# How can I buy my way into law school? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 26, 2008, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-buy-my-way-into-law-school/469611 "2008-10-26T05:07:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-buy-my-way-into-law-school/469611/21 "2008-10-26T16:33:45Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > That’s why I’m a little concerned about your view that “law school sounds neat, why not give it a shot?” If you’re looking for a place to kill three years while you figure out what you really want to do in life, maybe law school isn’t the place for you–it’s a lot of work and a lot of competition with folks who tend to be driven, Type A sorts, and if you cannot keep up with them, you may well end up flunking out. There must be other places in academia where you could have an easier time of passing three years, if that’s what you’re looking for. Apart from mental breakdowns, does anyone acually flunk out of a Canadian law school simply due to bad grades? ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-buy-my-way-into-law-school/469611/22 "2008-10-26T16:36:11Z")
If I had fabulous riches, I’d be a ski bum. Of course even without fabulous riches, I was a ski bum. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-buy-my-way-into-law-school/469611/23 "2008-10-26T23:57:44Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > Apart from mental breakdowns, does anyone acually flunk out of a Canadian law school simply due to bad grades? I knew a few folks who did. Most in first year, as you might guess, but one as late as third year. In the case of the latter, they gave him one more chance to pass by repeating his failed courses in the following academic year. He did pass them the second time around, but they gave him the choice and it would have been equally easy for him just to say, “No thanks, forget this.” ---
**Author:** ![NicePete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-buy-my-way-into-law-school/469611/24 "2008-10-27T01:47:33Z")
I’ll preface this by saying that I am a practicing attorney and I teach part-time for Kaplan. I also taught for The Princeton Review about 10 years ago, so I’m familiar with them as well. I would suggest you investigate both services. I’m more familiar with Kaplan these days, but I imagine TPR is pretty similar. They have a vast library of materials available. In addition to their regular course, they can supply you with trained tutors (for an additional hourly fee, of course) and test prep materials specifically designed for the LSAT. If money is no object, why not use the services of a company that has focused its efforts on creating an effective test preparation product? Why not hire tutors who are experienced at teaching people how to take the LSAT? ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-buy-my-way-into-law-school/469611/25 "2008-10-27T01:53:00Z")
Come and do your law degree in Australia. There’s no LSAT nonsense here. ---
**Author:** ![Sonnenstrahl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Sonnenstrahl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sonnenstrahl)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-buy-my-way-into-law-school/469611/26 "2008-10-27T02:00:49Z")
How many times can you take the LSAT? I always hear about people wanting to retake and retake the GRE but not being able to afford to do so, so you can always count on taking the LSAT the most times possible. As **Muffin** said, take a year off and do something fabulously and ostentatiously benevolent - I read an article once about how students from wealthy backgrounds succeed in certain fields because of their ability to take unpaid internships and “voluntourism” holidays. Connections also help. Plebes google “volunteer aids orphans africa” - guys like you get their daddies to call their friends at the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal and arrange an internship. By the way, the title worked; I would never have taken the time to offer my cynical and jaded advice otherwise. Maybe if law school doesn’t work out, you have a future in PR? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Wraine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/87869e/32.png) [@Wraine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wraine)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-buy-my-way-into-law-school/469611/27 "2008-11-19T04:04:32Z")
As a person who is currently studying for the December LSAT and is taking the Kaplan Course, I would say it has done a lot to prepare me. If you have unlimited resources, my recommendation would be to purchase however many hours of private tutoring you want. I am taking the LSAT Extreme course, which includes 22 4 hour sessions and 6 practice tests along with every book you would need to study from. That program also comes with 4 hours of private tutoring, I bought 15 more. I too really want to kick the LSATs ass. > [@](#): > > Originally Posted by **Sonnenstrahl** > How many times can you take the LSAT? I always hear about people wanting to retake and retake the GRE but not being able to afford to do so, so you can always count on taking the LSAT the most times possible. You can take the LSAT up to 3 times in a given 2 year period, but every score in that period is sent to the law schools you apply to, not just your top score, and most law schools take the average unless the difference in scores is huge. ---
**Author:** ![Libre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85e7bf/32.png) [@Libre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Libre)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-buy-my-way-into-law-school/469611/28 "2008-11-19T04:40:46Z")
While I agree that uznuS’ presentation of his question exudes an air of priviledge, is it possible that it is a legitimate one, although perhaps poorly posed? Although I am inclined to think there is a blatant stroke of egotism in his inquiry, could it be this is a genuine blind spot or youthful naivity, and is it possible some of us have judged him a little too harshly? Either way, I suppose, this is a good taste of the real world. Tempered with some experience, his obvious intelligence will serve him well. I think it’s wonderful that an wealthy young person is highly motivated to pursue a worthy profession. If you read this, take something away from your foray on the boards, and good luck! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-buy-my-way-into-law-school/469611/29 "2008-11-19T08:18:11Z")
Talk to the admissions people at the school you want to go to and ask them as plainly as you asked us if you can buy your way in based on your GPA and LSAT scores. But if you are independently wealthy the law sucks. Paris Hilton has the right idea about how to be wealthy and work. ---
**Author:** ![Wraine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/87869e/32.png) [@Wraine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wraine)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-buy-my-way-into-law-school/469611/30 "2008-11-19T13:14:08Z")
Wow, a lot of you people seem intent on berating **uznuS** just because he/she said he/she has money. It seems to me that he/she posted this question in order to get people’s opinions on avenues to pursue given a specific set of circumstances (and do not get me wrong, some of you absolutely have), not be called an ass or egotistical or made fun of because of the resources he/she has. To those of you who have been genuinely helpful, good for you, to those who have been petty or berating, I have two words for you… GROW UP! ---
**Author:** ![Amazingrace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8edcca/32.png) [@Amazingrace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazingrace)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-buy-my-way-into-law-school/469611/31 "2008-11-19T13:35:30Z")
> [@Wraine](#): > > Wow, a lot of you people seem intent on berating **uznuS** just because he/she said he/she has money. It seems to me that he/she posted this question in order to get people’s opinions on avenues to pursue given a specific set of circumstances (and do not get me wrong, some of you absolutely have), not be called an ass or egotistical or made fun of because of the resources he/she has. To those of you who have been genuinely helpful, good for you, to those who have been petty or berating, I have two words for you… > GROW UP! No, s/he was berated (and deservedly so) because of the way he phrased everything as opposed to his/her circumstances. The OP wasn’t exactly endearing. Looking beyond the ridiculous rhetoric of the OP, do as others have suggested and hire a top person from Kaplan/Princeton Review as a private tutor. The LSAT is a test for which you can study. I can’t imagine an “untraditional” avenue that will get results that doesn’t involve intense study guided by someone who knows how to to take the test. As an aside, when are you planning on applying? Many US law schools don’t take the February LSAT for admission for the following fall. I’m not sure how it works in Canada. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-buy-my-way-into-law-school/469611/32 "2008-11-19T15:00:52Z")
Well, unless you want to use your wealth to buy a new wing for the Harvard Law School Library, I would think that there are diminishing returns for using your wealth to prepare for the LSATs. Basically the best preparation is pick up a couple of Kaplan type prep books and just crank out practice tests. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-buy-my-way-into-law-school/469611/33 "2008-11-19T15:03:44Z")
Man - the guy sure does sound like a lawyer already. Or would that be ass? I keep getting the two confused. 😛 May want to save his fabulous riches and buy himself a personality. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-buy-my-way-into-law-school/469611/34 "2008-11-19T15:16:13Z")
> [@uznuS](#): > > Given the research I’ve done on law schools in Canada, I believe that my GPA in conjunction with a high lsat would guarantee my admittance into the Canadian school of my choosing. I know you’re being facetious, but you’re also just plain wrong. As **Muffin** mentions, LSATs aren’t everything. Glowing recommendations from the Prime Minister and six of his friends aren’t everything. Interning at the best law offices in the country isn’t everything. I’ve had friends who’ve done all three, written amazing app letters and still not gotten into law school. And I have friends who work at one of the best universities in Canada who insist they throw all the application packs down a hallway and see which ones go the furthest. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-buy-my-way-into-law-school/469611/35 "2008-11-19T15:26:13Z")
**uznuS** , this is very important – your best bet is to nail the LSAT in one shot, rather than re-take it: > [@Wraine](#): > > . . . most law schools take the average unless the difference in scores is huge. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-buy-my-way-into-law-school/469611/36 "2008-11-19T15:33:46Z")
> [@Cat\_Fight](#): > > I know you’re being facetious, but you’re also just plain wrong. As **Muffin** mentions, LSATs aren’t everything. Glowing recommendations from the Prime Minister and six of his friends aren’t everything. Interning at the best law offices in the country isn’t everything. I’ve had friends who’ve done all three, written amazing app letters and still not gotten into law school. And I have friends who work at one of the best universities in Canada who insist they throw all the application packs down a hallway and see which ones go the furthest. THere are so many lawyers in so many law schools I have to think that unless your friends did something horribly wrong, they should be able to get into at least one of them. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-buy-my-way-into-law-school/469611/37 "2008-11-19T20:22:30Z")
My daughter and her husband taught LSATs for a test tutoring company, a job they got from doing very well on their first test. He’s in law school now, she decided to be a productive member of society. The OP should be aware that he isn’t the only person throwing money at the problem. In any case, they found that the techniques they used actually did help, given a basic level of competence and a willingness to learn. My daughter got a perfect score on the GREs thanks to the test taking skills she taught and some nice vocab lists (and her genes, of course.) My son-in-law had found that these skills have been really useful in law school. He didn’t have the natural skills my daughter had. I wouldn’t tell anyone to starve in order to take a class, but with unlimited money it couldn’t hurt, especially if you’re not doing well on the practice test. ---
**Author:** ![UncleNito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/7cd45c/32.png) [@UncleNito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleNito)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-buy-my-way-into-law-school/469611/38 "2008-11-20T00:32:37Z")
Take the course if it will make you feel better. I spent about $50 on a couple books and got a 173. My own opinion is that there is a basic threshold of test-taking skill that you need to achieve (particularly on the logic games), and beyond that you run into sharply diminishing returns. I doubt that a review course is going to develop your reading and reasoning skills much beyond where they are after four years of college. Maybe work lots of practice tests. A lot of people swear by that. You definitely need to prep, but if you have the discipline to succeed in law school, I don’t think you need to pay someone to hold your hand. Law students are a very competitive and insecure bunch. This fact has not escaped the notice of advertisers. ---
**Author:** ![Amazingrace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8edcca/32.png) [@Amazingrace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazingrace)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-buy-my-way-into-law-school/469611/39 "2008-11-20T01:02:50Z")
> [@Wraine](#): > > You can take the LSAT up to 3 times in a given 2 year period, but every score in that period is sent to the law schools you apply to, not just your top score, and most law schools take the average unless the difference in scores is huge. > [@Muffin](#): > > **uznuS** , this is very important – your best bet is to nail the LSAT in one shot, rather than re-take it: This isn’t as true as it used to be. While this is the best route, in the last couple of years US law schools have changed the way that they look at scores in response to the **US News and World Report** rankings. Since **USNWR** changed the methodology for determining 25/75 percentile LSATs to reflect only the high score rather than the average, schools have followed suit. While they still see all of your scores, many schools now give greater weight to your high score. Check with each school to see how they handle it. ---
**Author:** ![UncleNito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/7cd45c/32.png) [@UncleNito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleNito)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-buy-my-way-into-law-school/469611/40 "2008-11-20T01:41:19Z")
> [@Amazingrace](#): > > This isn’t as true as it used to be. While this is the best route, in the last couple of years US law schools have changed the way that they look at scores in response to the **US News and World Report** rankings. Since **USNWR** changed the methodology for determining 25/75 percentile LSATs to reflect only the high score rather than the average, schools have followed suit. While they still see all of your scores, many schools now give greater weight to your high score. Check with each school to see how they handle it. I work with the admissions office at my school. Basically every **American** school only uses the high score now. I think the OP is talking about Canadian schools, though, and that’s a whole different universe. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-buy-my-way-into-law-school/469611.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-buy-my-way-into-law-school/469611.md?page=3)