Top Law Schools

My question is rather simple: What sort of internship would look best to top law schools?

Besides studying for the LSAT this summer and finishing my degrees, I plan on taking a year off to pursue an internship and wait until the next cycle to start applying.
The internships I've been particularly interested in have been at pretty renowned think-tanks such as CSIS and CFR. International relations and foreign policy has always been an interest of mine, and I'd love the opportunity to take part in the inner workings of these sorts of institutions. However, I'm wondering if an internship will be looked on as positively as more law-related options (of which I'm unaware of any off the top of my head).

Any advice or suggestions is greatly appreciated!

Doesn't matter.

Do something paid. Also, something that'll give you some experience in something other than law in case you don't continue down the law school path.

cinephile wrote:Do something paid. Also, something that'll give you some experience in something other than law in case you don't continue down the law school path.

Also this

All of my internships are government based. Both federal and local. Try to do something related to law but not necessarily tied to show your diversity

gutrot13 wrote:My question is rather simple: What sort of internship would look best to top law schools?

Besides studying for the LSAT this summer and finishing my degrees, I plan on taking a year off to pursue an internship and wait until the next cycle to start applying.
The internships I've been particularly interested in have been at pretty renowned think-tanks such as CSIS and CFR. International relations and foreign policy has always been an interest of mine, and I'd love the opportunity to take part in the inner workings of these sorts of institutions. However, I'm wondering if an internship will be looked on as positively as more law-related options (of which I'm unaware of any off the top of my head).

Any advice or suggestions is greatly appreciated!

Policy and think tank and government internships and basically useless career wise, although students always think they seem impressive and prefstigious. Instead, as the poster above said, try to do paid work in a field that could lead to full time, post-college employment if you decide for many good reasons not to go to law school.

Law school admissions officers really don't care that much about your internships. They're never going to say "This kid had an internship with a well-known thinktank in DC; let's admit her over this other candidate who interned at a local accounting firm and has 2 points higher on the LSAT." Never been said, never will be.

ALeal90 wrote:All of my internships are government based. Both federal and local. Try to do something related to law but not necessarily tied to show your diversity

Nope. Couldn't matter less.

North wrote:

ALeal90 wrote:All of my internships are government based. Both federal and local. Try to do something related to law but not necessarily tied to show your diversity

Nope. Couldn't matter less.

Yes. Honesty, no one cares. But I second the suggestion that you do something that is either paid or gives you a shot at a full time job.

So the possibility of getting a publication that comes along with these internships similarly doesn't matter?
Seems hard to believe.

Publications are nice enough. They don't make up for any deficiencies in LSAT/GPA. Law school admissions are not holistic (however much schools insist they are).

gutrot13 wrote:So the possibility of getting a publication that comes along with these internships similarly doesn't matter?
Seems hard to believe.

I have publications. I can assure you that schools do not care at all. Your numbers will dictate everything.

cinephile wrote:

gutrot13 wrote:So the possibility of getting a publication that comes along with these internships similarly doesn't matter?
Seems hard to believe.

I have publications. I can assure you that schools do not care at all. Your numbers will dictate everything.

That may be the case at some schools but I know virtually every school in South Florida does in fact look at your extra curriculars in addition to your numbers. I'm really leaning on my honors thesis and 3.8 gpa a lot

ALeal90 wrote:

cinephile wrote:

gutrot13 wrote:So the possibility of getting a publication that comes along with these internships similarly doesn't matter?
Seems hard to believe.

I have publications. I can assure you that schools do not care at all. Your numbers will dictate everything.

That may be the case at some schools but I know virtually every school in South Florida does in fact look at your extra curriculars in addition to your numbers. I'm really leaning on my honors thesis and 3.8 gpa a lot

How do you know this? Did they tell you? Because admissions employees, well, they say a lot of things.

ALeal90 wrote:

cinephile wrote:

gutrot13 wrote:So the possibility of getting a publication that comes along with these internships similarly doesn't matter?
Seems hard to believe.

I have publications. I can assure you that schools do not care at all. Your numbers will dictate everything.

That may be the case at some schools but I know virtually every school in South Florida does in fact look at your extra curriculars in addition to your numbers. I'm really leaning on my honors thesis and 3.8 gpa a lot

There is no school in South Florida that you should attend with a 3.8 GPA. If you want to go to law school, get a job that will look good at OCI (i.e. something corporate) and study until you can get a 170 on the LSAT. Come back and thank TLS later that you're not graduating from Miami with $150k debt and no job.

Elston Gunn wrote:

ALeal90 wrote:

cinephile wrote:

gutrot13 wrote:So the possibility of getting a publication that comes along with these internships similarly doesn't matter?
Seems hard to believe.

I have publications. I can assure you that schools do not care at all. Your numbers will dictate everything.

That may be the case at some schools but I know virtually every school in South Florida does in fact look at your extra curriculars in addition to your numbers. I'm really leaning on my honors thesis and 3.8 gpa a lot

There is no school in South Florida that you should attend with a 3.8 GPA. If you want to go to law school, get a job that will look good at OCI (i.e. something corporate) and study until you can get a 170 on the LSAT. Come back and thank TLS later that you're not graduating from Miami with $150k debt and no job.

LOL

Who said anything about Miami? I might be thinking St. Thomas or Nova

Elston Gunn wrote:

ALeal90 wrote:

cinephile wrote:

gutrot13 wrote:So the possibility of getting a publication that comes along with these internships similarly doesn't matter?
Seems hard to believe.

I have publications. I can assure you that schools do not care at all. Your numbers will dictate everything.

That may be the case at some schools but I know virtually every school in South Florida does in fact look at your extra curriculars in addition to your numbers. I'm really leaning on my honors thesis and 3.8 gpa a lot

There is no school in South Florida that you should attend with a 3.8 GPA. If you want to go to law school, get a job that will look good at OCI (i.e. something corporate) and study until you can get a 170 on the LSAT. Come back and thank TLS later that you're not graduating from Miami with $150k debt and no job.

So if I have a 3.9+ GPA, I should solely be focusing on getting my LSATs to 170+?
Is this correct? I'm planning to start studying this upcoming week, possibly will take in October.

gutrot13 wrote:So if I have a 3.9+ GPA, I should solely be focusing on getting my LSATs to 170+?
Is this correct? I'm planning to start studying this upcoming week, possibly will take in October.

Yes. With a 170, you could go to any non-HYS T14 for cheap:



With a 171+, you have about as good a chance at HYS as anybody could:



That's worth studying for and retaking the LSAT for as long as it takes to get in that range. Scores in the 160's are beneath you. Don't sell yourself short. People (I) would kill to have the opportunities you do.

ALeal90 wrote:That may be the case at some schools but I know virtually every school in South Florida does in fact look at your extra curriculars in addition to your numbers. I'm really leaning on my honors thesis and 3.8 gpa a lot

North wrote:

gutrot13 wrote:So if I have a 3.9+ GPA, I should solely be focusing on getting my LSATs to 170+?
Is this correct? I'm planning to start studying this upcoming week, possibly will take in October.

Yes. With a 170, you could go to any non-HYS T14 for cheap:



With a 171+, you have about as good a chance at HYS as anybody could:



That's worth studying for and retaking the LSAT for as long as it takes to get in that range. Scores in the 160's are beneath you. Don't sell yourself short. People (I) would kill to have the opportunities you do.

ALeal90 wrote:That may be the case at some schools but I know virtually every school in South Florida does in fact look at your extra curriculars in addition to your numbers. I'm really leaning on my honors thesis and 3.8 gpa a lot

Wow, this is really encouraging, thanks for posting the info!
Besides my the classes I have to take this summer, I'll devote myself to studying until October then, and sign-up for a class as well. Maybe even save up for one-on-one tutoring if I can afford it. I'll just try to find a paid internship then for the fall doing something I enjoy.
I'll have to take a look around the boards to develop a good study schedule.

Out of curiosity, how many retakes of the LSATs are normally okay?
I suppose taking it October + December would make sense. I could defer another cycle if necessary.

Public defender's office always looks nice.

gutrot13 wrote:Wow, this is really encouraging, thanks for posting the info!
Besides my the classes I have to take this summer, I'll devote myself to studying until October then, and sign-up for a class as well. Maybe even save up for one-on-one tutoring if I can afford it. I'll just try to find a paid internship then for the fall doing something I enjoy.
I'll have to take a look around the boards to develop a good study schedule.

Out of curiosity, how many retakes of the LSATs are normally okay?
I suppose taking it October + December would make sense. I could defer another cycle if necessary.

Don't bother with a class. Buy the three Powerscore books, the three Manhattan books, the Cambridge LR-by-type packets, and every PT. Use TLS for everything else. It's free and the advice is better.

You can retake as many times as is necessary. Only HYS might care, but even they can't be picky with applications dropping off.