3.36/168 - does WE matter? Forum

[JuanitaFromTheDiner]

3.36 lsac gpa and 168 lsat. I retook in Sept. because I was scoring in the low-mid 170s...and got a 166. Female non-URM. I've seen the mylsn #s for the T14 and they're not great. I'm also planning on applying to schools 15-20 and maybe a few 20-25.

However, I have 6 years' work experience and a successful career in publishing. Emphasizing that in my PS and 2/3 LORs are from employers, in addition to a professor/mentor's letter that emphasizes my mostly upward trend in gpa. Will my WE make a difference at all, especially in the T14? Any advice on what schools I should focus on? Columbia sent me a fee waiver - I'm assuming that's "yield protection"?

Thanks everyone - I really appreciate the advice on TLS.

[BigZuck]

No, that work experience isn't going to cause you to out-perform your numbers. Might be helpful during the job search in a couple years though.

Why law school? Why are you leaving a successful career and what do you want to do with a JD?

Are you considering retaking again?

[JuanitaFromTheDiner]

Haha - good question about the job given the tenuous (though improving) job market after law school. Long story short, I moved up the ladder really quickly in publishing and just feel like I've accomplished everything I wanted to in my career now. I'm interested largely in IP, given the work I do now on contracts and book rights.

Main reason gunning for a top school is that my partner is an academic and we're not sure where his job will lead us. So I'd like to end up at a school with a reputation that will give me flexibility in being able to (fingers crossed) get a job in different parts of the country.

I considered retaking a final time in Dec. for a hot second, but my instinct is that it's better to get my apps in asap, ideally by Nov. 1st. Do you think it's better to apply early than retake in Dec.? I was hoping to score 170+ in June and apply as soon as apps open...

Thanks for chiming in!

[BigZuck]

Unless you go to a tippy top school (I'm thinking T14 and even then there are some caveats), most law schools aren't going to open you up to a whole lot of markets. It's really dependent on the person, the particular school, and some market's proclivities, but generally speaking all that will really be open to you is maybe markets where you have strong ties (born and raised there, etc.), maybe the market your school is located in, and maybe New York City (if you have the grades for big law).

So, for example, if you're from California and go to a school like Washington University in Saint Louis, unless you get really good grades I wouldn't imagine that it will give you a whole lot of flexibility. Maybe you could get a job in CA. Maybe if you really hustle you could get a small firm or local government job in Saint Louis (WUSTL students might correct me on this one). If you get great grades maybe you can get big law in NYC. But I wouldn't expect it to open up, say, Chicago or Minneapolis as markets for you just by virtue of going to a good school in the same broad region of the country. The "worse" the school is the more geographically limited you will be.

You're kind of in a tough/weird spot IMO. You have to consider your partner's job (and given what I know about academia, unless he's a rockstar that could be anywhere). You have to go to a school that's good enough to get you a job. You have to go at an appropriate cost. You have to make it worth passing on an already successful career. And you have to do this all within the confines of being a splitter with "only" a 168.

I'm sure you have already but I would think really long and hard about all this. Can you narrow down a list of schools/markets? Will your current publishing career present some of the same geographic obstacles if you decide to stick with it?

[baal hadad]

Great info ab your chances here

[JuanitaFromTheDiner]

I know - I struggled with whether to create this thread. I wasn't sure whether more work experience than average was considered a super soft or mattered. Good to know.