I just graduated from college, and while I did not have any intention of going to law school during my college education, I really think it might be the right choice for me.
The problem with this decision is that I am a little late in the application game. I did not make friends with professors or anything like that so the letters of recommendation aspect seems difficult.
My GPA is a 3.1 and I plan on taking the LSATS this October if I gauge that I have a reasonable chance of being accepted somewhere accredited.
Be very sure before you go through with it. Law school is very tough, and if you go into the program because you think it’s a lark, or because you can’t think of anything better to do, you will probably be miserable. Go to law school because you love the law, because you want to be a lawyer, or because you have some other specific goal in mind. Otherwise, in a few years you’ll just find yourself unhappy, in debt, and overqualified for the kind of work you might actually want to do.
I’m presently a second-year law student at Indiana Univ. and the memories of the application game are still fresh in my mind. Be strong.
I echo what Max Torque said: be sure you want to come. It seems like you’re a little unsure, and that’s fine; it’s a serious committment and not one to be taken lightly. Just be sure you’re serious about it before you start. My girlfriend went to law school for about two months and absolutely hated it. She’s now going back for a second B.A. albeit with $8,000 in debt she didn’t have before.
Study for the LSAT. That seems like obvious advice, but many people don’t follow it. More than anything, taking practice exams and working through study guides will help you learn the structure of the exam, so you’re not pissing yourself when you see a Logic Games section for the first time during the exam.
Don’t worry about your alma mater affecting your choices. I had about the same GPA as yours and I went to a rinky-dinky college (due to crappy high school grades), and I was still able to get into pretty good law school (with a nice little scholarship scholarship to boot).
Regarding letters of recommendations: start listing people that you might ask. If you can’t get any professors to write one, go to employers, clergy, co-workers. Whoever you can find.
With that being said, I must depart; I need to do more research for Moot Court and read my Evidence casebook.
Eh? Eh? Did that tickle your desire to go to lawschool? Maybe?
I did gradudate with a major in Political Science, so law always was a possible option and I did enjoy the small taste of law I had in undergrad.
I guess I am just wary of the admission process. I truly have no professors who know me well enough to write me a letter. I might have to do some digging and talk with an advisor or two.
I actually was applying and interviewing for sales jobs right after I graduated but after a summer of doing that I am just not sure corporate/sales America is my thing.
In my experience, professors are pretty used to dealing with the letter of rec issue and most are going to be pretty receptive as long as you did well in their class. Just meet with them and talk with them a bit so they have an idea of what you’re like and what your goals are, and I bet you’ll be able to find letters without much trouble.
Good luck.
The admissions process is actually the least worrying thing. Study for the LSAT and do well. That’s your major task. If you do well enough, you’ll get into law school somewhere.
The real question, as has been stated, is make very sure that you want to go to law school. It’s a major expense and you should be seriously thinking about it, especially if you’re going to have to take loans for it.
First question: Do you want to be a lawyer? Why? What kind of lawyer? Explore the practice of law. Try to find lawyers you know and find out what it’s like in various kinds of practices. Call up some firms and ask them to spend some time hanging out and learning about what lawyers do – you’ll be surprised, you’ll find some who will be eager to help you out.
If you don’t want to be a lawyer – and believe me, the kind of work that gets you the most money is work that a lot of people don’t like doing – then find out what other post-law school options might be. Figure out your earning potential in those fields.
Law school is no joke. By all means, take the LSAT – actually I found it kind of fun. But don’t start spending serious money until you are sure about what direction you’re headed in.
I feel your pain. I’m not applying to law school, but to a master’s program, but I still need the dreaded (for me) letters of recommendation. I certainly don’t have any professors who know more than my name, if that, and that I was doing well in their class(es). I realized my predicament last year and have spoken up more in class but have not been able to bring myself to stop by office hours. Still, it’s better than nothing.
For you, I’d advise talking to the professors in classes you did well in, starting with the ones who had you more than once. Ask politely that you’re interested in applying to law school and if they’d be willing to write you a letter of recommendation. In person would be best, but if you’re not in the area anymore, then e-mail is ok. Provide an info packet with transcripts, LSAT scores if available, any relevant job experience or volunteer experience, and personal statement. That way, they can learn more about you if they don’t know you very well. Also if they agree to write the letter, then prepare a packet with stamped, addressed envelopes, the due dates of the application, and any specific instructions from the school. For example, some schools use forms (I don’t know if this is true for law school), some want the letters sent directly to the school, others want all application materials sent in one envelope, etc. This is polite and leaves a good impression about you.
Also it’s not too late to do some volunteering! I’m sure there are a lot of organizations that can provide you with some relevant experience and you’ll end up with a nice recommendation letter too. Good luck.
Actually, I think you’ll find that if you do your groundwork on why you want to go to law school, you’re going to find that it helps you with the application process. If you do start seeking out lawyers and their advice, you are likely to hit on some recommendation opportunities, and thinking and talking about these issues are going to help you when you hit the question “why do you want to go to law school?”
Yeah, I love convincing people to buy what I’m selling-I just am not into the kool-aid that comes with pharm-sales and stuff like that (to each his own)
