Which alternative is the smarter one? Forum

[sangr]

rtjrt

[sergeantpzr]

latter, no doubt

[paratactical]

latter, no doubt

Unless we're talking 169 v 171 and you are literally just going to live with your parents and study for the LSAT for two years.

[sangr]

rhaerherahaer

[trudat15]

With no WE, make sure you do something at least. Volunteer somewhere. Become a server. Do something.

But latter is better (170s and year later).

[paratactical]

i mean would other things to keep me busy be adequate? such as part time job....and then eventually an internship?

what qualifies as "not being a bum"

*i got a 165, which i believe i could have gotten a 170 or higher if not for some unfortunate situations*

Is there anything specific you want to do with law school? A part-time job would be okay, but you'd probably be better off tutoring less fortunate kids or doing other seriously committed volunteer work if you're just talking part-time retail or waiting tables. A meaningful internship would be good.

With a 165, I think 170s can be worth it, especially depending on how strong your GPA is. The trick is to have a reason *beyond* the LSAT that you can give for waiting to apply, or at the very least, something you can say and put on your resume. Who knows what it will be like in 3-5 years, but I know that a lot of people in the employment forum have been very happy to not have large gaps in their resume prior to law school.

[mrmangs]

i mean would other things to keep me busy be adequate? such as part time job....and then eventually an internship?

what qualifies as "not being a bum"

*i got a 165, which i believe i could have gotten a 170 or higher if not for some unfortunate situations*

Is there anything specific you want to do with law school? A part-time job would be okay, but you'd probably be better off tutoring less fortunate kids or doing other seriously committed volunteer work if you're just talking part-time retail or waiting tables. A meaningful internship would be good.

With a 165, I think 170s can be worth it, especially depending on how strong your GPA is. The trick is to have a reason *beyond* the LSAT that you can give for waiting to apply, or at the very least, something you can say and put on your resume. Who knows what it will be like in 3-5 years, but I know that a lot of people in the employment forum have been very happy to not have large gaps in their resume prior to law school.

What he said. And, who knows, the economy might be slightly better off when you enter law school if you wait and apply in a year or two. Waiting might be wise in more ways than one.

[mrmangs]

Keep in mind that a lot of firms (and other places you can work in the law) do care about the sort of WE you have, even if law schools generally do not. WE can also help you narrow down what exactly you'd want to do in the law and whether the law is even right for you (assuming you haven't reflected on the latter).

[sangr]

but how do most ppl with nil experience go about getting legal experience or internships?
ive been looking around but everyone wants someone WITH experience.
id be willing to do anything..but whenever i look they are always looking for people WITH experience.
so i dont know how the heck to go about this.

[whymeohgodno]

What 160's are we talking about....if it's like a 169 it may not be worth it since you can get into a few t14 schools with that and a solid gpa...but if we are talking about sub 165 it's no question.

[paratactical]

but how do most ppl with nil experience go about getting legal experience or internships?
ive been looking around but everyone wants someone WITH experience.
id be willing to do anything..but whenever i look they are always looking for people WITH experience.
so i dont know how the heck to go about this.

1) Don't focus on the legal part. You're going to law school to get that legal experience. You want to think of it more as having general work experience or experience that can help inform people about what kind of law you want to do. If your primary interest is biglaw, almost any form of office experience and norms is valuable and an internship at a good company or a year or two of working for a big business is good. If you're more of a hopey changey guy, find volunteer work. There is just a belief (whether or not it is true) that people who have had office jobs have a better idea of what 40 hour work weeks are seriously like and that they will be better prepared for having a real job post-law school over the people who went straight there form UG.

2) There are lots of law firms that do 2 year paralegal programs for people who want to attend law school and get experience first. This is how I got into my career. This can be very difficult if you aren't in a major city with a legal market, but if you are, your best bet is to look for a head hunter that will place you. I've gotten all of my jobs through head hunters and they've fought for me to get the work and salary I wanted (within reason, of course). If you're in NYC or Boston, PM me and I can put you in touch with some reputable people that do good work. These guys can help with a variety of jobs and might be useful even if you decide not to do the legal route.

[mrmangs]

but how do most ppl with nil experience go about getting legal experience or internships?
ive been looking around but everyone wants someone WITH experience.
id be willing to do anything..but whenever i look they are always looking for people WITH experience.
so i dont know how the heck to go about this.

Unfortunately, this requires persistence and luck. It's just damn hard to get a job right now. If you went to a top UG, this makes things easier. Otherwise, you just gotta hustle and make sure you are Writing Great Cover Letters, presenting yourself well, etc. There are no guarantees ITE. (I would also point out that this problem is also affecting those with JDs from top schools.)

That said, you don't have to pigeonhole yourself and only look at law jobs. Law intersects with so many different areas, meaning you can get a taste of what can be done in law by trying out all sorts of things (e.g., consulting, health care jobs, public interest/volunteer work). You can only truly get a glimpse into the life of a litigator or transactional attorney by working for one (and even then, you have to be assigned significant duties and be able to observe them closely), or, better yet, by becoming one, but at the very least you can see what area of law is most interesting to you by exploring different career paths. Whether you decide to get some WE or not, I would at least sit down with some attorneys and ask them questions. That can give you some perspective.

Also, for Northwestern, and I suspect even firms looking to hire lawyers, specific WE is not necessary to get a boost (or get in period). They just would like confirmation that you are mature, have held a full time job before, know what it's like to work in a office, etc.

Good luck!

[atlrower]

Since the two previous posters seem to have some knowledge of pre-LS work experience, can you elaborate some on what kind of experience might be helpful in getting the most out of the LS curriculum? (not necessarily what will help your admissions most) Experience that could help provide direction, especially when it comes to choosing summer jobs.

I've had the same experience as OP wrt difficulty getting an "in" at anything legal-related. There is obviously a glut of talent with actual legal experience right now. I am finishing my 3rd year of WE post-undergrad in a non-legal 50 hour/week office job and want to do a year or two of something more substantive that will help me approach law school with more of a purpose.

Thanks for any advice or experience you can provide.