Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with lawschool

I Am Not A Lawyer... Yet.

greekphilosophy — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:31:12 -0800

Suggestions for getting the most out of BarBri while staying employed full-time? I'm taking the February 2010 Texas Bar Exam. I'm employed full time (a strict 9-6 schedule) and enrolled in BarBri. I have to do the mobile course because I don't live close enough to a testing site to get there in time for the nightly videos. How do I make the most of this experience while remaining employed full time? Is that possible? Is that stupid?*

Factors to consider:

- I'm not a morning person. I would love to wake up at 5am and start studying for a couple hours before work, but that just isn't going to happen.

- I AM a night person. I can stay up until about 2am just about every night and still function the next day. After 2am I'm pretty much no good.

- I have no children and no responsibilities and I'm pretty clear that a social life is out. I'm okay with that.

- I live 10 minutes from work. No need to factor in a major commute or anything of that nature.

- I did not go to law school in Texas, and I graduated in 2007 so any relevant law school studies are probably either stale or irrelevant.

- My work environment is not conducive to studying. I am a case manager for a social service agency, and I see clients on a walk-in basis. That means that I'm constantly interrupted. My office is also tiled and located next to a children's immunization clinic: their little screams reverberate through my skull all day long.

*I'm fairly certain this is a stupid plan, and I'm fully ready to slash my hours. But before I do that, I need to hear any and all suggestions for how to stay employed full-time while preparing for the bar exam.

Messy question from a person who is a mess

Anonymous — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:03:54 -0800

Please help me make a decision. I am exhausted and stressed and maybe I am not thinking clearly. A friend gave me Adderall. Should I take some? Basically, I have been working very long hours (12-14 a day) without any time off (including weekends) for a couple of months. Long story short, worst semester of law school yet. I have three days before yet another exam and I am so tired and unprepared. I can't make myself do any work, and I really need to do this work.

Con side, I do not have a diagnosis, nor am i totally convinced that ADD is a "thing" or a thing that we can reliably diagnose. I am not trying to be insulting, sincerely, but I am ignorant and my ignorance makes me skeptical. Especially because I feel like it's cheating to declare that I'm not undisciplined, weak, lazy, spoiled, and so on, just "ill." Maybe some people are, but not me. I am pretty sure I'm just those things I listed.

Another con is that I don't even feel totally comfortable taking Advil... I have an irrational fear of pills. This sounds silly to me. We're taking about a 5 mg pill. I think that's the lowest available dose. But it still freaks me out.

I also fear that it either won't do anything or will be revelatory and life-changing and boom: dependency.

On the pro side, my three days to study are now 2.5 and I've made very very little progress. I also have been struggling for such a long time with what I think could fairly be characterized as a total inability to focus... part of me wonders if it really is "cheating" to take a drug that helps with that. Isn't that just a character flaw? But what if it's not? I don't know.

I think maybe this is a ridiculous question. I apologize. I'm probably just being ridiculous because I'm so tired, and so stressed, and feel so bad about how little I am able to do, and I feel like this is maybe me being tempted to do the wrong thing.

So here I am in the library surrounded by people who are sitting there doing work for minutes and hours at a time. It makes me feel inadequate and ashamed. The bottom line is I need to get my work done. I don't know what to do. I do not feel like I am thinking straight at this point. Please share your wisdom with me.

Review book for Criminal Procedure

j1950 — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:44:52 -0800

What is the best hornbook for a law school Criminal Procedure class? I'm taking a Criminal Procedure class, and would like a review book that synthesizes and summarizes many of the cases. Focus on Fourth and Fifth Amendments, with occasional forays into the Sixth.

Help me become a good LSAT tutor.

paradoxflow — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:58:41 -0800

I recently applied for a position as a pro-bono LSAT tutor, unfortunately I wrote my LSAT three years ago and I have no tutoring experience. Help? About the only thing I have going for me is that I scored in the 97th percentile. Honestly, I remember very little of the test, most of it just came naturally to me, and the strategies that I applied to the analytical reasoning section are long forgotten.

How can I prepare so that I can help this person as much as possible, besides once again familiarizing myself with the test? What advice do you have for helping someone do better on the LSAT, with a focus on increasing overall speed, and strategies for the analytical reasoning section? What about being effective as a tutor in general?

I have access to limited resources, so I'd appreciate it if you could point me in the right direction in that regard as well.

Thanks.

Applying to Law School - timeline?

hepta — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:15:17 -0800

What can I do now to help prepare myself for writing the LSATs and applying to law school in 1-2 years? I am planning on taking the LSATs in the somewhat-near future and I was looking for things that I can do NOW to help give me my best shot at the test, and then at getting into law school itself.

I am in my third year of a four year degree at a small Canadian university. I will potentially take an extra year to take some more interesting courses, or I might get a one-year Masters degree immediately after I graduate. Either way, I will graduate with a Joint Honours degree in Canadian Studies and Politics. I am strongly considering applying to law school, and thus will need to write the LSATs. My plan is to write the test the summer after I finish with school (at this point that is looking like 2012), apply that fall, and attend school starting fall 2013. This gives me a while to prepare for the LSAT and the law school admissions process.

Here are some more potentially relevant facts:

I want to attend a Canadian law school (UVic, UofT, Dalhousie, Osgoode Hall, Queen's, etc)
I have maintained an 80+ average throughout school thus far and foresee that continuing into the future.
I play a varsity sport, volunteer a bit in my school community, have had the same full-time summer job for the past three years.
I am interested in pursuing public interest law. Working for a legal aid clinic or public interest advocacy group interests me a lot.

At this point I am less concerned about preparing *specifically* for the LSAT so much as developing the skills that will serve me well on the test in general: logic, reading comprehension, etc. What activities can I do that will help me do better at logic puzzles (never really been my strong suit)? What resources are available for Canadian students considering the LSAT/law school? What can I do while still in my undergrad to make myself the most attractive law school candidate I can be? Extracurriculars? What kind? Thanks, and let me know if you need any more details.

PS - I have checked the archives but nothing seems to be looking at this particular timeframe. Please tell me if I missed something relevant. It's my first question, I'm nervous!

What do I do now (with regard to law school applications)?

Sakura3210 — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:50:21 -0800

What do I do now (with regard to law school applications)? So, I retook the LSAT in hopes of improving on my original score (166). I scored exactly the same. Now I'm not sure what to do-should retake it a third time? Just submit my applications early (end of this month) and hope for the best? I have to say, I don't really feel up to retaking right now, though that could be due to how cruddy I feel about my score. I'm trying to get into HYS, so below a 170 isn't really acceptable.

Other stats: 3.8-ish GPA, URM (under represented minority), and good softs (nonprofit work, good letters of recommendation, etc.).

They think I cheated on the LSAT!

Anonymous — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:28:09 -0800

I got a Misconduct/Irregularities Verbal Warning Notice during my LSATs. Please help! I took the LSATs for the second time on Saturday (the first time I took them I got a 168; I'm pretty sure I did significantly better this time. 172-174 range, probably). After I completed the fifth section of the test (and sat still for five hours!), they told us to turn our answer sheets over and sign the Certifying Statement if we had not already done so. I was daydreaming, and doodling on the table and failed to turn over my answer sheet. Apparently a proctor saw my pencil going and my answer sheet facing front up and assumed I was trying to work past time. They gave me a Misconduct/Irregularities Verbal Warning (violation III - working beyond time limits), despite my efforts to show them the doodles I had made on the desk.

I have read all of the literature about it, saying that my case will likely be recommended to the Subcommittee to evaluate. I am preparing a written statement explaining the situation (and the fact that I wasn't cheating and am just ADD and a daydreamer), but there seems to be a strong chance that the incident will show up on my permanent record, go out to all the law schools I'm applying to, and even affect the way my first score is received. Is that a realistic assumption?

What should I do? Has this happened to anyone else? What are the chances that this is going to completely ruin my chances of getting into a good school? I've been aiming for the top 10 law schools in the country, if that's important. What would you do?

1. JD 2. ??? 3. Publishing Career!

ailouros08 — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 07:54:09 -0800

PublishingCareer Filter: So, I'm getting my JD in May. Would applying for jobs in publishing be a worthwhile supplement to my job search? So, I'm finishing up my JD in May. Law school has been a mixed-bag for me, but the best part by far has been working on a journal. Last year I had the typical edit-till-you-drop experience, which was a blast, and my enthusiasm earned me a slot on the executive board. Now, I handle all the article submissions - reading them, recommending them for publication, preliminary edits, etc. Awesome, fun job. I know student-run law journals aren't exactly the height of quality publishing and this is absolutely the extent of my editing/publishing experience. FWIW, I hold a B.A. in Classics.

I'm wondering if it would be worthwhile to supplement my legal career search with applications to some university presses. I realize these careers don't pay much, but I'm applying for mostly state/public interest jobs anyway so I'm not expecting the moon. I would love to get a job working in law, but I would LOVE to get a job doing what I do now for the journal.

I browse the job boards of the UPs in my area and I technically qualify for (some of) the entry-level positions they advertise. I just have no way of knowing if I'll be a competitive applicant. I realize this is a somewhat silly question, but the job market is tough and I'm insecure about my career prospects. Any insight and/or hand-holding will be appreciated. Thanks guys.

Can I work in IP?

Kifer85 — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 09:51:38 -0800

[LawFilter]Should I not indicate to employers that I'm interested in Intellectual property? I'm at a top-14 law school (after transferring from a top-30) and will be interviewing this week with about a dozen firms for next summer. Over the last couple years I've developed a strong interest in technology, and am personally very interested in the types of litigation dealing with digital property rights and simply intellectual property in general. I'm very tech-savvy, but I hold no hard science, engineering, or computer science degree (I was a Government major...).

So for those of you who are lawyers, practicing IP, or familiar with how top firms recruit for this type of litigation--how exactly should I present this interest to employers? Would I look ignorant for even suggesting that I am qualified to do this type of work? It is my understanding that much IP litigation can be done by those without hard-science backgrounds, and that such a background is only necessary to be admitted to the patent bar for patent litigation.

Starting in the non-profit sector: Am I doing the right things at the right time?

monocot — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:16:35 -0800

NGOfilter: I think I've discovered my vocation - the question is, how do I go about achieving it? Lots of background, questions from clueless young person and more. Long background:

After attending a UWC in Norway and having an amazing, mind-blowing, life-changing (etc. etc.) two years, I then went to the UK to study biology. In hindsight, going straight to a highly-specialised course might not've been a smart decision, and for the past year I've been rethinking my future as a lab drone and (after working in a research lab this summer) I'm pretty certain scientific research / academia is not the career for me. Instead, I hope to go into human-rights or development-related international NGOs, because I sustain a strong interest in current affairs and HR-related issues despite the science major (I'm involved in the UNA and current affairs socs), and a job working with people from other countries, advocating & being in the field appeals to me.

I'm on track to receive a degree in the biosciences but it's not what these places are looking for - frankly a bit dispiriting when all of the intern/job openings require a 'social science, econ or related' degree! Unfortunately switching courses is not an option. I researched a bit and it seems that the best way to make inroads in this whole NGO business is to volunteer. So I've decided to do so at this (vaguely related to my subject) NGO during term time next year, and hopefully learn the ropes as well as get to know people. I plan to apply for an unpaid internship (there seem to be no paid ones...) next summer in a HR monitor, perhaps in London.

I've tried to form some coherent questions from the confused and clueless ramblings above:

1) My volunteering and networking plans for next year - the right idea, or totally off?
2) How to best go about finding an iNGO internship in the UK / London or elsewhere? Are there any organisations that you recommend or which would take an unexperienced, unrelated but enthusiastic student in? Resume tips?
3) Are the job prospects in the non-profit sector poor in general? Do I have to resign myself to meagre earnings / job-hunting for many years after graduation?
4) How much would multiple languages help? I'm willing to put extra work into my spanish (was conversational, but I've been neglecting it) if it increases my chances - I also speak chinese and english (doh).
5) Sometimes an "advanced degree" is required - eg in the UN - what would be a good subject to get a postgrad degree in? I've flirted with the idea of law school in the US, but the high tuition makes it nigh impossible unless I get significant loan / scholarship help, and even then the debt might be debilitating. (Additional problem: I'm not a US citizen; Australian.) How useful would a JD be in international HR work? This question suggests not very...

Any help with the questions, other advice and info you can offer (or maybe calls to calm down / have a reality check?) would be very much appreciated :)

Risk-aversion shows I'm qualified, right?

Anonymous — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:59:57 -0800

Should I take out a full load of student loans to attend a top-6 law school right now? I just got accepted off the waitlist at the last minute. This is not a "should I go to law school?" question; I'm already excited and fully committed.

The question, rather, is how much risk should I take financially in this economy? I was not offered a grant or scholarship (and might have a better chance at being considered for one next year if I apply very early - I put my applications in very near the deadline instead of in the fall). I currently have a job that pays well enough to put some savings away by next year, let's say at least enough to cover living expenses over all 3 years, and hope to come up with some opportunities to enhance my income given the extra time. I also have some personal projects I could finish up and be satisfied overall with spending another year this way before embarking on a long-term, non-interruptible career path like law. Until this waitlist acceptance, I was perfectly content with reapplying next year.

I am passionate about becoming a lawyer but terrified of becoming a debt slave. I can't seriously consider the possibility of committing to a loan payment plan that lasts longer than 5 years; right now, my 5-year payment plan would be $4,000 monthly starting 6 months after graduation.

On the other hand, schools like Columbia, NYU and Chicago are extremely competitive. As I was waitlisted at all 3 this year, I may not be able to count on getting in next year and they don't give deferrals to waitlisted admittees. After applying to other schools, I am certain that these are the only ones I would seriously consider attending, especially on student loans. I think I might be game for big law, but my freedom to choose is more valuable to me than anything, and I don't want to be stuck with it if I genuinely hate it.

Biglaw isn't even hiring right now, and I certainly don't want to place a $200k bet that they will be by 2012. My loans and interest rates are a certainty; the economy and the effects the recession will have on the legal industry and my ability to thrive or survive as a member of it in the near future are anything but certain. If it becomes clear over the next 12 months that student loans this large would be a death sentence for anyone, I could come up with a plan B and be glad to have escaped such a fate, even if being a lawyer remains my first career choice.

So I could be making the biggest financial mistake of my life (there are suddenly no guarantees of summer associateships and huge starting salaries for anyone at any law school?!) - or throwing away the biggest opportunity of my life (admissions are likely to get even more competitive next year, although I do have competitive numbers and would like to chalk up having been waitlisted to having applied quite late and scoring a 6-point increase on the February LSAT after applying with a lower score from December). If I pass up an opportunity to go to my dream school that might not materialize again next year, I'll always regret it; if I find that my life is essentially over after graduation due to crushing debt obligations, I will probably lose the will to go on after a couple years. Which way to go?

Her life is over as we know it.

nataliedanger — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:39:27 -0800

What should I put in a care package for a friend who is starting law school in the fall? One of my closest friends is starting law school next semester. The school emailed her and said to have fun this summer, cause it's the last chance at a social life she'll have for the next 8-10 years. So I am presuming she'll not really have a life... and I want to make the transition easier! I'm thinking standard care-package things... like cookies and chocolate and idk... booze or something. But I want more specific, law-schooley things. What do you think?

More debt please!

Team of Scientists — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:50:38 -0800

I don't want to pursue a career in the field for which I received my degree. Help guide my search for a grad school field. I just finished an undergrad electrical engineering degree. Recently I came to the realization that I'm just not that interested in EE (well, at the very least I'm not interested in DSP). I'd like to choose a new career path and start prepping for grad school.

Here are the paths that I have considered so far:

Urban Planning

Pros: AskMeFi actually sparked my interest in planning in a question I read a while ago. Someone said something about being interested in data/statistics and maps, which are things that interest me. As does the notion that I can work toward effecting change in an area socially, economically or environmentally. I understand that this is probably the mindset of many bright-eyed planning students for whom reality gradually sets in. Regardless, I think this is a career choice that could leave me very fulfilled.

Cons: It seems that the pay is modest. I currently owe about $40k in student loans, and I'm concerned that a planner's salary wouldn't afford me the ability to live comfortably while I'm paying off my loans. The job market is also apparently rather bleak for planning right now, although it's difficult to see what the economy will be like after two years of grad school.

Patent Law

Pros: I have the requisite engineering degree already. I can attend a less competitive school that is well known for Intellectual Property/Patent Law. I have confidence in my intellectual ability, and I think I could be a very successful law student if I was willing to put in the hours. Also, this profession has potential for better pay.

Cons: Law school is notoriously difficult, and I don't think I'd want to put in the hours necessary for success. Ambition is not a character trait of mine, and I think that the profession is loaded with ambitious people.

Engineering related to Green Energy -

Pros: This is another profession that could be very fulfilling for me in the sense that I could be bettering the world around me (pardon my naivete again). I already have an EE degree. I haven't done enough research to say, but I imagine that a Masters in a technical field would attract a somewhat generous salary. Please enlighten me if I am wrong about this.

Cons: Just a lack of information. I don't really know what kind of options are out there in Green Energy. Would I go get a masters in EE? Mechanical? Chemical? Are there any engineering programs that are specifically tailored to green energy production? Also, as mentioned above, I just didn't have that much interest in DSP engineering during school (I realized this rather late when my peers were all excited about their senior projects and I was filled with dread). However, the main turnoff for me in my EE program was...well, the digitalness of digital signal processing. I don't particularly enjoy programming or working with discrete time signals. As power engineering is focused primarily (entirely?) on analog signals, I believe this won't be a problem. Again, enlighten me if I'm wrong.

I've all but ruled out law school, but I decided to leave it in here in case any IP/Patent zealots could make a compelling case for the profession. The main purpose of this post is fact-finding. Specifically, what type of person would be a strong candidate for each of these careers? Are there any related fields that you think might spark my interest?

Dealing with an old, ugly college transcript

Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:38:57 -0800

An old problem that I figured was more-or-less permanently in my past has reared its head. Even though I graduated from college a decade ago and have since gone to law school, a prospective employer is demanding my college transcript. I did poorly in college - I got three Fs and had to take a year off at my school's insistence. My question is, when I send along my transcript, should I include any kind of explanatory note, or just leave things be? (A few more details inside.) As I mentioned, after getting three Fs, I had to take a year off from school. When I came back for my senior year, I did a lot better academically. A few years later, I applied to law school and got into a top school, where I also did well academically (Dean's List two of three years). I got a job with a top law firm, which I held until recession-induced mass layoffs a few months ago.

In other words, I figured I had managed to put my ugly college transcript behind me. So this request was rather a surprise. (I was also surprised to be asked for my law school transcript, as no other prospective employers have sought that either, but that one doesn't really matter.)

When I was applying to law schools, pretty much every application had a section where you had to explain any prolonged absences or "disciplinary" actions taken during college. I had a short mini-essay where I described my experience, and how I bounced back from it. My subsequent success is, to me, even further proof of how distantly in the past my poor college grades are.

So, do I bother pointing all this out to these people? Or would that bring unnecessary attention to my college grades? It's not like they won't see them - they're obviously going to look at the transcript. But perhaps it's just better to let my post-college record (ie, law school & law firm job) do the talking. Thanks for your thoughts.

Will I get into a top-tier law school?

jbh26 — Tue, 26 May 2009 19:09:29 -0800

I am a Biomedical Engineering major at Duke University with a low GPA (3.1) but have yet to take the LSAT. I am interested in IP law and was wondering what law schools I could get into based on different LSAT scores that I might get. Also, I was charged with a minor in possession of alcohol that was taken off my record without conviction. How much will this affect my admission potential?

Should I bother getting a smartphone for law school?

ishotjr — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:41:32 -0800

How beneficial would getting a PDA/smartphone be to a first-year law student? I'm starting law school in the fall. Right now, I have a basic cell phone that I just use for phone calls and text messages, no data plan, nor does it have the features for one. My contract is up for renewal (with T-Mobile, and I prefer to stay with them). I'm considering getting a smartphone of some sort so I can utilize the organizer features, as well as email and internet access on-the-go. I've been looking at Blackberry models mostly (not looking for suggestions of specific phones just yet, just wondering whether I should consider this type).
From what I hear from current law students, you do a lot of email contact with classmates, and those you work with, especially in 2L and 3L. I'm terrible at keeping a paper organizer, as well, and feel that the ability to keep my tasks right on my phone would be useful for me. Also, I'm pretty good at getting lost while driving and being able to look up directions whenever I need to would be handy.
However, being a student with limited finances, I know that I won't just have extra money to throw around on needless expenses. Would the benefits of having a PDA/smartphone in law school be worthwhile? Also, for those who are currently, or have recently been in law school, are these types of phones very common among students, or do most people not bother?

Lawyers of the hive mind: did you choose less debt or a higher ranked school?

midatlanticwanderer — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 13:35:47 -0800

Another law school question: choose the cheaper, lower-ranked school with programs I'll like compared to the slightly more expensive, higher-ranked school? Important qualifier: I want to do public interest law. After all the acceptances, waitlist notices, and rejections have come in, my two best choices are at two public schools: one ranked in the 30s in a different state, and one ranked in the high 50s in my current city. The school ranked in the 30s arguably is better overall, but a lot of of its students and grads stay in the same state. I'm not really sold on staying there after graduation for any significant amount of time, but I'm sure I'd enjoy my three years there.

The school ranked in the high 50s is here in my current city and has a pretty good reputation locally, especially for its public interest law programs, especially clinics. This seems to be a strong point for them, as the first school's clinics don't excite me that much. Also, this second school has a decent, but not extravagant LRAP, whereas the first's is minimal. I'm also not super-sold on staying here after graduation, but I think this school's degree (on the East Coast) is somewhat more portable, but I could be wrong.

I am committed to doing public interest law -- I'm not in this to make the big bucks at a big firm. It's not really a lifestyle I want. After reading The Trap by Daniel Brook, and hearing from other public interest lawyers, I am understandably uneasy about the debt and the possible influence it could have on life choices regarding starting a family, eventually owning a house, down the line. School no. 1 above (the higher ranked one), would be more expensive than School no. 2, where I'd get in-state tuition. I am also aware that I can take advantage of the provisions of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act (pdf) allowing for loan forgiveness after ten years of public interest work.

This thread was very helpful, and seemed to indicate that with public interest law, one should choose the school with the least amount of debt in the future. I know I'd get a good education at either one, and I've worked with lawyers who went to lower-ranked schools and have done just fine and are doing interesting things. At this point I'm leaning toward School no. 2, because of the emphasis on public interest experience there, along with solid connections to the city's public interest agencies for summer jobs and what not, but am a little nervous about passing up a higher ranked school. At some point, but not immediately, I think it'd be interesting to get into larger policy/advocacy work after some significant time spent in direct legal services.

I'd be interested to hear others' perspective on whether they chose less debt over a higher ranked school, or vice versa, and why. I'm open to all sorts of perspective as I make this important decision!

Happy Law Career

leotrotsky — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 12:32:50 -0800

Lawyer-filter: Path to becoming a happy, fulfilled, (potentially) well-compensated lawyer? Thoughts and/or to keep in mind for an incoming 1L? Hi folks. Starting law school this May at a T10 school. Very excited. I've read a fair number of horror stories about the legal profession and its toll on people's physical and mental health. I do not want this to be me. I've already read the Schlitz article, and these Axme threads.

Suggestions from other lawyers so far have included: Avoid BIGLAW, avoid litigation, consider tax &/or trust and estate, stay away from the coasts, consider boutique shops.

I know I'm a little early with this, but I don't want to end up like the bored associate in the Axme thread in 5 years.

Help me choose a school

HabeasCorpus — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 14:50:50 -0800

law school filter: Debt level vs. Prestige. What would you choose? I'm choosing between two law schools to attend next year. I'm hoping the hivemind can help me weigh the options and help me decide.

One school is ranked in/near the top ten. However, if I attend I'll have to bear the full cost of admissions, leaving me about $180,000 in the hole. I realize that this school has stronger networks, gets people into top positions in government jobs, clerkships, etc. But $180k. yikes.

The second school is still quite good- it's ranked in the top 50- but doesn't have the national recognition the first school entails. However, their tuition is slightly lower and they've offered me some serious grant money. If I keep my grades up I can graduate with only 60-70k of debt.

About me: I don't want to work BigLaw. I'd be very happy doing some type of Public Interest type-law, and OK with having my own small practice (eventually). I would be VERY interested in landing a good clerkship out of school.

might be relevant: I don't like the location of the more prestigious school. I LOVE the location of the second school. I think my quality of life at the second school might be better than at the first.

Are there any lawyers out there who regret going to a top school? Anyone who has felt forced into working in a big, corporate mill by the economic burden of your student loans? Or is the name really worth it?

No longer Madame Librarian?

Anonymous — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 21:07:36 -0800

LegalEducationFilter: I have been a law librarian for 10 years. Of late, I have become far more interested in teaching and developing a law school curriculum than in librarianing. I'm not sure yet, but I think I'd make a good law school academic dean someday. Does anyone have any insight into this career goal? How can I leverage my legal research and teaching background into a legal education management career? If it makes a difference, I spent 7 years in law firms, and 3 (so far) in academia. I'm primarily interested in working toward a curriculum that emphasizes practical legal skills.

please hope me.

leotrotsky — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 17:19:18 -0800

FAFSAfilter: Received merit-based scholarship for law school at 1X,000 dollars a year. yey!. I filled out FAFSA, and my EFC is the same dollar amount as the scholarship. Does this mean my actual required contribution will be zero? Or are those FAFSA folks already taking my scholarship into account, so that I'll need to contribute 1Xk above and beyond the scholarship? googled unsuccessfully for the answer to this.

How to make sure I get the best financial aid while still deciding between schools.

Anonymous — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 13:00:11 -0800

FinancialAidFilter: How do I decide whether to fill out the FAFSA (for law school) with or without parental info when some schools require and some don't? I applied to several schools, but there are three main contenders.
School A- I have already been accepted to this school. They require all students under 28 to include parental information on the FAFSA. I'm 24 years old, which means I am not required by the government to include parental info.
School B- I have a good chance of being accepted to this school. They don't require parental info on the FAFSA, but do require parents financial info for students under 28 on a separate form from the school.
School C- I don't have a great chance of getting in here, but if I did, it would be my absolute top choice. They don't require parental information at all for students 24 and over.

Most likely, I will end up in the situation of choosing between schools A and B. School A is weighted slightly higher than school be, but really it may come down to what aid packages I'm offered. C is the most expensive of the three schools, so on the off chance I get in there, I would need all the help I can get.

My parents combined made between $50k-$60k last year, and I made just under $30k, I have a younger sister in her 2nd year of college, and all three schools have annual costs of attendance of $60k-$70k, so hopefully that will make me fairly competitive for need-based aid. I don't receive any parental financial support, though, so I really need as much financial aid as I can get. I really don't want to be working nearly full-time in law school like I did in college to support myself. If some schools don't require their info on the FAFSA, I hate that I'm screwing myself out of better aid (like more subsidized vs. unsubsidized loans) by having to include parental info for the sake of one school. School A says that if I just want student loans, I can fill it out with just my own info, but I don't want to keep myself out of the running for their need-based grants.

I could wait until I hear back from the other two schools so I can better decide what to do, but I know that earlier is better, and finding out what need-based aid I am offered from each school will help me make the best decision.

Any advice?

What kind of jobs are uniquely tailored to a JD/MBA?

paul_smatatoes — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 15:17:53 -0800

What kind of jobs are open only to a JD/MBA, or would be likely to express a strong preference to someone with both degrees? I have a general idea, but I'm looking for specific examples so I could justify (or, if there are few/no examples, forget about) the time & expense of a dual degree (vs. only a JD).

Pre-law school books?

xanthippe — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 04:52:09 -0800

What books should I buy while applying to law school? I want to decide which school and area of concentration are best for me, and learn more about the law school experience as well. I'm looking for 3 categories of recommendations:

1) I'm going to order Planet Law School and would like recommendations for similar books about the experience of going to law school (to warm my cold feet and prepare me).

2) Books that will help me decide which school to go to based on their qualities, advantages, etc. I'm only looking at the top 30 and ideally would attend somewhere in the top 10 (hoping for NYU or Columbia!) but I am thinking about finances and the option of attending a lower-ranked school that might offer me a scholarship and transferring up in my 2L year.

3) Books that will help me decide what kind of a lawyer I want to be, what I might like to concentrate on, etc. I intend to resolve this question during law school, but I don't know a lot about different kinds of law and legal careers, and the different career experiences a given area of focus/practice may determine for me. Specifically, I enjoy living outside my home country (the USA) so I want to consider and learn about concentrations I might focus on in law school that will enable me to have an international career; this could also feed back into my decision on which school to attend.

I have to put in an Amazon order right now if I want to read and benefit from any of this while making my final application decisions - your advice will be much appreciated!

What are the pros and cons of giving back unused student loan money at the end of the semester?

SuperNova — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:32:48 -0800

I'm in my first year of law school and also a first-time student loan borrower. I ended up having a decent amount of loan money left in my bank account at the end of the semester. Should I pay it back or hang on to it? All my loans are federal -- both types of Stafford and GradPLUS. The PLUS is my highest-rate (8.6% I think?), so if I were to pay the money back, it would go there.

The PLUS had a 3% origination fee that I believe I read would be waived if I paid back within 120 days of disbursement (i.e., this week). The deal is, you borrow"$X", you actually receive ($X-fee), and then you have to pay back $X. Theoretically, if you paid back the ($X-fee) before the time ran, you would be clear of the whole amount -- or at least that's my understanding. That won't happen, in my case, but I could pay back around half. The fee is not huge -- less than $300 total, so less than $200 at stake here.

Maybe more importantly, what's the story on in-school interest? Both the unsubsidized part of the Stafford and the PLUS loans charge interest while in school, and say that it will be added to the principal amount if not paid back during school. My lender's website reports a "Payoff Balance" around $500 higher than my loan amount (which, for the PLUS, is around 3.4% -- which doesn't correspond to anything that makes sense to me relative to my interest). Is that difference the interest? Should I pay it back now?

My priorities are keeping my ultimate burden as low as possible, but also not running short of money now (when I have much less of it!). Based on this semester, it looks like I should have plenty for the spring, but I might end up needing to save some for this summer if I don't have a paying job. I'm not opposed to paying as much as I can back now, but only if there is a good reason to do so.

Can anyone offer some advice on what I should do or at least on what I should consider?

(Lender is Citigroup/Student Loan Corporation, if it matters.)