Thoughts on my situation Forum

[TACHLS2]

Hey guys
I just purchased the Powerscore Bibles (I'll be taking the February LSAT)

I'm a disabled URM with a 2.6 GPA (I've gotten some very good grades but also some bad grades which have hurt my overall GPA. I have a year to improve my GPA) I've attended seven different universities (I'm currently finishing my BA online. There are legitimate reasons for my transfers- I've had serious health/family issues) Here are my questions

1. The University of Richmond Law School is my top choice. Given my profile, if I get a 160 or above on the LSAT, would I have a good shot at UR Law Early Decision?(or would my several transfers and low GPA kill my chances)
2. If I don't get into Richmond, Regent Law School would be my second choice. (yes, I know it's conservative and not well ranked) I'm interested in tax law. If I went to Regent, did well, and then got an LLM from a top school, would I have a good chance at getting a job as a tax lawyer?

Thanks!

[crazywafflez]

Get as high of an LSAT score as possible. It's really hard to predict splitters and URMs.

I'm not sure why you've picked Richmond or Regent (aside from possibly just wanting to stay in VA area?). I'd consider adding a few more schools to your list. Since your specific background just makes it hard to predict. Get your LSAT score (as high as possible) and apply to a bunch of schools in that area (W&M, UR, W&L, GMU, UMD) and see what happens. I wouldn't encourage Regent just due to the employment outcomes from that school, however, if you get a full scholarship to attend and your goal is to work in the immediate area, it isn't a bad option.

[nixy]

Re getting a top tax LLM, I don't have personal experience, but common wisdom is that the tax LLM is the one LLM that's useful and can definitely help in getting hired. And even the top LLMs don't seem to be incredibly hard to get into - if you have decent grades at your law school you're probably okay, regardless of school. But in part that's because LLMs are expensive and not usually funded. Also, doing the LLM won't necessarily make up for striking out from your JD school; some people doing tax LLMs end up working at the big 4 accounting firms, and others will do the LLM with a position already lined up or after working in law. So it's not magic bullet, but can be a reasonable option.

I agree with wafflez though that I wouldn't limit your applications to those 2 schools only, and that you should apply to others in the region. You can use acceptance/scholarship at a peer school to negotiate with your preferred school.

If you get a high enough LSAT, you can convince schools to overlook the bad UG GPA; ideally you want to be at or about their 75th percentile LSAT, if you can. As for the grades and the transfers, it's probably worth writing an addendum with your application explaining (briefly and neutrally) the circumstances that led to the transfers. It won't make your UG GPA go away, but it will assuage any concerns that the grades/transfers resulted from a continuing issue that could hinder you in law school, like bad attitude/bad work ethic/partying too hard/unresolved learning disabilities/unresolved mental health problems/unresolved substance abuse problems/continuing family turmoil. So the main goal will be to show why those things are no longer a problem.

You also referenced being disabled - not asking you to say anything more about that here, but if the disability does relate to mental health and/or the problems that led to your UG GPA, that might be something to address and can be a little tricky. On the one hand, law schools are acutely aware of the ADA and that they can't discriminate against you based on a disability, but on the other, as I said above, you want the school to know that you can handle the work required (they don't like to admit people who could fail out, it looks bad). So if your history could suggest ongoing problems related to your disability, you might want to address head on what you've done and why you can succeed, including accommodations you need (if any). If your disability is unrelated to your academic issues, then it's probably best not to bring it up, even if you need accommodations, as you can request those once safely admitted.

[nealric]

Hey guys
I just purchased the Powerscore Bibles (I'll be taking the February LSAT)

I'm a disabled URM with a 2.6 GPA (I've gotten some very good grades but also some bad grades which have hurt my overall GPA. I have a year to improve my GPA) I've attended seven different universities (I'm currently finishing my BA online. There are legitimate reasons for my transfers- I've had serious health/family issues) Here are my questions

1. The University of Richmond Law School is my top choice. Given my profile, if I get a 160 or above on the LSAT, would I have a good shot at UR Law Early Decision?(or would my several transfers and low GPA kill my chances)
2. If I don't get into Richmond, Regent Law School would be my second choice. (yes, I know it's conservative and not well ranked) I'm interested in tax law. If I went to Regent, did well, and then got an LLM from a top school, would I have a good chance at getting a job as a tax lawyer?

Thanks!

A final GPA and LSAT score would go a long way to estimating your chances. Treat the LSAT like a second job. Spend at least 1,000 hours studying for it or until you consistently practice in the 170s (whichever comes first). Then, take it three times or until you have a score in the 170s. Even if you aren't shooting for the moon, a good score can be worth $100k+ in scholarship money. Also, get that GPA up as much as you can. If you can get a 3.0 final GPA, that would make an enormous difference to your chances. Choose a law school after you know your starting point.

I am a tax lawyer. Do not go to a second-rate law school with the expectation of using a top LLM program to bail you out. A lot of the people who attend the Georgetown/NYU programs ALREADY have jobs at top law firms. Very few people who did not already have the credentials to get a job at a big law firm get one because of their LLM grades. The Big4 will take people who would not have gotten hired right out of law school, but that depends on getting good grades- I wouldn't count on it. If you miss out on Biglaw, Big 4, or the IRS (the IRS is very finnicky with hiring because of their budget is mandated by Congress and is not consistent), there's not many great opportunities for even top LLM graduates if they don't have good law school credentials.

If you miss out on Bigaw/Big4/IRS, you are probably better off practicing in a non-tax field - it's a lot easier to sustain a small firm practice doing things like personal injury than tax. Only medium to large business and very high net worth individuals commonly need the services of a tax attorney. Those medium to large businesses almost always go with larger/more established firms. There are a few smaller tax boutiques out there, but they are similarly competitive to biglaw.

As a final note, I would only go to a school like Regent if you already align with its political philosophy. Most of its network and placement is going to be with employers who share that philosophy and anybody who looks at your resume is going to assume you share it (rightly or wrongly). Fine if you do, but likely a poor fit if you do not. It's not just a school that happens to have a certain political philosophy, it's a school by and for people with that philosophy. Others are likely to feel very out of place.

[TACHLS2]

Thanks for the responses guys. Howard Law School is another school that caught my eye. It seems to have remarkable BigLaw placement given its ranking.

Anyone here have experience with Howard?

[nealric]

Thanks for the responses guys. Howard Law School is another school that caught my eye. It seems to have remarkable BigLaw placement given its ranking.

Anyone here have experience with Howard?

No personal experience (other than taking the MPRE exam on the campus), but it's the most famous of the HBCUs. I like the U-street area in D.C. where it is located. It does place better than its raw rankings would suggest. It would have a drastically different culture than Regent.

In any event, I'd wait until you have a final GPA and LSAT score before nailing down your school list.