Townes Hall Notes

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SCHOOL OF LAW TOWNES HALL NOTES VOL. 3 NO. 1 A Publication of The University of Texas Law School Foundation SEPTEMBER, 1967 peated daily at the busy Placement Office here in the law school. And the conversations which begin with "We have an opening" are particularly pleasing to Mrs. Mettie Brown, our dynamic Placement Director. When It Begins The placement process begins in early September and continues throughout the year. Along with general registration, each senior student is required to furnish a recent photograph and a personal data sheet to assist potential employers in finding just the right young lawyers to fill their particular needs. Each job opening and each student is a unique and individual case for the Placement Office and Mrs. Brown's personal concern and professional skills are very much in evidence as she strives to match the person to the particular job. The Service Grows— Thanks To You More and more "satisfied customers" are finding their way to our doors these days, and the UT law graduate is being offered increasing opportunities to interview The Placement Process begins in Mrs. Brown's office. with individuals, firms, corporations, banks, and government agencies. The number of recruiting visits scheduled PLACEMENT-A SHARED through the Placement Office reached an all-time high last year, showing a 54 percent increase over the pre- SERVICE vious year. These figures for 1966-67 speak for them How It Begins selves: "Hello, Placement Office? This is Joe Doe. I am in 1407 individual interviews were conducted for per general practice in West Texas and I have an opening. manent positions and summer employment. Right now my schedule will not permit a visit to the law school to interview. If you know a graduating senior 201 graduates, at report time, had accepted employ or recent graduate who is interested, please have them ment as a direct or indirect result of the placement to write to me and send a personal resume. My require service and personal contact. (Many of our graduates ments are . ." go directly into military service before accepting permanent employment.) "Mrs. Brown? This is John Doe with Sky, Sky and Sky in Los Angeles. Would it be possible for us to 17 prospective employers from out-of-state inter interview on Monday, November 31? We will talk to viewed 301 students. second and third-year students for summer and per The Demand Keeps Pace manent employment. A letter will follow giving the description of our firm and the type of practice. Even though graduates of the law school have become more numerous each year, the demand for their services As you suggested, we will begin interviewing at 9:00 both in Texas and outside the state has increased propor and will stay as late as necessary to talk with everyone tionately. In addition, there is considerable diversity of interested. opportunity. For example, those graduates with technical undergraduate degrees have found a strong interest in By the way, could you call one of the motels and their qualifications from manufacturing industries and reserve a single room for the 30th?" from the United States Patent OfBce. Law graduates This is the type of conversation that one hears re with undergraduate degrees in business or liberal arts 2 TOWNES HALL NOTES are sought by banks, trust companies, insurance com article and letters published below. If you have an panies, accounting firms and government agencies. interest in participating in this program, our placement As the demand for our graduates keeps pace, so does director would be pleased to hear from you. the salary scale. A recent survey reflects that the average beginning salary for our law graduates is $6,600 per year. Alumni Placement From The Faculty Standpoint Alumni placement has become a very important ALBERT P. JONES operation of the Placement Office. Law placement ser Professor of Law vices are available to all UT law graduates. During The University of Texas 1966-67 approximately 200 alumni registered with the placement service. A survey indicates that 60 per cent A frequently heard complaint about legal education have been placed. Both experienced and inexperienced is that a law student graduates with a head full of theory alumni are available throughout the year for specific and little, if any, knowledge of the practical aspects of openings, which may be listed at any time by phone, the practice of law. We are cited the example of the mail, or in person. medical profession with its required post-graduate internships and residencies. Any comparison of the two We re Here: professions in this respect is not in point because the To assist students and alumni in their search for legal profession does not have available to it any facility career employment; that resembles the hospital set-up where a young doctor can study many types of ailments. The best training To assist employers by referral of qualihed applicants that any newly licensed lawyer can obtain is the super- on specific job listings; and vision of the lawyer or law firm with which he is to To assist employers by arranging for recruiting inter- practice. The alternative of requiring an additional year views on campus. of formal legal study does not seem to be acceptable. Everyone Benefits Proceeding on the assumption, which I believe to be correct, that a beginning lawyer of normal intelligence The Law School Placement Service provides an ef can readily acquire the practical knowledge he needs fective and easy-to-use means for the employer, whether under the tutelage of an experienced member of the bar, he represents a small firm, the large firm, industry, or the question arises as to the relevance of a summer government, to tap the rich resources of our law popula internship program. Separate and apart from the benefit tion—and at the same time provide employment for our that may result to the lawyers and law firms that par- graduates. ticipate, observation teaches that there is great benefit Now—at the beginning of a new school year—won't to students who are fortunate enough to have the oppor- you please take a look at your own situation and attempt tunity to spend a summer in an established law office. to anticipate your future needs? We want to be of Of course, there is not always the substantial increase maximum service to you and to our graduates. in grade average that is mentioned by Mr. Langley. However, there can be no question about the fact that Interviews can be arranged Monday through Friday, the final year of law study is made more meaningful. and all interview schedules are published and posted throughout the school in an effort to reach the largest I have had the opportunity of talking with a number number of individuals. It is very simple to get results— of senior students who have had the privilege of being Just pick up your phone and call: Area Code exposed to the workings of a law office during the sum- 512, GR 1-5151. Or write to: mer following their middle law year. Without exception Mrs. Mettie Brown, Placement Director they have been enthusiastic about their experiences. University of Texas School of Law They have begun to see the importance of a funda 2500 Red River mental knowledge of the important principles in the Austin, Texas 78705 courses they have studied. They have come to the reali- zation that after all law school training does not consist entirely of theoretical nonsense. Best of all they know that, while a law school could never supply all of the answers to the myriad problems they will encounter in the practice, they have been taught how to recognize THE SUMMER INTERN the problems in a given state of facts and how and PROGRAM where to seek and find the answers. The net result is that they have an increased enthusiasm for the study During the past several years there has been an in of law. creasing interest by students and lawyers alike in the summer intern program administered by the Placement For too many students the senior year in law school Service. The case for the program is well argued in the is something that must be endured as a prerequisite to TOWNES HALL NOTES 3 the privilege of taking the bar examination. Anything Basic Objective that can revive to some extent the enthusiasm of a first- The basic objective of our Summer Program is to year student is bound to be good. Experience as a sum familiarize the students with some aspects of the practice mer intern does definitely tend to make the senior year of law. I am sure you have heard both practicing lawyers of law study more meaningful. and law professors say that newly graduated lawyers Because of the varied and numerous problems which know a great deal of law, but very little about how to lawyers encounter, law schools simply cannot supply all practice law. Law schools attack this problem in vary of the answers to their students. Legal educators have ing ways, usually with moot court programs and prac done enough if, in the words of the late Dean Hilde- tice and related courses. The State of Pennsylvania re brand, they train their students to think like lawyers. quires each newly graduated lawyer to spend one year In addition to such practical training as may be given, as an intern working under a licensed lawyer. The Baker, there is much benefit in any program that will demon Botts Summer Program is still another approach, and is strate the fact that law school training is relevant to the designed to help the student learn to practice some of practice of law.

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