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Just wondering about the effects of being a legitimate non-traditional applicant, say someone with 15 years of post-college work experience. Does it help? Does it hurt? Is it a completely unpredictable factor? Opinions are nice. Specific examples of how it helped/hurt are preferred.

WE is a plus. It will not hurt you. If your LGPA is low, it will also distance you from it. Assuming your WE is not extraordinary, you'll likely perform at about what should be expected from your numbers.

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It kind of depends.

Were you an Astronaut that is looking to go to LS because the shuttle program was cancelled or were you the night shift manager at a Domino's?

Obviously there is a world of real world experience between the two and even some further on the extremes. How much yours in particular will matter will depend on where you fall on the spectrum AND if whatever your did during that time strikes a chord with a particular Admissions Committee. It may matter a lot to school A and school B may just rate you based on the numbers alone.

For me it made my cycle rather unpredictable. Without saying outright what my numbers were I was waitlisted at St Johns and a direct Admit at Fordham. Someone at Fordham saw potential in my background whereas SJ went on numbers (Which weren't bad for them anyway, so go figure.)

JC

Neither spaceman nor delivery boy, I've been a licensed plumber and electrician for the last ten years. So more toward the delivery boy side of the spectrum, I suppose. It seems that I should perhaps shore up for an unpredictable cycle . . .

I think it really depends on your numbers and the school. NU practically requires WE, Fordham - in my experience and JC's! - loves it. (We are very lucky to have a Dean of Admissions who really appreciates non-trads and what they can bring to a class.)
I also thing that much depends on how you spin your WE: what did you learn from it? How has it affected your decision to go to law school? Stuff like that. Best of luck - there are some great non-trad support threads on here that can give you loads of advice - Welcome!

johmica wrote:Neither spaceman nor delivery boy, I've been a licensed plumber and electrician for the last ten years. So more toward the delivery boy side of the spectrum, I suppose. It seems that I should perhaps shore up for an unpredictable cycle . . .

Not necessarily towards the delivery boy side. It is ALL how you spin it and explain how that experience led you to apply to LS and how it will help you once you are there.