Unusual Addendum Advice Forum

[z0rk]

Thanks in advance for reading. I am writing an addendum to explain a very low score of 149. I am seeking some advice as to whether the content is too much, or if it should provide more?

Additionally, I have an absence from an LSAT that I have not touched upon. The short story is this -- I was an RA in college when the October 2008 LSAT was being administered. I was living off campus in overflow housing with 125 students. Three days before the exam 25 students in our apartment units had bed bugs. The school declared this issue and emergency and mandated that we move out of those houses and into a hotel for the remainder of the semester. The date for the move was the October LSAT. Furthermore, as the RA the schools communications office asked that I speak to the local news and media as a student representative. It was a stressful time and I decided not to go to the administration of the exam. Is this even worth mentioning?

Below is my addendum on the score (note, the actual version will contain my firms name, lawyers name, etc. I felt this information was too much to post on a public web forum):


A few weeks prior to the administration of the December 2010 LSAT I was tasked with a major work project that significantly impacted my level of sleep, focus, and preparedness for the December 2010 exam.

I work as a civil litigation paralegal at [REDACTED], a mid size firm of approximately 40 attorneys, located in Baltimore, Maryland. On November 15, 2010, [REDACTED], an attorney at my firm, was appointed temporary receiver over a fraudulent loan modification company pursuant to a temporary restraining order (“TRO”) issued in the US District Court of Maryland in a lawsuit prosecuted by the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”). Pursuant to the TRO, I was tasked with a team of lawyers, forensic accountants, and federal agents to assist the court-appointed receiver with a coordinated investigation of the fraudulent company. On November 17, 2010 I accompanied the court-appointed receiver, counsel for the FTC, and certain other members of our investigation team on a raid of the fraudulent entity. From that date forward I began working unusual 15-18 hour days. This work schedule was sustained well beyond the December 2010 exam. While I feel this work was extremely rewarding and enriching, it also proved detrimental to my sleep, focus, and study habits in the final weeks before the exam.For this reason I was disappointed when I received my score of 149. My December 2010 LSAT score was close to my diagnostic exam and it did not reflect the level of achievement I was reaching through study.

For more information regarding the lawsuit, including a scanned copy of the TRO, please see http://www.rrf-receiver.com . Also, for more information on our firm please visit our website at [REDACTED].

[Tiago Splitter]

This is ridiculous. Take the test again.

[CanadianWolf]

Retake since it is unlikely that you'll be admitted to a solid law school with a 149 LSAT score. If you do write the addendum, make it short & to the point:

"I had to work unusually long hours during the weeks immediately preceding the LSAT. I should have postponed taking the test because I was tired & unprepared due to unexpected work demands."

[z0rk]

Sorry, I don't think I was clear. I already retook and achieved a score of 157, this is just to explain the lower of my two scores.

[z0rk]

Retake since it is unlikely that you'll be admitted to a solid law school with a 149 LSAT score. If you do write the addendum, make it short & to the point:

"I had to work unusually long hours during the weeks immediately preceding the LSAT. I should have postponed taking the test because I was tired & unprepared due to unexpected work demands."

So, is it too much to include details regarding the receivership? This was honestly a part of my work that I could not foresee - TRO's are signed the day the suit is filed. The receiver had heads up, but due to the confidential nature I was not told of this work until the day he was appointed.

Also, is it worth discussing the absence?

I know some may urge me to retake again with a 157 - I want to caution I am applying to part time night schools, and that another retake is rather difficult for me at this moment.