SMU Law Class of 2019 Forum

(housing, friendships, future exams, all things 2019)
ChampionshipPressure

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Re: SMU Law Class of 2019

Post by ChampionshipPressure » Wed Apr 06, 2016 10:29 am

CHNO wrote:Not to take this off topic (although, I feel for those part time students who are forced to choose job v. school)

Had to defer for a year, but life changed *again* and i'll be there this fall!

This is probably a stupid question, but when is 1L orientation? Working my job schedule so I can get at least a few days off to move and settle life before school.
It is normally the week before class starts. I believe it's 8/19 IIRC.

tigerteacher23

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Re: SMU Law Class of 2019

Post by tigerteacher23 » Wed Apr 06, 2016 11:43 am

Hi y'all! Quick financial aid question. I called the Financial Aid office and they aren't awarding anything until July. How are y'all comparing schools without an financial aid information?

Thank you so much!

ChampionshipPressure

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Re: SMU Law Class of 2019

Post by ChampionshipPressure » Wed Apr 06, 2016 2:18 pm

tigerteacher23 wrote:Hi y'all! Quick financial aid question. I called the Financial Aid office and they aren't awarding anything until July. How are y'all comparing schools without an financial aid information?

Thank you so much!
I asked Charmissa (grad school fin. aid) the same question. She handles SMU's financial aid for all of its graduate programs. She basically told me she only handles loans, and that any scholarship $$$ will be awarded through your department. Any scholarship awarded comes in your acceptance package. Other outside scholarships, i.e. Sumners and DBA minority scholarship are additional applications (the deadlines for most of these has already passed). If you submitted the scholarship negotiation form already and have applied to the outside scholarships, you've probably covered all of your bases. It is very frustrating when you're trying to make a decision that you're told you won't know about your loans until July, but SMU's administrative process is traditionally slow.

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BeatriceButler

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Re: SMU Law Class of 2019

Post by BeatriceButler » Wed Apr 06, 2016 2:55 pm

PatriotP74 wrote:Sounds like we will be the first class to have 3 full time sections this fall with the suspension of the evening program!
I feel for those who had their heart set on the pt program, but I love this as an incoming full-time 1L. Hope it bumps up the median numbers also so SMU can climb up a bit higher in future rankings.

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BeatriceButler

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Re: SMU Law Class of 2019

Post by BeatriceButler » Wed Apr 06, 2016 3:05 pm

tigerteacher23 wrote:Hi y'all! Quick financial aid question. I called the Financial Aid office and they aren't awarding anything until July. How are y'all comparing schools without an financial aid information?

Thank you so much!
Maybe I'm interpreting this wrong, but I'm assuming that by financial aid you mean need-based federal financial aid, since scholarship info was sent in admitted student packets they mailed out. Don't know if this is the best approach per se, but I just pretended like I wasn't going to get any federal need-based financial aid. I just compared total cost of attendance (tuition and fees + estimated living expenses) and subtracted scholarship money received from these totals. I then kept these numbers in mind as I compared various schools LST employment scores, and salary data. I wanted to pick a school that maximized my employment prospects, while still minimizing my debt burden. SMU gave me a healthy balance of both. Hope that helps!

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twokings

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Re: SMU Law Class of 2019

Post by twokings » Wed Apr 06, 2016 4:26 pm

Does SMU offer need-based scholarships? I thought they only offered merit.

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PatriotP74

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Re: SMU Law Class of 2019

Post by PatriotP74 » Wed Apr 06, 2016 9:10 pm

twokings wrote:Does SMU offer need-based scholarships? I thought they only offered merit.

That was my thought as well. I just assumed I would be paying everything that I didn't get via merit scholarship

CHNO

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Re: SMU Law Class of 2019

Post by CHNO » Thu Apr 07, 2016 9:16 am

PatriotP74 wrote:
twokings wrote:Does SMU offer need-based scholarships? I thought they only offered merit.

That was my thought as well. I just assumed I would be paying everything that I didn't get via merit scholarship
I believe this is right, no need-based scholarships from SMU directly, only through FAFSA.

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PatriotP74

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Re: SMU Law Class of 2019

Post by PatriotP74 » Thu Apr 07, 2016 11:13 pm

Shouldn't be long and we will have 2015 employment numbers, here's to hoping for good news!

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BeatriceButler

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Re: SMU Law Class of 2019

Post by BeatriceButler » Mon Apr 11, 2016 3:29 pm

Didn't see anyone post it yet, so here are the employment numbers from the 2015 class.

http://www.law.smu.edu/getattachment/Ca ... -11-16.pdf

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PatriotP74

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Re: SMU Law Class of 2019

Post by PatriotP74 » Mon Apr 11, 2016 8:48 pm

BeatriceButler wrote:Didn't see anyone post it yet, so here are the employment numbers from the 2015 class.

http://www.law.smu.edu/getattachment/Ca ... -11-16.pdf

I was wondering when this would show up.

Looks like an increase in 501+ but a decrease in 251-500, clerkships roughly the same. Overall in a spreadsheet I made up they still placed 22% of the class in clerkship or 251+

Maybe with the cutting of the PT program we can see these numbers increase a bit!
Last edited by PatriotP74 on Mon Apr 11, 2016 10:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.

eagle2a

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Re: SMU Law Class of 2019

Post by eagle2a » Mon Apr 11, 2016 8:57 pm

No one coming to SMU should be excited about the football lol

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PatriotP74

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Re: SMU Law Class of 2019

Post by PatriotP74 » Mon Apr 11, 2016 10:58 pm

239 Graduates

50 Big Law (101+)
6 Fed Clerkship
56 (23.4%) Big Law + Fed

36 (15%) in Business & Industry


14 (5.8%) Unemployed Seeking



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ChampionshipPressure

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Re: SMU Law Class of 2019

Post by ChampionshipPressure » Tue Apr 12, 2016 12:59 am

PatriotP74 wrote:239 Graduates

50 Big Law (101+)
6 Fed Clerkship
56 (23.4%) Big Law + Fed

36 (15%) in Business & Industry


14 (5.8%) Unemployed Seeking



For those that just want to see quick numbers
Those numbers look decent, hopefully the market improves a bit more by the time 2019's turn rolls around.

texasrangersjb

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Re: SMU Law Class of 2019

Post by texasrangersjb » Wed Apr 20, 2016 12:10 pm

ChampionshipPressure wrote:
PatriotP74 wrote:239 Graduates

50 Big Law (101+)
6 Fed Clerkship
56 (23.4%) Big Law + Fed

36 (15%) in Business & Industry


14 (5.8%) Unemployed Seeking



For those that just want to see quick numbers
Those numbers look decent, hopefully the market improves a bit more by the time 2019's turn rolls around.

Am I reading this right, did like half the class go Big Law? Can't be right

edit- oh nvm you were just breaking down Fed and big law

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BeatriceButler

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Re: SMU Law Class of 2019

Post by BeatriceButler » Wed Apr 20, 2016 1:56 pm

Has anyone submitted their final transcript from their undergrad institution yet? Or the medical history form? I know we have to submit these, but I didn't see any dates on the admitted students section of the SMU law website.

CHNO

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Re: SMU Law Class of 2019

Post by CHNO » Thu Apr 21, 2016 9:22 am

BeatriceButler wrote:Has anyone submitted their final transcript from their undergrad institution yet? Or the medical history form? I know we have to submit these, but I didn't see any dates on the admitted students section of the SMU law website.
Yes, submitted! The only change I've noticed is in my.smu, my health history form is "submitted" and there are no "holds" on my accnt.

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twokings

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Re: SMU Law Class of 2019

Post by twokings » Sun Apr 24, 2016 10:15 pm

Is anyone doing the Barbri prep course? Can any alumni give reviews?

texasrangersjb

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Re: SMU Law Class of 2019

Post by texasrangersjb » Mon Apr 25, 2016 10:00 am

twokings wrote:Is anyone doing the Barbri prep course? Can any alumni give reviews?
Is bar prep before law school a thing? Jw. And no haven't submitted medical history or final transcript yet. Shoot I still have finals left for UG.

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BeatriceButler

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Re: SMU Law Class of 2019

Post by BeatriceButler » Mon Apr 25, 2016 12:27 pm

texasrangersjb wrote:
twokings wrote:Is anyone doing the Barbri prep course? Can any alumni give reviews?
Is bar prep before law school a thing? Jw. And no haven't submitted medical history or final transcript yet. Shoot I still have finals left for UG.
I've heard of some people doing classes that prepare you for law school that last roughly a week or so, but I wasn't planning on doing one.

But lol cool now I feel better about procrastinating.

texasrangersjb

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Re: SMU Law Class of 2019

Post by texasrangersjb » Mon Apr 25, 2016 12:46 pm

BeatriceButler wrote:
texasrangersjb wrote:
twokings wrote:Is anyone doing the Barbri prep course? Can any alumni give reviews?
Is bar prep before law school a thing? Jw. And no haven't submitted medical history or final transcript yet. Shoot I still have finals left for UG.
I've heard of some people doing classes that prepare you for law school that last roughly a week or so, but I wasn't planning on doing one.

But lol cool now I feel better about procrastinating.
Right haha as far as I know, no word on when orientation is or anything

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Stevoman

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Re: SMU Law Class of 2019

Post by Stevoman » Tue Apr 26, 2016 4:38 pm

Class of 2015 here, can try to answer any specific questions you guys have.
twokings wrote:Is anyone doing the Barbri prep course? Can any alumni give reviews?
If this is the course I'm thinking of, it costs a couple hundred bucks and doesn't teach you anything you won't learn in the first week. Save your money.

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PatriotP74

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Re: SMU Law Class of 2019

Post by PatriotP74 » Tue Apr 26, 2016 9:31 pm

Stevoman wrote:Class of 2015 here, can try to answer any specific questions you guys have.

Care to share your outcome/how you got to it?

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Re: SMU Law Class of 2019

Post by Stevoman » Tue Apr 26, 2016 11:44 pm

PatriotP74 wrote:
Stevoman wrote:Class of 2015 here, can try to answer any specific questions you guys have.
Care to share your outcome/how you got to it?
I finished around the top 1/3 and now work for a small IP firm. Not stellar grades, but good enough to get me a few interviews in my 2L year.

I would say the biggest way I "got to it" was not getting caught in the weeds of each class. Your textbook and lectures will have so much information. So much. If you get outlines from other students, those will also be packed with a ton more info. And you'll feel pressured to learn all of it so you look prepared in class. If you try to learn and outline all that, you'll end up wasting tons of time making jumbo sized Frankenstein outlines and not still learn anything important.

The students who do well in law school are the ones who can cut though all that junk and see the big picture in each class. If you learn the policy that runs through each class, everything else flows easily and makes sense from there.

My 1L outlines were 30+ pages long and packed with rule after rule. Looking back, it's almost comical. My 3L outlines were about 5-8 pages long and hit the important points and policy considerations.

Hope that offers some encouragement. I'm on my phone right now, so I can give you more info later if you want.

texasrangersjb

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Re: SMU Law Class of 2019

Post by texasrangersjb » Fri Apr 29, 2016 11:09 am

BeatriceButler wrote:
PatriotP74 wrote:Anyone started looking at apartments yet? Need to do that, curious any pros/cons people have found. I'm looking to live within easy walking distance personally.
I signed a lease about two weeks ago with a complex right off 75 and Royal (just south of 75 and 635 "high five" intersection). I needed a place relatively close to both SMU and UTD because my girlfriend is currently finishing up her undergrad at UTD, and will be splitting rent with me.

There are options closer to campus, but I found that most of the 1 bedroom apartments near campus were way over the price I wanted to pay ($900 per month or less). Saw some decent deals on 2 bedrooms walking distance to campus though....

With that being said I also looked really hard at "The Village" off 75 and North West Highway, and almost ended up leasing there. The quote they gave me on a 1 bedroom was something like $875-$900 per month. It's one or two exits closer to SMU than where I ended up leasing, but I ended up choosing the Royal and 75 complex because they gave me $785 per month, were recently remodeled, and I know two people who currently lease there that vouched for it.
ended up at the Village. Anyone else?

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