Left law school 4 years ago...want to go back and finish Forum

[JC&T]

Hi!

I was looking for some feedback on my situation. I attended law school 4 years ago, completed my first year and summer classes. However, I didn't do so well and was given two options: re-do my 1L year or be dropped. At that point in my life, I decided I wanted to join the military for a few years before returning to LS. My reasoning for this was 1) I was still young enough to serve (it would be easier for me to serve now than it would if I waited till I was past the age of enlistment); 2) I wanted a break from school (I went straight from HS to University to LS). I thought maybe some life experience and work experience would do me some good. Now, I am at a point in my life where I am ready to take on law school without the mental fatigue of 6 years of back-to-back academics and have had plenty of time to contemplate my decision. I am extremely excited and looking forward to the challenges of law school. I am hoping that since I have experience in what being a 1L is like, I am better equipped to handle the shock and stress of law school.

Any feedback would be well appreciated...especially from fellow students who were in my situation and are currently back in law school.

Thanks in advance!

[BigZuck]

I looked for a question there and couldn't find one. What exactly are you asking? Because all you have right now is a cool story, bro.

Are you asking whether you should give it another try? What are your career ambitions, what are your numbers, where do you have ties, and what schools are you looking at?

[JC&T]

I apologize for not being clear.

I was mainly looking for feedback from other students who went to law school and are coming back to finish it a few years later. Were there any difficulties or disadvantages you faced during the application process? Did they require a letter from your previous law school? What schools did you apply to and what school are you attending? How much, if at all, do law schools frown upon students who are in this situation?

I am set on going back, it has been a dream of mine to be a lawyer. My numbers are 3.2 UGPA/171 LSAT. I worked for a consulting firm for about a year after I left LS. Then I joined the Army where I currently work in Intel. I have work experience and leadership experience under my belt and have grown significantly since I first entered LS. I am hoping to practice in corporate law, something business and contracts oriented.

The schools I am looking to apply to this fall are:

George Washington
American
Seattle U
William and Mary
Georgetown
Washington & Lee

[BigZuck]

I apologize for not being clear.

I was mainly looking for feedback from other students who went to law school and are coming back to finish it a few years later. Were there any difficulties or disadvantages you faced during the application process? Did they require a letter from your previous law school? What schools did you apply to and what school are you attending? How much, if at all, do law schools frown upon students who are in this situation?

I am set on going back, it has been a dream of mine to be a lawyer. My numbers are 3.2 UGPA/171 LSAT. I worked for a consulting firm for about a year after I left LS. Then I joined the Army where I currently work in Intel. I have work experience and leadership experience under my belt and have grown significantly since I first entered LS. I am hoping to practice in corporate law, something business and contracts oriented.

The schools I am looking to apply to this fall are:

George Washington
American
Seattle U
William and Mary
Georgetown
Washington & Lee

Why the disparate schools all across the country?

American and Seattle should be struck from the list, they are bad law schools. The rest I would not go to without a significant scholarship. You numbers and work/military experience should give you a really good shot at Georgetown, Northwestern and an ED at UVA should do the trick. Personally with those numbers I would be aiming for Northwestern.

However, I'm not sure how failing out of law school once already will hurt you (I'm guessing a lot). Help, TLS!

[ehall20]

.

[JC&T]

Thanks, ehall20 and bigZuck for your replies!

The reason why I would like to apply to Seattle U is because I am from Washington and I would eventually like to settle down there. I love the DC area because it reminds me of home a bit.

I will look into Cornell as well, and especially UVA, since you both mentioned it as a school I should consider. I haven't really done much research on itl but I do know that I like the area where it is located.

I know that I my chances of admission are much lower than most because of my situation but I also know that I can't be the only applicant in the history of law school applications to be in this situation. I am just hoping and praying that I will be given an opportunity to fulfill this dream of mine.

Thanks again for the feedback!

[Hattori Hanzo]

Have you considered Bschool? Your consulting+ military experience make you a good candidate for bschool and if you scored 171 on the LSAT, you can score high enough on the GMAT to get into a good school (from experience, the two tests are very similar. I personally scored in the same exact percentile on both).

This would be better because: you will get into better schools (your GPA will matter less), it will be much less academically challenging and it will be cheaper/less risky (2 vs 3 years).

[dextermorgan]

Aim higher.

[SPerez]

Administratively, you will have to submit your previous law transcripts and a letter from them saying you left in good standing. If you were actually academically dismissed, you will need what's called a "505" letter (after the ABA accreditation standard) from them stating that you "possess the requisite ability and that the
prior disqualification does not indicate a lack of capacity to complete the course of study at the
admitting school."

Dean Perez
Texas Tech Univ. School of Law

[JC&T]

Hattori Hanzo, I have considered Business School and getting my MBA. However, I just don't feel as passionate about it as I do about law. Being a lawyer is something I've wanted to do for so long that it's hard not to keep coming back to the idea of going back to law school.

SPerez, thank you for your input. Especially as a Dean, I certainly appreciate any advice you may have. My situation was an academic dismissal. However, since it has been about almost 5 years since my 1L year and 6 since I last took the LSAT. Would I still be required to submit a "505" letter? I will have by the time I complete my military obligation a unique and special list of work experience to aid in my application. Something I hope will display a sense of maturity and growth since my last application. What are your thoughts? And what advice would you give a student interested in applying to your school with a situation like mine?

Thanks in advance!

[h_jane_w]

I apologize for not being clear.

I was mainly looking for feedback from other students who went to law school and are coming back to finish it a few years later. Were there any difficulties or disadvantages you faced during the application process? Did they require a letter from your previous law school? What schools did you apply to and what school are you attending? How much, if at all, do law schools frown upon students who are in this situation?

I am set on going back, it has been a dream of mine to be a lawyer. My numbers are 3.2 UGPA/171 LSAT. I worked for a consulting firm for about a year after I left LS. Then I joined the Army where I currently work in Intel. I have work experience and leadership experience under my belt and have grown significantly since I first entered LS. I am hoping to practice in corporate law, something business and contracts oriented.

The schools I am looking to apply to this fall are:

George Washington
American
Seattle U
William and Mary
Georgetown
Washington & Lee

I'm no expert but with your work experience and high LSAT I think you should aim for much better schools (and def. do not apply anywhere outside T20).