I failed out of Law School. What now? Forum

[ILikeIke]

I call flame. I just looked it up, and Duke awards Latin honors to about the top 25% of each graduating class. The cut off for cum laude a couple of years ago was 3.68, so with a 3.64, OP would not have been in the top quarter of the class, never mind the top tenth.

http://www.registrar.duke.edu/registrar ... onors.html

[neskerdoo]

OP capitalized BAR and Law Schools... this is suspect

[SoxyPirate]

OP capitalized BAR and Law Schools... this is suspect

And called it "LSATs."

I think this is BULL SHITs.

[paratactical]

broken_image

[Blindmelon]

yeah but how the fuck is a 3.6 the top of duke's class?

Yup. Definite flame. Duke has massive grade inflation. Top 10% for Duke's last year graduating class was around 3.9.

[spanktheduck]

Even if it is not a flame, you are probably unlikely to get into another reputable school. I know people are saying just apply to schools 40 and lower and you should get in with your numbers but, A) you've already completed a year, so I'm not even sure your eligible to reapply to law school and B) you failed out of law school. Realistically what addcom at a reputable school will accept a student that failed out of another law school. As another poster pointed out, you need to essentially try to fail out. I don't think people are appreciating how bad this looks. I know adcoms try to improve thier numbers but they still have an eye towards student quality. You have good numbers, but FAILED out of your law school, something incredible difficult to do. Note also, that your school, the school with the biggest stake and relationship with you, didn't care about your reason for your grades, why would another school care more? I find it hard to believe a reputable would take you in. Ask yourself honestly, if you were in their situation, would you admit a student that had failed out of law school? I know law is your passion, but, you had your shot and failed. I'm sorry for what ever happened during your year, but, you probably need to find another passion.

[SoxyPirate]

I got an email from Charlotte Law yesterday. They're still accepting applications and they'll probably offer you a scholarship.

[Lyov Myshkin]

I got an email from Charlotte Law yesterday. They're still accepting applications and they'll probably offer you a scholarship.

University of Arizona too, methinks.

[SoxyPirate]

I got an email from Charlotte Law yesterday. They're still accepting applications and they'll probably offer you a scholarship.

University of Arizona too, methinks.

No, that was Phoenix Law...

[Lyov Myshkin]

I got an email from Charlotte Law yesterday. They're still accepting applications and they'll probably offer you a scholarship.

University of Arizona too, methinks.

No, that was Phoenix Law...

haha... oh yeah. they've sent me like 5 emails already, successively asking to verify that i've received the previous one.

[SoxyPirate]

I got an email from Charlotte Law yesterday. They're still accepting applications and they'll probably offer you a scholarship.

University of Arizona too, methinks.

No, that was Phoenix Law...

haha... oh yeah. they've sent me like 5 emails already, successively asking to verify that i've received the previous one.

Same deal from Florida Coastal. I emailed and said I wasn't interested, got a polite reply, but I'm still getting the same "did you get my last scholarship offer" emails.

[housie07]

.

[Veritas]

Maybe one of her recommendations was bad or something. Perhaps extreme YP?

[69sofine]

Think Law. Think Drexel.

[dapoetic1]

Top 10% at Duke + 170 and waitlisted at Georgetown? That takes skill. What happened? Did you have other grades that were factored into your UGPA or something? I just can't see how you didn't waltz into the T14 with those stats...

To (attempt to) answer questions:

1) LSAT scores are good for like 5 years. No matter what, I doubt you would want to re-take

The reason higher ranked schools allow transfers from lower ranked schools is because people go to lower ranked schools and get good grades they don't get better LSAT scores.
A school is much more impressed with your ability to do well in law school (which you have not demonstrated) than they are your ability to do well on a test (which you have deomonstrated)
The only reason the LSAT is so important when you're appling for the first time is because you don't have any actual law school classes for them to base your academic credential upon.

I think your best bet is to try and get back into your old school. They're more likely to understand your situation and thus be more empathetic and reasonable with letting you back in. Especially if you've resolved your issues. Another school is going to assume you can't cut it and that you're just not made for law school. If you get back into your old school and you truly are more focused and prepared you should be able to come out of there with better grades which should allow you to transfer to a better school.
And while you probably could've been admitted to a t-14 with a 170 and a 3.64444(whether that made you top 10% or not) chances are with a semseter of failure from a law school this is probably less likely.

[Bankhead]

What a weird flame...

[mdd05d]

Well at least she wasn't lying about the "having issues" part.

[lawlover829]

I didnt apply to Duke, and MANY schools, because I wanted to stay local to be my family and their difficulties.

+1

[biber]

Why don't you talk to the school about the reasons for your poor performance and how you have corrected them? They may be more receptive than you think. Maybe I am wrong but I don't see you getting into a better school after bombing 1L because they now have a new data point, an apparently terrible first year of law school which outweighs your very good LSAT and UGPA (how did you not crack the T14?). On the other hand, maybe you'll have some luck.

[RVP11]

I call flame. I just looked it up, and Duke awards Latin honors to about the top 25% of each graduating class. The cut off for cum laude a couple of years ago was 3.68, so with a 3.64, OP would not have been in the top quarter of the class, never mind the top tenth.

http://www.registrar.duke.edu/registrar ... onors.html

This. Plus I think anyone smart enough to have these things going for them would also be smart enough to ask their school for a leave of absence or emergency deferral or something equivalent when such terrible things happen to them during 1L.

[danquayle]

I just don't understand the underlying principle of this kind of flame...

Why?

Do people actually derive joy from having people answer questions on a benign hypothetical? People like this exist?

With access to computers and literacy?

[truthchase]

I hope this provides some positive perspective. A close friend of mine, who scored a 167 on the LSAT, just finished his 1L year at a T50 school in the Northeast. While he wasn't asked not to come back, they were strongly considering it, which put him in an awful position.

After roughly similar circumstances (death in the family, personal meltdown ect.) he finished dead last in his class. While mathematically someone has to be last, he managed to get several D's from a school that claims it doesn't give anything below a C-. Long story short, once informed that he was on extremely thin ice, he volunteered at our small hometown's public defenders office over the summer. Due to his strong LSAT and shitty life circumstance throughout 1L, he was given a chance to prove himself. For the last two months he's busted his ass and really impressed the DA and PD's offices enough for them call in a favor. After praising him up and own to the the Dean, she agreed to give him a second chance and he is returning in the fall.

I apologize for my loquaciousness but you get the picture. Best of luck and PM me if you have any specific questions on how it worked out for him.

[truthchase]

I call flame. I just looked it up, and Duke awards Latin honors to about the top 25% of each graduating class. The cut off for cum laude a couple of years ago was 3.68, so with a 3.64, OP would not have been in the top quarter of the class, never mind the top tenth.

http://www.registrar.duke.edu/registrar ... onors.html

This. Plus I think anyone smart enough to have these things going for them would also be smart enough to ask their school for a leave of absence or emergency deferral or something equivalent when such terrible things happen to them during 1L.

While this would be the obvious solution, not everyone in a moment of tragedy thinks clearly. Pride and embarrassment can play a major role in not giving up/asking for deferral. I'll give him/her the benefit of the doubt...

[dapoetic1]

I call flame. I just looked it up, and Duke awards Latin honors to about the top 25% of each graduating class. The cut off for cum laude a couple of years ago was 3.68, so with a 3.64, OP would not have been in the top quarter of the class, never mind the top tenth.

http://www.registrar.duke.edu/registrar ... onors.html

I'll give OP the benefit of the doubt (and only because there may be actual people in this situation)
1. He could've graduated a while ago (prior to 2005 in order to have received latin honors with that GPA). He did say he has been working as a paralegal but he didn't say for how long. And i can't if he said if he received latin honors or just listing his GPA b/c I'm not looking at the original post

2. If I'm reading that chart posted above correctly a 3.6 would put him around the Pratt3 Tier which appears to be an honors GPA for an engineering student. It makes sense that someone in the college of engineering would have a lower GPA and still get honors than an Arts/Sciences student

3. OP could've embellished his standing slightly by saying he was top 10% when in reality he may have been closer to top 1/4 or 1/3--still nothing to scoff at. It wouldn't be the first fish tale on here

4. Who opens themselves up to a bunch of post about what to do after failing out of law school on a law school forum? Granted, this is definitely on the more forgiving end of naivete but it's possible this story however unlikely may have elements of truth

[waldodanto]

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