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Hi everyone, long-time lurker here. I'd love any advice or thoughts on my plan. I also have a few questions. Thanks so much.

I'm a 40/M, with a 20 year successful career at running my own businesses, but now I want to change paths and become a lawyer, which has always been my passion. I'm all in and nothing will hold me back from this. I have enough savings to pay for my undergrad and have a supportive wife that will support me through LS. I own a home and will not have any financial obligations when I go to LS.

I'm currently a sophomore, entering UCLA (or USC) next Fall as a junior. My current GPA is 4.0 and will hopefully not dip under 3.8. With that said I do have a few W's but I'm working with the school to have them removed. I'm an English major, btw, and URM.

My first priority is maintaining a high GPA through my undergrad, I understand the importance of this through reading countless threads in this forum. My next move is to take the Winter semester off to study for the LSAT and take it next Spring before I enter UCLA as a Junior next Fall. Is that ok? I wanted to take it just before I transfer so I have plenty of time to study and re-take if necessary.

On my practice score under live, timed conditions without any studying, I scored a 160. I hope to spend 3-4 months dedicated to LSAT study which will hopefully get me to 165+. I know there's no way to know for sure, but at 43 I plan to have a 3.8/165 when I begin to apply to schools.

I want to minimize my debt (would like as much scholarship $ as possible) and I want to hang my own shingle in California or join a small firm. Considering those numbers 3.8/165 (I know it's hypothetical), which schools in CA would you suggest, considering I will be starting LS at 43/44 years of age and want to minimize my debt?

Overall, is my plan and timeline a good one?

Berkeley > UCLA > USC

radikal_eyes wrote:Berkeley > UCLA > USC

It's my understanding I will be looking at 100K+ in debt with any of those 3 schools, right? I really want a school that will give me at least 50% scholarship (or more?). I was told by a lawyer friend to just go to Loyola or Southwestern and take a full ride, or close to it, which he seems to think I can get with those numbers, if of course I hit those numbers.

No?

secondshot wrote:

radikal_eyes wrote:Berkeley > UCLA > USC

It's my understanding I will be looking at 100K+ in debt with any of those 3 schools, right? I really want a school that will give me at least 50% scholarship (or more?). I was told by a lawyer friend to just go to Loyola or Southwestern and take a full ride, or close to it, which he seems to think I can get with those numbers, if of course I hit those numbers.

No?

Don't limit yourself on the LSAT. Score 169+ and go to UCLA on a full ride or close.

Jules239 wrote:

secondshot wrote:

radikal_eyes wrote:Berkeley > UCLA > USC

It's my understanding I will be looking at 100K+ in debt with any of those 3 schools, right? I really want a school that will give me at least 50% scholarship (or more?). I was told by a lawyer friend to just go to Loyola or Southwestern and take a full ride, or close to it, which he seems to think I can get with those numbers, if of course I hit those numbers.

No?

Don't limit yourself on the LSAT. Score 169+ and go to UCLA on a full ride or close.

Gotcha. With that said, is there anything I should worry about since I will be receiving my UG at UCLA too? Is that a negative, or positive?

How about my timeline guys, for studying/taking the LSAT. Is studying in the Spring before my Junior year a good idea, or too soon? I wanted to give myself plenty of time to retake if necessary.

Study until you've reached a point where you just can't seem to get any better. Then study a little longer, just in case. Then its time to take the test. Its hard to know how long this will take for you. But, nothing wrong with signing up for the test in June. If you aren't ready by then, just take it in Oct. instead. All you lose is the relatively small fee.

It definitely won't hurt, but I don't think it will help that much. LSAT and GPA matter far more.

Go here for good advice on how to study:

http://top-law-schools.com/forums/viewt ... ?f=6&t=396

Also visit the other topics in the LSAT prep forum. Good luck!

Good stuff guys, thanks. I never hear of people who got their UG and law degree from the same school. Always wondered why and figured it was just a bad idea. Guess not. I will shoot for UCLA, but stay open to a full ride at Southwestern or Loyola.

I will now study my ass off.

secondshot wrote:Good stuff guys, thanks. I never hear of people who got their UG and law degree from the same school. Always wondered why and figured it was just a bad idea. Guess not. I will shoot for UCLA, but stay open to a full ride at Southwestern or Loyola.

I will now study my ass off.

My diagnostic test was also a 160. I spent last summer studying like crazy and got a mid-170s. If only I could retake a GPA to get one like yours...
You're half-way to $$$, take 25+ practice tests under timed conditions, break 170, profit like mad.

You can come pretty close to a full ride at UCLA/USC if you get a high LSAT score and keep the GPA up. No reason to limit yourself to Loyola or Southwestern.

SplitMyPants wrote:

secondshot wrote:Good stuff guys, thanks. I never hear of people who got their UG and law degree from the same school. Always wondered why and figured it was just a bad idea. Guess not. I will shoot for UCLA, but stay open to a full ride at Southwestern or Loyola.

I will now study my ass off.

My diagnostic test was also a 160. I spent last summer studying like crazy and got a mid-170s. If only I could retake a GPA to get one like yours...
You're half-way to $$$, take 25+ practice tests under timed conditions, break 170, profit like mad.

I had a diagnostic of 163. Scored in the mid-170s on test day after taking 25+ PTs, ended up getting full-ride to Duke (w/ only a 3.8X, not the 4.0 you've got). You can do it. Go snag that UCLA/USC full-ride.

ETA: Also, you're URM? For the love of god, don't accept anything less than UCLA/USC full-ride.

What urm group are you?

Clearly wrote:What urm group are you?

Mexican, but as suggested in another thread it's not as relevant in California. So I'm not putting too much weight into that.

My plan is to work my ass off for the LSAT score at this point. I'd still like to hear what people think about my timeline of studying and taking lsat early in my junior year, or if you guys consider that too early?

secondshot wrote:

Clearly wrote:What urm group are you?

Mexican, but as suggested in another thread it's not as relevant in California. So I'm not putting too much weight into that.

My plan is to work my ass off for the LSAT score at this point. I'd still like to hear what people think about my timeline of studying and taking lsat early in my junior year, or if you guys consider that too early?

It's totally fine for you to take the LSAT before your junior year. It's a prudent decision for where you're at right now. You're not some 20 year old K-JD wannabe who needs to chill out.

I'm not sure what winter semester means. As in, Sept-Dec? Sure, you could do that, or just take the normal summer off and study for the Sept/Oct test.

You should know that studying for the LSAT is not like a full-time job or anything. If you're taking two full PTs a week and then going over your mistakes very thoroughly, that's like 12 hours/week. Significant time commitment, sure, but you can and should do other stuff as well.

credited: aim for 170+ and SLS, berkeley with $$, or UCLA full-ride

re: when to take the lsat, you get 5 years to use a score before it's no longer any good. so junior year would be fine.

iamgeorgebush wrote:credited: aim for 170+ and SLS, berkeley with $$, or UCLA full-ride

re: when to take the lsat, you get 5 years to use a score before it's no longer any good. so junior year would be fine.

Well, not that I think OP would actually consider it, but he absolutely should not be aiming for Stanford. Even Berkeley with $$ is iffy. He'll be 46 years old when he graduates. As in, not much time to earn back all that money he'd spend. UCLA/USC full-ride should be the ultimate goal here.

cotiger wrote:

iamgeorgebush wrote:Well, not that I think OP would actually consider it, but he absolutely should not be aiming for Stanford. Even Berkeley with $$ is iffy. He'll be 46 years old when he graduates. As in, not much time to earn back all that money he'd spend. UCLA/USC full-ride should be the ultimate goal here.

Yeah, I figure I'll have about 20 years of being a lawyer which I'm fine with, I've already been through 20 years of the workforce . I'd like to wrap it up in my mid 60's. That's why I'm keeping my reach to UCLA, but with everyone's help maybe it won't be a reach after all. Aiming for a full ride but would be incredibly happy with a 50% scholarship.

170 here I come!

Off topic: For what it's worth, I spent several years as a working screenwriter. I was repped at a top 4 agency (ICM), had a couple entertainment lawyers working for me, taught a couple small workshops and gained several really strong connections in the movie business, including execs at studios and dozens of well off writers in the guild. The reason I bring it up is because I'm wondering if entertainment law might be an avenue I should consider with my experience? Or does my experience have no bearing on the niche I ultimately choose? Also, is it even worth noting in my softs that I was a working screenwriter?