boxfreeconcepts.com

In case method classes, the professor's role is to provoke students into a higher level of thinking. You will certainly be challenged on a number of levels, so let's "test drive" your reasons for choosing the law profession. We'll start on the positive side with a few sample "good" reasons.

Versatility
It is true, a law degree is perhaps the most versatile professional degree. Law might well be the field for you if you:

• Are not entirely sure of your career dream
• Feel more than half-certain that you will change "careers" at some point in the future
• Enjoy thinking analytically
• Enjoy coming up with creative solutions to complex problems
• Are inspired by intellectual challenges

A law degree gives you almost unparalleled mobility in your career; lawyers run movie studios, manage baseball teams, hold political office, serve in the foreign service, run Fortune 500 companies, and head a wide range of legal service organizations.

Excitement
Although the life of an attorney is not really like that portrayed in the television series Ally McBeal, there are aspects of lawyering that can be a great deal of fun. Tasks such as preparing for a trial, defending a client, prosecuting an accused criminal, or putting together a business deal can give you a rush of adrenaline. The interpretation of existing law can be both intellectually challenging and exciting in itself as you participate in the continuing evolution our legal system.

Empowerment
Many law school applicants who are already established in careers as news reporters, businesspeople, or even doctors, have found that they need a law degree in order to be more effective or influential in their field. Doctors worry about malpractice matters or become intrigued with the legal implications of prolonging life. Reporters develop urges to become part of the solution to the widespread social problems they have been chronicling for years. Businesspeople feel that a background in law will enable them to negotiate the deals they encounter in their jobs more effectively.

Job Security
Although there are very few jobs that remain secure in today's economy, the fundamental role that legal systems play in our increasing global working world is striking. Certainly a law degree has become a necessary prerequisite for a great many jobs that could have been done without legal expertise 20 years ago. Your training and skills can allow you to stay employed and prepare you for a variety of situations.

Personal Experience
You may have other, personal reasons for choosing law school. Often, people have experienced first hand the power of a training in law through involvement in lawsuits, divorces, adoption procedures, or the settlement of an estate. Whatever your particular reasons for wanting to obtain a law degree, be sure you're clear about why you want to travel down this road, and don't lose sight of your personal investment in the process.

Sound exciting so far? If you enjoy thinking, writing, solving problems, negotiating compromises, and advocating on behalf of people or causes, then law school will be a good fit for you. If you'd rather have someone else tell you how to solve a problem or how to think about a dilemma, then you might find that law is not the profession for you. Think seriously about the "fit;" be honest with yourself as you contemplate your future career. Be sure that you have chosen the right destination before you begin planning your trip.

Top

I've got nothing better to do with my history, English, or political science degree
This is a very bad reason to go to law school. There are better career moves than spending three very hard years in grad school, going heavily into debt, and then emerging with a degree in a field in which you have very little interest. Moreover, several law schools have surveyed attitudes of entering law students and later compared the responses to the same students' grades. The studies showed that those who had the least desire to be in law school in the first place usually performed rather poorly. These students, in turn, had the most problems getting jobs because of their mediocre performance.

I'm good at arguing
Ever since I began to argue my points forcefully at the dinner table at the age of eight, everyone in my family has said that I'd make a great attorney." Unfortunately for you, oral argument is a very small part of law school life and, for the vast majority of lawyers, it's a fairly small part of their practice. Additionally, a legal oral argument is quite different from the average debate with your housemate over who gets to choose the video to watch.

I'll be making six figures before I hit 30
Just as job security and a lucrative profession can be good reasons for wanting to go to law school, the financial lure can also be a trap. Many attorneys do make six-figure incomes, especially in large, urban firms. But don't be deceived; they earn every cent. Seventy to eighty-hour weeks, mounting pressure to bill more hours, and a lot of boring research work (at least for the first five or six years) are usually part of the deal. Even if you decide that you're willing to accept the challenge, there's no guarantee that you'll be able to get a high-paying job. Large firms see hundreds of resumes a month. Every year they have their pick of the top students at the top schools. To make matters worse, many firms are now cutting back instead of hiring. If you think you want to be a lawyer because all lawyers are well paid, think again. Even if you decide you're willing to do the hard work, the opportunities to make big bucks are not always there.

My family always wanted me to be a lawyer
If you really don't want to practice law, three years of study plus the span of a career is a long time to fulfill someone else's expectations. If your parents are so gung-ho on the idea, maybe they should go to law school themselves! Age is no limitation on the feasibility of practicing law.

Top

Most students take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) in October, however, it is also offered in June, December, and February. The LSAT is, among other things, an endurance test.  It consists of 175 minutes of multiple-choice testing, plus a 30-minute writing sample.  Add in the administrative details at both ends of the testing experience, plus a break of 10-15 minutes midway through, and you can count on being in the test room for at least four and a half to five hours.

The Breakdown
The LSAT consists of five multiple choice sections:

• 2 Logical Reasoning 
• 1 Logic Games 
• 1 Reading Comprehension 
• 1 Experimental Section

In addition, there is a Writing Sample section in which you'll have to compose a short essay.

Logical Reasoning
Logical reasoning questions evaluate your ability to understand, analyze, criticize, and complete arguments. The arguments are contained in short passages taken from a variety of sources, including letters to the editor, speeches, advertisements, newspaper articles and editorials, informal discussions and conversations, as well as articles in the humanities, the social sciences, and the natural sciences.

Each logical reasoning question requires you to read and comprehend the argument of the reasoning contained in the passage and to answer one or two questions about it.

Logic Games
Logic games are designed to measure your ability to understand a structure of relationships and to draw conclusions from it. You will be asked to make deductions from a set of statements, rules, or conditions that describe relationships among entities such as persons, places, things, or events. These questions simulate the kinds of detailed analyses of relationships that law students must perform in solving legal problems.

Reading Comprehension
Reading comprehension questions measure your ability to read examples of lengthy and complex materials with understanding and insight. These questions require you to read carefully and accurately to determine the relationships among the various parts of the passage and to draw reasonable inferences from the material.

This section contains four passages, each approximately 450 words in length, followed by 5-8 questions that test your reading and reasoning abilities. Topics are drawn from a variety of subjects, including the humanities, social sciences, physical sciences, ethics, philosophy, and the law.

Writing Sample
You will be given thirty minutes to complete a brief writing exercise. Although this exercise is not scored, it is used by law school admissions officers to assess your writing skill. Read the topic carefully and spend a few minutes considering it and organizing your thoughts before you begin writing.

There is no right or wrong position on the writing sample topic and no special knowledge is required or expected. Law schools are primarily interested in how skillfully you support the position you take and how clearly you express that position.

Experimental Section
The experimental section allows Law Services to test questions for use on future tests. This unscored section will probably look exactly like one of the others; so don't waste time trying to identify it. Just do as well as you can on every section, and you're covered.

Should you cancel your LSAT score?

You will have five working days after the test in which to cancel your LSAT score. Take this time to reflect critically on your performance after the stress of test day has passed. Don't cancel your score based on your perception of the difficulty level of the exam. Every exam is "normed" and the scoring is adjusted to reflect slight differences between exams.

Usually, there are only two valid reasons to cancel your score:

• Test day factors affected your test day experience
• Inadequate preparation.

Nervousness is usually not a valid reason. In fact, most students are just as nervous — if not more — on their second attempt. Some nervousness is normal and even healthy.

Your Record
If you take the exam more than once, Law Services reports the average score, each separate score, and each cancellation. Most schools will not question one (or maybe two) cancellation(s) on your record, but will question multiple ones.

Remember that you cannot take the LSAT more than three times in any two-year period.

Top

• Undergraduate GPA
• LSAT scores
• Letters of Recommendation
• Personal Statement

General Tips
1. Photocopy all applications and keep a comprehensive file on each school that records all of your interactions with that school in it.

2. Follow all rules set forth by the application. If you have questions or are tempted to "break a rule," be sure to call the admissions office and ask for advice.

3. Put your name and social security number on any additional pages.

4. Make certain the presentation of your application is both neat and professional looking.

5. Have someone proofread your essay(s) and application. A single mistake can cast doubt on your application.

Top

Contact Us