Top Law Schools

Hi,

Long time lurker here.

I will be going to law school in August and I was hoping for some advice.
I will be attending a top law school for free with a small living stipend. I imagine the debt from law school for me will be around $30,000.

The problem is that I cannot spell.... I am serious. I am hardcore dyslexic.....

I can read fine.. I scored above a 175 on the LSAT.... I just can't spell well... I even have issues with "ie" vs "ei"... i even write 9s backwards sometimes...

How much will this hurt me when I am typing up an exam.... Can we use spell-checks for the exam... If I slow down to much trying to make sure I spell everything correctly or avoiding words that I am not sure I spelled correctly, I am concerned I will be at a major disadvantage.. I don't imagine this will hurt my career as much because I will be able to use a spell-checker...


Tell me what you think....

Generally won't matter. Depends on your profs. All the exam software I know comes w spell check though.

Spelling, punctuation, and grammar do not matter on exams. Sure, it might make for better readability, and if you have time to go back and fix some mistakes, that is definitely good. But I type furiously on most exams and say to hell with spelling, etc. I misspell so many things (important things, too), but it has never hurt me.

Judge Philip Banks wrote:Spelling, punctuation, and grammar do not matter on exams.

Again, generally not, but depends on your prof

see, e.g., desert fox

rad lulz wrote:

Judge Philip Banks wrote:Spelling, punctuation, and grammar do not matter on exams.

Again, generally not, but depends on your prof

True. One of my professors said he would mark down for spelling errors, so I made an effort to type more accurately there. I think that is pretty rare though.

ellipses and periods are not interchangeable. HTH (It's a major pet peeve of mine )

Does your school use examsoft? If so, it has a spellchecker.

fatduck wrote:see, e.g., desert fox

Sorry I don't get the reference.

That is a relief. Do professors make it known, generally, how focused they will be on spelling? etc..

blueblueblue wrote:

fatduck wrote:see, e.g., desert fox

Sorry I don't get the reference.

That is a relief. Do professors make it known, generally, how focused they will be on spelling. etc..

If they don't announce it on their own, someone inevitably asks, at least in my experience.

blueblueblue wrote:Hi,

Long time lurker here.

I will be going to law school in August and I was hoping for some advice.
I will be attending a top law school for free with a small living stipend. I imagine the debt from law school for me will be around $30,000.

The problem is that I cannot spell.... I am serious. I am hardcore dyslexic.....

I can read fine.. I scored above a 175 on the LSAT.... I just can't spell well... I even have issues with "ie" vs "ei"... i even write 9s backwards sometimes...

How much will this hurt me when I am typing up an exam.... Can we use spell-checks for the exam... If I slow down to much trying to make sure I spell everything correctly or avoiding words that I am not sure I spelled correctly, I am concerned I will be at a major disadvantage.. I don't imagine this will hurt my career as much because I will be able to use a spell-checker...


Tell me what you think....

FWIW, I know a highly successful IP lawyer who can't spell worth shit. He's a really intelligent guy, but spells worse than the average eighth grader, no joke. You will probably be fine.

I can't spell that well. I mix up homophones all the time.

I turn off spell-check and have multiple errors per paragraph. Professors don't care.

At Michigan our exam software has no spellcheck. My exams are full of spelling errors, this doesn't matter becuase everyopne's exams are full of spelping errors. Proffessors generaly understand you are typing as quick as you can, so they tend not to care. The only way spelling could be an isue is if the proffessor couldn't compreghed what you are writing. TLDR - doesn't matter, so long as you can get your point across.

Can't you get extra time for exams?

buckilaw wrote:At Michigan our exam software has no spellcheck. My exams are full of spelling errors, this doesn't matter becuase everyopne's exams are full of spelping errors. Proffessors generaly understand you are typing as quick as you can, so they tend not to care. The only way spelling could be an isue is if the proffessor couldn't compreghed what you are writing. TLDR - doesn't matter, so long as you can get your point across.

Oh, I see what you did there.

Most professors probably don't care. However, it's probably important to spell important legal words correctly. E.g., "parol evidence" rather than "parole evidence."

This reminded me - I actually put a disclaimer in most exams to please excuse my poor spelling. Your professors know its a time crunch, it'll be ok.

Well, the fact that you're going to a top law school for nearly free will still likely be net beneficial. Even if you graduate toward the middle or even bottom range of your class.

blueblueblue wrote:Hi,

Long time lurker here.

I will be going to law school in August and I was hoping for some advice.
I will be attending a top law school for free with a small living stipend. I imagine the debt from law school for me will be around $30,000.

The problem is that I cannot spell.... I am serious. I am hardcore dyslexic.....

I can read fine.. I scored above a 175 on the LSAT.... I just can't spell well... I even have issues with "ie" vs "ei"... i even write 9s backwards sometimes...

How much will this hurt me when I am typing up an exam.... Can we use spell-checks for the exam... If I slow down to much trying to make sure I spell everything correctly or avoiding words that I am not sure I spelled correctly, I am concerned I will be at a major disadvantage.. I don't imagine this will hurt my career as much because I will be able to use a spell-checker...


Tell me what you think....

Is it a disorder like dyslexia? I have some classmates with legitimate dyslexia that puts them at an extreme disadvantage under normal timed conditions, and they have been given timing accommodations during exams to help offset it.

I don't think I need extra time if spelling is not a major concern. I won't try requesting something like that. I also probably won't get it because when I was young my doctors said I was dyslexic but I have no documentation or continued treatment after the age of 6 or 7. I don't think it has gotten in the way of my life so much as it is just embarrassing when I write something in front of people.

Thanks for all the info guys.

buckilaw wrote:At Michigan our exam software has no spellcheck. My exams are full of spelling errors, this doesn't matter becuase everyopne's exams are full of spelping errors. Proffessors generaly understand you are typing as quick as you can, so they tend not to care. The only way spelling could be an isue is if the proffessor couldn't compreghed what you are writing. TLDR - doesn't matter, so long as you can get your point across.

That was painful

if you're at the point where spelling is holding back your grade, then you're in a very good spot because apparently you're doing everything else right.

Tanicius wrote:

blueblueblue wrote:Hi,

Long time lurker here.

I will be going to law school in August and I was hoping for some advice.
I will be attending a top law school for free with a small living stipend. I imagine the debt from law school for me will be around $30,000.

The problem is that I cannot spell.... I am serious. I am hardcore dyslexic.....

I can read fine.. I scored above a 175 on the LSAT.... I just can't spell well... I even have issues with "ie" vs "ei"... i even write 9s backwards sometimes...

How much will this hurt me when I am typing up an exam.... Can we use spell-checks for the exam... If I slow down to much trying to make sure I spell everything correctly or avoiding words that I am not sure I spelled correctly, I am concerned I will be at a major disadvantage.. I don't imagine this will hurt my career as much because I will be able to use a spell-checker...


Tell me what you think....

Is it a disorder like dyslexia? I have some classmates with legitimate dyslexia that puts them at an extreme disadvantage under normal timed conditions, and they have been given timing accommodations during exams to help offset it.

See...nobody's perfect!
Talking to your administrators to inquire about different testing accommodations is actually a pretty good idea. Of course, if being tested in a different setting isn't going to do anything for your dyslexia then don't worry about it. I've seen people get accommodated for seemingly lesser issues.

But the truth, as many have stated, is that simple spelling error are normally irrelevant. There will be many people that choose to handwrite their exams and have atrocious handwriting. I'm sure profs would much rather grade a typed exam with typos than a handwritten one that is barely legible. Unless your prof really harps on spelling (which is probably rare) I wouldn't even worry about the spelling. It's more of a distraction, and on a timed exam spelling is not the issue you should be worried about.
However, when it comes to handing in assignments for legal research or your school's equivalent you may have bigger problems. Spell check often misses misspelled words if the word itself is spelled correctly, but for a different meaning. But you can cross that bridge when you come to it.

No wonder my grades suck. I try to make everything spelled right and punctuated correctly, and I guess they don't care.