Smack dab in the middle of Texas in the smaller, away from the big city, Waco (pronouned with a long 'A' sound and not a short 'a' sound), not far from George Bush country (Crawford), sits an outstanding little law school on the Baptist campus of Baylor University.
Founded in 1857, Baylor Law School is the oldest law school in Texas. Baylor claims one singularly mission – to equip students upon graduation to practice law effectively and ethically. That is the key difference. Students are trained and mentored in all facets of law, including theoretical analysis, practical application, legal writing, advocacy, professional responsibility, and negotiation and counseling skills.
This is not hype either. It is a small law school with an entering class of only about 65 students. It is one of the few law schools that operates on the quarter system. After they train you in the traditional sense, they take time to prepare you for the Texas Bar. Their Bar passage rate is phenomenal. It has had the highest bar passage rate in Texas of all law schools sense 2002, including a 97.85% passage rate in July 2007 and 100% in February 2007.
And the school has top facilities as well.
As a private law school tuition does not come cheap. Still, running about $11,500.00 per semester, it is one of the cheapest private law schools around, and it does offer grants and scholarships to reduce this amount further. And, although I personally feel that Waco is not one of the funnest places to live, it is one of the cheapest places to live (especially in the way of housing costs) in Texas and the Nation, and that helps.
You probably owe it to yourself to visit Baylor and make a decision for yourself if you are contemplating applying to and attending law school.
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