Advice on law school list given personal circumstances Forum

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splitaf

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Advice on law school list given personal circumstances

Post by splitaf » Fri Oct 08, 2021 5:43 pm

Hey TLS. I posted in a different sub but don't know if it was rejected or simply hasn't been posted yet, and thought this might be a better fit here.

I have unique personal circumstances and don't know if my approach to creating a list of potential law schools makes sense. I plan to apply during next year's cycle (Fall 2022), not the current cycle.

Stats:

* 2.2 LSAC GPA (Engineering degree from an Ivy/T10 school, completed courses in 2015)
* 180 LSAT (Taken once. Still not sure exactly how I pulled this off, but not complaining)
* 4.0 GPA in all post-bacc coursework, including an MA in Psychology from an R1 which I will complete Summer 2022 (I know this will barely matter, but hoping the transcript will help demonstrate an upward trend)
* Non-traditional, will be applying at 30 and hopefully starting law school at 31

Background/Questions:

The GPA is abysmal because I struggled with misdiagnosed chronic conditions from around 15 years old until 27 or so. They are now well managed. My decade-long experience with the health care system (both physical and mental health) as a patient drive my interest in law school, and I'd love to work up to a position where I can influence health law and health care access. I've completed an internship with a local health care access nonprofit, and I think I'd prefer to work beyond the local level. Of course, I'll need to write an epic GPA addendum.

I'm also autistic (Level 1, or "High Functioning," though we prefer to not use that term) and have some concerns about the legal field generally. I'm not worried about completing law school or passing the bar, but I AM worried about being effectively blacklisted from most areas of practice afterwards. I'm not actively "out" but the condition is not hard to detect and I cannot mask the impeccable professionalism required by BL/Corporate Law. Will the rest of the field be as stringent in their expectations of my everyday behavior? I am competent and effective at analyzing writing, and generally receive good feedback on my work. I am not usually inappropriate, but lean casual in my interactions.

If I can get into a T50 school, finances are a non-issue. (I acknowledge that I am extremely lucky here.) I am also hoping to land at a school in or near a city where I can lay down roots and remain long-term.

I'm currently leaning towards applying to Emory ED; its proximity to the CDC is a plus. Other schools on my preliminary list are NYC-area schools (family is here), UGA, Vandy, WUSTL, and Minnesota. I'll probably face pressure to shoot my shot at many other T14-20 schools given my LSAT score, but I don't have high hopes for that working out. I also know that some people change their mind about their path after starting law school, so am hesitant to apply to a school for health law alone.

Given my background and stats, is there anything I should be considering that I have not yet?
Is applying to Emory ED setting my sights too low with a 180 LSAT, even taking into account my LSAC GPA?


Thank you in advance for the help and advice!

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