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Updating Law School Applications

By on March 22, 2012 in Law School Admissions, Law School Admissions

If you have been placed on a law school waiting list or still have not heard back from some of your schools, now is the time to update your applications with any new information.  The easiest way to do this is by emailing the admission office of each school and you can also follow up with a hard copy in the mail if you choose.  Keep your updates brief, factual, and to the point.

Be selective in the information you send to the law school – only include information that was asked on the original application.  Always update contact information – especially if you are leaving a college address at the end of the semester.… Read full post

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Life as a 1L: Supplements…Worth It or Not?

By on March 16, 2012 in Law School & Legal Life, Law School Admissions

This is what awaits you as a 1L…

Its mid to late September, you have heard other people mention terms like Hornbook or Treatise.  However, the people you likely hear talking about them are other 1L’s that have a brother, or cousin that has gone to law school and finished in the top 5% of their class.

So you start to wonder is there any validity to this.

You see, you are a in your first year of law school, glad you got in, but somewhat confused as to what it means to “Think Like a Lawyer”, and are starting to hear horror stories about how “different” law school exams are compared to other test in different professional schools, or undergraduate programs.… Read full post

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How to Avoid Law School Rankings Tunnel Vision

By on March 12, 2012 in Law School & Legal Life, Law School Admissions, Law School Admissions

Are you that guy?  You know, the guy who says, “I’m going to go to this law school which is ranked at #37 because this other school that I got into is ranked lower, at #56.”  Worse yet, are you that gal who says. “I can’t go to this school ranked at #12 – not when I can go to this other school ranked at #8.  After all, this other program is in the top ten!”

If either of these people sounds like you, it’s important that you take a step back and recognize that basing the decision to attend a school solely, and oftentimes, even primarily on its rankings – including the US News rankings – can be hazardous to your educational and career well-being.  There are many ways in which focusing too heavily on the rankings can come back to haunt you.… Read full post

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Accepted to Law School? Time for the Campus Visit!

By on March 8, 2012 in Law School & Legal Life, Law School Admissions

You have narrowed it down to two or three acceptances and have decided that you want to visit the campuses before you make your final decision.  My first suggestion is that you try and plan your trip sooner rather than later.  Not only because the law school will want your deposit in the upcoming weeks but because they will soon be preparing for finals and will not allow outsiders to sit in on a class.  You want to be able to see a class in action and have an opportunity to talk with both faculty and students before they go into finals hibernation mode.… Read full post

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Accepted! Now What?

By on March 2, 2012 in Law School & Legal Life, Law School Admissions

So the acceptance letter has come and gone, and the buzz and excitement is now turning to a bit of apprehension and anxiety.  Majority of 1L’s feel this way around the August and September months of their 1L year.

Here are a few tips that I can endorse, by trial and error.  The specifics to how you get through your 1L year, and the remainder of law school, change for each person, but the general destination is the same for all persons.

These are numbered based on what I would have liked to known, and what I feel would be most important to me now looking at it retrospectively.… Read full post

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A Few Questions to Ask After You’ve Been Accepted to Law School

By on March 1, 2012 in Law School & Legal Life, Law School Admissions

Congratulations!  You did it.  You’ve been accepted to law school.  Now that all your hard work has paid off, it’s time to celebrate … tonight anyway.   Keep in mind though that when you wake up tomorrow (or perhaps in a couple of days) you’ll still have some important work to do.  Fortunately, much of this will only require that you ask some simple questions and do a little legwork.  Let’s consider just a few of the basic questions that you’ll need to cover with school representatives:

  • When is a good time to visit?  And can I sit in on classes? 

Okay, I trust that you’ve researched the school, but it’s probably been quite a while.  If like most applicants, you haven’t yet visited the school, you should definitely do so now (unless serious financial constraints dictate otherwise).  In fact, even if you have visited in the past, it wouldn’t hurt if you were to check out the program one more time before making your final decision and signing on the dotted line.  Also, be aware that aside from the standard orientation that all law schools have in the days prior to the start of classes, most programs now also have an “Admitted Students Day,” to help introduce you to your new law school.  If your school has such a day, like University of Florida’s Admitted Students Day or University of Chicago’s Admitted Students Weekend, then it would probably make sense if you could arrange a visit during that time period.  Keep in mind that while walking the school grounds, sitting in on classes, and talking to students will be at the forefront of your mind, you should also start thinking about other basic needs, particularly housing.… Read full post

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Law School – Apply Now or Wait Until the Fall?

By on February 23, 2012 in Law School Admissions, Law School Admissions, LSAT Test Prep

Now that the February LSAT is over and you have had a chance to catch your breathe, you may be trying to decide whether you should apply now or wait until the fall.  The true reality is that you are probably better off waiting until the fall but only you can make the decision of what is best for you.  My goal is to give you as much information as I can to make an informed decision.

You may have your heart set on starting law school in the fall to a point where you are willing to give up on a dream school.  If this is the case then applying now makes more sense.  Get ready to dedicate some serious time to your applications though because some school deadlines have already passed and many are quickly approaching.… Read full post

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Seeking a Law Degree to Serve the Public Interest

By on February 16, 2012 in Law School & Legal Life, Law School Admissions, Legal News

Have you ever been so influenced by an experience that you became inspired to pursue a legal career aimed at serving the public interest?  Maybe you witnessed a friend, a relative, or an acquaintance who was harmed due to lack of proper legal representation during a serious crisis, such as a brush with the law or a situation in which he or she was taken advantage of.  Or perhaps, you yourself suffered an injustice and were aided by an attorney.  Alternatively, you may have been motivated toward a career in public interest law after learning about people facing tragedies or unfair outcomes through your undergraduate studies, the Internet or your community service experience.  Regardless of what has influenced you, the bottom line is that you now want to have a career path that is focused on helping others.  As you consider your future law school applications and legal career, be sure to heed the following pointers to ensure that you’re headed in the right direction.… Read full post

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Don’t Delay: Finding Time to Prep for Your LSAT Now!

By on February 14, 2012 in Law School Admissions, Law School Admissions, LSAT Test Prep

If you’re reading this, you probably know that LSAT prep is a must.  I mean, it’s only the rest of your life that’s impacted by the law school you’ll attend and how much it will cost you to go there.  And it’s well established that your LSAT score is a huge factor in law school admissions decisions.

I’ve known many folks who were serious about their LSAT score neglect or postpone their prep even after setting aside time and money for it.  Something always manages to come up.  For those still in college, midterms are looming ahead or a ten page course paper is due, and they just need to take a few weeks off from LSAT studying in order to get past this.  Or maybe Spring Break was intended for LSAT studying, but a beachside vacation sounds more appealing and will supposedly provide a necessary refresher for them to come back more devoted to their studying than ever.  For those in the workforce, their boss has given them an important deadline, and if they can just get this project done, then they’ll have time to devote to studying for the LSAT.… Read full post

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Deciding on a Law School? Ask Your Fellow Alumni

By on February 9, 2012 in Law School Admissions

You are starting to hear from the law schools to which you applied and hopefully you have some choices in front of you.  Obviously there are many factors that need to be taken into consideration but one avenue to pursue is asking your fellow undergraduate alumni their thoughts.

Most colleges and universities have alumni networks available to both their current undergrads and alumni.  This network is usually accessed through either the alumni office or the career center.  Often you can search the alumni network by professions and/or law school attended.  Try finding at least two or three alumni who are attending or recently graduated from the law schools from which you are trying to choose.… Read full post

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