Howard v. Hofstra Forum

[Meowaka]

The way it works is that the firm hires you into their summer associate program after your 1L year. You then spend 2L summer working for the firm and hopefully get an offer during fall of your 3L year.

Now there are a lot of different type of organizations that have different hiring schedules (judges, if they are going to hire law students for clerkships, hire them during spring 2L or fall 3L), but the work it sounds like you want to do will basically require biglaw.

Now I know I am revealing my igorance here... but if I don't ask I'll never know. What does everyone mean by "biglaw?" Is there a website of the companies that make up this thing, or is it an area of the US or something? A firm of more than 500 people? I tried to look it up, but I wasn't sure what I was looking for...

[unodostres]

You need to read around this forum and stop asking to get info spoon fed to you. I mean, there is an article on this website that tells you what it is.

[TheSpanishMain]

Other people can correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think there are any schools worth attending that allow students to start in the spring. Because of this you will probably have to sit out a full cycle and are probably better served retaking the LSAT in September to give yourself more time to prepare.

Right. That's not impossible for us, we can make that work. So by sitting out a full cycle, does that entail pulling out any pending applications with a nice "thanks but I'm not ready yet, sorry to waste your time" letter? God, I can't imagine how stupid I look to all of you, and how I look to the people evaluating me currently.

I really am not an idiot. I made a mistake. I just need to know the best way to salvage this situation. From what I'm hearing from you all, it's not too late, as long as I manage to boss the next LSAT.

Don't worry about it. A) You won't be applying to Howard or Hofstra again, if you're smart and B) Students withdraw all the time. The school isn't going to remember you and blacklist you or something.

I'd recommend you forget about this cycle, focus on the LSAT, and lurk around TLS for awhile to give yourself a better understanding of law school/the legal market/terminology

[Meowaka]

You need to read around this forum and stop asking to get info spoon fed to you. I mean, there is an article on this website that tells you what it is.

Sounds good, I'll take a look for it.

[reasonable_man]

Op, you have to be a troll. You just have to be. A special snowflake with a BA from a junk college in God knows what with a low LSAT Score, talking about attending two terrible law schools (and planning on transferring out no less), with the intent to do "international law..." You just have to be a troll - its just too perfect. I mean, you're even pretending to me too dense to know that no one keeps merit scholarships at dumps like Hofstra... Its just too perfect...

You're not really living up to your username here, dude. Besides, if OP were a flame, she'd be ignoring the advice people are giving her, and she's not.

Fine - I'll admit, the responses don't necessarily scream troll, but honestly, I mean... come on ... Its like every single box a law school scam blogger would want to check off...

[mornincounselor]

Post removed.

[A. Nony Mouse]

Op, you have to be a troll. You just have to be. A special snowflake with a BA from a junk college in God knows what with a low LSAT Score, talking about attending two terrible law schools (and planning on transferring out no less), with the intent to do "international law..." You just have to be a troll - its just too perfect. I mean, you're even pretending to me too dense to know that no one keeps merit scholarships at dumps like Hofstra... Its just too perfect...

You're not really living up to your username here, dude. Besides, if OP were a flame, she'd be ignoring the advice people are giving her, and she's not.

Fine - I'll admit, the responses don't necessarily scream troll, but honestly, I mean... come on ... Its like every single box a law school scam blogger would want to check off...

Yeah. But sadly, I think that's because the experience is so common.

[Meowaka]

Fine - I'll admit, the responses don't necessarily scream troll, but honestly, I mean... come on ... Its like every single box a law school scam blogger would want to check off...

I get how one could see it that way. But I'd like to explain a few things, in case you're interested in the story.

Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand is not a junk college. Neither is my post graduate degree that I have from that institution - Honours Philosophy, thesis work included. I focused in analytic philosophy, and I went to New Zealand in the first place because I wanted to be in a smaller environment so I could really thrive. Plus, I was able to finish my undergraduate degree with two majors in half the time - analytic philosophy and religious studies. I also thought that having world experience would make me interesting for future employment.

I didn't always think about going to law school. If I had, I would probably know more than I do now. It was once I finished my undergraduate degree that the thought of "what's next?" creeped into my head. I happened to meet two lawyers who suggested that with my academic background, I'd probably be great at law. So I decided to look into a few courses in New Zealand while I was there, and at conferences I attended through philosophy, I also looked for any symposium or talk about law. I learned that I loved the subject matter because it felt like I was actually applying my skills that I'd already had.

Anyway, I know that practicing in the U.S. is where it's at (that's about all I knew), so I asked my then-boyfriend to move back to the states with me so I could apply for a school. I didn't want to apply for a J.D. program right away because I wanted to know if it was the right profession for me. I also didn't want to head straight back into writing essays, and I thought work experience would be useful. I applied for law firms around the country looking for work doing *anything* so I could learn about the profession from actual lawyers.

Last year was crazy – my dad had a major stroke and was unconscious for months without a living will. My partner and I got married. We struggled through making payments, unemployment for my husband for a few months, stressing about my dad, taking care of legal matters concerning him, and preparing for the LSAT. I didn't have time for anything else. SO, I didn't do research online through word of mouth because I was relying on the expertise of people who had already been through it.

If that doesn't clear up some of the bits and pieces, I'm not sure what will. Anyway, I will still be around the forum asking for help and taking the advice I've been given.

[Meowaka]

I've declined all offers from Howard, Hofstra, and Charlotte. Mini update, I guess.

[transferror]

I've declined all offers from Howard, Hofstra, and Charlotte. Mini update, I guess.

You made the right decision. Grind for the LSAT and go do big things. Good luck.

[phillywc]

I've declined all offers from Howard, Hofstra, and Charlotte. Mini update, I guess.

You made the right decision. Grind for the LSAT and go do big things. Good luck.

This. Such a nice surprise to see someone take the advice that could change their life so uch.

Get it Meowaka, if you are smart enough to turn away from your previous path, you are smart enough to get a better LSAT score

[reasonable_man]

I've declined all offers from Howard, Hofstra, and Charlotte. Mini update, I guess.

Good for you! Good luck on the LSAT prep.