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I should preface that I am now pretty far from the admissions world and haven't worked with applicants in a number of years since I graduated law school. So things may have changed since I was most in the loop. But that being said, I personally wouldn't use a quote anywhere in the statement. It always raises the exact same issue in my mind: if someone needs to use the words of a 3rd party to convey their own personal experience, it suggests that the person doesn't know how to convey it him or herself. I as a reader would be much more interested in hearing YOUR takeaway out of your own mouth

NYU

Glad to hear it! hard to believe it was 10 years avo when I posted this. wishing you luck in your law career

Yep, I did. Worked in large firm for 6 years, and now work in-house for an amazing company. My specialty is in labor & employment law, which is certainly an area I would recommend to incoming lawyers

@@lawschooladviceguy man, so proud of you! Thank you for your quick response . Have a great day😇

Glad to hear it. As for me, I worked in a big firm for about 6 years, then took an in-house job with the legal department at a big company that I really love. Wasn't always an easy road, but I'm lucky to have found my niche and end up working with people who really cared about my long-term development. Thats so important in this field if you want to find the reward in it, and avoid becoming one of the many lawyers you hear about who are dissatisfied

No problem. Happy to help.

happy to hear it is still helpful. i figured some of the content is now a bit dated. but certain parts will likely always be applicable

You can and should meet with your professors to help assess how you are doing. But its not like in undergrad where you have objective exam scores to discuss in determining how to improve. You need to be honest with yourself as to what you understand and what you don't. And your professor will usually be able to determine your competence based on the types of questions you ask, and the sophistication with which you are able to discuss the topics. But meeting with professors is a great idea and something I did very often, whether it was quick chats after class or office hour meetings

Definitely is quite old, though past 7.5 years went by fast. I'm sure a lot has changed in the 6 years since I graduated, but happy to give it a shot. Ask away.

@@lawschooladviceguy thanks so much! So, this past January I took the LSAT and did NOT get the score I wanted (141). I am taking it again in July. The schools I am aiming for are all looking for 150's (minimum, im sure you know that). I am wondering, after this second go around and I get into the 150's should I apply still? (I don't think I can get into the 170's) I have read that law schools also look heavily into undergrad GPA's as well as statement/reference letters as part of their consideration process?

@@melissaholly347 If the schools you are aiming for are looking for a score in the 150's and you are able to get into their target range, its at least worth a shot. This is why you want to make a list of reach, target, and safety schools. This allows you to play it safe and not have all your eggs in one basket. And yes, undergrad GPA is important because schools have to report it to LSAC, though my understanding is that LSAT counts even more. Good personal statements and references will never hurt, but are not as important as strong LSAT/GPA

@@lawschooladviceguy thank you so much.

I've gotten the Mark Zuckerberg one quite a bit. Jonah Hill is new. Maybe because he used to be too heavy to see the resemblance

@@lawschooladviceguy Haha I was thinking more of the face

@@Hurlzaz lol yeah, maybe in face, but when his face was so round, it was harder to tell :)

I'm still here :) Even though no videos in awhile, I'm still happy to answer questions and help people out as best I can

There is certainly a fine line, and its often a matter of tone and presentation. In most cases, your qualifications will speak for themselves, and that is the reason you don't want to just rehash your resume. PS should focus more on things that would not otherwise be evident, and its the story of a real person that exists between the lines of a resume/application. Of course you want to paint yourself in a positive light and convey why you are an excellent candidate. Its a tone of arrogance that you want to avoid (which is why you need to have neutral individuals review your statement)

There are many X factors that can be a big deal. As you mentioned, if you are the first in your family to attend college, if your parents are alums (particularly ones who donate big money), having great connections, etc. But there are less common factors (albeit they can be significant ones). I didn't mention them because they aren't likely to be applicable for most folks applying to law school, though its certainly something to keep in mind

lawschooladviceguy Sooo the least common factors of succeeding in law school are not applicable because it is uncommon for first generations to attend law school? I AM so bored with school! I AM a cosmetologist and have 80 undergraduate business credits! I Know I AM speaking to an attorney and just seeking some sort of inspiration but it is more than likely I AM not accepting the truth! One day one day... I AM going to be an attorney! I appreciate your reply

doing well, and happily working as an in-house lawyer for a great company. thanks for checking in!

The programs I used had no spellcheck or grammar check. And because of that, most professors said they don't care if theres a few stray spelling errors here and there. I was told that, so long as its not riddled with grammar/spelling errors, they typically don't dock on that basis since they know its a fast and furious type-fest. That being said, the programs I used for my exams are likely antiquated at this point and may no longer even be in use. My first law school exams were 7.5 years ago at this point so I would imagine quite a bit has changed.

Thanks for the info, BTW I have been reading getting to Maybe now, I don't understand some of whats in the book just because I haven't started law school yet, but it seems pretty helpful, and has been giving me a good idea of what to expect.

It will make more sense once you re-visit it mid-semester. I also tried reading it before law school started and most of it was over my head at the time

I practice labor & employment law at a large firm, which I have done now for about 4.5 years. I enjoy employment law very much and would recommend that folks consider it when choosing a practice specialty. As for your question, I'm not really sure whether you are seeking a specific or general answer. By way of general answer, just make sure you seek out a firm that has a strong litigation practice and make your interest known. During law school, you can possibly do mock trial or something along those lines to get a feel for oral argument.

Really depends on a number of factors. Where are the schools located? Where do you want to practice? What are the job prospects like at the tier 1? Do those job prospects line up with the kind of job you want? How much debt are you comfortable taking on? Do your career ambitions warrant that kind of debt? As you can see, there are LOTS of considerations to think about

I don't think there is any age that is too old. I know people who went to law school in their 40's and managed perfectly fine. Its really just up to the individual. If that person in his 40's is ok with his classmates being in the mid to late 20's, and if that person is ok having superiors at his/her firm that will inevitably be younger at multiple points, then theres no reason it couldn't work.

Clerking is something you do after you have already graduated, though one can work as an intern for a judge during law school (typically during the summer). In fact, that is what I did during the summer after 1L year and thought it was an amazing experience. Interning with biglaw firms is typically something done after your 2L year. What usually happens is, during 1L summer, big firms comes to recruit students for the NEXT year (i.e. 2L summer). It is rare for students to intern at biglaw after just the first year, though it is possible. Much more common for students to work for judges, small firms, government agencies, or public interest organizations after 1L summer. Honestly, any legal experience during 1L summer (or pre law school) is great. Its about being able to make conversation and show that you were engaged in work that was interesting to you.

Never had a negative effect, though it certainly had an effect. My videos become popular enough among the law school and legal crowd that people at my firm came across them entirely independent of me (which was a bit awkward). And when I would be working law school fairs on behalf of my school, a few students would recognize me simply because they knew my face. My firm's marketing department became aware of the vids and asked me to help with recruiting and marketing efforts, and I still visit pre-law societies to give talks based on these vids and my experience as a young associate. There was never any negative effect because I was always very careful in making these videos to not say anything controversial or problematic. The goal was to be informative while being as vanilla as possible.

lawschooladviceguy You were a lawyer before you even got your JD ;)

Depends largely on the school they attend, along with your grades. Big firms that pay 100k+ recruit heavily at the top schools, but only hire a few students from lower ranked schools. If you attend a top school, there is more flexibility since big firms will recruit deeply into the class. That isn't to say that big firms don't recruit from more regional schools that aren't as highly ranked. Its just that there is far less margin for error since you need to be high in the class to be competitive for those jobs.

I think its considered a pretty strong GPA. Of course, the "top 20" is pretty broad. At a school ranked 15-20, that GPA is right on the mark for what they will be looking for. Whereas, for a top 10 school, it may be a bit below their average, though certainly not by much. As for what GPA they will consider, they will be looking at a combined weighted GPA as determined by LSAC (you will submit all your transcripts to LSAC and they will spit out a weighted GPA that will become your "official" figure in your applications). Not sure what kind of discretion schools use in considering double major vs. single major.

I don't usually get that specific on the channel, other than to say it was a top 10 school. If you have questions about specific top 10 schools, probably best to send me a private message. And if the school in question happens to be my school, then I can go into a bit more detail.

lawschooladviceguy - can you make a video about professional speaking in law? And professional writing? Resumes? Interview questions? And chosing an internship? Additionally, I am from the NYC/NJ region. I am looking to WCCD (white collar criminal defense), could I email you with some questions I have? I have a bachelors in SBS and minor in criminal justice/pre law. I am interning at the moment and am trying to chose the best of the options I have for internship opportunities. How do you chose the best opportunity for your desired area? Does my first internship need to be within the area I wish to specialize prior to paralegal&JD?

Choosing*

If there is anything you want to discuss more privately, feel free to send me a private message via CZcams. Just go to my channel page, and click the About tab. On that page, there is a button to send message. As for internships, its really not a big deal if the substance of the work is not necessarily what you wish to specialize in. So many of the skills you gain through internships will carry over, regardless of substance. In fact, many people have no idea what they will ultimately specialize in until they are done with law school (or even later). So I wouldn't worry too much about that. Legal internships are great and will give you a big leg up if you are getting that experience before even attending law school.

tartarus500 Some schools have it as a standalone major, though not all

English Learner As in my other comment, I dont disclose specifically where I went to school, other than to say it was a top 10 school. I currently work in a large biglaw-style firm, and have for a few years now.

English Learner I went to a top 10 school. No real need to get more specific than that unless you have specific questions about particlar schools, in which case you should send me a private message and I would be happy to discuss further.

A top 10 school. I dont really get more specific than that since it isnt really necessary. If you have questions about specific top 10 schools, feel free to private message me.

I probably took somewhere between 20 and 30 actual, timed tests. It was the majority of what I did over the final month of preparation. I would take the timed exam in the morning, and then spend the afternoon reviewing the test, and studying whatever needed improvement. You don't need to do ALL logic games released to do well. But I would do many of them, especially the more modern ones, which are more representative of the test's substance. Keep in mind that it has been 8 years since I took the LSAT so there are MANY more tests and practice questions available. Much of the material I myself used to prep is now obsolete.

Thank you so much. I honestly watched all your videos and you've been such a big help. I'd never thought you'd reply. I am eternally grateful and hope you are doing well. Thank you again!

So long as your GPA is strong and you did well on LSAT, then I think it would be fine. I had quite a few classmates with business backgrounds.

okay thanks!

Hard to recall, but I had a solid high school GPA. Nothing spectacular, but it was respectable. That won't ultimately matter though since your high school GPA isn't considered when you apply to law school. Only your college GPA and LSAT. Of course, doing well in high school and getting a good high school GPA will help you get into a better college (which makes it easier to get into a top law school). So having a strong high school GPA certainly helps in an indirect way.

Thorin, son of Thràin, son of Thrór, son of Thráll dude it doesn’t really matter, I was bottom 10 when I graduated high school. Now I’m one of the better students in my engineering class. It’s all about how you apply yourself and how well you study

No, I definitely meant objective. The point I was making is that whether its "hard" in the objective sense isn't really the right question to ask in the first place, for the various reasons I explain. In general, the material you learn in law school is somewhat difficult. Nothing too crazy, but often not easy. Thats a fairly objective answer (though obviously not entirely since there are some geniuses who find the material to be a breeze, and some who find it extraordinarily difficult). But for the most part, its moderately difficult. Again, a fairly objective answer. But one that doesn't really cut to the heart of what makes law school itself "hard".

I understand your point that you're not giving strictly your own opinion; but I think what you mean/meant to say was that you're "trying" to be objective. We can only be objective about facts. Facts are statements about that world that are self-evident and essentially incontestable. Examples would be statements regarding the atomic weight of hydrogen or the year Germany invaded Poland. I think you'll agree that whether law school material is "difficult" to study is not a fact about of world in this sense. Again, what you should say is that you're "trying to be objective". It's a non-consequential semantic issue of no importance really. Helpful video though! Cheers.

You are going to make a good law student, I'll tell you that much :)

Haha, well thanks man. :)