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Hello there,

I am 23. I graduated in from UC Santa Barbara with my degree in philosophy in Dec 2013. I intend to apply to law school this cycle and start next year. My GPA is 3.36. I haven't taken the LSAT yet.

I had two F's in my 3rd year in Spring. I was just stressed and sad. My parents were divorcing. I just stopped going to those two classes. I don't know if that sounds any better than trying to pass and failing, lol. How should I explain this in an addendum? I genuinely was having a hard time and this was when my parents finally moved out of the same house. I don't want to sound insincere. At the end of the day my GPA is still workable even with the two F's, so maybe it would be better to say nothing. Ideas?

I'm asking for some ideas on where to apply and any other tips that people have.

Here are some things that I am thinking of when I am looking for schools to apply to:

I desire to become a criminal defense lawyer. I would like to do my small part to help people that are more vulnerable to being preyed upon by our criminal justice system than the average person. That's my dream. Prestige is not such an important quality for me in a school. Financial aid is very important to me, so I would like to apply to a few schools where my chances for aid are the highest. Location is important to me. I desire to live on the East coast. It doesn't matter if it's north or south. Anywhere from Massachusetts to Georgia sounds great to me. Rural or urban locations are both fine. I live in Reno, Nevada and I just desire to experience living in that part of the country. I guess my views are fairly liberal, to use such a general term, so I think I would be most comfortable at a school that mirrors my values.

Also appreciate any general tips. I graduated in 2013 and I have a hard time thinking of a professor that I made a particularly good relationship with. How do you approach professors that may not necessarily remember you?

Thanks

You're going to need an LSAT score before anybody can answer this for you. However, you should apply (generally) to schools in the area(s) of the country you want to work in.

Without an LSAT score, we can't really give you any advice. If you can't get over a 160 then X, Y, and Z, will be your options. If you get 170, you are looking at very different options. Even financial aid depends on your score, so it's difficult to give you even a general sense of what school(s) would be good for you.

Per professors, I would reach out now before you fade away even more. You could send out some feeler emails and see how it goes from there. Checking in, providing an update as to where you are in life, etc., has always worked for me. Although, I had had fairly good relationships with my professors/deans.

Study as hard as you can for the LSAT, and don't give up. I think that's the best advice and answer to your questions that will be able to receive as of right now.

Thanks

BTW, I edited my OP to say something about getting two F's, if you happen to have an opinion about that.

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Thanks