How To Get Into The Top Law School, Help On Law School
Q: Im currently a freshman at a community college (not enough money to
support a full 4 years at a larger university). I am very interested
in law and plan to attend law school after I recieve my bach. I have 2
questions about future selections..
1. My advisor contends that I should follow the outline for the
asscoiates of arts degree, then continue on to a bach. in the same
major. Should I follow this plan and be lumped with others who follow
the "ordinary" route to law school? OR should I look into studies in
other areas such as engineering or comp. science or something else?
Does a law school look upon an arts major as more or less of an asset
or neither?
2. After my 2 years at community college I plan to transfer to U of
M, or OSU. Are there other schools, without acquiring huge pre-law
school debt, that I should look at in the Mich., Ohio area that will
carry the same weight when it comes to law school applications?
Actually theres a third question..
3. When it comes time to apply to law school I now have high goals of
Harvard, U of M, Chicago. In the real world of law, does having an
degree granted from a prestigous law school help ALOT more or not? If
im truly dedicated to doing beyond my best and giving all I have, will
I be looked upon as greater asset in the law community for a name or
will giving my all at any one of the top 50 law schools be just as
good?
A:1. In my opinion, the more diverse a path you have led ( work experience,
background, etc. ) the better you will look in your personal statement, and
face it, you will be competing with your school/LSAT numbers and personal
statements with everybody else that will be applying that year for law
school. It all depends on what type of law you want to practice as to your
degree. A person intending to go into patent law, with an emphasis in
computer programs, web sites, etc. etc., would absolutely benefit from a
computer programming or electrical engineering degree. An art degree might
look good for diversity on your personal statement/resume, and if you were
planning on copyright/intellectual property law of any type it can't hurt
you. The main things in regards to your undergrad degree would be to make
the best grades possible, and graduate as high in the college class in your
major as possible. Schools will look at great numbers first, and start
picking and choosing by the personal statements as more slots fill up and
the numbers are closer together. Case in point, I screwed around in my
first attempt in college, and have a few C/D/Fs that are unfixable now. I
have a 3.7 in my upper level classwork, but because I was a putz in my early
days, it looks like I will graduate with a 3.3- not awful, but not the type
of numbers that will make an admissions team dizzy with anticipation,
either. So no matter what degree path you choose, make great
grades..........numbers will help you a lot more than anything else.
2. In reality, the bigger name school you go to, the better chance you have
at getting in. Admissions will look at a top school as being a better test
of your academic skills than a lesser known school. But, go to the best
school you can afford and just concentrate on making good grades. State
schools are a good decision, because you will have to compete with a much
more diverse and larger class than a smaller, private school. Michigan
would be a good choice, it is well known and if your numbers are good, you
will look far more attractive than I will, having gone to Middle Tennessee
State Univ.
3. The advice I was given about choosing a school is this, go to the best
school that you think your numbers- LSAT/grades- will get you into. Sure a
Harvard/Yale degree will get you farther than a 2/3/4th teir school will get
you, but it depends on where you want to go with it. A superstar attorney,
a la F. Lee Bailey, Alan Derschowitz (sp?) is a good possibilty at a
Harvard/Yale, much more so than a lesser known school. However, at the end
of the day, if you pass the state's bar where you want to practice, you will
be just as much a lawyer if you went to Harvard as if you went to Nashville
School of Law. You will probably not have the ability to choose what firm
you want to practice in, but law is law is law. Decide what typoe of
attorney you want to be and go from there. The thing is, 1st, try and get
into the best school you can, 2nd try to get into the best school in the
state you want to practice law in, 3rd, get in a law school. There are lots
of high paid judges and senators that have their degree from NAshville
School of Law. Bottom line, the better your grades, the easier it will be
for