Top Law Schools

About me:

Senior Computer Science, Philosophy major at a decent public school (UVA, Michigan, etc..) with a 3.79 GPA. I haven't taken my an official LSAT (though from my diagnostics, and I know this doesn't count for much, that I can get 170+), so I wont ask for chances, but am curious about what I need to work on to at least leave a chance for HYS and CCN, so I'm here to y'alls opinions

1. I'd like to keep my dream for SLS or HLS (however slim) alive, but I keep on hearing about a 3.8 GPA floor, that said is that just a rough approximation of where the floor is or is there actually a noticeable difference between outcomes for 3.78/9 and 3.81/2? How much emphasis should I put on getting back above that boundary, or should I just forget about it and focus on acing LSAT?

2. I'm a bit up in the confused about what is considered a good soft, and what is good W/E. I'm going to work at least 2 years (probably 4-6) as a software engineer starting at one of Amazon, Google, or Facebook (I know, I know, law school is not the prudent financial move, and I'll have to seriously consider my choices before leaving software dev for law school) after I graduate, and I know these companies have some brand recognition, but that actually be useful in law school apps?

Beyond that I am a first author in a paper that made it to a pretty good conference, and I've done two tech internships, one at a large commercial bank, one at one of the big tech companies. Nothing else.

Does a technical background maybe help me at SLS? I've got a bit of a thing for this school; their legal informatics group, CODEX, really appeals to me, and I might actually end up at a tech company that does legal informatics software. Does it help anywhere else?

Finally
3. I'm doing lackluster in one of my course, and I'm thinking about taking a non-punitive W to ensure I move back up above 3.8. Thing is, this will be my third withdrawal; other two from freshman fall and winter semesters. From my obsessive searching on TLS, people are exactly ambiguous on whether 3 is a questionable number for W's (usually saying something like 1 or 2 would be fine, but def not 5+). So to resurrect the dead horse, should I take a W?

I think if I'll end up with a B-, or a B, it is a class in my major, but its an elective that I do not need to graduate, and I really regret taking it now that I am doing poorly. FWIW, taking it off my schedule would leave me more time to cultivate a relationship with a prof I'm going to ask to recommend, and it would help me handle my full-time recruiting better...

SOLICITING ANY AND ALL FEEDBACK

3 Ws is fine.

Your softs are good, WE is a soft and yours will be good.

If you get 173+ you have a good chance at H less at S because they are more gpa focused.

With the good job you have lined up I'd seriously think about entering law though, the opportunity cost is very high.

Mack.Hambleton wrote:3 Ws is fine.

Your softs are good, WE is a soft and yours will be good.

If you get 173+ you have a good chance at H less at S because they are more gpa focused.

With the good job you have lined up I'd seriously think about entering law though, the opportunity cost is very high.

Thanks, I definitely understand the opportunity cost angle, and there is a fair chance I will end up not going to law school if just find my work enjoyable long term. But at least with my last year UG, I'd figure I'd touch up my profile for law school, given that I am not considering any other graduate work, and undergrad doesn't matter after you first WE (and hiring for new grads is finishing).