Do I stand a chance? Forum

[lawyerguy1]

Hello,

I did my B.A. (English Hons.) from University of Delhi with 57%. The University topper got a 64% score.
In college, I was an active member of theater society and acted in a number of plays. I was a part of the college basketball team. I also accompanied a local band as a lead guitarist (and still do).

I studied for my LL.B. at University of Delhi and graduated with a low 49% score. The University topper got a 63% score.
I was basically dormant and did not participate in extra-curricular activities during the law school years. Although I studied very hard to get a better score but failed. Although I did 3 good internships and also got published in a prestigious journal. I also represented my college at some National level Moot Court competitions. I also did a clerkship under a Judge of the High Court, Delhi.

Post law school, I worked in a lawyers chamber for a year and have worked on various constitutional law, taxation law, corporate law, etc. matters.

I wish to get admitted to a J.D. program in one of the top 10 law schools in the U.S. because I wish to study for the J.D. more sincerely and thoroughly. My long term goal is to go for a masters and a doctorate. And eventually join the academia.

So hypothetically, with an exceptionally good LSAT score, do I stand a chance to get into a top 10 U.S. law school, even though the aggregate score of my first degree in Law is really bad?

I need your support and best advice because this can make or break a lot of things for me.

Please help.

Thanking you.

Regards.

[soj]

Wow, those are some truly deflated grades. Puts us whiny American kids to shame.

How law schools will view your academic credentials depends on how LSAC decides to rate your transcript, but if you ace the LSAT, I'm sure the top 10 will be possible. But it's a tough test; have you taken a practice test yet?

[Tiago Splitter]

Just tell me where to wire the $10,000 so I can get my $50 million inheritance.

Seriously, send your transcript to LSAC to find out where your grades fall relative to the US system. Then get the highest possible score you can on the LSAT. Typically, an LSAT score of 170 or above is needed for admission to a "Top 10" law school.

[crazyblink653]

i don't know..you seem to a have a pretty unique background. i would study hard for the LSAT and try to score 167+ (ish) and i think you would stand a very good shot at a T10 school, even with your mediocre grades. I say that mainly because i don't think your grades would count against a school's GPA data that they report to US News. However, your high LSAT would, so they would probably take you if you were in their LSAT range.

[Opie]

Just tell me where to wire the $10,000 so I can get my $50 million inheritance.

Terrible! Hilarious, but terrible. Seriously.

OP> You should definitely pursue a JD. I think you have a great chance if you do well on the LSAT. Did I understand correctly that you have a law degree in India, or that you were unable to get one? Either way, your experience is great, you don't have a GPA to drag down the average, and there aren't nearly enough international students at law school.

[lawyerguy1]

I never thought that I would get such a prompt reply.

I would like to thank you guys for the quick response.

Soj, I haven't taken the practice test as yet. But I intend to put my hard work (and all my skill and luck) to test on LSAT. So I would prepare hard for it. I'll take a practice test as soon as I am reasonably convinced that I have a chance in getting admitted in a decent law school.
And our educational system is not generous in the scores department. They make us bleed to get a 60% in law (which is First division, and only top 3-5% of the class gets that). It makes life difficult for us.

Tiago splitter, yes i will send my transcript to LSAC for conversion.

But am I allowed to send my transcripts for conversion without taking the LSAT test, and before even beginning to apply for law schools. The purpose being to figure out whether my academic credentials are satisfactory or not?

Since I'm already in legal practice, it would be a major career step for me to abandon it and devote myself to LSAT prep and application process.

That is the reason why I wanted an analysis of my profile.

Any thoughts on how someone with an average score in LL.B., seeking admission in a good J.D. program would be looked at?

I thank you again for your quick response!

[lawyerguy1]

Just tell me where to wire the $10,000 so I can get my $50 million inheritance.

Terrible! Hilarious, but terrible. Seriously.

Tiago and Opie, call me slow, but i did not really understand that! You must enlighten me. I like humour and I wont frown.

and Opie, I'm from India. I finished my LL.B. and after having worked in the real world for an year, I wish to return to academics.

[lawyerguy1]

crazyblink653, thank you for the valuable info! It was motivating.

[MumofCad]

I doubt your academic record will matter much to a law school. First, they really only look at undergrad and second, your GPA won't be converted so it won't effect the all-important rankings of schools. Your undergrad record will most likely not be a barrier to your admittance to a top US law school.

The LSAT will make or break you. You have to pay about the same amount to 1) take the LSAT or 2) pay for the Credential Assembly Service that LSAC provides to do things like evaluate your foreign transcript (which they will simply report as superior, above average, average, etc.). You really need to take a practice LSAT test to answer your own question regarding whether you will qualify. You will potentially need a 170+ given your academic record. With that, you'll get in somewhere. Sit down, register for an account on lsac.org, download their free practice test and take it. Then make your decision whether you think you can get in.

You shouldn't need to quit your current job to complete this process. I managed to keep my full-time job, work on my PhD, raise two small children, and study for the LSAT. It wasn't pleasurable, but I don't see why applying for law school would require you to leave your current job. In fact, I think that would be a big mistake. They will wonder what you have been up to in that time off and many top law schools will ask in your application to attach an addendum explaining for unaccounted time. I doubt that "studying for the LSAT and applying to law school" will be kindly looked upon as an explanation. Just give yourself plenty of lead time, which you can't determine until you figure out where you currently stand on the LSAT. So again, take a diagnostic. All roads lead to an LSAT practice test for you my friend.

Also, I am assuming you realize that its late in the game to get in this year. The earliest you could take the LSAT is October, which you could do. I decided about a month before the June one to do it and was perfectly fine. But again, you won't know if that's feasible for you until you sit down and take a test. Taking it in Dec will be late for someone with potential issues to get in for Fall 2012.

[Tiago Splitter]

Just tell me where to wire the $10,000 so I can get my $50 million inheritance.

Terrible! Hilarious, but terrible. Seriously.

Tiago and Opie, call me slow, but i did not really understand that! You must enlighten me. I like humour and I wont frown.

and Opie, I'm from India. I finished my LL.B. and after having worked in the real world for an year, I wish to return to academics.

Haha your original post was written in such a way that it reminded me of the email scams where foreigners ask you to wire them money so that they can send you your lottery winnings, inheritance, etc. Just playin' around.

And braggadocio aside, MumofCad is right. You shouldn't leave your job until after you have been accepted and made the decision to attend law school. I also work full time and studied for the LSAT so it is certainly doable. I also will be applying for the second time around this cycle and ultimately I think taking the extra time to get everything in order is worth it. Especially in your case, coming from a foreign country, there is nothing wrong with waiting until the 2012-2013 cycle to apply.

For now, take a practice test, and go from there.

[lawyerguy1]

Dear Mumofcad, thank you for your valuable advice. Your post was very enlightening and clarified a lot of things for me.

I think that your management is really admirable. I will continue working while I prepare for LSAT.

I wish to get into law school for Fall-2012 session. I would also be applying for scholarships/waivers etc.

Till when can I take the LSAT? (I would want to take it as late as I possibly can so that I can devote as much time I can towards my prep.)

Thanks!

[lawyerguy1]

Haha Tiago, how can you even perceive my post in that light??
Even I get those mails. Did I really sound so desperate? hehe..
I will keep my job while i prepare for the test. Thank you for your advice.

BTW which Law schools are you applying to?

[Grizz]

Take the LSAT and see what happens.

But keep in mind academia is gonna be a VERY hard goal to reach, even from a T10 school. You might want to do some poking around here to figure out just how hard.

[TaipeiMort]

Take the LSAT and see what happens.

But keep in mind academia is gonna be a VERY hard goal to reach, even from a T10 school. You might want to do some poking around here to figure out just how hard.

Yeah, but academia is much easier for those with niche knowledgebases (ie. he goes to big law for a few years and has some type of interesting Indian/American transactional practice).

[lawyerguy1]

Hello Grizz and TaipeiMort.

Is academia really so difficult for T10 grads? Is it because of the recession? I hold an LL.B. from a prestigious univ. of my country. But I wish to study for the J.D. and pursue my higher studies from the U.S.

Also, how is the job scene for a foreigner holding a J.D. from a decent law school? How difficult is it to get placed somewhere decent enough to make the whole of the expensive law school experience seem worthwhile? Has it become all crazy competitive because of the recession?

And has recession affected academia as well?

Thanking you.

[lawyerguy1]

Also, are there any programs offered anywhere with focus on such sort of an Indian/American transactional theory or practice? Any P.G. Diploma or certificate courses, etc.?

[TaipeiMort]

Also, are there any programs offered anywhere with focus on such sort of an Indian/American transactional theory or practice? Any P.G. Diploma or certificate courses, etc.?

I would just get a JD from a T14 school, work a big law satellite, then develop your own practice within the big law satellite. While there write some really interesting papers and have them published in trade journals.

Then, after you have made a really interested contribution, go to one of the bigger, more professional-staffed schools (Columbia, Harvard, NYU, Georgetown, NU)

Actually, ignore everything I just wrote and go get a great score on the LSAT (170+).

[Montevillian]

You're asking interesting questions, but I really think you need to back up a little bit. If you haven't even taken an LSAT practice test yet, there's really no point in discussing job prospects for academia just yet. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the way you're writing makes me believe you're not quite fluent in English (at least not to the point the LSAT demands for the reading passages) which will obviously pose a huge problem for the LSAT.
You're a hell of a diversity student, so good luck.

Just out of curiosity, how will the OPs GPA convert for LSAC?

[Tiago Splitter]

Haha Tiago, how can you even perceive my post in that light??
Even I get those mails. Did I really sound so desperate? hehe..
I will keep my job while i prepare for the test. Thank you for your advice.

BTW which Law schools are you applying to?

Thanks for being a good sport. I'm applying throughout the t14 minus hys.

As for when to take the lsat, December is the latest you can take it for this cycle. Even taking it that late is pushing it because your applications won't be complete until January. Good luck!