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whats up all.

this application process is really throwing me through a loop and any help would be greatly aprpeciated.

heres my background. so i graduated with a BA in Psych (3.5 gpa...not so hot). i scored a 162 in the June lsat but it was significantly lower than what i was practicing at. im cracking away with the studying again and i really see myself reaching a 172 mark...hopefully.

in the meantime, however i want to get myself rolling with the applications so as to have them all ready as early as possible. btw- what is as early as possible or recommended?

so for personal statement i have no idea what to write. i want through a pretty rough time as i was engaged to be married a few years ago and we called it off. can i write about that experience and how its molded my ablity to decision make even against parents wishes? or does that show me to be irresponsible? is that an idea for a PS or am i headed in the total wrong direction...im a white jewish male with not much crazy stuff going on in my life...although ive written a few books on jewish law. is that worth mentioning? i was captain of hockey team throughout high school- is that worth mentioning? etc etc please give insights

also which schools should i be gearing towards? because i heard for lets say Penn (what are my chances?) id need to write another essay explaining why i chose that school.

all input greatly appreciated!!!

http://www.lawschoolnumbers.com

Prior to Thanksgiving is early enough, prior to that really isn't a significant difference (especially compared to retaking the LSAT in October).

0L here, but I've been doing my research and am applying in the cycle myself. I gather that writing a few books is quite an accomplishment. (The Ivey guide, which I follow, suggests writing a book is is very attractive). Maybe a PS that focuses on the connection with your culture, that inspired you to attend law school, would be most effective. Additionally, retaking the LSAT sounds like a good idea. If you could get 168 or above, I think some of the T20 would become available. For Penn, you would definitely need above a 170 to make up for the GPA.

Maybe I'm picturing it wrong, but I simply can't see the wedding experience coming off as relevant. Also, nothing before college (hs hockey) really matters.

As for Penn, with a 3.5 I'd say you'll have to get your score up 10 points to even have a shot. People around here will need more info to give you suggestions on more realistic options. What are you goals? Where do you want to practice?

i do very much indeed intend on scoring ten points higher as that was where i was approaching with PT. my break down in june was LR- -2 LG- -2 LR- -7 RC- -11. it actually is a little crazy that until question #20 on LR #2 all i had was 4 wrong and then...well i plummeted. got a bad headache. you can be sure i will be writing an addendum as i think it is pretty accurate considering how strong i was until that last leg.

in terms of where i want to practice, im not really concerned with that right now. i very much want to go to a prestigious law school and see where that can take me.

what about "softs"? i interned for a corporate law firm, i am currently interning for a supreme court justice, i have given many lecture pertaining to jewish law and have done more than my fair share of community service.

for reccomendations i was thinking of asking the dean of my college, the dean of my rabbinical college and the judge i am currently intering for. how does that sound? advice?

and in terms of my PS...i still need ideas!!!! helllppppp!!!!

psach44 wrote:i am currently interning for a supreme court justice

Please clarify.

unsure what clarification you need. i sit in the chambers with him, research the laws and the cases, sit through mediations, sit through motions and trials and tend to his documents as per case.

sambeber wrote:

psach44 wrote:i am currently interning for a supreme court justice

Please clarify.

OP is probably from New York where the lower court is called the Supreme Court. The Court of Appeals is the highest court.

sunynp wrote:

sambeber wrote:

psach44 wrote:i am currently interning for a supreme court justice

Please clarify.

OP is probably from New York where the lower court is called the Supreme Court. The Court of Appeals is the highest court.

Got it. Supreme Court Justice makes me think of these folks http://www.supremecourt.gov/about/biographies.aspx

indeed i am a ny-er. ok, now that we got this out of the way may we proceed with guidance? thanks...

psach44 wrote: for reccomendations i was thinking of asking the dean of my college, the dean of my rabbinical college and the judge i am currently intering for. how does that sound? advice?

and in terms of my PS...i still need ideas!!!! helllppppp!!!!

Do these deans know you personally? Generally, one or two of the recommendations for a recent grad should be from a professor because s/he can attest to the quality of your academic work in a specific context. If you've worked closesly with these deans, that sounds like it should work.

As far as your PS goes, don't stress too much about it. Just start writing and see where it takes you. If hockey's your passion, maybe you could write about how being on a team helped you develop leadership and team work and how that's carried over into your professional life and how it will continue to do so when you go into law.

yes both deans in fact know me quite intimately.

thats where i was thinking to take the hockey aspect but is it elementary to discuss high school experiences?

psach44 wrote:indeed i am a ny-er. ok, now that we got this out of the way may we proceed with guidance? thanks...

retaking = good idea
writing about a failed relationship = probably bad idea
writing about writing several books on jewish law = could be very good idea if done right

re: what schools you should be targetting > lawschoolpredictor.com. Should be good for trying to decide which schools to apply to when you don't actually have your final LSAT score. Return with your final LSAT score and you'll probably get some helpful advice. People on TLS aren't eager to give advice based on hypothetical or aspirational lsat numbers.

Some schools will require a Why X essay. Not able to offer any help on this since I couldn't be bothered to write anything special for any specific school...which got me YP'd from two schools.

I was under the impression that you weren't supposed to include extracurriculars/work experience from high school on your resume, not that you shouldn't discuss it in a personal statement. I've read many personal statements that begin with an event that happened during someone's childhood (not necessarily high school, but still). I think the important thing isn't to focus solely on the high school aspect but show how it's continued to affect you today, more like a jumping off point.

psach44 wrote:for reccomendations i was thinking of asking the dean of my college, the dean of my rabbinical college and the judge i am currently intering for. how does that sound? advice?

Dean could be okay, but schools tend to specifically want professors who have had you in class. They'll be able to speak to your scholarly abilities a bit better than administrators that have not had you as a student.

TommyK wrote:

psach44 wrote:indeed i am a ny-er. ok, now that we got this out of the way may we proceed with guidance? thanks...

retaking = good idea
writing about a failed relationship = probably bad idea
writing about writing several books on jewish law = could be very good idea if done right

re: what schools you should be targetting > lawschoolpredictor.com. Should be good for trying to decide which schools to apply to when you don't actually have your final LSAT score. Return with your final LSAT score and you'll probably get some helpful advice. People on TLS aren't eager to give advice based on hypothetical or aspirational lsat numbers.

Some schools will require a Why X essay. Not able to offer any help on this since I couldn't be bothered to write anything special for any specific school...which got me YP'd from two schools.

Start with a draft about writing/lecturing/having a passion for Jewish law. Explain why that will make you a good lawyer. You can usually get people here to read and critique your PS. People need a draft to read first, so write it and then see what people think.
If you care enough about a school to go there and they need a Why essay, just write one. Again people here will probably review it for you.

psach44 wrote:unsure what clarification you need. i sit in the chambers with him, research the laws and the cases, sit through mediations, sit through motions and trials and tend to his documents as per case.

Why not write about this? Or the books you wrote? Both are MUCH better topics than a failed engagement.

To be honest, I don't think anyone can really give you solid advice on where to apply until you know the results of your retake.