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I attended law school in 2013 and dropped out. My old scores are deleted from the LSAC database (158, 159). I've been considering going back to law school on and off the past few years.

I just finished a cold diagnostic test and scored a 161. The score isn't high but is a lot better than when I took my first cold test in 2011 (138). I wasn't expecting to perform well, at all, on a cold test. So I'm now treating the idea of re-applying much more seriously.

However, I'm probably really outdated about the process.

If I came back to my current area after law school, I would 100% have a job ($60,000+ with benefits, low cost of living, rust belt wasteland) and would have the opportunity to run for DA or Judge down the line.

I didn't have those options or job prospects when I originally attended law school.

I have a few C&F issues:
Prior bankruptcy
Several landlord/tenant filings (one was dismissed, another I reached a settlement with)
1 prior conviction for drug paraphernalia (misdemeanor) and public drunkeness (2013)

My goal is to try to get a full tuition or significant scholarship to SLU or WUSTL. I'm wanting to relocate to that region of Missouri (St. Charles), but I know that ties to the local area are usually important for regional schools.

My undergrad GPA was 3.52 and I believe my LSAC GPA was 3.44. I'm 29 and am a freelance writer with a toddler.

I want to limit my debt as much as possible. I'd like to attend law school in St. Louis or Missouri but I think it's ill-advised to hedge my bet on a handful of school (also looking at CSU/CWRU).

I own my own home so my plan would be to sell it before going to law school and buying a home close by, ideally in a good school district for my son.

This is definitely not the perspective I had when I was 21 so it's odd going through this process again with completely different priorities.

I think I could increase by cold score by 10-15 points realistically.

I'd appreciate any feedback. I'm not sure what makes someone my age competitive and I'm worried that a lack of work history would look bad. I have been active with volunteering with my local political party (the party chair and the state rep would write recommendation letters for me) and helping with campaigns, but otherwise nothing that unique.

I'd like to take the June and October LSAT and have applications completed by November.

I like most fields of law and could be happy running a solo probate firm, working in a DA's office, working at a large firm, or running for a small time office (magistrate, DA, judge in a small area). I would like to be in a position where I graduate without (or manageable) debt and have the freedom to try different fields of law without needing to stay at a firm I hate so my loans are paid.

It would certainly help to increase your score by those 10-15 points. Those who write well generally do pretty well on the LSAT and in law school. There are obviously exceptions, but there is a floor on how any talented writer will do so it's possible those years of experience writing made you better at taking the LSAT.

I don't think your C&F issues are too concerning, particularly if distance has past, but would question how you know you would have a job and also caution you not to think of $60k as very much money. It sounds like you live in a very low COL area now, and law schools and good school districts tend to be in higher COL areas.