What if your spouse wants to attend law school? Forum

[quakeroats]

Say you're an incoming 1L and your spouse wants to attend law school as well. Does anyone have experience with this situation and whether it makes the admissions process easier--if not more difficult?

[romothesavior]

Say you're an incoming 1L and your spouse wants to attend law school as well. Does anyone have experience with this situation and whether it makes the admissions process easier--if not more difficult?

You tell her no, and then we get to have more threads like this:

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 0&t=122850

[paratactical]

.

[romothesavior]

I love you para.

OP, why does your spouse want to go to law school? Is it because all the cool kids are doing it, or because (s)he has a legitimate interest in the law? What will your spouse look to do with a law degree?

[dresden doll]

Can't even imagine this case scenario. Hopefully at least one of you two will get a full ride.

[quakeroats]

I love you para.

OP, why does your spouse want to go to law school? Is it because all the cool kids are doing it, or because (s)he has a legitimate interest in the law? What will your spouse look to do with a law degree?

She'd like to be a lawyer.

I'm most interested in whether or not her chances of admission would be affected by my status as a then 2L/3L and if so in which direction and to what degree.

[kalvano]

I can't imagine why your status would affect her at all.

[paratactical]

.

[Emma.]

I can't imagine why your status would affect her at all.

I guess it is like having a "Why X?" essay pre-written for her?

[quakeroats]

I can't imagine why your status would affect her at all.

Well, a school could realize that they probably don't need to offer her scholarship money since she probably wants to stay near you.

That seems likely. Would favorable treatment by the admissions committee for the same reason be equally probable?

BTW, we're talking about a T14 school if that matters.

[Emma.]

I can't imagine why your status would affect her at all.

Well, a school could realize that they probably don't need to offer her scholarship money since she probably wants to stay near you.

That seems likely. Would favorable treatment by the admissions committee for the same reason be equally probable?

BTW, we're talking about a T14 school if that matters.

I doubt she'd get any favorable consideration beyond what her numbers justify, but at least she probably wouldn't have to worry about YP.

[quakeroats]

I can't imagine why your status would affect her at all.

Well, a school could realize that they probably don't need to offer her scholarship money since she probably wants to stay near you.

That seems likely. Would favorable treatment by the admissions committee for the same reason be equally probable?

BTW, we're talking about a T14 school if that matters.

I doubt she'd get any favorable consideration beyond what her numbers justify, but at least she probably wouldn't have to worry about YP.

That alumni box on a school's app has to be for something, no? Anecdotally, I've heard that school's like cute stories that involve their students. What's more cute than a law school couple--they won't have to split their future donations and might need to get any potential lawyer babies into our university too--to an admissions committee member? Why would a law school risk bad blood from a rejection unless that had to, i.e., her numbers are well below their medians?

[quakeroats]

Here's an example of a law school making hay of this sort of thing: http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/admiss ... .&l=Laycob

[findlayswimmer28]

Both my husband and I are rising 2Ls. We were married before we started. I don't think that your status would have much, if any, effect on her admission. Going to law school with your spouse is a unique experience.

On one hand, it's great to be with someone that knows what you are going through. On the other, you quickly get tired of all of your conversations revolving around law.

Good luck and if you have any questions about what it's like to go through it together, feel free to PM me.

[Emma.]

That alumni box on a school's app has to be for something, no? Anecdotally, I've heard that school's like cute stories that involve their students. What's more cute than a law school couple--they won't have to split their future donations and might need to get any potential lawyer babies into our university too--to an admissions committee member? Why would a law school risk bad blood from a rejection unless that had to, i.e., her numbers are well below their medians?

Seems like you have decided that it will help, so why are you asking for advice? Also, why would you have bad blood with your school if they rejected your wife in favor of a better qualified applicant? I just can't see you getting special consideration for this, above and beyond it being kind of an interesting soft factor. I don't think a husband and wife situation is very closely analogous to a family tradition of attending a school. Of course, I really don't have any insight into how adcomms figure this stuff out. Good luck!

[quakeroats]

That alumni box on a school's app has to be for something, no? Anecdotally, I've heard that school's like cute stories that involve their students. What's more cute than a law school couple--they won't have to split their future donations and might need to get any potential lawyer babies into our university too--to an admissions committee member? Why would a law school risk bad blood from a rejection unless that had to, i.e., her numbers are well below their medians?

Seems like you have decided that it will help, so why are you asking for advice? Also, why would you have bad blood with your school if they rejected your wife in favor of a better qualified applicant? I just can't see you getting special consideration for this, above and beyond it being kind of an interesting soft factor. I don't think a husband and wife situation is very closely analogous to a family tradition of attending a school. Of course, I really don't have any insight into how adcomms figure this stuff out. Good luck!

Thank you, and I don't mean to suggest that I would have any issue with it--the truth is I don't know how I would feel--rather I suspect that a school rejecting one's relatives would feel like a school rejecting oneself. An XYZ-school-rejected-me-but-I-respect-their-decision-and-am-certain-that-an-even-more-qualified-applicant-will-matriculate-in-my-stead attitude isn't something I've seen a lot here, much less elsewhere.

[jalong]

I feel fairly confident saying that she could get the benefit of having convinced the admissions committee that she would actually attend if admitted. That means something to them, and it would benefit her. Although, only slightly.

[mallard]

Great tar, OP. Tell them not to.

[keg411]

Here's an example of a law school making hay of this sort of thing: http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/admiss ... .&l=Laycob

If only my LSAT had been a few points higher.... .

[jks289]

In and of itself I don't think it helps. But it does present opportunities to strengthen her case. Get to know the admission's dean or professors who can meet her and advocate on her behalf. Have her sit down with an adcom early this year and just take the approach of "I want to go to law school. It's here or nothing. How can I make this happen?"

[On second thought, I'll jut pm the OP the second part].

[Emma.]

In and of itself I don't think it helps. But it does present opportunities to strengthen her case. Get to know the admission's dean or professors who can meet her and advocate on her behalf. Have her sit down with an adcom early this year and just take the approach of "I want to go to law school. It's here or nothing. How can I make this happen?"

[On second thought, I'll jut pm the OP the second part].

This is good advice. I'm only an 0L, but my SO has met the Dean of Admissions at my school several times. I don't think this would mean that my SO would be admitted without the right numbers, but I do think the Dean of Admissions might actually take a little more time considering my SO's app if she were to apply. I'd have no problem calling up the Dean to talk about my SO's chances, maybe that is something you should consider?

[A'nold]

I keep trying to convince my wife to go to law school.