being admitted to law school in '05 or '06, need some advice

[bookworm65t]

Hi there,

I am looking for some opinions and advice as to my chances of being admitted to law school in the next 2-3 years. (I am not terribly picky about schools other than going to an ABA approved school).

In my first 2 years of college I only had a GPA of 2.5. I left school and didn't return to that school until almost 5 years later, where I had a GPA of 3.4 (giving me a culmulative 2.95). I graduated 10 years ago, and have been working in customer service ever since. I have not taken the LSAT but want to study up for it. I was also diagnosed as being bipolar this year, so establishing stability in my life is important to me right now. My credit is in bad shape, and I'm currently unemployed. I am trying to plan my long term goals. I would appreciate any imput anyone here would have for me. Thank you very much for your time.

Theresa

edited for text errors

[grytpype]

1. I was in a similar state once myself...

... and I eventually managed to get into a good law school and graduated summa cum laude, and I am now practicing in New York.

I would say the first thing to do is get the mental illness under control. And keep it under control.

Study hard for the LSAT and get a really high score. Your GPA makes getting into a top school very unlikely, I think, but if your LSAT is high you could get into a second-rank school.

While you're waiting to start school, start studying law on your own time and in your own way.

Once you're there, work incredibly hard. Really make it your life.

It's a long process and you have to persevere. But it can be done. Good luck.

[commander bunnypants]

2. No advice here but good luck

and go for it. I had to make grad school my life and got out with about a 3.8. It will need to be your life. Go for it


DDQM

[NicoleM]

3. some advice

1. Make really, really, REALLY sure you want to be a lawyer before you start. Law school is freakin' expensive, and it is unlikely that you will be able to work during the first year at least. I quit law school after my first year because I didn't want to be a lawyer, and saved myself $50,000. My best friend didn't want to be a lawyer, either, but she finished. Now she owes $100,000 in student loans and is stuck lawyering until it's paid off. She hates it.

2. If you don't already live where you want to practice, move there. It should be easier to get a job, because there will be alums from your school working there who may be in a position to give you a job.

3. Be realistic. You're probably not going to get into Harvard. You may have a hard time getting in a lot of places with that GPA unless you do really well on your LSATs. So start studying now.

Good luck! :)

[newyawker99]

7. Congrats NicoleM!! 300 posts

:toast:

[BQueen]

4. NicoleM gave some great advice, and here's some more

from one in the reverse situation - I practiced law for over a decade before being diagnosed Bipolar II.

Do get the meds, etc. stabilized before you start. Law school is stressful enough without having meds issues on top of it.

Can't stress enough to make sure you REALLY want to do it. Few of my classmates emerged with intact relationships/marriages. Much as we didn't want to admit it, it does change you.

In many schools, life experience is valued for the perspective it adds to classroom discussion. State schools particularly tend to seek diversity as to age, ethnic origin, and disabilities. Probably a third of my class consisted of older students, and while not Ivy League or top ten, I'm pretty sure it's still in the top 100 nationally. I also had a (WM) friend with about a 3.0 who got in on waiting list (although the stats say that might not happen now - but as a female you might have a better shot) Since mine was frequently a "back-up" school for Ivy applicants, many spaces opened up at the last minute.

This will sound odd, but probably the best thing I did while prepping for the LSAT was get Games Magazine logic puzzles. They show you how to figure out the problems much better than Barron's, and the extra practice really helps. There is also a kid's computer program called "Dr. Brain" which includes those types of problems. Just about everyone I knew thought that was the most difficult part of the LSAT, and they felt the least prepared for it.

One general career planning suggestion is to get hold of a book called "Do What you Are" which applies personality tests to career choices. Also, try to determine what areas of the law interest you particularly. I always had an interest in patents and copyright, etc., but not a good advisor in undergrad, so I didn't know you have squat chance of getting hired without a science degree, even if you can demonstrate that you know what you're talking about. For your purposes, it will help you decide where to focus your electives in law school.

Be prepared for extra scrutiny in the state bar fitness screening process. My state specifically asked about mental illness, as I recall, but I don't know if they still do. One guy I know got disbarred, and one of the reasons was that he concealed his history. I'm not saying it's fair or right, but just check....

Even if you don't get a great school, you'll probably be able to get in somewhere. Unfortunately, not-so-great schools frequently try to make up for low rankings by making it much more difficult to get through than to get in. One school I know of seemed to admit people completely unsuited just to get the first year of high tuition out of them.

PM me if you'd like to discuss anything privately, either about law school or about your diagnosis. Real sock in the nose, ain't it?

[bookworm65t]

5. thank you all

I am not hung up on going to a top 20 school. When I tried to ask friends and family, they all mention the Ivy League, and I have no interest in paying that kind of tuition anyway. A family friend who has been a practicing attorney for 35+ years told me that not once in his whole time of practice has anyone ever asked him about where he went to school.
I've been trying to do litle things to prepare for the LSAT later, such as doing the Dell Logic Problems.

[NicoleM]

6. logic puzzles are good

That's all I did to prep for the LSAT, and I kicked some serious ass on that test. ;)

The other benefit to moving where you want to practice that I forgot to mention before is that if you want to go to a state school, you can establish your residence and then pay in-state tuition.

[philosophie_en_rose]

11. Logic puzzles are a large part of the test.

Particularly the ones that don't use a grid and that force you to keep track of everything in your mind.

The LSAT logic section is not difficult, but it may be time consuming if you aren't prepared or organized. A good tip is that at least two of the answers will be obviously wrong. Read through the passage and take notes. Eliminate as many answers as possible and then go back to choose the correct answer.

Remember that wrong answers are not penalized on the LSAT. If you have a few questions left towards the end of the section, guess.

[bloom]

8. One way to go so that you don't rack up so much debt

is to go to a law school that spreads it out over 4 years - probably at night - and have a job to pay for your living expenses.

That's what my husband did and it was nice to not have big loans to pay back.

good luck

[bookworm65t]

9. been looking at some part time programs too

My parents are in their late 60's and their health is not as good as earlier. I have been designated "the comfort" child by my other siblings to keep an eye out for them, so I may be restricted on going to a local school. I hope not, but this is something I am keeping in mind.

[GumboYaYa]

10. There is some great advise already posted.

The most important point of all is to make sure you really want to be an attorney before you take the plunge. I am a practicing attorney and I love my job, but I know many more people who hate their job as an attorney than love it.

I love my job because I get to help people. I work in a very small office with a few other friends and represent small businesses and individuals, not major corporations. It is very gratifying when you can help someone who truly needs your help. I can think of several files on my desk right now where I am directly making a positive difference in someone's live. Most of my friends working in giant firms represent some reprehensible companies. They also are little more than billable hour machines who get lost in the numbers. I could never work in that environment where your individuality and dignity take a back seat to profits.

Unlike many of my friends I had the freedom to choose to work in a smaller firm because I was not buried in debt. I went to a state school and incurred very little debt to make it through law school. My debt has been paid off for some time now. This gave me the freedom to opt-out of the big firm salary trap.

If you choose to go to law school, I strongly recommend saving before hand, attending a state school, utilizing every scholarship and grant that you can find, and incurring as little debt as possible. Attorneys make great salaries (even in smaller firms) but for many of them the salary goes to pay for school loans.

Whatever you choose, I wish you the best of luck.