Question about law school and the LSAT's

[Anonymous]

I agree with the PPs who asked you first to consider what you want to do with your law degree. Put another way, for the sake of what would you be going to law school?

This seems fundamental to me, and yet many people do not ask themselves this question before investing three years and often over $100k, not to mention lost earnings.

My advice is to research the various lawyer jobs out there first. Talk to people who are attorneys with big firms, small firms, governments, non-profits and anything else that interests you. If you don't know anyone, find someone who can make an introduction and then after talking with that person, ask them if they know another lawyer in a different type of practice who might be willing to talk with you. Ask them about their work. What do they like? What do they not like? What are the most challenging parts? The most rewarding parts? And ask about credentials for their particular niche of the legal profession. How important are school rankings? Might age be a factor. (It shouldn't be from a technical legal perspective and yet . . . .) Anyway, I'd be very thorough with these kind of informational interviews, and notice how they feel to you. Are you enjoying the conversations? Which legal jobs seem most appealing to you? Are you meeting any people you connect well with? If so, keep in touch. They may be good resources to help you land a lawyer job down the line!

Anyway, with that research under your belt, THEN figure out which law schools make sense for you. If your chosen career path as a lawyer requires a super top-tier school (ex. Georgetown Law or UVA or GW), do you have the credentials to get in? (Take a practice LSAT under real timed conditions to get a feel for your score). If your chosen path is more flexible with regard to schools, consider your options there, too. Take the initiative and speak with the Director of Admissions at the schools that interest you. Sometimes that type of effort pays off later.

As for LSAT prep courses, I agree with what was posted above. It depends a lot on you. If you're a strong standardized test taker or if your diagnostic score is already pretty high, it's probably not worth the money to take a course. We're talking about diminishing returns here. But if you tend to freeze up during big tests or if one section of your practice LSAT is far below the other sections (my situation), a class might be helpful.

FINALLY, I feel like I'd be irresponsible if I didn't throw in my 2 cents about DC Law School. It's absolutley not worth your time and money. If you decide to go to law school, do whatever you can to get in to a better school. All of the other ones in this area are better investments. And my personal opinion is that George Mason is the real up and comer around here. Great education, great value.

All the best to you!!!!

[Anonymous]

If you're in MD, not VA, and are looking for a state school then another option might be U-MD/Baltimore, but I third the question of considering whether it's worth it.

[Anonymous]

No way to UDC. It only recently became ABA accredited (in 2005) after trying hard for accreditation for YEARS (decades?). A school that has only been accredited for three years is not where you want to go to get a good job (of almost any sort).

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone, thank you for your advice and comments. They were so helpful. I have thought a lot about what type of law I would be interested in, and came to the realization that I knew too little about each type. I decided to enroll in a paralegal certification course through George Mason and then I wanted to pursue a job in a law firm to make sure I really wanted to go to law school. My problem is now, I have almost completed my certification and have applied to jobs, but everyone wants an experienced paralegal. It is like catch 22. I will not be hired since I have no experience but how am I supposed to gain experience if no one hires me? Anyways, I loved reading all your comments and found them useful and helpful. I appreciate your help. I think I will keep trying to obtain work in a law firm in any capacity and then decide from my experience there if I will try to further my education in the law field.

[Anonymous]

Don't give up on the paralegal route. Paralegals are in high demand. Send your resume to every job you can and emphasize your non-legal skills and experience. Not everybody needs an experienced paralegal. Many firms will take an inexperienced one who is really energetic and willing to learn (my big firm included).

[Anonymous]

Also, some firms hire entry-level folks as document clerks and then after a few months convert to paralegals. Document clerks usually do not require prior experience and frequently do the same tasks as paralegals. In fact, our preferred requirements for document clerks are that they be working towards a Bachelor's degree or a paralegal certificate.

Check with the large law firms downtown near Metro Center. (I actually work at one in that area that has openings.)

[Anonymous]

I was a paralegal for 2 years after college, before going to lawschool. I went to a top tier school, did very well, and now I teach part time at my alma mater.

a few tips:

1) Frequently paralegals with no experience have a different job title... like "project assistant" or something. Many firms hire you for a year at that level, and then promote you to "legal assistant" or "paralegal". But there definitlely is a need for people with no experience.

2) Having seen lots and lots of law students who seem to have chosen law school simply because they had nothing better to do, I'd advise you to listen to the PPs. Think about why you want to go to law school, and what you want to do with your degree. If you want to go to a big firm and make $500K a year, you need to go to a top school, and have top grades. Realistically though, most people won't do that, and if you HATE law school (and many do), trust me your grades will suffer. I don't mean to discourage you, because I'm very happy with my chosen career. But I think I had a better idea than most of my classmates about what the profession entails.

3) As enticing as the money is... don't do it for the money. Law school alone is lots of hard work. I can't tell you how many classmates came out $100K in debt, and then HAD to work at jobs they HATED in order to pay off their loans. Several of them left the profession altogether after paying off their debts... so for them, it was $100K and 7-8 years of their lives that they wasted.

Good luck to you.

[Anonymous]

Another route to a paralegal job is temp to perm - there are a lot of legal temp firms out there that specialize in putting people on big projects - at the very least, that buys you experience.