Please help me! Feel hopeless! Forum

[89vision]

If you don't get Biglaw right out of law school, does that prevent you from getting biglaw after gaining experience? I know other fields have upward mobility.

[DDemi]

Hi guys, please help with any suggestion! I am so stressed out and probably I will never be able to attend a good law school. I am an international student, undergraduate in a top university in China, master in Columbia U. UGPA 3.7. Good PS and recommendation letters. One year working experience in a law office. I have three LSAT scores, 156(June 2010), 161(Oct 2010) and 158(Oct 2011). I know the score sucks, but I do want to try at the top 30 law schools I checked out the predictor and calculator, it seems I have no chance at any of them. So what do you guys think? Any suggestion as for applying? If ED, which top-30 schools should I try?

Out of curiosity, what is your masters from Columbia in? If I were you, I would reevaluate your interest in LS vs your current field. Going to LS would more or less make your current masters a waste (unless it's a science and you're going into IP), and Columbia probably gives you a good shot at academia/some other position in your current discipline...

my master is in international studies. it is from here and my current job that i developed my interest in LS and working in biglaws afterwords. My own understanding is this is the best way to use my master combined with my interest.

[DDemi]

International applicants won't have a LSDAS GPA... and your undergraduate GPA will be considered like a soft factor.
The concensus is that international applicants need an above-median LSAT to have a good chance at any law school.
BTW, have you got you foreign CAS evaluation done? Superior or above average?

If you mean my foreign UGPA，LSAC said it is the same as what I have in my transcripts.

[03121202698008]

My plan is go to big law in NYC, at least in the east coast. You are right, debt minimization is important. That's why I hope to do big law in NYＣ．With this logic, I guess attending the top 30 law schools will give me a greater chance in getting such a job to pay my debt.

Don't got to law school. Your "plan" has about a 10% chance of happening with your numbers.

10%? I'd say it's more like <1%. Would have to get into a school that has a Biglaw shot, and then score in the top ~5% of people (maybe even higher). Plus OP isn't a native english speaker which makes that even less likely than the already random grades make it.

[BKB]

International applicants won't have a LSDAS GPA... and your undergraduate GPA will be considered like a soft factor.
The concensus is that international applicants need an above-median LSAT to have a good chance at any law school.
BTW, have you got you foreign CAS evaluation done? Superior or above average?

If you mean my foreign UGPA，LSAC said it is the same as what I have in my transcripts.

You do have a LSDAS GPA? That's wierd. I guess you're from Fudan.

[dixiecupdrinking]

If you don't get Biglaw right out of law school, does that prevent you from getting biglaw after gaining experience? I know other fields have upward mobility.

Yes, you will never get a job in biglaw if you don't get one right out of law school. The exceptions to this rule are even rarer than someone getting biglaw directly out of the kinds of law schools OP will have access to.