Applying to law school

[jwys_soapbox]

Hi people,

I've been reading this board daily for years now and occasionally commenting, so I thought I'd share the pretty big decision I've made recently. I'm applying for law school. I've been busy arranging for the LSAT and a prep course, registering with the LSDAS, writing a personal statement and a bunch of other stuff. I wonder, are there any lawyers, or anyone who's gone to law school, on the board with any advice?

John

[DownOnRodeo]

Different tertiary education setup in Australia of course, so I think it was a lot less hassle for me. You just do Law as your undergraduate degree here.
Law - I would recommend it as a generalist degree because of the different way of thinking you can develop, maybe the way of thinking that many ppl hate about lawyers! At this stage I don't have any plans to get into the profession but with a law degree I think there can be various options opened up, especially when coupled with a second discipline.

[irishgrl]

Where are you thinking of going?

and be prepared to study your butt off! I never really had to study until I went to law school, so it was a humbling experience. The most difficult thing for me was the written exams, you can know the rules and know how they apply, but if you dont have your thoughts organized (outlined, you'll learn!) you are gonna be all over the map with your answer, and run out of time and get a bad grade.
another thing: get into a good study group because you will need the perspectives that other students bring. usually there is something you missed that other people didnt....and you all help each other.
I had to withdraw because of family issues but I dreamt about it for months afterward...and I feel I am too old to compete with all the youngsters now...plus it costs an awful lot of $$$!!!
Anyway, good luck! :D

[strandinthewind]

Hi people,

I've been reading this board daily for years now and occasionally commenting, so I thought I'd share the pretty big decision I've made recently. I'm applying for law school. I've been busy arranging for the LSAT and a prep course, registering with the LSDAS, writing a personal statement and a bunch of other stuff. I wonder, are there any lawyers, or anyone who's gone to law school, on the board with any advice?

John

Best of luck to you!!!!!!

Unless there is an out of state school or a private that you can get into that is of significant merit, go to the cheapest and best in state school possible and do the best you can there. It is FAR cheaper that way. I was lucky and got a partial scholarship to a private school. If I had not, it would have cost me well over $30,000 and I went to law school about 15 years ago :laugh:

Again, while being from a huge name school is important and certainly can open doors, grades are really in the end what matter because few people can be from the big name schools, etc. So, if you get into one - great. If not, then do the best you can at a well respected in state school and save yourself a bundle :cool:

Also, be sure and use the canned outlines and briefs as study tools. Of course, most professors will tell you they are horrible, blah blah blah - but they are wrong :laugh: They will help prevent you from swimming in confusion as the first year teachers try their best to confuse you with the Socratic method of teaching, etc. In addition, if you can get a hold of a really good outline for each course from a student who took the class from the same teacher the year before, that is great as well because each teacher concentrates on different nuances whereas the canned stuff tends to cover everything in less detail.

Finally, people in law school tend to be stressed out and competetive. Everyone is that way. So, do not let it get you down!!!!!!!!!!

:cool:

[chiffon head]

Hi people,

I've been reading this board daily for years now and occasionally commenting, so I thought I'd share the pretty big decision I've made recently. I'm applying for law school. I've been busy arranging for the LSAT and a prep course, registering with the LSDAS, writing a personal statement and a bunch of other stuff. I wonder, are there any lawyers, or anyone who's gone to law school, on the board with any advice?

John

No advice here. I just wanted to say Good luck to you. I think that's great!

Renee

[greatdarkwing]

Hi people,

I've been reading this board daily for years now and occasionally commenting, so I thought I'd share the pretty big decision I've made recently. I'm applying for law school. I've been busy arranging for the LSAT and a prep course, registering with the LSDAS, writing a personal statement and a bunch of other stuff. I wonder, are there any lawyers, or anyone who's gone to law school, on the board with any advice?

John

Congratulations John!

Im currently Pre-Law at the University of Miami (Sophmore) and I am too getting ready by taking an LSAT course. My university also provides practice LSAT's here weekly (I havent taken one yet, but will next semester). I wish you the best of luck where ever you end up going. Keep in touch with all of us and let us know your progress!!

~Alex

[strandinthewind]

Congratulations John!

Im currently Pre-Law at the University of Miami (Sophmore) and I am too getting ready by taking an LSAT course. My university also provides practice LSAT's here weekly (I havent taken one yet, but will next semester). I wish you the best of luck where ever you end up going. Keep in touch with all of us and let us know your progress!!

~Alex

That reminds me, I would take as many LSAT classes as you can. Grades and the school you went to are important, but the LSAT is probably more important if you went to an okat school and have okay, but not stellar grades, etc.

GOOD LUCK (to you both!!!)

[GypsySorcerer]

Hi John, Congratulations and good luck! I have three relatives who are lawyers. One went to a big name school and the other two went to good, state schools. All three have done well.

Best wishes whatever you decide!

[jwys_soapbox]

Wow! Thank you all for the responses and well-wishes. I'm mainly applying at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, 4th tier university (if I can get a 160 LSAT score my 1st-year tuition will be free), but I'm also gonna apply to University of San Diego, a US News top 100 school. Maybe I'll be surprised by their response. Both of these schools would be perfect because they're really close to home. I'll be in a part-time evening program and working full-time days for as long as I can. And irishgrl, I'll be 40 by the time I finish, so my advice to you is don't stop thinking about tomorrow.

John

[Mad4stevie]

Good luck to you, John!

I have been in practice for over 5 years now, and I do think about the good old school days every month when I write out my check for my student loans! The LSAT is an ok measure of your analytical abilities; but you probably will do well on it if you are a good standardized test taker (which I am not).

However, all those stardardized tests seemed like a spelling quiz compared to the damn bar exam! Now that is total pressure, because you have to pass it if you want to practice law (as I am sure you already know). It also does help to go to school in the state that you want to practice law in because they usually have classes that you can take that are specific to that state's law (which will only help with the bar exam).

Study groups and outlinning are good; make sure that you keep up with the assignments, because it will be overwhelming if you don't. The first year is the worst because most of the professors try to scare the bejesus out of you by calling on you and peppering you with questions about the homework assignments. Keep you head up and you will do just fine!

[amber]

Good luck john!! That's a looooot of school. I'm studying to be a paralegal right now, so i can work for an environmental law firm. Any idea what sort of law you'll want to practice? i can't imagine the amount of discipline and hard work and boredom it will take to complete law school. Kudos! heh, maybe i'll be working for you someday... :)
Amber

[DrummerDeanna]

Congrats and best of luck to you!!!

[AliP]

I'm just starting my 3rd year of law school. Don't listen to people who tell you that you have to study all the time. I study, but I definitely have a life outside of school. It's definitely competitive, so I would do the best that you can. In the end, good grades will help the most in getting a good job. Student organizations, law review etc are important, but if you don't think you can handle all that w/o getting good grades, then don't join. That's my advice.

[jwys_soapbox]

Thanks again for the well wishes and the advice sounds really good to me.

Any idea what sort of law you'll want to practice? i can't imagine the amount of discipline and hard work and boredom it will take to complete law school.

I'm very interested in the law as it concerns sexual orientation. The whole marriage amendment act movement has really upset me and has in a way been a call to arms to my ears. As for the boredom of sitting through all those courses, I hear that the Socratic Method the professors use has a way of keeping one on his or her toes. Plus, I work at the DMV, so I'm pretty used to dealing with the CA vehicle code. I find it rather interesting.

Thanks,
John

[amber]

Thanks again for the well wishes and the advice sounds really good to me.



I'm very interested in the law as it concerns sexual orientation. The whole marriage amendment act movement has really upset me and has in a way been a call to arms to my ears. As for the boredom of sitting through all those courses, I hear that the Socratic Method the professors use has a way of keeping one on his or her toes. Plus, I work at the DMV, so I'm pretty used to dealing with the CA vehicle code. I find it rather interesting.

Thanks,
John
Ah...I believe the marriage ammendment would fall under Consistutional Law? That's good you're ready, and I meant boredom as in thinking about one thing so concentrated for 4 years, the masses of homework, etc. Seriously, you go!!
AMber

[jwys_soapbox]

Thanks, Amber.

I've been agonizing over my personal statement and whether to mention my feelings about the Marriage Amendment movement. I'm worried about being too political on the less popular side of the issue. I'm pretty sure I've decided to put it this way...

"I want to use my abilities in more the momentous events in peoples’ lives, like representing a client in a workplace dispute or a situation where an individual’s Constitutional Rights are threatened."

It says what it needs to say without being too specific. Of course, I feel bad that I'd be compromising, but I believe that since I'm trying to convince the admittance board to let me in, it's better to avoid taking too clear a position on such a hot issue.

John

[strandinthewind]

Thanks, Amber.

I've been agonizing over my personal statement and whether to mention my feelings about the Marriage Amendment movement. I'm worried about being too political on the less popular side of the issue. I'm pretty sure I've decided to put it this way...

"I want to use my abilities in more the momentous events in peoples’ lives, like representing a client in a workplace dispute or a situation where an individual’s Constitutional Rights are threatened."

It says what it needs to say without being too specific. Of course, I feel bad that I'd be compromising, but I believe that since I'm trying to convince the admittance board to let me in, it's better to avoid taking too clear a position on such a hot issue.

John

There are model personal statements out there on the web, or at least that is what a friend who applied about a year ago told me. I think your personal sstatement should be what you believe. But, imagine if you were the hiring person and you got one where the applicant said they were for, not against, the amendment. Would you be impartial? Same with abortion. So, there is that to condsider. I am not saying you should not include it. I am just saying to choose your words carefully, not that you would not have done that anyway!!! :cool:

Best of Luck!!!!

[jwys_soapbox]

You know, that comparison to the abortion issue makes me think that I should back off further...

"I want to use my abilities in more the momentous events in peoples’ lives, like representing a client in a workplace dispute or a situation where an individual’s rights are threatened."

Thanks,
John

[strandinthewind]

You know, that comparison to the abortion issue makes me think that I should back off further...

"I want to use my abilities in more the momentous events in peoples’ lives, like representing a client in a workplace dispute or a situation where an individual’s rights are threatened."

Thanks,
John


That sounds good. Writing these is sooooooo hard because you want to make your thoughts clear, but at the same time you have no idea what the personality is of the person reading them or if after the agonizing hours you spend, they will even take the time to get your point. I guess the main focus is you want them to like you, etc.

Personally, I love Elle Woods' from Legally Blonde the best - a bikini in the pool!!!!!!!!!

Here are some sites I I pulled up through google. I know nothing about them, but they look cool upon a cursory look.

http://www.accepted.com/

http://www.admissionsessays.com/

http://www.top-law-schools.com/law-school-personal-statements.shtml

Again, GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!

:cool: :laugh: