LSAT?

[dathbgboy]

What's goin on NT. Was wondering if I could get some advice from fellow NTers on the LSAT. I didn't take a course but read the Powerscore books about 3 times. Just registered for the Oct. 6 LSAT and feel certain but uncertain about it. What gems could yall drop on me that'll help me out in the long run? I know logic games are the most difficult which have been the focus of my studies since I started back in mid-June. Thanks in advance

 

[goofy08]

I read and worked through the powerscore bibles. then used the strategies and techniques I learned from them to do timed, full length practice tests. i did approx. 2 tests a day for 3 weeks. I practice scored anywhere from 167-175, then got 170 on the real thing. I start 2L tmrw

goodluck on your journey famb

 

[sladewilson]

 

[go rilla]

 

[dathbgboy]

I read and worked through the powerscore bibles. then used the strategies and techniques I learned from them to do timed, full length practice tests. i did approx. 2 tests a day for 3 weeks. I practice scored anywhere from 167-175, then got 170 on the real thing. I start 2L tmrw
goodluck on your journey famb

Thanks, that's where I'm at right now. About to dig real deep since I just paid for my registration for the LSAT. 1mo to go.

 

[richiecotite]

the best thing you can do is practice tests.

 

[atlsfinest]

don't go to law school unless you get into a t14.

 

[lazyj10]

Go to law school for whatever reason you want...but know, your score will ultimately dictate which tier you find yourself in.

PowerScore were good...glad I went with those since I did self study due to the fact I am a working professional.

That being said, treat their tests like the real thing. You can't mimic the testing center/conditions exactly, but it will certainly help get you into the mindset when you show up that day. Time management is the biggest key, period. Especially on the "games" section. If you know you won't be able to complete all of them, then you can properly adjust your time for those that you do plan on doing.

It's an intense day. At least it was for me. Time does fly by, but it's draining. I recall one girl who basically read through the first section then got up and left

 

[rashi]

don't go to law school unless you get into a t14.

My wife is an attorney and I know plenty of them, and none went to a "t14" and they are all successful whatever dynamic of law they sought.

 

[cj003]

don't go to law school unless you get into a t14.

WRONG! I go to a school ranked in the mid 40's and have a job lined up the day I finish taking the bar as do many of my peers. Don't go to a horrible school and expect the world. Try to get scholarship money! I won't go into this too much, because you need to focus on killing the LSAT right now. After the test feel free to PM me and I can give you my opinion on what schools to apply to. I'm no expert, but I am a 3L who has friends at different schools and can pass on opinions of what people think of certain schools they attend (how the career services helps students get jobs is the most important).

But for the lsat the most important thing is taking practice exams under test like conditions. Take them tired, take them with a little noise, take them in a crowded room.

Best of luck OP!

 

[do work son]

not to thread jack, but any information on how to search for law schools to apply to? i'm finishing my last semester as an undergrad, graduating december of 2012. havent even thought about the LSAT yet. halp?

 

[dathbgboy]

Appreciate the Advice CJ and LazyJ

I'm in Pittsburgh so I'm just going to apply to Pitt Law and Duquesne Law. Can't really afford to move w/ a wife and daughter

I just wrote me a schedule last night. I'm going to use the rest of this week to read and write notes again, then do practice logic games sections, then the last week and a half, do practice exams.

I took a practice one my soph year and got a 155 tho I botched the logic games section so I have an idea of what to expect. I feel it's now or never w/ law school. Just hope I can do well on this LSAT. I have test anxiety like no other. I know the material but feel like I don't.

 

[dathbgboy]

not to thread jack, but any information on how to search for law schools to apply to? i'm finishing my last semester as an undergrad, graduating december of 2012. havent even thought about the LSAT yet. halp?

Depends on how u want to look for these schools. I looked on US News for the rankings and google for a list of schools in certain states (i.e. law schools in Pennsylvania) I would suggest u not take the LSATs until youre ready. Also, take them early for early decisions. This Oct LSAT is the latest that the Assoc Dean at Pitt Law told me to take. I'll get my scores in enough time to apply for reg admission which should increase my chances of gettin in.

Hope this helps

 

[Zephyr1983]

not to thread jack, but any information on how to search for law schools to apply to? i'm finishing my last semester as an undergrad, graduating december of 2012. havent even thought about the LSAT yet. halp?

Since your still in undergrad I would highly recommend talking to your schools law-school advisor, almost every college has one. They will help you figure out what your goals are, and what sort of range school is probable. They can also help you think about what to write in you personal statement. Beyond that, as far picking schools, just try to think about where you'd like to work when your done. Unless you get into a T20 school, you will find it harder to randomly go from a T40 school in Cali to a job in NYC for example.

For OP, as others have stated, but it sounds like you're already on this, take as many practice exams as you can. Sometimes chop em up into the sections, sometimes try the full simulation, but practice practice practice...

 

[lazyj10]

Speaking from my own experience, I knew the area of which I wanted to focus my studies. Therefore, I went to a "super day" or "meet the schools" type event held in Oakland. From that, I was able to find more information based on each schools marketing brouchure and look into detail when I got back home. Plus, you have the ability to ask questions to each schools rep.

Since I am a CPA and wasn't trying to get into Big Law, the criteria I was looking for had schools from all over the US I was willing to research. From Oregon to Pennsylvania. Of course, I also had a couple top 15 schools that I would have applied to should I crush the LSAT, etc.

 

[lazyj10]

Depends on how u want to look for these schools. I looked on US News for the rankings and google for a list of schools in certain states (i.e. law schools in Pennsylvania) I would suggest u not take the LSATs until youre ready. Also, take them early for early decisions. This Oct LSAT is the latest that the Assoc Dean at Pitt Law told me to take. I'll get my scores in enough time to apply for reg admission which should increase my chances of gettin in.
Hope this helps

Just saw this - who is it? I met with a woman there back in 2010. Was it Charmaine or someone else?

 

[hankmoody]

Read every post on the first page of this massive SA thread:  http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3301274

Then read them all again.

After you do that, PM me if you want more info. I actually took a class my senior year of college on the legal profession and my professor was a retired partner of 30+ years at K&E (Chicago).

 

[cj003]

I didn't mention this in my original post but look at what a lawyer makes and compare it to the amount of debt you will stack up in law school. Being a lawyer isn't what it once was, as far as salaries are concerned. And to op and anyone else thinking about applying, I always say apply to really good schools, realistic schools, and safety schools. Just apply, you never know what you will get as far as scholarships go. Good luck everyone.

LazyJ are you from the bay area? If so did you stick around for law school?

 

[lazyj10]

I am in the Bay Area...and I'm still here. I opted not to go to law school as I wound up switching CPA firms and am very happy. Couldn't imagine transitioning to a new firm and doing law school.

I went through the entire process, basically up until applications. Had my letters of recommendation, etc. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[dathbgboy]

Just saw this - who is it? I met with a woman there back in 2010. Was it Charmaine or someone else?

Yup, sure was. I went in there expecting to be dismissed w/ a lil bit of information, ended up talkin w/ her for 30min and took a 45min tour of the school. She def helped me out which makes me really wanting to go to Pitt Law despite them not having a pt program

 

[dathbgboy]

Read every post on the first page of this massive SA thread:  http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3301274
Then read them all again.

After you do that, PM me if you want more info. I actually took a class my senior year of college on the legal profession and my professor was a retired partner of 30+ years at K&E (Chicago).

I skimmed it and regardless of what ppl say, I've always wanted to be a lawyer. The ability to make a difference legally has always been something I wanted to do. Now, if i could become magistrate in my area, then I won't go But until then....

 

[lazyj10]

Yup, sure was. I went in there expecting to be dismissed w/ a lil bit of information, ended up talkin w/ her for 30min and took a 45min tour of the school. She def helped me out which makes me really wanting to go to Pitt Law despite them not having a pt program

I know the feeling. I think I met with her for near an hour then sat in on a real estate/property law class...of which I actually could keep up with since I have a real estate background and took certain courses in under grad.

There's another professor there I met, actually out here in Oakland who got me interested in Pitt. I'm at home now, but I have his card in my office.

Pitt waa top 3 on my realistic list due to their newer program that instituted a tech-industry course load...

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me.

 

[thepointgod]

Real talk though, don't go to law school unless you get into a T14

 

[beats05]

I took the Blueprint prep class, went through the Kaplan 180 book, and did almost every practice test there is, some twice, under timed conditions. I was getting 172-178 on practice exams close to the test, really over-exerted myself, then wound up with a bad case of the flu on test day. I took the test anyway, blew my nose every few minutes, got a 172, then got into a top 3 school mostly because the rest of my application was stellar (Harvard, Stanford, Yale folks usually had 175-180 when I applied).

Too late for OP, but for future LSAT-takers, I really recommend Blueprint for your prep class. They have by far the most efficient methodology for doing logic games. I've looked at Kaplan and some other place's methods for solving the same exact games, and let me tell you--Blueprint's methods made the most sense and required the least diagramming. By the end of the course, logic games was by far the easiest section on the LSAT. I'd get 100% every time, no lie.

 

[beats05]

Regarding the T14 talk, it's mostly false, but with two important caveats. The importance of the caveats is probably why the T14 talk exists. So, here goes: You can go to a school ranked between 50 and 100, and still get a 6-figure job straight out of school or a even a federal clerkship. But: (1) your degree will probably only be good within your region (i.e. it won't be portable to a big city) AND (2) you need to be at or near the very top of your class to get the 6-figure job or clerkship. Doing well in law school is really difficult. I don't care if you got a 180 LSAT and a 4.0 at Princeton double majoring in Astrophysics and Philosophy--that's no guarantee you'll do well in law school. Also, as a practical matter, your chances of being at the top of your class are pretty low, so going to a low-ranked school isn't a gamble a lot of people are willing to take.

On the other hand, a legal education is good for more than 6-figure jobs. If you want to do public interest or government work, you can go to any number of schools, not necessarily be at the top of your class, get a PI/Gov't job, and have your loans repaid by the government.

My main advice is to know what you want out of law school before you go. Specifically. As in what job you want when you graduate. Law school is a "professional" school for a reason--its purpose is to set you up for a real job. If you just want to go because it sounds like the next prestigious gold-star thing to do, take some time off to think it over, get work and life experience, research into what it is that litigators and transactional lawyers in different fields actually do on a day-to-day basis. Your time in law school will be more valuable for it and you'll be a better interview for that job you want.