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I'm wondering about how adcomms will look at my GPA - my overall cGPA is a 3.15 (not auspicious, I know), BUT there were extenuating personal circumstances AND I was in a different major.

Removing my first year from consideration, I'm looking at a much more respectable 3.48 (and an upward trend). I will also have a graduate degree with a 3.9 GPA.

Combined with an LSAT in the 170s (taking in June), would I have a reasonable shot at a t14? I would obviously include an addendum explaining my personal circumstances - are adcomms generally willing to forgive foibles in first year?

It depends on those extenuating circumstances, but if you get 170s you should definitely apply to lower T14s as reach schools.

It's very common for people's GPA to look better if the freshman year is ignored, so you won't get special attention there. But if you have a genuinely good excuse for your first year performance, it will get due consideration.