Law School

Advice Upon Starting Law School

Posted on August 18, 2008
I happened across this today, and although it was written in 2002 (when many entering 1Ls were still in high school!), it rings true today. The only part I really disagree with is about not looking at your grades because they don't matter, but on the whole the other points will help you put the coming semester (and 1L year) in perspective and I hope my clients and readers who are starting the adventure of law school enjoy this...

When is a Low LSAT Score Too Low?

Posted on August 18, 2008
My most-read blog topics are those dealing with very low LSAT scores; there are a lot of you out there. So, what constitutes a "low" LSAT score? This is not a discussion for those of you who find yourselves disappointed with your 158s. Let's aim this conversation at those of you below a 147 LSAT...

Law School Personal Statement Tips

Posted on August 13, 2008
One of my law school admission consulting clients sent me an email this morning with 6 key questions about law school personal statements. The questions were so good (and so common) that I wanted to share my responses with all of my pre-law readers. 1...

The Value of Internships in Applying to Law School

Posted on August 12, 2008
During my first phone consultation with prospective law school admission consulting clients, often a parent or applicant will tell me they've had "great internships." These invariably include things like UC-DC programs, interning with a Member of Congress (which really just means answering calls and giving tours of the Capitol building, right?), or perhaps something in the business world like being a marketing and promotions intern for a sports company (which is really just throwing t-shirts into a crowd)...

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Best Majors for Law School Applicants

Posted on August 05, 2008
How do law school admission committees evaluate people with different undergraduate majors? Are there good majors and bad majors for law school applications? I wouldn't quite say there are bad majors - I think there are good things about most areas of study, and if you have good grades then you're absolutely set...

Fall 2009? Law School Admission 101

Posted on July 31, 2008
Ok, it's practically August. Many of you are just getting underway preparing for the October 2008 LSAT. Some of you will start prep courses this week.What else should you be thinking about right now?1. Getting LORs (Letters of Rec) underway. Who will write them? What should they emphasize about you? Ask these people and give them deadlines 4-6 weeks out...

Additional Insights About Law School Rankings

Posted on July 28, 2008
The U.S. News Law School Rankings are Over-EmphasizedI love the idea of the U.S. News law school Rankings going to a "Top 10", 1st Tier, 2nd Tier, Regional Schools listing (as suggested by articles and comments here) because I hate to see law school applicants choose #21 over #24 simply because that's how the schools are ranked in a particular year...

Choosing an LSAT Prep Course

Posted on July 22, 2008
There are basically 3 options for LSAT preparation:1. Self-study;2. A formal in-class prep course; and3. Private tutoring.(Please take note: failing to prepare and taking the LSAT cold are NOT options. See my guest blog post on this topic at integrated learning)...

Law School Letters of Recommendation

Posted on July 18, 2008
I tell my clients that the first thing they should be thinking about right now is letters of recommendation. It takes time to consider the right person, ask them, supply them with the appropriate information and materials, and then you have to wait until that (very busy) person gets around to writing your law school LOR, and then you have to wait even longer for LSDAS to process it...

Law Schools with January Start Dates

Posted on July 13, 2008
Some of my clients have been asking me about their options if they want to start law school in January 2009 instead of Fall 2009. I found this list on the internet and while I can't guarantee its accuracy, it provides a good starting point for research.

UC Irvine Law Announces Founding Faculty

Posted on July 11, 2008
For my So-Cal applicants, here is exciting news about the promising start for UC Irvine's law school. They will be accepting applications this fall.

I Have an LSAT Score; Now What?

Posted on July 08, 2008
Here is a link to a post from last year about what to do once getting your June LSAT score. And here is a previous post that may help you decide whether to retake the LSAT or just go ahead and apply early in the rolling admissions process with your current score...

A 2-year JD at a Top Law School

Posted on July 02, 2008
One of my readers asked me about my assessment of Northwestern's new 2-year JD program. Here is a great article about it by Brian Leiter.

Most Popular PreLaw Questions

Posted on June 21, 2008
I'm back from Maui and wanted to share with you the most common questions and issues I'm hearing this week from law school applicants. Hopefully this will make you feel better. (It isn't just you, really!).1. Should I cancel my LSAT score? I've blogged quite a bit about this...

Thinking about cancelling today's LSAT score?

Posted on June 16, 2008
I'm on vacation in Maui, but thinking about all of you June LSAT takers today. (Really! The proof is that I'm blogging from Hawaii).First, enjoy yourself tonight. Relax, blow off steam, watch a guilty-pleasure movie on cable.For those of you who are already thinking about cancelling today's LSAT score, here's an article I posted last September that gives you things to consider in making this decision...

New Law Schools to Consider

Posted on June 11, 2008
Brian Leiter pointed out this article on LawJobs about TEN possible new law schools coming up....The discussion about the demand for these schools (and their graduates) is worth reading.

What a Law School Admission Consultant Can Do

Posted on June 08, 2008
I hate to hear stories about law school applicants who feel misled by law school admission consultants about their chances for law school admission. If you are going to invest in expert advice, it's important to work with someone who is candid with you from the very beginning...

June LSAT Tips

Posted on June 03, 2008
A week from Monday, many of you will be sitting for the June LSAT. Whether this will be your first time taking the LSAT or you're someone who tried applying to law school in the past and/or is trying to increase your score, these tips apply toyou.1. If you just picked up your first LSAT prep book this past weekend and think that a last minute 2-day crash prep course will be all you need to do, save yourself a lot of aggravation and wait until October 4th to take the LSAT...

How important is ABA accreditation?

Posted on June 01, 2008
I often get e-mails and blog comments asking me about issues relating to non-ABA accredited law schools. I don't consider myself an expert on unaccredited schools (and as a law school admission consultant, I only assist with applications to ABA law schools) but here is a link to the ABA's response to the question of the value of accreditation...

Are you ready for the June LSAT?

Posted on May 31, 2008
We're 2 weeks away from the June LSAT and many fall 2009 law school applicants are wondering whether to go ahead and take it or to wait for the October 2009 LSAT administration. Here are some things to consider when deciding whether you are ready to take the June LSAT.

Take II: Reapplying to Law School

Posted on May 14, 2008
If things didn't go your way for Fall 2008 admission and you are retaking the LSAT to apply for Fall 2009 admission (or Winter 2009 admission), here is a post of things to consider as you approach the June 2008 or October 2008 LSAT. (Please forgive the plug at the end - this was one of the first lawschoolexpert blog entries)...

Taking the LSAT Cold? Bad Idea.

Posted on May 08, 2008
My friends at Integrated Learning posted an article I wrote about why it's so important to prepare adequately for the LSAT the first time you take it, rather than winging it to see how you do knowing you can always retake it.

LSAC Law School Forum Dates

Posted on May 07, 2008
LSAC has announced the dates and locations of its 2008 Law School Forums.Here is a previous posting about the value of attending LSAC's law school forums.

American's 10-mile Long Waitlist

Posted on April 18, 2008
Is opening up. One of my clients just was asked via email to re-confirm his interest and within 5-minutes he had an acceptance letter (and 24 hours to submit a deposit).

Things to Consider When Accepting a Law School Scholarshi

Posted on April 17, 2008
For those of you considering law school scholarship offers right now, please consider (1) whether the scholarship is renewable and (2) what is required of you to renew it. A 3.25 doesn't sound so hard to attain coming out of undergrad; but at some law schools that may be a GPA reached only by the top 20% of the class...

Getting Ready for the Fall 2009 Admission Cycle

Posted on April 15, 2008
The Integrated Learning Blog posted an article I wrote for them about things you can do now to prepare for the Fall 2009 Law School Admission Cycle.

Best Law Schools for BigLaw

Posted on April 14, 2008
I have a handful of clients contemplating Columbia, Harvard, NYU, Boalt and Northwestern and here's a timely post by WSJ Law Blog of interest if you're hoping for a BigLaw job after graduation.

Rankings Lead to Increased Transfer Admits

Posted on April 08, 2008
The Faculty Lounge has a great article today about law schools downsizing to jump in the rankings, and compensating by taking more transfer applicants. This is a well-known practice, and applicants are just now starting to get wind of it.

Pre-order 2009 ABA LSAC Official Guide Today

Posted on April 05, 2008
Don't even think of applying to law school without this!

Agonizing over Being Waitlisted?

Posted on April 04, 2008
Anna Ivey, fellow member of AIGAC, has a great blog post about (1) why schools waitlist and (2) what to do about it.

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