Need help for LAW SCHOOL

APhiAngel · #1 08-06-2003, 03:10 AM

Hi everyone, I am sure that there is a thread out there about this, but I am getting ready to take my LSAT's. I need lots of help. I am going to get some books over the weekend to help he study for the test, and I am going to register to take it in either Nov/Dec. I am not sure when they offer it, but I know that they are offered towards the end of the year. Any advise would be GREATLY appreciated, I am REALLY begining to stress out. I don't know if it is good to take a class or to study from a book. How to do all the things so I could get a good enough score to be able to go to law school in CA.
One more thing... if there are any Bay Area lawyers of law students who would be so kind as to meet and give some help, I would really appreciate it.

THANKS!!!!

ShaedyKD · #2 08-06-2003, 08:36 AM

I have been taking an LSAT prep course class since May in preparation for the October test. I went through Princeton Review, and I have loved it. If I had just got some books, I don't think I would have any clue how to properly solve some of the questions. What you should do is go on the Priceton Review website and take a practice LSAT. If your score is below a 155, you should probably take a class. If it is above that, you can probably just practice using a book or online program and improve your score that way. I think 5 months is adequate time to prepare. The more you practice LSAT questions, the better you will do.
You also need to go to Law School Admissions Council website. This will give you info on how to sign up for the LSAT, tell you about registering with the Law School Data Assembly Service (which you must register with before applying to any schools), and give you all sorts of other helpful hints about law school.
I know what you're going through! I'm stressing about the October test as well, and right after that I have to start doing applications! Good luck, if you need anything else you can PM me!

~Shae

juniorgrrl · #3 08-06-2003, 12:34 PM

RUN

RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN AWAY FROM THE WORLD OF LAW SCHOOL.

Seriously, its a ridiculously demanding field, and law school can take a hella lot out of a person. My school requires a summer semester in addition to the regular 6 semester program.

I've been so exhausted this week after all of it, I've barely been able to get out of bed. I feel like I have chronic fatigue syndrome.

The job market for lawyers isn't any better than for other areas right now, so don't use law as a fallback.

Maybe its just my school, but the admissions people will lie out of their asses to get you there, and completely undermine the way it will control your life. It's not like The Practice or Legally Blonde. It's a way of life.

Do you really want to surrender your life like that?

kddani · #4 08-06-2003, 01:12 PM

Hehe, it's not THAT bad, I think juniorgrrl is a tad bit stressed

Hon, I think you need to take a step back and relax and reevaluated why you're doing law school and why you're so stressed.

I'm stressed too, but not nearly to that extreme. Maybe my school's just different. I know it is a bit more laid back. But it's really not that bad. Of course, you've caught me on a good day. Other days I might be more inclined to speak of lawschool like juniorgrrl!

ANYWAY, as for prepping for the LSAT, it really depends on the kind of person you are and how you study. I did it on my own, using books. Prep classes are generally pretty expensive (upwards of $1000) and very stressful. I couldn't handle that, and it wouldn't have helped me that much. I did it myself and did just fine.

There's great books out there. The main thing is getting familiar with the examine and practicing, especially the logic games part.

AchtungBaby80 · #5 08-06-2003, 01:59 PM

Ooooh...juniorgrrl, you've scared me! I'm debating right now on whether to go to law school or get a master's, but I don't do stress very well (I have anxiety problems) so maybe I need to stay away from law.

juniorgrrl · #6 08-06-2003, 03:09 PM

It really does depend upon the school.

LSU has a reputation of being hell on earth, and they're damn proud of it. They're suing one of their own students for owning the domain www.lsulaw.com and using it as a personal, non-revenue generating, website.

They served him with the suit 2 weeks before finals. Right.

The philosopy around there is to be as mean as possible to generate blood sucking, soulless litigators.

We have the highest credit hour requirement of any school in the country - 97. That means mostly semesters of 16 hrs + a summer semester.

Why did I go there? Because I got a full scholarship.

I had to reapply for this scholarship, but I'm guessing I didn't get it again. They apparently don't sent out letters to reapplicants at least letting them know so they can work on other sources of funding. Nope, they just let you assume. Kinda like breaking up with someone by stopping calling them.

When visiting schools, talk to the students, and not just the ones that are set up as tour guides. Take everything that the administration says with a grain of salt - they will lie to you to get your money (at least that's how it is at LSU).

I've always handled stress pretty well, but this year really put me at the breaking point. I had to be put on anti-depressants to get me through the last month of the semester (I've stopped them now).

Regardless, law is a super-demanding field, and very difficult for a woman. I know an attorney who's super-smart and dedicated, but she's pregnant and its been rough. Her supervisors (and this is a small firm) don't give a damn and keep giving her more and more work to get her to quit. They don't even provide her with health insurance, so its not like she's a burden on their plan. They just want her to quit because she's the only female attorney and dealing with her having a baby is too much trouble.

Not the life I want. I hope to find a job as an IT manager of a law firm when I graduate.

kddani · #7 08-06-2003, 03:12 PM

ugh, god this makes me appreciate the atmosphere at my school a lot more.

97 credit hours is crazy, ours is 90 and some people have a hard time making that.

juniorgrrl · #8 08-06-2003, 03:17 PM

If you did a survey of overall student satisfaction, LSU's would be VERY VERY low. People walk around looking like death warmed over saying stuff like "every day is the worst day of my life"

And then the school encourages us to drink. A lot. It's really messed up.

SigmaChiCard · #9 08-06-2003, 03:18 PM

I registered yesterday for a Kaplan course so that I can take the LSAT in October.......I'm fairly nervous about it all, but not too much...I just want to do good enough to get into where I'm at for undergrad. The class is pretty expensive, but most everyone says that they teach you how they want you to think on the LSAT, and that's what I'll need.....for some reason I doubt all my math & engineering stuff prepped me very well for it.

I'm excited for this semester to end so I can start in on that

Cory

kddani · #10 08-06-2003, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by juniorgrrl
If you did a survey of overall student satisfaction, LSU's would be VERY VERY low. People walk around looking like death warmed over saying stuff like "every day is the worst day of my life"

And then the school encourages us to drink. A lot. It's really messed up.

Has it always been this way? Or do you think it's a recent push to improve their ranking?

Law school administrators will bitch and moan about how the US News and World Report rankings, etc. don't mean anything, but yet they still care like hell about improving their standing.

My class last year had a lot more pressure put on us the first year, because the bar passage rate had dipped slightly.

Also, last year we were ranked #51. They want to push us into the top tier (top 50) so they've been cracking down right and left.

valkyrie · #11 08-06-2003, 03:26 PM

I have to say I'm with juniorgrrl on this. RUN. FAST. FAR AWAY. NOW.

I actually loved law school. I thought it was terribly fun and I did really well. Guess what? I absolutely hate the practice of law. It is an awful career. If I could go back in time, I would NOT go to law school.

That said, all I did to prepare for the LSAT was read the Princeton Review book and do a few practice tests. I did much better on the practice tests than on the real one, but it was still good enough to get me where I wanted to go.

BrandiDZ · #12 08-06-2003, 04:18 PM

I just took the LSAT in July. I did pretty well. If you want specifics on what all I did to study, let me know.

PS SigmaChiCard- I'm applying to UofL law school- maybe I'll see you there

bruinaphi · #13 08-06-2003, 04:24 PM

I think everyone has different experiences both in law school and as a practitioner.

I LOVED law school. I also LOVED my prep class. I took Kaplan. I did well on my original practice test but my final LSAT score was 5 points higher than my original practice test. My ex-boyfriend's was 14 points higher.

I am a rarity in that I also love the practice of law. I enjoy the challenge of my work -- it keeps me stimulated. My practice is very academic and often involves questions of first impression in the state of California. I am a female at a small firm. My dad is my boss, which is sometimes a help and sometimes a hinderance. I know a lot of people who love their practices and a lot of people who hate their practices. I think the determining factor is what drove them into law and why they stay.

I was on admissions committee as a third year. I really enjoyed that element of my law school experience too. It was amazing to me to learn how the law school determines who gets in and that I got a say.

The only thing I wish I had known before starting law school is that my school had a dissertation requirement. I didn't know that I was going to have to write a dissertation in law school until I got there. I love to write and research but it was a suprise. Like juniorgrrl said, talk to everyone you can when you go visit.

PS: I'd really like to be the Dean of Admissions at a law school sometime in the future. I think it is so interesting to hear everyone's perspectives.

Munchkin03 · #14 08-06-2003, 04:39 PM

Exactly what is a "good" LSAT score? I know they say if it's 155, then you should take a Kaplan course or something to make your score higher. But, my friends who were taking the LSATs were shooting for 175 or higher, and most were going to retake it if they got lower than a 170.

BrandiDZ · #15 08-06-2003, 04:44 PM

175 or higher!! Wow, most of the people I know where very happy with a 155. I guess it depends on where you are applying. 175 or higher is definetly a top 5 score. From what I understand, to get into a tier 1 school 160 is the average (bottom tier 1, like University of Cincinnati). But I'm not in law school, nor do I expect to get into one of the highly competitive schools, so I dont know?