Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Samford University • Birmingham, AL
Studying Law (completion in 2010)
• 12/4/2011
"Full scholarship made it all worth it."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | If offered a full ride, take it. If not, consider going to a cheaper public law school. University of Alabama is 1st-tier, ranked in the top five in the country, and 1/14 of the cost of Samford. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | Noted trial advocacy training. |
| Program Quality | 8 | Great resources and learning environment. Not particularly suited for minorities. |
| Instruction | 10 | Esteemed faculty. Many published professors. |
| How Difficult | 7 | I didn't find the work extremely difficult, and it is a second-tier school. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Too few practical experiences. No clinicals at all, but plenty of competitions. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | Few online courses. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Resources were amazing. |
| Social Life | 5 | Because of my race, I just didn't feel like I fit in. |
| Placement Services | 5 | Only places top 5 percent. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | Nothing special. Especially not too much for minorities. Alabama is a good ole boy state and Samford is its hub. |
University Of Alabama • Tuscaloosa, AL
Studying Law (completion in 2006)
• 12/28/2011
"The school was highly ranked, which was helpful in getting a job in the state. It was a very good traditional law school experience."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | If you want a job in Alabama, the chances are better with a degree from the University of Alabama than from other schools in the state. The instruction is good as well. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | The University of Alabama is highly ranked in a national sense. It is the highest-ranked school in Alabama. Regionally, it has a very good reputation. |
| Program Quality | 8 | The University of Alabama is the highest-rated school in Alabama. A degree from the U of A is useful in getting employment in Alabama. |
| Instruction | 7 | The instruction is good, but traditional. Though there are some practical courses available, there is little emphasis on practical coursework. Traditional law school instruction does not go far enough to prepare students to actually practice law. |
| How Difficult | 3 | I found law school relatively easy. However, most of my classmates would disagree and say it was hard. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | While the school offered some practical opportunities, the focus was on traditional book learning. The practical opportunities that were available were very good. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 4 | Evening and summer courses were offered. One could not graduate just taking summer and evening courses. I am unaware of any weekend or online options. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | The library was good. The wireless network was somewhat unreliable. Otherwise, the facilities were good. |
| Social Life | 9 | The school provided plentiful social opportunities throughout the year. The social experience was very good. |
| Placement Services | 3 | The career services department was easily the biggest disappointment at The University of Alabama. When I was in school, the job market was strong, and still, the career services department seemed completely out of touch with available jobs and how to get them. They did not seem to have very many direct or meaningful contacts with job-offering lawyers and firms in the area. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | The school contacts me frequently, but usually for money. Since most lawyers in the state graduated from one of two schools, it is difficult to sort out networking among Alabama students between informal, professional contacts and more formal networking. I have not sought out the school for more formal networking or support, so I don't know what's available. |
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