Charlotte School of Law vs. Thomas Jefferson vs...**** Forum

[livelovelaugh49]

So, any thoughts on these schools:

Charlotte School of Law
Thomas Jefferson
California Western
Phoenix School of Law
Florida Coastal

Any words of wisdom would be beneficial!

[ndirish2010]

Flame.

[Kilpatrick]

If the **** was supposed to stand for "shit" then I vote for that one

[NYC Law]

Flame.

[fanmingrui]

I'd pick TJSL due to it's new, state-of-the-art campus and the reverence the school is given by alumni.
http://abovethelaw.com/2011/05/lawsuit- ... ol-of-law/

[livelovelaugh49]

If the **** was supposed to stand for "shit" then I vote for that one

haha no, was just trying to get people's attention, but I get your point. Thanks for the advice. I have heard good things about Cal western...

[livelovelaugh49]

Flame.

Seeing that you are an Irish fan you must know what you are talking about I guess! Why are these schools frowned upon so much? What I have heard from others that attend there is that they are good schools. I have heard from many lawyers that at the end of the day it doesn't really matter where you go to law school just that you have the degree...expect of course if you go to like Harvard or something. Any thoughts on that? Just trying to weigh my options.

[livelovelaugh49]

I'd pick TJSL due to it's new, state-of-the-art campus and the reverence the school is given by alumni.
http://abovethelaw.com/2011/05/lawsuit- ... ol-of-law/

It's refreshing to hear that you are attending there. If you don't mind me asking, what was your LSAT and GPA? If you feel more comfortable you can send it in a message or if your not comfortable giving it out at all that's not a problem at all. I have heard good things about the school as well and love San Diego (who wouldn't). I am currently looking at their Spring program. How long did it take to hear back from them after you turned in your application? Were you able to receive any scholarship money? Sorry I am bombarding you with so many questions, I am just trying to weigh my options right now and trying to take advantage of all the advice I can get. I have a high GPA, but my LSAT score is not high at all (very depressing), so I am very stressed out about that and am dreading the thought of having to take it over again, so I am considering applying with my low LSAT score. Would you advice me to re-take it if I got a 146 (extremely embarrassing) and my GPA is a 3.65? Any other comments or words of advice related to TJ?

[joemoviebuff]

I'd pick TJSL due to it's new, state-of-the-art campus and the reverence the school is given by alumni.
http://abovethelaw.com/2011/05/lawsuit- ... ol-of-law/

It's refreshing to hear that you are attending there. If you don't mind me asking, what was your LSAT and GPA? If you feel more comfortable you can send it in a message or if your not comfortable giving it out at all that's not a problem at all. I have heard good things about the school as well and love San Diego (who wouldn't). I am currently looking at their Spring program. How long did it take to hear back from them after you turned in your application? Were you able to receive any scholarship money? Sorry I am bombarding you with so many questions, I am just trying to weigh my options right now and trying to take advantage of all the advice I can get. I have a high GPA, but my LSAT score is not high at all (very depressing), so I am very stressed out about that and am dreading the thought of having to take it over again, so I am considering applying with my low LSAT score. Would you advice me to re-take it if I got a 146 (extremely embarrassing) and my GPA is a 3.65? Any other comments or words of advice related to TJ?

Take the test again. Each point you gain increases your chances of acceptance and scholarship money. A ten point gain, even a twenty point gain, is doable with the right course of study. I know someone in the top 10% at TJ and while they do have a job this summer, they recognize that many times their resume will go in the trash can just because of the name of the school on it. They want to transfer.

[TheFactor]

Total lack of creativity earns this OP a 2.5/10 on the flame scale. Go back to the drawing board.

[071816]

[fanmingrui]

+1

[livelovelaugh49]

I'd pick TJSL due to it's new, state-of-the-art campus and the reverence the school is given by alumni.
http://abovethelaw.com/2011/05/lawsuit- ... ol-of-law/

It's refreshing to hear that you are attending there. If you don't mind me asking, what was your LSAT and GPA? If you feel more comfortable you can send it in a message or if your not comfortable giving it out at all that's not a problem at all. I have heard good things about the school as well and love San Diego (who wouldn't). I am currently looking at their Spring program. How long did it take to hear back from them after you turned in your application? Were you able to receive any scholarship money? Sorry I am bombarding you with so many questions, I am just trying to weigh my options right now and trying to take advantage of all the advice I can get. I have a high GPA, but my LSAT score is not high at all (very depressing), so I am very stressed out about that and am dreading the thought of having to take it over again, so I am considering applying with my low LSAT score. Would you advice me to re-take it if I got a 146 (extremely embarrassing) and my GPA is a 3.65? Any other comments or words of advice related to TJ?

Take the test again. Each point you gain increases your chances of acceptance and scholarship money. A ten point gain, even a twenty point gain, is doable with the right course of study. I know someone in the top 10% at TJ and while they do have a job this summer, they recognize that many times their resume will go in the trash can just because of the name of the school on it. They want to transfer.

That's good advice-- if you don't mind me asking, how did you go about studying-- how I have been studying has obviously not been working for me, so any tricks of the trade from you wouldn't hurt. I know I am capable of doing well, on practice tests when I allow myself more time I was scoring in the mid to high 150's... so time is an obvious issue and so is consistency. Any words of advice? What worked for you?

[joemoviebuff]

Here you go:

I took the test twice, Sept. 09 (157) and Dec. 09 (170). My study strategy was the same for both tests (I got sick the day before the first and got like 3 hours of sleep). Only my goals changed in that time; while studying for the first test I wanted a 168, on the second I wanted a 180.

1. Order the Powerscore Logic Games and Logical Reasoning Bibles. They were absolutely critical to my 170. I have no experience with the Reading Comprehension Bible; I just had my way of doing it and I did well on those sections by myself. From what I hear it’s nice to have, but not necessary. Read The Economist and Harper's so your brain is used to huge, dense passages of text.

1a. Other books I found useful were the “Powerscore Logic Games Workbook,” a couple of their LSAT Deconstructed books, which go over every question in detail and explain why the right answers are right and the wrong answers are wrong, and finally, Douglas Waldron's "Informal Logic," (but only after you have a good understanding from the other books).

2. Obtain each of the books from the "10 Actual, Official LSATs" series, as well as the newest tests released individually. Also get LSAC's Superprep book. Do Superprep first, then work your way through all the LSATs you have, from oldest to newest. The older tests are quite different from the newer ones, (and thus the one you'll be taking officially) but are still good to start out your study with. As you progress with your study, you're understanding of the concepts will improve as you work your way through to the newer tests. Resist the urge to use the newer tests first.

3. I started studying in July for the September test. My highest score going into the first test was 168, which I would've been quite content with, and my average was a 164. I feel it's important to note that the most significant progress in my study occurred in the two months between that test and the December test, and thus, I recommend giving yourself six months to prepare. My average in those three months was 170, with my highest score being a 176 and my lowest being a 165. The method I used is as follows:

Take two or three, full-length, timed tests per week that simulate the actual conditions you will be in, even including a break. Take the test and score it one day, then the next day go over the answers with a fine tooth comb, exploring why you got the ones right that you did, and the ones you got wrong were wrong. By going over every question, you cement the right concepts in your head, and work to correct the ones you're struggling with. You will complement your test days and your grade days with additional study and exercises from the Bibles, as well as your dense, scholarly magazines. I venture to say I gave about four hours of study to the LSAT each day, five to six days a week. (A lot of time, yes, but it has to be your mission to beat the shit out of this test.)

Set aside three or four of the older LSATs to use later. After a couple weeks of four-section tests, break up these older tests into sections and insert an extra section in your practice tests to act as an experimental section and increase endurance. Some people recommend throwing in another extra section (for a 6 section test) for even more endurance but I found this to be overkill.

Other things:

A. Avoid burn-out! If you need a break for a day, take one. Just don’t let it turn into a week-long vacation.

B. Shoot for a 180. The first three months I was just trying to get a 168 on the test, and as long as I was close to that, I was content, but that kept me from reaching my potential. After the first dismal experience with the test, I wanted nothing more than to annihilate it, which meant getting a 180. Remember the phrase “Shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars?” Well, yeah. I landed among the stars at 170. Still pretty good right? This test will determine where you go to law school for the next three years, and literally three more points on it can mean the difference between an acceptance and a rejection, or sticker price and a full-ride. You must kill it! You most likely will not achieve perfection, but you can come pretty damn close. It feels good opening that email from LSAC and reading that you scored in the 98th percentile of all test-takers.

C.Only use official questions from an actual LSAT in your study. Some companies make up their own questions to avoid paying LSAC for theirs. Don’t waste your time on these.

And with that my long ramble of a post is over.

[livelovelaugh49]

Here you go:

I took the test twice, Sept. 09 (157) and Dec. 09 (170). My study strategy was the same for both tests (I got sick the day before the first and got like 3 hours of sleep). Only my goals changed in that time; while studying for the first test I wanted a 168, on the second I wanted a 180.

1. Order the Powerscore Logic Games and Logical Reasoning Bibles. They were absolutely critical to my 170. I have no experience with the Reading Comprehension Bible; I just had my way of doing it and I did well on those sections by myself. From what I hear it’s nice to have, but not necessary. Read The Economist and Harper's so your brain is used to huge, dense passages of text.

1a. Other books I found useful were the “Powerscore Logic Games Workbook,” a couple of their LSAT Deconstructed books, which go over every question in detail and explain why the right answers are right and the wrong answers are wrong, and finally, Douglas Waldron's "Informal Logic," (but only after you have a good understanding from the other books).

2. Obtain each of the books from the "10 Actual, Official LSATs" series, as well as the newest tests released individually. Also get LSAC's Superprep book. Do Superprep first, then work your way through all the LSATs you have, from oldest to newest. The older tests are quite different from the newer ones, (and thus the one you'll be taking officially) but are still good to start out your study with. As you progress with your study, you're understanding of the concepts will improve as you work your way through to the newer tests. Resist the urge to use the newer tests first.

3. I started studying in July for the September test. My highest score going into the first test was 168, which I would've been quite content with, and my average was a 164. I feel it's important to note that the most significant progress in my study occurred in the two months between that test and the December test, and thus, I recommend giving yourself six months to prepare. My average in those three months was 170, with my highest score being a 176 and my lowest being a 165. The method I used is as follows:

Take two or three, full-length, timed tests per week that simulate the actual conditions you will be in, even including a break. Take the test and score it one day, then the next day go over the answers with a fine tooth comb, exploring why you got the ones right that you did, and the ones you got wrong were wrong. By going over every question, you cement the right concepts in your head, and work to correct the ones you're struggling with. You will complement your test days and your grade days with additional study and exercises from the Bibles, as well as your dense, scholarly magazines. I venture to say I gave about four hours of study to the LSAT each day, five to six days a week. (A lot of time, yes, but it has to be your mission to beat the shit out of this test.)

Set aside three or four of the older LSATs to use later. After a couple weeks of four-section tests, break up these older tests into sections and insert an extra section in your practice tests to act as an experimental section and increase endurance. Some people recommend throwing in another extra section (for a 6 section test) for even more endurance but I found this to be overkill.

Other things:

A. Avoid burn-out! If you need a break for a day, take one. Just don’t let it turn into a week-long vacation.

B. Shoot for a 180. The first three months I was just trying to get a 168 on the test, and as long as I was close to that, I was content, but that kept me from reaching my potential. After the first dismal experience with the test, I wanted nothing more than to annihilate it, which meant getting a 180. Remember the phrase “Shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars?” Well, yeah. I landed among the stars at 170. Still pretty good right? This test will determine where you go to law school for the next three years, and literally three more points on it can mean the difference between an acceptance and a rejection, or sticker price and a full-ride. You must kill it! You most likely will not achieve perfection, but you can come pretty damn close. It feels good opening that email from LSAC and reading that you scored in the 98th percentile of all test-takers.

C.Only use official questions from an actual LSAT in your study. Some companies make up their own questions to avoid paying LSAC for theirs. Don’t waste your time on these.

And with that my long ramble of a post is over.

I greatly appreciate the words of wisdom you have provided me with, you have no idea!! I'll take your advice and use it towards my studying. I guess I was hindering myself a little bit because I too was just trying for a set score and not a 180... maybe I was trying to be more realistic, but nonetheless I know it is more positive to shoot for the moon! Thanks for everything again!!

[joemoviebuff]

I greatly appreciate the words of wisdom you have provided me with, you have no idea!! I'll take your advice and use it towards my studying. I guess I was hindering myself a little bit because I too was just trying for a set score and not a 180... maybe I was trying to be more realistic, but nonetheless I know it is more positive to shoot for the moon! Thanks for everything again!!

No problem. Good luck.

[EstboundNDwn]

I'm still trying to decide if OP is serious.

[livelovelaugh49]

Total lack of creativity earns this OP a 2.5/10 on the flame scale. Go back to the drawing board.

???

[livelovelaugh49]

I'm still trying to decide if OP is serious.

???

[ndirish2010]

Flame.

Seeing that you are an Irish fan you must know what you are talking about I guess! Why are these schools frowned upon so much? What I have heard from others that attend there is that they are good schools. I have heard from many lawyers that at the end of the day it doesn't really matter where you go to law school just that you have the degree...expect of course if you go to like Harvard or something. Any thoughts on that? Just trying to weigh my options.

Do you want a job? Don't go to any of these schools, even if they paid you.

[livelovelaugh49]

Flame.

Seeing that you are an Irish fan you must know what you are talking about I guess! Why are these schools frowned upon so much? What I have heard from others that attend there is that they are good schools. I have heard from many lawyers that at the end of the day it doesn't really matter where you go to law school just that you have the degree...expect of course if you go to like Harvard or something. Any thoughts on that? Just trying to weigh my options.

Do you want a job? Don't go to any of these schools, even if they paid you.

Good to know.

[shepdawg]

Why do people call flame on this topic?

[livelovelaugh49]

Why do people call flame on this topic?

I'm assuming because they think you are going into a "flame" if you go to one of these schools. Just an analogy for saying they a bad, that's what I get based on what they have told me.

[NYC Law]

Why do people call flame on this topic?

I'm assuming because they think you are going into a "flame" if you go to one of these schools. Just an analogy for saying they a bad, that's what I get based on what they have told me.

Because most of the schools given are for profit and the absolute worst law schools. The majority of people who seriously consider attending schools that awful don't bother to do research or ever visit this site. The posts we do get regarding schools of this caliber are the product of some jackass (the "troll") making things up designed to stir up negative emotions, debate, and memes (the "flame").

[livelovelaugh49]

Why do people call flame on this topic?

I'm assuming because they think you are going into a "flame" if you go to one of these schools. Just an analogy for saying they a bad, that's what I get based on what they have told me.

Because most of the schools given are for profit and the absolute worst law schools. The majority of people who seriously consider attending schools that awful don't bother to do research or ever visit this site. The posts we do get regarding schools of this caliber are the product of some jackass (the "troll") making things up designed to stir up negative emotions, debate, and memes (the "flame").

So, apparently I was a "troll" for asking for advice? Good to know... this forum can be brutal.