[ronmexico]

To answer some of the questions:

1) I think it's pretty tough to get state residency in California. It's probably not worth doing, since I'm pretty sure you can't establish residency if you're there as a student, so you'd have to take at least a year between college and law school.

2) Your LSDAS GPA is probably going to be just about exactly your college GPA, unless you've taken a lot of community college classes or something. If you want to calculate it, you can try this:

http://www.lawpad.com/gpa_calculator/

If you don't have the degree yet, then the courses are still counted in the LSDAS GPA.

3) You don't get any bump for being Korean, at least not at the vast majority of schools.

4) No, community college classes after you graduate won't count in calculating your GPA.

5) The specific rank of your undergrad isn't going to matter that much. There might be a difference between a top school and a third-tier school, but nobody is going to care if your school is ranked 20th or 40th, for example.

[ilikestupid]

ronmexico, can you tell me what you can do after graduating from law school, like specific careers? Any interesting facts or anything also? And lastly, do you know anything about contracts? Like government contracts, cause I heard you make a lot of money doing that and if you have any more info about it and how you become a contractor?

[dudnaito]

in regards to the LSDAS GPA, i saw in lawschoolnumbers.com, that many people have above 4.0's.... my school's max is a 4.0, and only A's are rewarded, so how would my GPA fit in?

[ronmexico]

ronmexico, can you tell me what you can do after graduating from law school, like specific careers? Any interesting facts or anything also? And lastly, do you know anything about contracts? Like government contracts, cause I heard you make a lot of money doing that and if you have any more info about it and how you become a contractor?

Most people work for private firms after they graduate. Some work for the government (either the Department of Justice, a District Attorney's office, a state Attoney General, or something like that), a smaller percentage work for public interest groups (ACLU, etc.) and a very small percentage will go into academia and a few will go into business or consulting. The gov't and public interest jobs don't pay very well relative to most of the private firms, which pay $145K a year to start in major cities.

When people talk about government contractors, they usually mean something like Boeing or Haliburton, not lawyers who write contracts. A lot of the actual negotiation is done by lobbyists.

in regards to the LSDAS GPA, i saw in lawschoolnumbers.com, that many people have above 4.0's.... my school's max is a 4.0, and only A's are rewarded, so how would my GPA fit in?

Your GPA would just be considered on a 4.0 scale, like everyone else's. It's a little unfair that some people go to schools that award A+'s, but most schools don't.

[dudnaito]

Are you serious... wow, that is unfair.

Anyhow, as i have stated before, throughout my college career i have always worked, and thus have had no time for extra-curricular activities. Nor have i taken more than one class with a single professor. I plan to work for 2 years before attending law school... would it be possible to ask for a recommendation when i have more things accomplished in the next year or so? Of course, i would inform the 2 prospective professors i have in mind of my intents. I also plan to take two classes with a professor i had a very good relationship with in the past, but unfortunately the next semester would be my last.

[ilikestupid]

what can you do in a private firm? i can't see myself doing trials and stuff... so can you tell me what you can do in a private firm?

also, about the contractor thing, i do mean contracts for companies for like boeing and lockheed martin so how would i go about getting into that field? do i even need to go to law school? i heard you make a lot doing that...

[fayenatic]

What are some books that you guys recommend getting for independent studying for the LSATs? thanks.

[=___=]

What are some books that you guys recommend getting for independent studying for the LSATs? thanks.

Logical Reasoning Bible and Logic Games Bible by Powerscore are pretty much staples for self-studying the LSAT. If you want more detailed help with the games, pick up Ultimate (Game) Setups Guide, also by Powerscore. Also be sure to pick up real LSAT from previous years. LSAC released three books (last time I checked) that contained 10 real LSATs. Be sure to get those, in addition to the most recent individual preptests. But if you aren't able to do them all, work on the more recent LSATs, since they're more indicative of what you will be facing in the near future.

[LUCKY SE7EN]

hey,

thanks, ronmexico-- i just read through this entire thread and alot of it REALLY helped.

i just have a couple questions...
i'm a business administration major and i'm planning (things might change though, who knows) to study corporate law. i know you said that having a background in business would help but probably not by much-- but would it hurt my chances compared to applicants who are polisci or history/english majors? i feel like adcoms might question why i'm applying to law schools instead of business schools...

and also. someone once advised me not to take too many law-related classes during undergrad and that it may even hurt you. i've taken a lot of political science and law courses and was wondering what your opinion on that was.

haha. lastly... if i don't have ANY internships, will this significantly hurt my chances as well? i realize that applicants with internships will have an advantage, but i also feel like adcoms treat internships as a given...

i hope this all makes sense. thanks again for your advice so far.

[ronmexico]

Business might hurt you a little bit only because it's not seen as cerebral or intellectually rigorous as liberal arts majors. I don't think it would be a big deal, though.

You probably don't want to take a lot of "pre-law" courses. Most polisci courses aren't like that, but I don't know what you've taken.

Yes, many applicants have had internships and a lot have significant work experience. Have you had any jobs? They don't have to be "internships" per se.

[globosapien]

1) is there a public interest law program at columbia? is it hard to get in? and is there also a loan repayment assistance program?

2) i heard it's difficult to get into the field of public international law. what exactly does this concentration of law entail? and why do you suppose it's so hard to get into this field after graduation?

thanks.

[_ambrosia]

Is it okay to take a sociology major, a political science minor, and a biology minor? Or should it be a sociology major and a political science major? Or how about a life sciences major and a political science major? :|

[ronmexico]

1) is there a public interest law program at columbia? is it hard to get in? and is there also a loan repayment assistance program?

2) i heard it's difficult to get into the field of public international law. what exactly does this concentration of law entail? and why do you suppose it's so hard to get into this field after graduation?

thanks.

1) I don't know what you mean by a public interest program. There is a loan repayment program, and I think it's reasonably easy to qualify for it.

2) I'm not sure what you mean by public international law. The UN?

Is it okay to take a sociology major, a political science minor, and a biology minor? Or should it be a sociology major and a political science major? Or how about a life sciences major and a political science major? :|

A sociology major is fine. Don't worry too much about it.

[globosapien]

let me clarify my question.

1) i've heard that at some law schools they give their students an option to go into public interest (public defender/government positions). and considering the fact that these positions pay very little compared to big firms, colleges offer a loan repayment assistance program or some sort. is there something like this at columbia? can you elaborate on the loan repayment programs available for students?

2) ok, the thing is... i want to practice international human rights law... yes, the UN is something that I'm hoping to work in, but from what I've heard...they say that international human rights law is a difficult field to break into because there's a lot of competition and not enough positions. i've been looking through different schools, and i've noticed that georgetown has a solid international law program and various human rights/asylum clinics... but as of now, my GPA is abysmal, so I've been looking into lower schools like UCONN, Fordham, and BostonU. Do you think it'll be difficult for me to gain positions in the UN or Amnesty International compared to Georgetown/Harvard grads even tho I may have gotten high marks at UCONN or lower schools?

sorry it got lengthy... and thanks in advance

[blackhabit]

okay i'm so noob at this, considering that i'm still a junior in hs.

But what schools are somewhat good to apply for corporate control issues etc.?

or business law major[?].

I'm thinking of applying for santa clara university, but beside that what are some good options that are within california region?

[ronmexico]

let me clarify my question.

1) i've heard that at some law schools they give their students an option to go into public interest (public defender/government positions). and considering the fact that these positions pay very little compared to big firms, colleges offer a loan repayment assistance program or some sort. is there something like this at columbia? can you elaborate on the loan repayment programs available for students?

2) ok, the thing is... i want to practice international human rights law... yes, the UN is something that I'm hoping to work in, but from what I've heard...they say that international human rights law is a difficult field to break into because there's a lot of competition and not enough positions. i've been looking through different schools, and i've noticed that georgetown has a solid international law program and various human rights/asylum clinics... but as of now, my GPA is abysmal, so I've been looking into lower schools like UCONN, Fordham, and BostonU. Do you think it'll be difficult for me to gain positions in the UN or Amnesty International compared to Georgetown/Harvard grads even tho I may have gotten high marks at UCONN or lower schools?

sorry it got lengthy... and thanks in advance

1) Yes, as I mentioned, Columbia does have a loan repayment assistance program. As in a lot of cases, how much it helps you depends on what your salary is from the job. You can find the details about it here:

http://www.law.columbia.edu/current_studen...ancial_aid/LRAP

2) If the UN or something like that is what you're interested in, then yes, there are relatively few jobs available. There are probably NGOs you could work for, though. I wouldn't worry about a school's "international law" program; just get into the best school you can. Obviously, though, you should only go to a school in an area where you'd be willing to practice (assuming the civil rights thing falls though).

okay i'm so noob at this, considering that i'm still a junior in hs.

But what schools are somewhat good to apply for corporate control issues etc.?

or business law major[?].

I'm thinking of applying for santa clara university, but beside that what are some good options that are within california region?

Are you asking about colleges? If so, it won't matter too much where you go. You don't want to major in something like "business law" (which most schools don't even offer) or anything law-related for that matter.

[cowboy]

omg the jesus thread. i'll be reading thorugh this tonight.
cuz im planning on taking my 4 yrs of reg college [ill be a junior btw this coming 2006 fall] and then when i graduate from that i want to go to the university of melbourne in australia for law school..

any australians who go there could u please tell me more about the school.. typically in the area of law?

[spinel]

I have a quick question. Does it really matter if I write a thesis or not during my senior year? I mean, will it help my chances of being accepted to a law school (let's say a top 14 one)? Thank goodness for this thread because I've been planning out my last two years in college, and this thread has helped me organized some of my priorities.

[ronmexico]

I really doubt it will matter whether or not you write a thesis. Law schools probably wouldn't even know if you were going to or not, if you applied during the fall of your senior year.

[:: daramjii ::]

what can you do in a private firm? i can't see myself doing trials and stuff... so can you tell me what you can do in a private firm?

someone asked this question on the previous page, but it was left unanswered.

yesterday i went to a law school meeting where a panel consisted of attorneys and admissions people.. i talked to one of the attorneys. he was pretty fresh out of law school (2 or 3 years since?) and he works in a private firm and makes six figures (thats all he would tell me LOL) but he says all he does is research and write. i was pretty surprised, because i had assumed lawyers interact ALOT with people, negotiating and persuading and all that jazz.
research and writing is not bad.. actually i PREFER it to people persuasion like criminal lawyers in court do all the time. (my personality is more mellow to begin with anyway)
so my question is, what are some GOOD FIELDS in law that are associated with a much quiet work space, more of a 9-5 sort of job (i know lawyers work crazy unstructured hours for the most part, but which law work has less of that?) he mentioned transactional fields, like contracts. but what i want to know from you is not only your opinion, but if you know what a typical day in the life of this type of person is like?
basically id much rather work quietly at a desk but still make six figures.