, UB is a rare find. You will come out with lower debt than those who attended private school.

If you are from this area, you probably know how "suburban" Buffalo is, or how long the winter could last. So as far as climate and remoteness of the campus, it probably wouldn't bother you. Anyway, we're assuming you're here to study and not to "check out the beautiful campus." To be fair, there are some parts of North Campus that could be picturesque. I have taken tons of photos of nature trails of campus environs.

The best thing about UB is the sense of mellowness. Yes, people are still somewhat competitive, but for most part, students are laidback and friendly (compared to your average law students). The administration is pretty helpful, and we have a wonderful library (free printing for this year, but not sure about next year).

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.