Many of you are racing against time to complete the Declaration of Intent before the October 1 deadline. Wow, this has been a lot of information to pull together. Here are a few last minute tips. 

1. We have a notary in the Office of Student Services, so feel free to come by.  

2. If you did not keep a copy of your application, you may request a copy from Student Services. Click here. Complete the request and drop it by the office. We will get a copy of your application and send you an e-mail when it is ready.

3. The fingerprinting sessions have been set up for the dates and times:   

October 6^th                  1:00 – 5:00 pm

October 7^th                  1:00 – 5:00 pm  

October 12^th                1:00 – 6:00 pm 

October 13^th               1:00 – 6:00 pm  

Scheduling an appointment is done online.  If you cannot make it to any of the days listed below or if you miss your appointment, you can contact  the company directly and make an individual appointment with them.  The company will cancel appointments if a minimum of 30 students have not signed-up the day before the scheduled session.  So sign-up early!   

            Here’s how to schedule your fingerprinting appointment:

1. Go to www.L1enrollment.com 

2. Click on the “Texas” link and then go to “Schedule a Fingerprinting Appointment On-line

 3. Step 2-Application ID; please select “All Others”

4. The next screen will give you two options.  Option A for electronic submission or Option B for fingerprint cards.  Please select Option A

5. Select “Yes, I have my FAST form”

 6. Enter the ORI number off of the FAST application.  ORI number - TX920370Z 

7. Choosing your location DO NOT ENTER YOUR ZIP CODE!  Use the drop down menu to select “SPECIAL PRINT”

8. You will need to locate the Special Print labeled Special- University of Houston Law Center. October 6^th, 7^th, 12^th, 13^th will be highlighted.  Please click on the date you wish to schedule for

9.   Choose the time slot that you would like to schedule your appointment for.

10.  The next screen will ask if you would like to have a copy of your State background check, Please select “No” this is not an available option for Special print.

11.  Enter your complete demographic and payment information.  You will have the option of paying by check or money order the day of fingerprinting or by credit card when scheduling,  NO CASH!!!!.  L-1 enrollment services use Texas ePay for all credit card transactions and a small convenience fee will be added.

12.  Please make sure to bring your TX Drivers License, TX ID card or Passport to your appointment along with the FAST fingerprinting application.  (FAST forms will be provided to you onsite by Student Services)  

Please be on time for your appointment! 

4. Here are the top reasons why Declarations are return to students:

a. you fail to provide supervisor information, where required;

b. you fail to provide telephone numbers, where required;

c. you fail to provide complete mailing addresses, including zip codes, where required;

d. you fail to answer any question or subquestion;

e. you fail to include complete Continuation Forms and Criminal History Forms for each question that requires them;

f. you fail to send the required fees;

g. any of your answers are indecipherable;

h. any signature notarized more than 90 days prior to our receiving it;

i. alteration of any of the language of any of our forms, including the Affidavit or Authorization and Release;

j. you fail to sign any document requiring your signature and/or failed to have your signature notarized where required; or

k. you fail to write "N/A", if a question is inapplicable;

l.  you fail to submit a current photo with your Application or Re-Application.  (Photos are not required for the Declaration of Intent to Study Law.)

m.  your Declaration or Application is on an outdated form.  Forms over one year old will not be accepted.  Go to the Applications Index for current versions.

5. When in doubt, call your analyst. I have found them to be very helpful. I am also happy to assist.

Happy filing!  

Friday, Laura Neal and I (dressed in our Friday red) rode the Metro downtown.

 It took 24 minutes from the time we left our office to the time that we arrived at our downtown location. It was easy and efficient. We rode the #88 bus that picks up on Elign at Entrance 17. (Cross the street to go northbound towards downtown.) Take a buddy and try it! Don't believe me? Read the account below from a fellow student.

Guest Blogger - Allison Moore 3L

Parking on campus is like trying to fit into your skinny jeans after a long winter. The jeans will fit if you force them on for a hot date, however you will not be happy about how you look or feel. Don't get me wrong, I love driving my own car. But, I can live without trying to squeeze into a "semi-" legal UH parking place on a day when the thermometer reads triple digits, only 2 miles from the law school and 45 minutes late for class.

To improve my position, I have made the move to using the bus system to and from not only Downtown to my internship 3 days a week, but also to campus.

First of all, the Houston bus system is efficient, by running on-time and using HOV lanes whenever possible. From Clearlake, I can save 25 minutes per trip by taking the bus to my internship Downtown, and, I never have to wait more than 2-3 minutes for a bus on my way either direction during typical rush hours of 6-9 AM and 4-7 PM. Bus stops are covered/well-lit areas and often have metro personnel physically available if you need assistance or directions. Choosing metro transport saves me almost an hour in the car everyday and allows me to relax on my commute.

Second, law students are set up best of any UH graduate program to utilize bus service to campus (i.e., the system is convenient). If traveling to and from UHLC campus, not only do 3 major local bus lines have stops close to the Law Center, but also a few miles from campus is the Northwest Transit Center that hosts connections to all areas of Houston. Having a transfer station so close means that no matter where you are going, you have no need to go out of your way to get there making the bus a great choice for a lunch meeting downtown on a day you have classes. Even if you do not have a bus stop close to your home, I am certain you will save time by parking your car at the nearest Park and Ride (where parking is free and plentiful) and catching the bus!

Finally, taking the bus saves me money. Students only pay 50% of the fare of other patrons, and choosing the bus system saves in many other areas too. In my case, I calculated that driving downtown to and from Clearlake three days a week costs me: $240 (gas) + $76 (parking) = $316/month (not including my liability for accidents and wear on my car, etc). Taking the bus costs me: $4.25 (regular fare each direction Downtown/Bay Area Park and Ride) * 24 (trips) / 2 (student discount) = $51 (per month). THEREFORE, I save $265 per MONTH on transportation. Over 5 months of a semester, this could be as much as $1,325! And, for the environmentally conscience, you could add the savings to the environment and/or your stress level by opting for community transportation.

As a student whom may never have tried to use the bus system in Houston before, you may have some preconceived notions about what the experience is like, however; I can attest that the Houston Metro system is safe, clean, and logical. The longer the route, the nicer the bus (including charter-style buses out to Park and Ride locations), and I promise your seat will fit better than your skinny jeans the first day of Spring.

In the words of one student who attended the Discussion with Dean Nimmer on Wednesday, September 7, “parking sucks!” Last Tuesday, September 6, I decided to try out the ERP (Energy Research Park) parking and ride the shuttle to campus. I arrived at the ERP lot at approximately 9:30 AM and to my surprise there was plenty of student parking. I set my timer as soon as my wheels hit the lot. I arrived inside the Law Center about 36 minutes later. I realize this is not front door parking, but it is also not arriving at campus at 7:00 AM for a 10:30 AM class or driving around for an hour missing class or parking illegally and receiving a ticket or paying a parking meter.

So where is ERP? ERP is located at 5000 Gulf Freeway. We all know that rush hour on campus both on Spur 5 and Cullen exits are extremely congested. If you are going I-45 S, take Telephone exit. You will be a little too far to turn into the ERP parking lot, which will be immediately to your right, so you will need to make the U-turn on the frontage road. Move to the far right-hand lane and take the first right; that is Tellespen Road. You will see a small sign that says Schlumberger. (This was the original name of ERP.) Loop around and you will be heading south again. There will be a sign pointing you to the parking lot. Go to the back of the lot and you will be pleasantly surprised when you quickly park your car in one of the many available spaces. I have included the shuttle schedule so that you can time your trip closer to the shuttle schedule: http://www.uh.edu/pts/pdfs/Eastwood2.pd. The shuttle runs every 10-15 minutes Monday through Friday.  (If you are traveling I-45 N, take the Tellespen exit and then follow the directions above.)

The shuttle was very crowded at 9:40 AM, but everybody managed to board. Make sure you have your student ID. You will be dropped off at the UC (University Center – Entrance 1). I know it would be great if we had a stop at the Law Center and that might happen when we have more law students riding the shuttle. (I realize this is a chicken/egg problem.) It is a short walk to the Law Center. The campus loop shuttle only goes in one direction, so you don’t want to get on it or you will have to go all the way around campus; however, that shuttle may be helpful for the return to the ERP shuttle. Here is the campus loop shuttle schedule: http://www.uh.edu/pts/pdfs/campusloop.pdf.  

I realize this is not the most ideal parking option, but it is one solution and it could save a great deal of stress and parking tickets. Take a buddy and try it. Let me know how it works out. Next week my goal is to ride the Metro downtown. Stay tuned.

Wow! You made it through the first week of law school. Whether you are completing your very first week as a new first year law student or you are beginning the first week of your last semester, getting through the first week can be a chore.

Here are a few things that you need to make sure are in order:

1. Check your PeopleSoft account to ensure that you are enrolled in the classes that you think you should be enrolled in.  This includes any retro-credit for journals, competitions, and special or directed research.

2. Double check your fee bill to ensure that you have paid all monies or that they are being covered by financial aid, emergency loan or payment plan.

3. 3L Students - Do a graduation check to make sure you are on track to graduate within the time that you have set for yourself. http://www.law.uh.edu/oss/gradcheck.pdf 

Through this blog, I will post information that I hope will be beneficial to everyone. Some of it will be practical; some will be inspirational and motivational. I will post on Friday’s. Have a great weekend.