First Undergraduate Latino Law Students Association Forum

[Cincere El Lider]

Hello, I am a current undergrad student at the University Central Florida (UCF), I am a Legal Studies major and plan to start law school in the Fall of 2014. I am a Puerto Rican URM, I have a 3.64 GPA and I have not taken the LSAT yet. I am the founding President of The Lawtinos, a undergraduate organization that is dedicated to helping Latino students develop the necesary skills to become successful in law school and as lawyers. We are the first organization of its kind (as far as I know of) at the undergraduate level. We work with the civil rights organization LatinoJustice PRLDEF and grass-roots organization Frente Unidos 436 as we build up our organization.

Lastly, I am in the process of applying with SEO; a nonprofit that is dedicated to helping place underprivileged college students in Big Law internships befor they enter law school (the link is below.) I wish to know what you guys think of this. What are my chances of admission to law school look like and if you guys could lend any advise on building this group and more.

My short list for law schools are: University of Miami, Cornell University, Florida International University, University of Florida etc.

here is a url for The Lawtinos facebook page: --LinkRemoved--

SEO url http://www.seocareer.org/internships/law

Thanks in advance for the advise and tips!

[dawyzest1]

Can't really help you build your group up, sorry. And, we can't really help you understand your chances without an LSAT score. Once you have that we can be a lot more helpful.

I can say that your GPA is definitely good enough for all the schools you've listed. Just go out and get a strong LSAT and you'll be in business.

[howlery]

Not to shit on you or anything but I'm pretty sure there are other organizations/clubs for undergrads that help with law school admissions, skills, etc. Googling "latino pre law" brings up similar orgs at Berkely, UCLA, UCI, and Stanford on the first page alone. This is to say nothing of other resources aimed at all students which latino undergrads are free to access (like phi alpha delta, other pre law societies, etc.). I get that you'd want a boost for being the founder of something novel but I don't think that applies here.

I would also hope that you take a good look at the employment data for the schools you mentioned before deciding to attend. Make sure to advise the members of your organization to do the same. For example, here is the employment data for the University of Miami. It might look different from the school's brochure, but that doesn't mean that the site's numbers are wrong.

Also, what is legal studies? Is that like criminal justice or something?

[Tom Joad]

I dig the group's name. The Cracker Barristers is the only fun name I can think of for my ethnicity. Good luck, brother.

[HBBJohnStamos]

I dig the group's name. The Cracker Barristers is the only fun name I can think of for my ethnicity. Good luck, brother.

like this but with 180s and not sand

[Cincere El Lider]

I dig the group's name. The Cracker Barristers is the only fun name I can think of for my ethnicity. Good luck, brother.

Very funny lol

[Cincere El Lider]

Not to shit on you or anything but I'm pretty sure there are other organizations/clubs for undergrads that help with law school admissions, skills, etc. Googling "latino pre law" brings up similar orgs at Berkely, UCLA, UCI, and Stanford on the first page alone. This is to say nothing of other resources aimed at all students which latino undergrads are free to access (like Phi Alpha Delta, other pre law societies, etc.). I get that you'd want a boost for being the founder of something novel but I don't think that applies here.

I would also hope that you take a good look at the employment data for the schools you mentioned before deciding to attend. Make sure to advise the members of your organization to do the same. For example, here is the employment data for the University of Miami. It might look different from the school's brochure, but that doesn't mean that the site's numbers are wrong.

Also, what is legal studies? Is that like criminal justice or something?

Like I said, as faar as I know of and in my defense UCF doesnt have a law school. So I hope that says something about my drive lol. Anyways my major is nothing like Criminal Justice, the course work is akin to a "law school lite" (Tort law, Contracts, Property & Real Estate etc.)

[GW1010]

An "undergraduate law student association" seems like an oxymoron to me haha -- as for your chances, get a 160 on the LSAT and as a URM you should be in at every school on your short list, provided you apply early

[Cincere El Lider]

An "undergraduate law student association" seems like an oxymoron to me haha -- as for your chances, get a 160 on the LSAT and as a URM you should be in at every school on your short list, provided you apply early

How do you know this and how early is early?

[txdude45]

You should aim higher with that GPA. You don't want to shortchange yourself.

Also, SEO won't take you from any of those schools except maybe Cornell. They crave T14 students and only take a couple outside of that.

[Cincere El Lider]

You should aim higher with that GPA. You don't want to shortchange yourself.

Also, SEO won't take you from any of those schools except maybe Cornell. They crave T14 students and only take a couple outside of that.

You think so? Thanks for being supportive.

[txdude45]

You think so? Thanks for being supportive.

I'm just trying to be honest. Unless you crack the T14 you simply won't have a chance at SEO. I'm not just spitballing. I got a slot in the program for this summer and had my ear to the ground on the who/where of applicants. T14 isn't a guarantee (a lot of T6 people got denied this year), but it's pretty much a pre-requisite.

Even if you want to live/practice in Florida and don't care about getting SEO, don't waste that GPA on a FL school. If you get above 160 on the LSAT, apply to the T20 and pick from those. I cant get mylsn.info to work right now, but go to that site and plug in (3.5-3.8/160-168/URMs only) and see what you get.

[sublime]

..

[Cincere El Lider]

You think so? Thanks for being supportive.

I'm just trying to be honest. Unless you crack the T14 you simply won't have a chance at SEO. I'm not just spitballing. I got a slot in the program for this summer and had my ear to the ground on the who/where of applicants. T14 isn't a guarantee (a lot of T6 people got denied this year), but it's pretty much a pre-requisite.

Okay, tell me more about the SEO process. And where do you suggest I shoot for?
Even if you want to live/practice in Florida and don't care about getting SEO, don't waste that GPA on a FL school. If you get above 160 on the LSAT, apply to the T20 and pick from those. I cant get mylsn.info to work right now, but go to that site and plug in (3.5-3.8/160-168/URMs only) and see what you get.

[txdude45]

You think so? Thanks for being supportive.

I'm just trying to be honest. Unless you crack the T14 you simply won't have a chance at SEO. I'm not just spitballing. I got a slot in the program for this summer and had my ear to the ground on the who/where of applicants. T14 isn't a guarantee (a lot of T6 people got denied this year), but it's pretty much a pre-requisite.

Even if you want to live/practice in Florida and don't care about getting SEO, don't waste that GPA on a FL school. If you get above 160 on the LSAT, apply to the T20 and pick from those. I cant get mylsn.info to work right now, but go to that site and plug in (3.5-3.8/160-168/URMs only) and see what you get.

Okay, tell me more about the SEO process. And where do you suggest I shoot for?

160-164

Personally, I'd try to go ED at UVA in this spot b/c they're good for the FL market. Blanket the T20 and apply early.

165-170

Apply to all of the T14. Focus on the T8, or so. Apply as early as you can and write a "why X" for every school that will take one.

[Cincere El Lider]

You should aim higher with that GPA. You don't want to shortchange yourself.

Also, SEO won't take you from any of those schools except maybe Cornell. They crave T14 students and only take a couple outside of that.

Im making my personal statements over the summer. How early should I apply? Im probobly postponing the lsat to October.

[txdude45]

You should aim higher with that GPA. You don't want to shortchange yourself.

Also, SEO won't take you from any of those schools except maybe Cornell. They crave T14 students and only take a couple outside of that.

Im making my personal statements over the summer. How early should I apply? Im probobly postponing the lsat to October.

If you have a well packaged application, apply as soon as apps open for each school. That'll be around september/october.

[Cincere El Lider]

You should aim higher with that GPA. You don't want to shortchange yourself.

Also, SEO won't take you from any of those schools except maybe Cornell. They crave T14 students and only take a couple outside of that.

Thanks for hte advice, anything else I should know? Or at least haven't asked yet?
Im making my personal statements over the summer. How early should I apply? Im probobly postponing the lsat to October.

If you have a well packaged application, apply as soon as apps open for each school. That'll be around september/october.

[Cincere El Lider]

You should aim higher with that GPA. You don't want to shortchange yourself.

Also, SEO won't take you from any of those schools except maybe Cornell. They crave T14 students and only take a couple outside of that.

Is there anything else that I haven't asked or should know? Thanks for the inspiring words and info! You get an A in due dilligence.