University of Houston Law Center Admissions

2009 Tour / Class visit schedule and Holiday hours

2009-12-17T11:38:00.000-08:00

As a courtesy to our students during final exams, no tours are currently being offered. Daily tours will resume on Monday, January 4.

Due to final exams and the winter break, class visits are not available until late January. Please contact the Office of Admissions at lawadmissions@uh.edu or 713.743.2280 in January to schedule a class visit.

Finally, please note that the UH Law Center will be closed December 24 through January 1. We will re-open on Monday, January 4. Have a safe and happy holiday season!

Updated tour and class visit schedule

2008-12-09T09:15:00.000-08:00

As a courtesy to our students during final exams, no tours will be offered between December 2 and December 19. A tour will be offered at noon on December 22; please call 713.743.2280 to reserve a space. Daily tours will resume on Monday, January 12.

Due to final exams and the winter break, class visits are not available between November 22 and January 23. Class visits will resume beginning January 26.

Everything old is new again.

2008-09-05T09:54:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are at the beginning a new admissions cycle. I’m sure that all of you prospective applicants are busy getting your ducks in a row (e.g. preparing for the LSAT, working on your all-important personal statement, etc.). We’re keeping busy as well. Recruiting season starts in a few weeks, so click here to see when representatives from our office will be visiting your school or region.

A couple of changes to the admissions process that you should note:

1. In the past, the part-time program has had a summer start date. Effective immediately, the part-time program will now begin in August.

2. The deadlines for the part-time program have drastically changed. The application deadline for part-time applicants is now May 15th and part-time applications must be complete by June 15th. We will accept June LSAT scores for part-time applicants on a space-available basis.

For a more detailed description of the admissions process, please click here. As always, questions may be directed to us at 731.743.2280 or lawadmissions@uh.edu.

Calhoun Lofts

2008-06-20T14:27:00.001-07:00

Here's a short marketing piece for the Calhoun Lofts, UH graduate and professional student housing that's slated for completion in summer 2009. The lofts will be located across the street from the Law Center, so I expect that you prospective students out there will be particularly interested.

"One Day in Houston"

2008-06-10T14:52:00.000-07:00

Here's an awarding-winning mini-film about our fair city of Houston, courtesy of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau. While I really like that this piece provides a nice overview of our city, I don't think it quite captures the quirkiness of Houston. In any event, it's definitely worth watching.

Question of the Week - What next?

2007-11-09T10:43:00.000-08:00

Question:
I've submitted my application. When can I expect a decision?

Answer:
Early decision applicants will be notified between mid-December and mid-February. Regular decision applicants will be notified by mid-May, although we review applications on a rolling basis, so you may receive a decision earlier than that.

We will confirm receipt of your application via email and provide you with an applicant ID which you may use to check your status online. Be sure to read carefully the instructions on the Application Status Check page and note that your status may remain the same for several weeks.

Finally, we know that the time between submitting your application and receiving a decision be stressful, but we hope that your anxiety is tempered by the knowledge that we thoroughly review each and every application that comes to our office. Since we do not have cut-offs for the GPA or LSAT, every file receives careful consideration in the review process. Once upon a time we, too, were law school applicants so we know from experience that waiting is difficult and we appreciate your patience.

A word to the wise...

2007-09-14T10:09:00.000-07:00

This incident happened a few months back, but we were reminded of it because the defendant was sentenced a couple of weeks ago. We’re posting it as a warning that you should never, EVER, do this.

Let's start over, shall we?

2007-09-14T09:46:00.000-07:00

After a lengthy vacation, we’re back! We’ll bet you thought we forgot about you or that we didn’t care. No, no, no! We didn’t forget and we do care, so we promise to post more frequently and regularly this year. No, really, we will (plus, we installed a site meter on the blog a couple of months ago, so we know that folks are visiting and we’d hate for you to waste your time by visiting a site that’s not updated).

Now, let’s get down to business:

Want to see us in person and have all of your burning questions regarding admissions answered by the Assistant Dean for Admissions? Well, have we got a deal for you!

The Assistant Dean for Admissions hosts a number of information sessions designed to give prospective applicants a general overview of the admissions process and the UH Law Center J.D. program. Information sessions for prospective applicants to the 2008 entering class have been scheduled for:

Saturday, October 13
10 a.m.-11 a.m.
Room TBA

Friday, November 16
Noon-1 p.m.
Room 144 BLB

Saturday, December 8
10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
Room 144 BLB

Tours of the Law Center will be offered 30 minutes before the start of each session. To RSVP for an information session, please call 713.743.2280, or email lawadmissions@uh.edu.
To see when we'll be in your area of the state (or, in some cases, country), visit our travel calendar.

Headlines and Deadlines

2006-11-02T08:40:00.000-08:00

There seems to be some confusion over what part of your application is due at what time. So, in the famous words of Inigo Montoya, "Let me explain. No, there is too much; let me sum up."

Early decision
The early decision deadline has been extended to November 15th. If you are applying early decision, we must receive the following by November 15th:

1. Application form
2. Application fee
3. Personal statement
4. Résumé
5. Optional statement (it's explained in the application instructions)

Now, by December 1st, we must receive your law school report from LSDAS. If you have not yet registered with LSDAS, you need to do that now. Right now. Seriously, stop reading this, hop over to www.lsac.org and register. If you don't register, we cannot review your file, and all of your hard work and effort in preparing your application and stellar personal statement will have been for naught!

If you are taking the December LSAT, you are not eligible to apply for early decision. Even if you already have test scores on file, you are not eligible for early decision if you want us to consider your December score.

Regular Decision
Second verse, same as the first, except the dates change:

Part-time: We must receive your application and all mandatory attachments by February 1st. We must receive your LSDAS report by March 1st.

Full-time: We must receive your application and all mandatory attachments by February 15th. We must receive your LSDAS report by March 15th.

I hope this clears things up. Finally, please read the application instructions before completing your application.

Virtual Insanity, or A Couple of Notes about E-mail Communication

2006-10-20T14:15:00.000-07:00

Ah, this cyber-world in which we live! Twenty years ago, this topic would have been unheard of. How things have changed! So, let’s address a couple of issues regarding electronic mail and the application process.

The majority of our communication with applicants and admitted students will be through email. We send mass emails to applicants to alert them to a variety of things, including receipt of an application and applicant IDs for the online status check. Several times a week, applicants will contact us to ask whether we’ve received their application and it’s often the case that we have sent them an “Application Received” email, but the applicant’s spam blocker deleted it or re-directed it to the spam folder. This problem seems particularly pronounced with Hotmail. Since we do send a number of very important communications via email, we encourage you to modify your spam filters so that you may receive email from us or check your spam folder for emails from the UHLC before automatically sending your spam to the trash folder.

Ok, I’ve hemmed and hawed over how to properly and respectfully address this next topic. Here goes: A common pet peeve of the admissions staff is risqué or inappropriate email addresses. Again, we will send applicants several emails throughout the application process, and it feels a bit odd to send an email to SexyMama06@hotmail.com or hot_to_trot@yahoo.com. We’re definitely not trying to cramp your style, so if you’re known as PimpDaddy@msn.net to your friends, that’s fine. However, in your communications with the UHLC and other law schools, you may want to select a more appropriate and professional username.

In selecting your new username, a good rule of thumb is to ask yourself, “Is this an email address I’d feel comfortable giving to a prospective employer?” If so, roll with it. If not, you should think about creating a new email address that you’ll use strictly for communicating with law schools. It’s very easy (and free) to set up an email account that uses your firstname.lastname or some respectable variation. Not only will you be making a good impression, but all of your law school related emails will be in one place, spam-free.

Whatever username you ultimately choose to use is up to you; we just wanted to give you a little food for thought. You’re about to enter a professional school, so this is a suitable time to think about these seemingly trivial things. As always, if you have questions, please feel free to call or email us. Until next time, we remain

Yours Truly,
The UHLC Admissions Staff

The Personal Statement

2006-10-10T12:50:00.000-07:00

One of the most important parts of your application is your personal statement. Since we do not grant interviews, the personal statement is your only opportunity to address directly the admissions committee and you’ll want to put your best foot forward. Some things to consider:

1. Proofread! You'd be surprised how many applicants hit the “Print” or “Submit” button without reading over their work. Don't let that applicant be you!

2. Spell-check! Spell-check can catch those major spelling errors, but it doesn’t catch everything, like the improper use of words (e.g., confusing “there” and “their”). So, you’ll need to…

3. Proofread again! Better yet, get someone else (preferably someone with a strong command of grammar and punctuation) to go over your personal statement with a fine-toothed comb.

4. Read and follow instructions. Your personal statement should be up to 3 pages, double-spaced (the closer you can get to 3 pages, the better). Remember, you’re applying to law school. Attention to detail is important. Please do not be the person who submits a single-spaced statement. Of course we’ll read it, but we won’t be happy.

5. Do not repeat your résumé . We require a résumé from all applicants, so there’s no need to summarize your list of accomplishments in your personal statement.

6. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day... and rarely is a personal statement written in one. Please be sure to allow yourself ample time to write and revise your statement.

We give you a lot of flexibility with your personal statement and you may choose your topic. Past statements have included topics such as hardships in life that you’ve overcome, what you intend or hope you do professionally with a law degree, or personal strengths that you would bring to the Law Center and the practice of law.

Finally, there is no formula or secret to writing a good personal statement. Other than the aforementioned tips, each personal statement will be different because each applicant is different. Regardless of which topic you choose, make sure that your personal statement accurately reflects who you are and what motivates you. Good luck!

In the beginning...

2006-09-07T08:41:00.000-07:00

1L Mandy Hussain writes about her first couple of weeks in law school:

Two and a half weeks in and I’m handling things better now. The first two weeks I was doing reading and briefing from the time I got out of class until I went to bed around 12 or 1 and then I was up at 6:30; well, at least Sunday – Tuesday nights. But by the time Wednesday came around I was so tired that I would go to bed pretty early even though I only had one class on Thursday and Friday.

Here’s my class schedule, by the way, so you can get an idea.

Monday:
9-10:20 AM – Civil Procedure
1-2:20 PM – Torts

Tuesday:
9-10:20 AM – Civil Procedure
1-2:20 PM – Torts
2:30-4:30 PM – LARC (Legal Analysis, Research and Communication – basically a legal writing class)

Wednesday:
9-10:20 AM – Civil Procedure
1-2:20 PM – Torts
3:00-4:20 PM – Contracts

Thursday:
10:30-12 – Contracts

Friday:
10:30-12 – Contracts

Don’t get all freaked out if you have no idea what a brief is or what Torts is or even Civil Procedure. I only knew the basics about briefing a case, and I still can’t define to you in exact terms what a tort is. I know what it is, but verbalizing it is still difficult.

On Monday – Wednesday I have about 2.5 hours free where I’ll study. Either I’ll finish briefs/reading I didn’t get to the night before or I’ll review for classes. Right now we’re a day or two behind in my Civ Pro class, so I’ll get to campus around 8 every morning and review what we’ll go over in class. My goal at the moment is just to stay on top of my homework and possibly try outlining. I don’t feel like I’ve got a good enough grasp on the general concepts and how things fit together to make a great outline, but I’d rather start now and scrap it later than start from scratch later.

Now that things are settled more, I’m going to bed when I want and just learning to balance having a social life with school. I’ve met some great people, and I reconnected with a friend from high school that’s in my section. My section is also beginning to bond, and the majority of them sound like great people I’d like to get to know better. Some people worked before law school, and some are straight out of undergrad like me. We come from so many colleges, both in and out of state, and so many majors. Everyone’s got different experiences, but we’re all here for the same purpose.

We had a practice exam in Torts today, which scared me to death, but it was no big deal. It was just to get our feet wet, and it showed me that I knew more than I thought. The professors here – at least the ones I have – are really helpful; they are definitely there to teach and will answer any questions you have.

Law school is a lot of work so far, but I love every minute. I already have a favorite class – Contracts, but they’re all interesting. I’m going to organization meetings and seeing what I might be interested in joining, and I’m still taking it all in. After the LSAT, I really was debating whether I wanted to go to law school. I know I made the right choice in not only deciding on law school but also on deciding on UH. It’s definitely the perfect fit for me.
-Mandy (1L from Section C)

Ready...Set...Go!

2006-09-01T14:50:00.000-07:00

The 2007 application is now posted on our website and we begin accepting applications today! Keep in mind that we have a modified rolling admissions policy; we'll begin reviewing files (and making admissions decisions) prior to the application deadlines, so it's to your benefit to apply early. We receive applications from so many impressive applicants every year, so I'm sure this year will be no exception.

Do you have questions about UHLC or the admissions process and would like speak to us in person? Can't make it down to the great city of Houston? Well, we'll come to you! Or at least meet you half way. View our travel calendar to see when we'll be in your area.

Fewer women law clerks at Supreme Court

2006-08-31T14:04:00.000-07:00

If you’re not a New York Times or legal blog junkie, you may not have seen this interesting development from the hallowed halls of the U.S. Supreme Court. Apparently, the number of female clerks at the Supreme Court has dropped into the single digits for the first time since 1994. Check out Linda Greenhouse's Times article here.

2006 Informational Sessions

2006-08-21T13:53:00.000-07:00

From late summer through fall, the Assistant Dean for Admissions hosts a number of Informational Sessions designed to give prospective applicants a general overview of the admissions process and the UH Law Center J.D. program. This is a great opportunity to have all of your questions answered. The dates of 2006 Information Sessions are:

Saturday, September 16, 2006
10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
UH Law Center, Room 144 BLB

Friday, October 13, 2006
12:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m.
UH Law Center, Heritage Room

Saturday, November 18, 2006
10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
UH Law Center, Room TBA

Friday, December 8, 2006
12:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m.
UH Law Center, Heritage Room

You may reserve your space at an Informational Session by calling 713.743.2280, or by email to lawadmissions@uh.edu.

Highest LSAT score or average?

2006-08-11T15:31:00.000-07:00

The hot topic among law school applicants has been the policy change by the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) to recommend considering an applicant's highest LSAT score rather than averaging multiple test scores. Additionally, beginning with the fall 2007, the ABA will require law schools to only report a student's highest LSAT score rather than the average previously required. Law schools, however, may continue to consider average LSAT scores in the admissions process.

So, where does UHLC stand on the issue of highest score vs. average?

Effective fall 2007, the UHLC admissions committee will consider the highest LSAT score listed on the applicant's law school report.

Application season is upon us!

2006-08-11T15:15:00.000-07:00

How time flies! Hopefully, you've all been working on your personal statements (get me rewrite!) and updating your résumés this summer. We will begin accepting applications for the 2007-2008 academic year on September 1. At that time, you will be able to submit your application electronically, or you may print out the application and mail it to the Office of Admissions. Application deadlines are as follows:

Full-time Program:

November 1 for early decision
February 15 for regular decision

Part-time Program

November 1 for early decision
February 1 for regular decision

Please note that the full-time program begins class in the fall of 2007 and the part-time program begins in the summer of 2007. We do not have spring admissions.

Questions? Feel free to email us at lawadmissions@uh.edu or give us a call at 713.743.2280.

Welcome!

2006-07-25T14:17:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the University of Houston Law Center admissions blog! This blog is intended to provide answers to the frequently asked questions that we encounter from applicants every year. We hope that the information provided here will make the law school admissions process a little less daunting!