LGBTQ+ C/O 2021

[Versailles1919]

Popping in here, as well. Gay male here.

I'm curious as to whether your LGBT status has led to any difference in your applications than you would have if you weren't LGBT. Any schools that you applied to or didn't apply to because your are LGBT and felt they were going to be better or not as welcoming?

I'm not necessarily looking for a numerical boost, but my hope is that law schools take into account the added challenges of being an LGBTQ+ individual. Coming out gay was very much life altering for me, and it's the main focus of both my personal and diversity statement. Also, LGBT individuals are completely underrepresented in law school, professional careers and the world in general--I read that only about 4% of people in America identify as part of the LGBT community. Specifically, with gay marriage only being legalized 4 years ago in America, there is still so much work to do for the community within the legal field. I believe that LGBT people have overcome great obstacles, and are reminded of their difference in some way every single day. Unfortunately, I don't think law schools view LGBT status this way even though certain schools ask for it on their app. Maybe those schools think it's a little more important.

[principalagent]

Popping in here, as well. Gay male here.

I'm curious as to whether your LGBT status has led to any difference in your applications than you would have if you weren't LGBT. Any schools that you applied to or didn't apply to because your are LGBT and felt they were going to be better or not as welcoming?

I'm not necessarily looking for a numerical boost, but my hope is that law schools take into account the added challenges of being an LGBTQ+ individual. Coming out gay was very much life altering for me, and it's the main focus of both my personal and diversity statement. Also, LGBT individuals are completely underrepresented in law school, professional careers and the world in general--I read that only about 4% of people in America identify as part of the LGBT community. Specifically, with gay marriage only being legalized 4 years ago in America, there is still so much work to do for the community within the legal field. I believe that LGBT people have overcome great obstacles, and are reminded of their difference in some way every single day. Unfortunately, I don't think law schools view LGBT status this way even though certain schools ask for it on their app. Maybe those schools think it's a little more important.

Are we sure about the bolded? I remember seeing at least a few T14 schools advertise being ~10% LGBT, give or take. Which is either way overrepresented, or just more than the most liberal estimates of the country at large. And knowing my networks at other schools, that seems to be pretty regular across the board. I don't disagree with the rest of the premises in your post - I largely agree on both an abstract and personal level - but I've only known most law schools to be extremely LGB and LGB-friendly up and down the line, but especially in the upper half of the T1.

Now, for the T in LGBT, I'm sure there's still an argument to be made.

[ilpsm]

Popping in here, as well. Gay male here.

I'm curious as to whether your LGBT status has led to any difference in your applications than you would have if you weren't LGBT. Any schools that you applied to or didn't apply to because your are LGBT and felt they were going to be better or not as welcoming?

I'm not necessarily looking for a numerical boost, but my hope is that law schools take into account the added challenges of being an LGBTQ+ individual. Coming out gay was very much life altering for me, and it's the main focus of both my personal and diversity statement. Also, LGBT individuals are completely underrepresented in law school, professional careers and the world in general--I read that only about 4% of people in America identify as part of the LGBT community. Specifically, with gay marriage only being legalized 4 years ago in America, there is still so much work to do for the community within the legal field. I believe that LGBT people have overcome great obstacles, and are reminded of their difference in some way every single day. Unfortunately, I don't think law schools view LGBT status this way even though certain schools ask for it on their app. Maybe those schools think it's a little more important.

Are we sure about the bolded? I remember seeing at least a few T14 schools advertise being ~10% LGBT, give or take. Which is either way overrepresented, or just more than the most liberal estimates of the country at large. And knowing my networks at other schools, that seems to be pretty regular across the board. I don't disagree with the rest of the premises in your post - I largely agree on both an abstract and personal level - but I've only known most law schools to be extremely LGB and LGB-friendly up and down the line, but especially in the upper half of the T1.

Now, for the T in LGBT, I'm sure there's still an argument to be made.

agree re: the "T" being a group i would strive to include in my incoming class if i were in charge of admissions, but i obviously know very little about admissions. i think WhatEven meant if we were applying/not applying to certain schools given their reputation for inclusion. for me personally, i was a little on the fence about uva (due to the riots -- and definitely wrongly so) but no other schools have scared me away from applying because of their lgbtq+ environment

[dm1683]

Now, for the T in LGBT, I'm sure there's still an argument to be made.

Well we'll see won't we? If the amount of shit thats been piled on us over the last few years is enough to get me into stanford it will all be worth it, i will thank the president

[Versailles1919]

Wanted to share that I got into Notre Dame a couple of days ago! It's definitely one of my top choices. I hope everyone's cycle is turning out well! Anyone get into their top choice/a school they're highly considering?

[dm1683]

Wanted to share that I got into Notre Dame a couple of days ago! It's definitely one of my top choices. I hope everyone's cycle is turning out well! Anyone get into their top choice/a school they're highly considering?

Congrats! However, as someone who went to a catholic undergrad, maybe ND isn't such a good idea?? I def didnt have the kind of community here I might have at other schools.

[Xyznopfgh]

Checking in! First post ever after lurking this site for the better part of a year. I'm shy online

Gay male, non-trad, in a very gay-friendly non-legal career in a major east coast city. Ended up applying to 3 schools that I wasn't really considering until I looked into their LGBTQ outreach/community (Duke, Michigan, Cornell). I was originally focusing on schools in major cities so I wouldn't have to worry about feeling like an outsider - I have a rough history with discrimination in rural places.

I wasn't convinced about UVA's queer-friendliness, and I've heard reports from friends that pretty much confirmed my suspicions. Maybe they are actively recruiting more LGBT students this cycle, and maybe I should have applied given their splitter-friendliness, but I have family in Charlottesville and I'm not a big fan of the city, even before the riots.

I didn't write a DS but my PS is a pretty risky one - don't want to get too specific but I come out and also come out about a specific LGBT issue that I want to focus my pro-bono work in. Let's hope it pays off!

NonTradHealthLaw, thank you for those tips and your kind words! I'm actually excited to be moving into an industry that isn't dominated by women and gay men, but I know that I'll need a good crew with me.

[jimmyplayer601]

Checking in! First post ever after lurking this site for the better part of a year. I'm shy online

Gay male, non-trad, in a very gay-friendly non-legal career in a major east coast city. Ended up applying to 3 schools that I wasn't really considering until I looked into their LGBTQ outreach/community (Duke, Michigan, Cornell). I was originally focusing on schools in major cities so I wouldn't have to worry about feeling like an outsider - I have a rough history with discrimination in rural places.

I wasn't convinced about UVA's queer-friendliness, and I've heard reports from friends that pretty much confirmed my suspicions. Maybe they are actively recruiting more LGBT students this cycle, and maybe I should have applied given their splitter-friendliness, but I have family in Charlottesville and I'm not a big fan of the city, even before the riots.

I didn't write a DS but my PS is a pretty risky one - don't want to get too specific but I come out and also come out about a specific LGBT issue that I want to focus my pro-bono work in. Let's hope it pays off!

NonTradHealthLaw, thank you for those tips and your kind words! I'm actually excited to be moving into an industry that isn't dominated by women and gay men, but I know that I'll need a good crew with me.

Im gay and went to Cornell for undergrad and had friends in the law school while I was there, the city and university/Law school are super gay friendly

[Xyznopfgh]

Im gay and went to Cornell for undergrad and had friends in the law school while I was there, the city and university/Law school are super gay friendly

Yeah I feel pretty good about Ithaca, I have family in upstate New York. I was more concerned about Durham and Ann Arbor but it seems like both are very safe/supportive/inclusive places as well!

Glad to hear you had a good experience there - is it on the top of your list for schools? I know they've been all over the place this cycle but they might be one of my only T13 acceptances depending on how the December LSAT went, and they haven't dinged me yet, so I'm trying to brace myself for the cold and stay optimistic.

[jimmyplayer601]

Im gay and went to Cornell for undergrad and had friends in the law school while I was there, the city and university/Law school are super gay friendly

Yeah I feel pretty good about Ithaca, I have family in upstate New York. I was more concerned about Durham and Ann Arbor but it seems like both are very safe/supportive/inclusive places as well!

Glad to hear you had a good experience there - is it on the top of your list for schools? I know they've been all over the place this cycle but they might be one of my only T13 acceptances depending on how the December LSAT went, and they haven't dinged me yet, so I'm trying to brace myself for the cold and stay optimistic.

It’s more like on bottom haha, I’m from Southern California and after 4 years in Ithaca I can’t do that again. They already accepted me, I just plan on using them for scholarship negotiation if I can. So far I’ve also gotten into duke and Michigan as well, so your list haha. I like that duke has an hiv policy clinic while at Michigan I may get a dual degree in social work. I’m interested in going into big Law but doing a lot of lgbtq related pro bono

[Versailles1919]

Wanted to share that I got into Notre Dame a couple of days ago! It's definitely one of my top choices. I hope everyone's cycle is turning out well! Anyone get into their top choice/a school they're highly considering?

Congrats! However, as someone who went to a catholic undergrad, maybe ND isn't such a good idea?? I def didnt have the kind of community here I might have at other schools.

Thank you! However, I do have to disagree. Notre Dame has an LGBT law forum, and is committed to grooming a "different kind of lawyer" as they say. I think they seek to welcome all different types of students, and my PS, DS and Why Notre Dame statement all mentioned that I was a gay male. Will there be as many gays in South Bend and ND as there are in major urban cities or at some different schools? No. But I don't think I will feel like an outcast for my sexuality. Also, everyone in the Catholic community is not against gay marriage. Just depends on the person and their interpretation like anything else.

[commieprince]

Merry Christmas fellow queers!!!! checking in, gay Filipino male here.

I'm not sure how adcomms view LGBTQ+ status other than that some of us have had rough come-ups, but I applied to some LGBTQ+ friendly schools or schools in LGBTQ+ friendly cities coz ain't nobody trynna get stuck in hetero hell for 3+ years. Berkeley, Minnesota, UWash, and UCLA to name four.

Looking forward to hearing how everybody fares this season!! keepin y'all in my thoughts xoxo

[yan]

I wasn't convinced about UVA's queer-friendliness, and I've heard reports from friends that pretty much confirmed my suspicions. Maybe they are actively recruiting more LGBT students this cycle, and maybe I should have applied given their splitter-friendliness, but I have family in Charlottesville and I'm not a big fan of the city, even before the riots.

If you're able, would you mind sharing what your friends had to say? I don't really know anyone who's been to the school/from the area, so I'm in the dark. I even asked about this during the interview, and received a very enthusiastic response, that included, among other things, the statistic that over 10% of the class is LGBT (it's unfortunate that they don't break this down further!), but it's very difficult to extrapolate anything from that about attitudes among the cis/hetero majority at the school/in the community at large, which is what's keeping me on the fence. If anyone else has any thoughts I'd appreciate hearing them!

[ilpsm]

I wasn't convinced about UVA's queer-friendliness, and I've heard reports from friends that pretty much confirmed my suspicions. Maybe they are actively recruiting more LGBT students this cycle, and maybe I should have applied given their splitter-friendliness, but I have family in Charlottesville and I'm not a big fan of the city, even before the riots.

If you're able, would you mind sharing what your friends had to say? I don't really know anyone who's been to the school/from the area, so I'm in the dark. I even asked about this during the interview, and received a very enthusiastic response, that included, among other things, the statistic that over 10% of the class is LGBT (it's unfortunate that they don't break this down further!), but it's very difficult to extrapolate anything from that about attitudes among the cis/hetero majority at the school/in the community at large, which is what's keeping me on the fence. If anyone else has any thoughts I'd appreciate hearing them!

dean faulk seemed very enthusiastic about the lgbt-friendliness of the school. i have a coworker who went to uva for undergrad (and elsewhere for law school) and he said it's a very welcoming environment, as least as far as for undergrad. he is also incredibly ~fratty~ so i'd think if anyone is going to encounter backwards opinions re: the lgbtq community it would probably be him. i'm very much considering uva unless columbia or nyu throws significant money at me and, despite what i originally thought, i don't think the lgbt environment at uva will be an issue for me at all.

i'd also like to hear more about lgbtq-friendliness at uva or other schools not in the northeast as i realize my sample size is probably way too small

[Experiment626]

While it's not T14, I'm applying to PT programs in DC, does anyone have thoughts about George Mason (ASLS/ASS LAW). I know some people that graduated from there prior to the name change and they said their experience was fine but they hate the name change. The idea of potentially having that name on my degree is very meh. Anyone else feel the same?

[Xyznopfgh]

I wasn't convinced about UVA's queer-friendliness, and I've heard reports from friends that pretty much confirmed my suspicions. Maybe they are actively recruiting more LGBT students this cycle, and maybe I should have applied given their splitter-friendliness, but I have family in Charlottesville and I'm not a big fan of the city, even before the riots.

If you're able, would you mind sharing what your friends had to say? I don't really know anyone who's been to the school/from the area, so I'm in the dark. I even asked about this during the interview, and received a very enthusiastic response, that included, among other things, the statistic that over 10% of the class is LGBT (it's unfortunate that they don't break this down further!), but it's very difficult to extrapolate anything from that about attitudes among the cis/hetero majority at the school/in the community at large, which is what's keeping me on the fence. If anyone else has any thoughts I'd appreciate hearing them!

dean faulk seemed very enthusiastic about the lgbt-friendliness of the school. i have a coworker who went to uva for undergrad (and elsewhere for law school) and he said it's a very welcoming environment, as least as far as for undergrad. he is also incredibly ~fratty~ so i'd think if anyone is going to encounter backwards opinions re: the lgbtq community it would probably be him. i'm very much considering uva unless columbia or nyu throws significant money at me and, despite what i originally thought, i don't think the lgbt environment at uva will be an issue for me at all.

i'd also like to hear more about lgbtq-friendliness at uva or other schools not in the northeast as i realize my sample size is probably way too small

Both accounts I heard highlighted how preppy/fratty UVA was - just very white bread, and more conservative, compared to the rest of the T14. So the concern was more feeling like an outsider as opposed to outright discrimination. Honestly I had assumed the same about Duke, but given their clinical offerings and Dean Hoye, I feel like there was more of an effort to be inclusive of LGBTQ issues and community. Also, it seems like the Raleigh-Durham area of NC is significantly more progressive than Charlottesville in VA, with more queer spaces, etc.

That being said, I just got a fee waiver from UVA the same day I got dinged from Cornell, so I think I'll be putting an app out there anyway! I would like to visit both Duke and UVA and see the environment for myself, if I happen to get accepted to either school. At the end of the day 1L is all in the library anyway and any experience is what you make of it

[Versailles1919]

How is everyone's cycle going so far?!

[ilpsm]

~

[principalagent]

How is everyone's cycle going so far?!

A little nervous about my T6 chances after yesterday, but really getting excited about the named scholarships I have/have interviewed for in the T10. I’m sure I would be happy at either. And realistically, free >>> 200+k in debt

[pizzapocky]

How is everyone's cycle going so far?!

Still anxious but cautiously optimistic and happy with what's happened so far. I've done better than I expected given my gpa, especially at schools reputed to prize gpas much higher than mine. Good luck to everyone!

[andysimbi]

How is everyone's cycle going so far?!

Feeling great about acceptances, but very nervous about scholarships. We’ll see how it plays out I guess...

[Versailles1919]

How is everyone's cycle going so far?!

A little nervous about my T6 chances after yesterday, but really getting excited about the named scholarships I have/have interviewed for in the T10. I’m sure I would be happy at either. And realistically, free >>> 200+k in debt

T10 is still amazing, especially with significant scholarships! What happened with your T6 options?

[Versailles1919]

How is everyone's cycle going so far?!

Still anxious but cautiously optimistic and happy with what's happened so far. I've done better than I expected given my gpa, especially at schools reputed to prize gpas much higher than mine. Good luck to everyone!

I agree! I feel as if my cycle is going even better than expected. Even scholarship has been great. Hope it continues for you!

[principalagent]

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[MarkBaker212]

Checking in. Trans male here. I am completely stealth and do not want to be out in school or in life, for a variety of reasons, but primarily because I identify as a man and do not want to be viewed as anything more or less. At first I was going to come out in my PS, but I decided that if you want to keep something a secret, don't tell anyone! lol. Sure, in theory the admissions committees need to keep things confidential, but all it takes is one of them talking to a spouse or a friend at a bar and the cat is out. I may never know who knows but if I am a litigator down the line or in any situation where someone would want to sabotage me or my case, they could out me! It is a vulnerability. I tend to attract conflict and haters so the less vulnerable I am the better. I never back down from a challenge. One of my parents is a high ranking politician and that is another vulnerability, if the connection was made.

However, I would be interested in some feedback from other LGBTQ law school applicants. I may have an advantage in a DS at some schools to get in, if I come out. LSAT score not in yet! Taking it next week. PTing between 158 and 163. I am not worried about it.

I am NOT looking at T14 or schools in the North. Cost is more important to me than rank, and I want to stay in the South. Will consider Nevada or CO though. My GPA is a 3.33, but my GPA in my major was a 3.7. 4.0 senior year of college so I will note to the schools to pay close attention to the trends in grades. I have 15 years of work experience in the legal community in DC and in the South. Transitioned 10 years ago.

Yall might think I am crazy, but I am applying to Ole Miss. The price is right! 15K a year in state tuition. Also applying in Texas and to OU, thus far. Considering Wake Forest and William and Mary.

Any thoughts on any of this?