OLD SCHOOL (must be 30 and over ITT) Forum

[rinkrat19]

I am so happy to have found this thread.

Im 33 and I have been a college professor and debate coach for 5 years. I recently took the lsat and got a 161. Now I would like to explore the idea of going to ls. However, my ugpa was low (2.75, although I have over 70 hours of grad work with a 3.65 gpa), and I need to find a school where I can get in and get money (I am married with 4 kids, can't really afford a ton more debt). I don't mind t 3/4, because I want to be a govt criminal attorney anyways.

Any suggestions for schools to apply to that are sympathetic to nontrads?

There are plenty of splitter-friendly schools out there, and work experience helps offset GPA to a certain extent, but your range of options would widen a LOT if you could retake the LSAT and bring your score up to the high-160s. You might get some scholarship money at a T How much did you study this time around? Do you feel like you reached your absolute pinnacle with a 161?

Plugging your numbers into Law School Predictor, you get 'Deny' pretty much down to schools ranked in the mid-60s. Raising the LSAT to just 167 gets you 'Consider' all the way up to schools ranked in the high-20s/low-30s. (Which means possibly some money at lower T-2 schools.) That's a HUUUUGE difference in prestige, job placement, and overall number of schools to choose from. A 167 also probably earns you some application fee waivers from LSAC.

There are plenty of tier 1 and tier 2 grads taking the government attorney jobs--don't tell yourself that all you need is a JD from wherever to pick up a job. Do some research on this forum about the REAL job prospects of t3/4 grads. It is, sadly, not pretty.

[gregthomas77]

I am so happy to have found this thread.

Im 33 and I have been a college professor and debate coach for 5 years. I recently took the lsat and got a 161. Now I would like to explore the idea of going to ls. However, my ugpa was low (2.75, although I have over 70 hours of grad work with a 3.65 gpa), and I need to find a school where I can get in and get money (I am married with 4 kids, can't really afford a ton more debt). I don't mind t 3/4, because I want to be a govt criminal attorney anyways.

Any suggestions for schools to apply to that are sympathetic to nontrads?

There are plenty of splitter-friendly schools out there, and work experience helps offset GPA to a certain extent, but your range of options would widen a LOT if you could retake the LSAT and bring your score up to the high-160s. You might get some scholarship money at a T How much did you study this time around? Do you feel like you reached your absolute pinnacle with a 161?

Plugging your numbers into Law School Predictor, you get 'Deny' pretty much down to schools ranked in the mid-60s. Raising the LSAT to just 167 gets you 'Consider' all the way up to schools ranked in the high-20s/low-30s. (Which means possibly some money at lower T-2 schools.) That's a HUUUUGE difference in prestige, job placement, and overall number of schools to choose from. A 167 also probably earns you some application fee waivers from LSAC.

There are plenty of tier 1 and tier 2 grads taking the government attorney jobs--don't tell yourself that all you need is a JD from wherever to pick up a job. Do some research on this forum about the REAL job prospects of t3/4 grads. It is, sadly, not pretty.

I took 1.5 practice tests the week before the exam. That was the extent of my studying.

I could retake it maybe in June (not enough time to really study for the Feb. test) and apply again next year. I would like to apply some places this year though just to (a) go through the process and (b) see what happens.

And, by the way, I got fee waivers from almost everywhere, including Harvard, Duke, Northwestern, Carolina, Seton Hall,....too many to list. Its like a cruel joke.

[rinkrat19]

I am so happy to have found this thread.

Im 33 and I have been a college professor and debate coach for 5 years. I recently took the lsat and got a 161. Now I would like to explore the idea of going to ls. However, my ugpa was low (2.75, although I have over 70 hours of grad work with a 3.65 gpa), and I need to find a school where I can get in and get money (I am married with 4 kids, can't really afford a ton more debt). I don't mind t 3/4, because I want to be a govt criminal attorney anyways.

Any suggestions for schools to apply to that are sympathetic to nontrads?

There are plenty of splitter-friendly schools out there, and work experience helps offset GPA to a certain extent, but your range of options would widen a LOT if you could retake the LSAT and bring your score up to the high-160s. You might get some scholarship money at a T How much did you study this time around? Do you feel like you reached your absolute pinnacle with a 161?

Plugging your numbers into Law School Predictor, you get 'Deny' pretty much down to schools ranked in the mid-60s. Raising the LSAT to just 167 gets you 'Consider' all the way up to schools ranked in the high-20s/low-30s. (Which means possibly some money at lower T-2 schools.) That's a HUUUUGE difference in prestige, job placement, and overall number of schools to choose from. A 167 also probably earns you some application fee waivers from LSAC.

There are plenty of tier 1 and tier 2 grads taking the government attorney jobs--don't tell yourself that all you need is a JD from wherever to pick up a job. Do some research on this forum about the REAL job prospects of t3/4 grads. It is, sadly, not pretty.

I took 1.5 practice tests the week before the exam. That was the extent of my studying.

I could retake it maybe in June (not enough time to really study for the Feb. test) and apply again next year. I would like to apply some places this year though just to (a) go through the process and (b) see what happens.

And, by the way, I got fee waivers from almost everywhere, including Harvard, Duke, Northwestern, Carolina, Seton Hall,....too many to list. Its like a cruel joke.

Sounds to me like you could definitely get over 170 with a couple of months studying. I raised mine from a 164 (cold diagnostic) to a 171 in 7 weeks, while working full-time and frankly, not studying all that hard. Apply this year by all means, but you'd be selling yourself short if you didn't retake.

[JazzOne]

I am so happy to have found this thread.

Im 33 and I have been a college professor and debate coach for 5 years. I recently took the lsat and got a 161. Now I would like to explore the idea of going to ls. However, my ugpa was low (2.75, although I have over 70 hours of grad work with a 3.65 gpa), and I need to find a school where I can get in and get money (I am married with 4 kids, can't really afford a ton more debt). I don't mind t 3/4, because I want to be a govt criminal attorney anyways.

Any suggestions for schools to apply to that are sympathetic to nontrads?

There are plenty of splitter-friendly schools out there, and work experience helps offset GPA to a certain extent, but your range of options would widen a LOT if you could retake the LSAT and bring your score up to the high-160s. You might get some scholarship money at a T How much did you study this time around? Do you feel like you reached your absolute pinnacle with a 161?

Plugging your numbers into Law School Predictor, you get 'Deny' pretty much down to schools ranked in the mid-60s. Raising the LSAT to just 167 gets you 'Consider' all the way up to schools ranked in the high-20s/low-30s. (Which means possibly some money at lower T-2 schools.) That's a HUUUUGE difference in prestige, job placement, and overall number of schools to choose from. A 167 also probably earns you some application fee waivers from LSAC.

There are plenty of tier 1 and tier 2 grads taking the government attorney jobs--don't tell yourself that all you need is a JD from wherever to pick up a job. Do some research on this forum about the REAL job prospects of t3/4 grads. It is, sadly, not pretty.

I took 1.5 practice tests the week before the exam. That was the extent of my studying.

I could retake it maybe in June (not enough time to really study for the Feb. test) and apply again next year. I would like to apply some places this year though just to (a) go through the process and (b) see what happens.

And, by the way, I got fee waivers from almost everywhere, including Harvard, Duke, Northwestern, Carolina, Seton Hall,....too many to list. Its like a cruel joke.

Study and retake. 170 is a magic line that can open up top schools and scholarships. I'm not paying for law school, and it's all because I was patient enough to sit out until I had the right LSAT score.

[gregthomas77]

I am so happy to have found this thread.

Im 33 and I have been a college professor and debate coach for 5 years. I recently took the lsat and got a 161. Now I would like to explore the idea of going to ls. However, my ugpa was low (2.75, although I have over 70 hours of grad work with a 3.65 gpa), and I need to find a school where I can get in and get money (I am married with 4 kids, can't really afford a ton more debt). I don't mind t 3/4, because I want to be a govt criminal attorney anyways.

Any suggestions for schools to apply to that are sympathetic to nontrads?

There are plenty of splitter-friendly schools out there, and work experience helps offset GPA to a certain extent, but your range of options would widen a LOT if you could retake the LSAT and bring your score up to the high-160s. You might get some scholarship money at a T How much did you study this time around? Do you feel like you reached your absolute pinnacle with a 161?

Plugging your numbers into Law School Predictor, you get 'Deny' pretty much down to schools ranked in the mid-60s. Raising the LSAT to just 167 gets you 'Consider' all the way up to schools ranked in the high-20s/low-30s. (Which means possibly some money at lower T-2 schools.) That's a HUUUUGE difference in prestige, job placement, and overall number of schools to choose from. A 167 also probably earns you some application fee waivers from LSAC.

There are plenty of tier 1 and tier 2 grads taking the government attorney jobs--don't tell yourself that all you need is a JD from wherever to pick up a job. Do some research on this forum about the REAL job prospects of t3/4 grads. It is, sadly, not pretty.

I took 1.5 practice tests the week before the exam. That was the extent of my studying.

I could retake it maybe in June (not enough time to really study for the Feb. test) and apply again next year. I would like to apply some places this year though just to (a) go through the process and (b) see what happens.

And, by the way, I got fee waivers from almost everywhere, including Harvard, Duke, Northwestern, Carolina, Seton Hall,....too many to list. Its like a cruel joke.

Sounds to me like you could definitely get over 170 with a couple of months studying. I raised mine from a 164 (cold diagnostic) to a 171 in 7 weeks, while working full-time and frankly, not studying all that hard. Apply this year by all means, but you'd be selling yourself short if you didn't retake.

Yeah, I think this is the way to go. I awill apply to a bunch of places with fee waivers, but I will retest in either June or October for next cycle.

[homestyle28]

1. It is not entirely unreasonable to work for biglaw and still be home by 6:30 4 nights a week, eat dinner with my kid, talk about homework, read her a story, put her to bed, and then work from home until midnight (fine by me).

It's my general impression that a lot of weeks this is true. But there will be times where you'll have to stay late/all night/go out of town unexpectedly, at least that's what I understand. I think jazzone is the only person qualified on this thread to chime in w/experience. My impression is that it can very wildly by firm/supervisor/practice. If I knew I could count on preserving 6:30pm-9pm for dinner/fam time biglaw would seem much more doable.

[JazzOne]

1. It is not entirely unreasonable to work for biglaw and still be home by 6:30 4 nights a week, eat dinner with my kid, talk about homework, read her a story, put her to bed, and then work from home until midnight (fine by me).

It's my general impression that a lot of weeks this is true. But there will be times where you'll have to stay late/all night/go out of town unexpectedly, at least that's what I understand. I think jazzone is the only person qualified on this thread to chime in w/experience. My impression is that it can very wildly by firm/supervisor/practice. If I knew I could count on preserving 6:30pm-9pm for dinner/fam time biglaw would seem much more doable.

I'm not an attorney yet, so obviously, my experience is limited and indirect. I worked as a summer clerk for a firm last year, and I have chatted with quite a few biglaw attorneys about their firms and jobs. Litigators tend to work regular hours, but transactional lawyers face deadlines more frequently, so they work more at the whim of their clients. On the other hand, litigators actually have to go to trial once in a while, and it's a huge ordeal, often out of town, and it consumes all your time while the trial is occurring. Yet, litigation is a bit more recession proof, whereas transactional work really falls off in a down economy.

I have met a lot of biglaw attorneys with families. I worked for this one partner who had some young boys, and he was the coach of their little league football team. Also, I have failed to mention something in my previous posts. It is true that I will be working at a biglaw firm for half of this upcoming summer, but I also have a job with a smaller firm for the other half of the summer. This smaller firm pays less; let's say the salary is about half of a biglaw attorney's. But the office is in a really cool city, and the firm has some terrific advancement possibilities for someone looking to get on partner track. Right now, I'm leaning toward the biglaw gig because the job actually pays above market salary, and that's a lot of money to give up, but I'm keeping an open mind about my future. Then again, I'm really excited about the type of cases that the biglaw firm handles, and I am just all around excited about this semester and this summer. Anyway, some of these little gem jobs are out there. There isn't a huge midlaw market, but if you know going in that you want that type of work, you can start to network towards that goal right from the start of law school.

I had my first day of 2L law review office duty today, so I'm kind of in a good mood. It was nice to get back into the swing of things, even though I don't have any grades for last semester yet. j;dfsaj;fdsaj;sdfak;fds

[haus]

I am 38, I am married, and have a daughter who will be turning two soon.

My UG GPA should work out to about a 3.1 the way that LSAC figures it, although the reality is a bit of a split, my early grades (back in the early 1990's) were fairly low. The ~44 credits that I took to complete my B.S. came in at about 3.9. After running out of money during my first effort a college I enlisted in the Marine Corps, when I got out I ended up working on a phone tech support position, which lead me into the fun world of systems administration.

I have spent the last 15 years in the Information Technology field, with the last half of that time mostly in Information Security. Much of my evenings and weekends are currently being consumed by my efforts to earn a Masters degree in Information Technology, which I am hopeful will be completed at the end of the year (3.5 GPA on my grad work, still waiting for last terms grades to hit).

Currently I live in Northern Virginia, not far from Washington DC. My current thought is to start studying for the LSAT once I have completed my Masters, perhaps sitting for the exam in the summer of '12. Then apply for P/T programs in the DC area (fortunately as far as P/T programs go, DC seems to be a target rich environment). My goal is to continue working through law school, much as I have through my Masters program, in part to keep the income and the benefits, but also because my end goal is to work on contractual and regulation work in the Information Security field and as such hope that my current career will be of use to me as the education helps me to tweak my career path.

[er doctor]

Hey all - late to the party (just found this thread)

39 here turning 40 this summer. Law is definitely a second career for me but one I have been moving towards for a while now. Probably going to have to move for school and leave the SO behind for a while but we have been talking that out.

Glad to have this thread!

[stevededalus]

Are you really an E.R. doctor? I'd be interested in knowing more about your choice to pursue law.

[er doctor]

Are you really an E.R. doctor? I'd be interested in knowing more about your choice to pursue law.

Yes I am. What would you like to know?

[stevededalus]

Are you really an E.R. doctor? I'd be interested in knowing more about your choice to pursue law.

Yes I am. What would you like to know?

What prompted you to want a law degree?

[uci2013]

i hate the idea of having to pay to store things, but i know we'll be downsizing significantly and my SO is also unusually attached to his "stuff." i'm hoping after the first year he'll realize we don't need it and we can have a big old garage sale!!

i'm glad this thread exists

We just did this over X-Mas break. Hubby moved down to SoCal. Student housing is just to good to pass up but we have 1/3 the square footage we had back home. When I did the cost analysis of selling everything and buying new stuff versus the cost of moving and storage it was close to breakeven either way. The only issue is where I get a job when I graduate. If it is in a city like NYC then we probably still won't have room for all our furniture and things. I took tons of pictures in case my hubby decides it makes sense to sell.

[er doctor]

It's a long story but...

When I was in med school I started becoming interested in how the law intersects with medicine and actually started taking classes towards a Masters in Jurisprudence in Healthcare Law. Of course, it is sheer insanity to pursue a medical degree and a masters concurrently, so I never finished the masters.

Fast forward 13 years and I find myself looking for something different in my career. Too many nights weekends and holidays; too many frustrations with the healthcare system; no longer having fun at my job. I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to pursue a second career and law seems like a natural fit.

At least I know I always have something to fall back on if the law gig doesn't work out.

[JazzOne]

It's a long story but...

When I was in med school I started becoming interested in how the law intersects with medicine and actually started taking classes towards a Masters in Jurisprudence in Healthcare Law. Of course, it is sheer insanity to pursue a medical degree and a masters concurrently, so I never finished the masters.

Fast forward 13 years and I find myself looking for something different in my career. Too many nights weekends and holidays; too many frustrations with the healthcare system; no longer having fun at my job. I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to pursue a second career and law seems like a natural fit.

At least I know I always have something to fall back on if the law gig doesn't work out.

Welcome to the thread. I am a 2L, but I am considering medical school in the future. I was a premed UG, and I taught MCAT for five years, so I have all the prereqs and scores. I would like to study health policy and work in academia. I need to put in a few years at the firm to save up some money, but I'm pretty sure I'll get the bug to go back to school for an MD within the next decade.

[er doctor]

It's a long story but...

When I was in med school I started becoming interested in how the law intersects with medicine and actually started taking classes towards a Masters in Jurisprudence in Healthcare Law. Of course, it is sheer insanity to pursue a medical degree and a masters concurrently, so I never finished the masters.

Fast forward 13 years and I find myself looking for something different in my career. Too many nights weekends and holidays; too many frustrations with the healthcare system; no longer having fun at my job. I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to pursue a second career and law seems like a natural fit.

At least I know I always have something to fall back on if the law gig doesn't work out.

Welcome to the thread. I am a 2L, but I am considering medical school in the future. I was a premed UG, and I taught MCAT for five years, so I have all the prereqs and scores. I would like to study health policy and work in academia. I need to put in a few years at the firm to save up some money, but I'm pretty sure I'll get the bug to go back to school for an MD within the next decade.

I applaud your decision but I think I may have had it easier: clinical rotations third and fourth year of medical school are a young person's game and I don't know that I could do that now.

[JazzOne]

It's a long story but...

When I was in med school I started becoming interested in how the law intersects with medicine and actually started taking classes towards a Masters in Jurisprudence in Healthcare Law. Of course, it is sheer insanity to pursue a medical degree and a masters concurrently, so I never finished the masters.

Fast forward 13 years and I find myself looking for something different in my career. Too many nights weekends and holidays; too many frustrations with the healthcare system; no longer having fun at my job. I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to pursue a second career and law seems like a natural fit.

At least I know I always have something to fall back on if the law gig doesn't work out.

Welcome to the thread. I am a 2L, but I am considering medical school in the future. I was a premed UG, and I taught MCAT for five years, so I have all the prereqs and scores. I would like to study health policy and work in academia. I need to put in a few years at the firm to save up some money, but I'm pretty sure I'll get the bug to go back to school for an MD within the next decade.

I applaud your decision but I think I may have had it easier: clinical rotations third and fourth year of medical school are a young person's game and I don't know that I could do that now.

We'll see how it goes. Who knows? Maybe I'll enjoy biglaw and stick around to shoot for partner.

[Capitol A]

It's a long story but...

When I was in med school I started becoming interested in how the law intersects with medicine and actually started taking classes towards a Masters in Jurisprudence in Healthcare Law. Of course, it is sheer insanity to pursue a medical degree and a masters concurrently, so I never finished the masters.

Fast forward 13 years and I find myself looking for something different in my career. Too many nights weekends and holidays; too many frustrations with the healthcare system; no longer having fun at my job. I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to pursue a second career and law seems like a natural fit.

At least I know I always have something to fall back on if the law gig doesn't work out.

I'm a nurse, so obviously have a lot less invested in my current profession, and a lot less earning potential, but this sounds very familiar. As I'm sure er doc knows, the prevelance of jd/md's and jd/rn's is not nearly as low as one might imagine. Health care is one of the most regulated industries in the country (even prior to recent reform legislation). It makes sense for providers to have a desire to have a greater voice in the discussion of that regulation.

[er doctor]

It's a long story but...

When I was in med school I started becoming interested in how the law intersects with medicine and actually started taking classes towards a Masters in Jurisprudence in Healthcare Law. Of course, it is sheer insanity to pursue a medical degree and a masters concurrently, so I never finished the masters.

Fast forward 13 years and I find myself looking for something different in my career. Too many nights weekends and holidays; too many frustrations with the healthcare system; no longer having fun at my job. I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to pursue a second career and law seems like a natural fit.

At least I know I always have something to fall back on if the law gig doesn't work out.

I'm a nurse, so obviously have a lot less invested in my current profession, and a lot less earning potential, but this sounds very familiar. As I'm sure er doc knows, the prevelance of jd/md's and jd/rn's is not nearly as low as one might imagine. Health care is one of the most regulated industries in the country (even prior to recent reform legislation). It makes sense for providers to have a desire to have a greater voice in the discussion of that regulation.

I actually know a couple of RN/JD but only one MD/JD. The AMA estimates there are only 1500 of us in the country. Which is sad, because so many of us in the health care field practice based on what we think the law requires, but so few of us know for certain. It will be interesting to see how well the gap can be bridged.

[ArghItsBlarg]

Hey all, just found this post yesterday and have been reading all the responses. Novel incoming:

I'm 32, have worked as a legal assistant for almost ten years and am married with two small children. I own a home in northern Illinois and couldn't move if we wanted to (point of fact: we do want to move). There are immense numbers of foreclosures and short sales in my area and no one is buying. I suppose we could try renting out the house, but there are a few properties in my immediate neighborhood that have tried to rent and are just sitting vacant, so I don't hold out hope for that either. Fortunately, I'm a train ride away from Chicago with all its attendant law schools.

My real complicating factor is that I'm the main financial support for my family. My wife has a journalism degree, was formerly our main support and was laid off in early '09. She's never found another FT job in her industry and, since contract work is quite scarce, is working PT now to afford decent day care (Montessori has been wonderful for our oldest). Now I carry our health insurance and provide the lion's share of our income.

I finally came to the decision to attend law school after my wife was laid off. If I was going to be responsible for the family's welfare then I needed to sack up and get a career rather than a job. My former career (and UG degree) was as a musician and actor, but that don't pay the bills (at least not reliably). So I studied hard for three months and got a 173 on my LSAT.

I've been accepted to the PT-evening programs of the three local T2 schools, with 2/3 offering decent scholarships thus far and a good chance of a full ride at one. I also stand a very strong chance of getting admitted to NU, although god knows what kind, if any, of financial aid I might obtain there. My dilemma is that NU doesn't offer part time studies. We have no debt outside of our mortgage and are extremely debt averse. Also I can't imagine that NU's health care is anything I really want to put my kids on. I think I know what I have to do, but it's at least a theoretically intimidating dilemma. Also if I get in to NU and they offer money...

I plan to practice in Chicago and I think my significant experience as a legal assistant will outweigh any potential elder discrimination. As of this point, I don't want to work Biglaw, inasmuch as I want to come home, have dinner with my family and play with my kids on a regular basis. Can't say what I'll do if I'm offered a six figure salary though. I've enjoyed working in several different fields of law and don't at this point have a particular field in mind. I'd like to think I could be a pretty good court litigator given my background.

My plan right now is to do a fair amount of 0L prep for the classes I'll be taking come the fall. Thus far that's entailed just reading PLS2, GTM, and Learning Legal Reasoning, but next up is working E&Es and getting some experience on responding to exams. I realize that I'll forget a lot of what I learn, but screw it, it won't hurt me and the benefits outweigh the "waste" of my time. After studying so hard for the LSAT I feel as though I'm slacking off if I watch a movie while I'm commuting on the train instead of working.

TL;DR version: High scholarship/Full ride at a T2 vs probable sticker at probable NU. Part Time v Full Time. 0L prep. Old.

[homestyle28]

Hey all, just found this post yesterday and have been reading all the responses. Novel incoming:

I'm 32, have worked as a legal assistant for almost ten years and am married with two small children. I own a home in northern Illinois and couldn't move if we wanted to (point of fact: we do want to move). There are immense numbers of foreclosures and short sales in my area and no one is buying. I suppose we could try renting out the house, but there are a few properties in my immediate neighborhood that have tried to rent and are just sitting vacant, so I don't hold out hope for that either. Fortunately, I'm a train ride away from Chicago with all its attendant law schools.

My real complicating factor is that I'm the main financial support for my family. My wife has a journalism degree, was formerly our main support and was laid off in early '09. She's never found another FT job in her industry and, since contract work is quite scarce, is working PT now to afford decent day care (Montessori has been wonderful for our oldest). Now I carry our health insurance and provide the lion's share of our income.

I finally came to the decision to attend law school after my wife was laid off. If I was going to be responsible for the family's welfare then I needed to sack up and get a career rather than a job. My former career (and UG degree) was as a musician and actor, but that don't pay the bills (at least not reliably). So I studied hard for three months and got a 173 on my LSAT.

I've been accepted to the PT-evening programs of the three local T2 schools, with 2/3 offering decent scholarships thus far and a good chance of a full ride at one. I also stand a very strong chance of getting admitted to NU, although god knows what kind, if any, of financial aid I might obtain there. My dilemma is that NU doesn't offer part time studies. We have no debt outside of our mortgage and are extremely debt averse. Also I can't imagine that NU's health care is anything I really want to put my kids on. I think I know what I have to do, but it's at least a theoretically intimidating dilemma. Also if I get in to NU and they offer money...

I plan to practice in Chicago and I think my significant experience as a legal assistant will outweigh any potential elder discrimination. As of this point, I don't want to work Biglaw, inasmuch as I want to come home, have dinner with my family and play with my kids on a regular basis. Can't say what I'll do if I'm offered a six figure salary though. I've enjoyed working in several different fields of law and don't at this point have a particular field in mind. I'd like to think I could be a pretty good court litigator given my background.

My plan right now is to do a fair amount of 0L prep for the classes I'll be taking come the fall. Thus far that's entailed just reading PLS2, GTM, and Learning Legal Reasoning, but next up is working E&Es and getting some experience on responding to exams. I realize that I'll forget a lot of what I learn, but screw it, it won't hurt me and the benefits outweigh the "waste" of my time. After studying so hard for the LSAT I feel as though I'm slacking off if I watch a movie while I'm commuting on the train instead of working.

TL;DR version: High scholarship/Full ride at a T2 vs probable sticker at probable NU. Part Time v Full Time. 0L prep. Old.

There are a lot of other NU hopefuls/planfuls around here. With your WE+LSAT you should be a shoe-in. Have you poked around the finaid page yet. I'm curious how their cost of living equates to what you currently provide cash-flow wise. The general take around here is that NU's talk of "need based" aid is mythical. That means lots of loans, but w/ their LRAP your actual out of pocket cost can drop if you do pub interest stuff. It sounds like you have some decent ties to the chicagoland legal market, so you might not need NU's name to secure employment following law school.

[Capitol A]

Obviously everyone's situation is a little different, and everyone's take on this will be different, but my thought is that my time and my lost wages while in school are really my biggest investment. Compared to those two things, the cost of tuition is not insignificant, but not as huge. Therefore, why not go to the school that gives me the best chance of securing gainful employment at graduation. Sure, it would be great to go to school without paying tuition, but if you can't get a job in 3 years from now, then you've still lost 3years worth of your current salary, and 3 years of your life.
Again, just my take, and the details of your particular situation may make my point invalid, but thought I would throw in my $0.02

[masochist]

Also I can't imagine that NU's health care is anything I really want to put my kids on.

If the NU law healthcare plan is the same plan they offer employees, then it is actually pretty awesome. It basically covers all of the NMH affiliated practices with a $20/$30 deductible. I knew of one woman who stayed in a Ph.D. program an extra year just so that she could have her prenatal care and delivery at Prentice. (They have plasma screens, Xboxes, and lake views in the delivery suites. )

[legal10101]

YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A POST I CAN RELATE TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am 30 and am married with 2 children. We are selling our house, and I will be going to school FT. I have worked as a paralegal for 8+ years. I am currently at a Health System in the Legal/Compliance office, and I am certified as a coder and compliance professional.

[homestyle28]

Also I can't imagine that NU's health care is anything I really want to put my kids on.

If the NU law healthcare plan is the same plan they offer employees, then it is actually pretty awesome. It basically covers all of the NMH affiliated practices with a $20/$30 deductible. I knew of one woman who stayed in a Ph.D. program an extra year just so that she could have her prenatal care and delivery at Prentice. (They have plasma screens, Xboxes, and lake views in the delivery suites. )

It's not. LS students get the student insurance, which is fine for the student but sucks for their families.