Advice on applying to law school...

[melloish]

Hey everyone,

 I am finishing my junior year of college this week and have been seriously considering Law school. I always thought law school was incredibly prestigious like medical school so I never thought of it as an option. After doing considerable research I noticed it wasn't that much of a stretch. I had originally wanted to complete a PhD in Sociology however as of the late I have been increasingly interested in law school, specifically family law. I want advice on what I should do now, I just bought the trilogy bible LSAT books and will have most of the summer to dedicate to them.

About me: I'm currently a triple major, sociology, psychology, and criminal justice. My G.P.A. is a 3.4 but I hope to raise it to a 3.5 by graduation (obviously admissions will not see the 3.5 due to the time constraints of the application). I will have published research by my senior year (this summer), specifically in the Journal of IPV. I've presented my research at different stages on panels at ACJS as well as ASA. I have worked a full time job as a Direct Support Professional for two years while in college, as well as a Resident Assistant. I've had minimal involvement with clubs but have taken a position as a communication-manager in one less interesting groups. I am also interning at DSS this summer, although not entirely relevant. 

I don't want to go to the top 20 Law schools, it's pretty clear based on my GPA alone I wouldn't stand a chance, however I was wondering what sort of advice people could give to someone who just began the search and how to improve my chances of being accepted. 

 

Thank you, 

Anything helps!

Edited May 3, 2016 by melloish

[knp]

I don't usually bring it up on this forum, but I do have moderate expertise in this area.

• Kill the LSAT. Law school admissions is very numbers-driven, and by LSAT perhaps a bit more than GPA, so your plan to spend a lot of time studying for it is a good one. (https://officialguide.lsac.org/release/ugpalsat/ugpalsat.aspx)
• Keep up with your extracurriculars and job(s?)—I can't tell from your post whether you're still working at anything, or if that was in the past—to a maintenance degree, but I wouldn't look for ways to get more involved at this juncture.

But I have to ask—have you researched what the legal job market is like? Have you researched how to minimize your debt on graduation? Some people argue that this is an okay time to go to law school, given how applications have plummeted since 2008, but you have to keep in mind the NO GOOD VERY BAD legal job market waiting for you on graduation. (I have no idea whether family law has better or worse than average employment prospects, though, or whether an average family law salary can easily cover an average amount of law school debt.) I recommend that you read a lot of Above the Law—it's one of the best sources to get fully informed about what's going on in the legal profession right now and, if you decide to proceed, get strategies for succeeding in this market.

[Piagetsky]

2 minutes ago, knp said:

I don't usually bring it up on this forum, but I do have moderate expertise in this area.

• Kill the LSAT. Law school admissions is very numbers-driven, and by LSAT perhaps a bit more than GPA, so your plan to spend a lot of time studying for it is a good one. (https://officialguide.lsac.org/release/ugpalsat/ugpalsat.aspx)
• Keep up with your extracurriculars and job(s?)—I can't tell from your post whether you're still working at anything, or if that was in the past—to a maintenance degree, but I wouldn't look for ways to get more involved at this juncture.

But I have to ask—have you researched what the legal job market is like? Have you researched how to minimize your debt on graduation? Some people argue that this is an okay time to go to law school, given how applications have plummeted since 2008, but you have to keep in mind the NO GOOD VERY BAD legal job market waiting for you on graduation. (I have no idea whether family law has better or worse than average employment prospects, though, or whether an average family law salary can easily cover an average amount of law school debt.) I recommend that you read a lot of Above the Law—it's one of the best sources to get fully informed about what's going on in the legal profession right now and, if you decide to proceed, get strategies for succeeding in this market.

This.  I work in the legal system and it is appalling what they're paying new lawyers.  It isn't even enough to cover the student loans, let alone enough to live on.  The job market is astonishingly bad, so much so that the ABA has said people need to quit going to law school.  There are plenty of sour grapes posts from law school grads, but when you see it IRL like I do...

[Neist]

I've worked at a law school for 10 years now, and I echo the sentiments here.

Your GPA will probably hurt you odds are scholarships, so ace the LSAT, and go to whatever law school throws you the most funding. Prestige is important, but it's more important to go to a law school in the state you want to practice in (for networking opportunities) and go to a law school that offers you the most funding. However, no matter where you go to school at, aim to be the top of your class, if possible. A high class rank can somewhat obviate a degree from a middling program.

Remember, study a lot for the LSAT. Law schools really are about the numbers, and your GPA isn't horrible, but it's not helping, either. An amazingly high LSAT score will significantly increase your chances of financial aid.

[johnnycomelately]

I have friends who have recently been accepted at top law programs, and one thing I've learned is that very few of them offer (much) funding to the majority of admitted applicants. Private schools seem to offer more, but the competition is also usually pretty fierce. The things they say think mattered the most were GPA, LSAT scores, and rec letters. The generic advice I can give is to apply to a broad range of programs, and if possible in a variety of regions to improve your chances. 

Be sure to check out the law forum under professional programs to get info on specific programs.