Top Law Schools

I love the site and have been endlessly reading profiles on admissions but haven't stumbled upon a situation like my own, so here it goes.

I am 25, male, half asian half white(super NON URM), go to a Cal State, Political Science major, in my last year of undergrad. I have a 3.7 overall gpa, except my LSAC gpa is a 3.2 (I know this is the gpa that matters). 172 LSAT and maybe considering a retake this Oct???? Like some on this forum, my first couple years was plagued by personal and medical problems. I had two very close friends die, parents divorced, and have had a panic disorder/depression that is coupled with extreme sweating which caused me to stop going to classes (failing to drop courses, resulting in 6 F's). This happened over 2 years- I just shut down and was a naive lost 18-20 year old. It has been a long and hard battle to climb out of this whole and have finished my last 90 credits with a 4.0 and haven't had more than 3 panic attacks over the last several years....so I'm "stable" if you would like to call it that...I know cry me a freaking river right?

I'm kinda a non traditional student in a sense that even with my conditions, I have worked through out college, first at an investment firm for 4 years (30 hours a week), and then going with my true passion of politics and joining a political consulting firm focusing on finance. I have been involved in multiple leadership positions leading winning local campaigns. I want to study campaign finance law/election law. I will have two very strong letters of recommendation(one professor who saw me go through another death, but stayed strong with an A), and lots of extracurriculars. This all after I getting my life together. I'm going to have an extensive gpa addendum as well.. Are those F's really going to screw me even with my upward trend?!

I need general advice! Where to apply? I want to stay in CA if possible. Good shot at Hastings, Davis, USC, UCLA? I know Boalt is out of the question. Yes, I have looked at every applicant on the law school predictor thingy.. How can I explain my personal troubles in a good light, showing admissions that I have overcame a lot of stuff and turned my life around? Should I bring it up in my personal statement as well? Should I aim for a higher LSAT >172? Take more classes before I certify my degree? Will admissions have no sympathy, and say "if this guy cant handle the stress of undergrad at a CSU, how is he going to cut it in law school"? Help?!

Cali schools like high GPAs. Is it out of the question to shoot for UVA or Georgetown?

It would make sense to be in the geographic location of Georgetown and UVA for the type of law I would like to pursue...But I would have to uproot my personal life and professional network in San Francisco...I wonder if Davis or Hastings would pull more weight regionally than UVA or Georgetown? Also a buddy of mine had similar stats 3.2/170, and got a full ride to USF and took it over Hastings...no sure if that was a good move..

Imaraider2007 wrote:It would make sense to be in the geographic location of Georgetown and UVA for the type of law I would like to pursue...But I would have to uproot my personal life and professional network in San Francisco...I wonder if Davis or Hastings would pull more weight regionally than UVA or Georgetown? Also a buddy of mine had similar stats 3.2/170, and got a full ride to USF and took it over Hastings...no sure if that was a good move..

full ride to USF over Hastings at sticker is justifiable considering neither are likely to land him biglaw (making debt that much scarier).

However, its still possible to get biglaw from Hastings (it is damn close to impossible out of USF unless you are top of your class) and I believe their job prospects are significantly better than USF's, though neither boast particularly great job stats

Do i have a chance at any of the schools I listed with my past record and current LSAT? Should I pad my gpa? How will my improvement/problems be viewed? Aim for higher lsat? Not looking for sympathy or validation just some direction..

Imaraider2007 wrote:Do i have a chance at any of the schools I listed with my past record and current LSAT? Should I pad my gpa? How will my improvement/problems be viewed? Aim for higher lsat? Not looking for sympathy or validation just some direction..

While I don't think that your predicament will significantly boost your chances, they seem like legit reasons for under performance and they definitely won't hold them against you..they might even give you a slight break. Make sure to address it in your apps via an addendum or even try to work it in your PS if it makes sense. Overcoming obstacles shows maturity and strength of will. 3.2/172 gets you in at both of those schools no problem. Definitely with big money from USF and I'd expect money from Hastings too. For USC/UCLA it is harder to predict because you split their medians. Still though, I would expect you get in to both schools with that LSAT given the drop in applications.

Check out lawschoolnumbers.com for profiles with similar stats to yours that should give you a good idea of what to expect.

Imaraider2007 wrote:It would make sense to be in the geographic location of Georgetown and UVA for the type of law I would like to pursue...But I would have to uproot my personal life and professional network in San Francisco...I wonder if Davis or Hastings would pull more weight regionally than UVA or Georgetown? Also a buddy of mine had similar stats 3.2/170, and got a full ride to USF and took it over Hastings...no sure if that was a good move..

UVA and Georgetown would be looked upon more favorably than Davis or Hastings. Particularly UVA.

Imaraider2007 wrote:coupled with extreme sweating

lolwut.

Don't go to UCD or UCH. They Bay Area market is AWEFUL. Go check the Hastings thread in Ask a Law Student, they are saying if you are around median you are screwed, iirc they say you need something like top 20% to feel somewhat safe of getting a job.

UCLA and USC are unlikely with a 3.2 unfortunately

Best to go out of the state.. and I'm someone with similar numbers as you and grew up in the east bay and would rather stay.. but it is just a BAD idea to go to law school here, unless its berkeley/stanford

SaintsTheMetal wrote:Don't go to UCD or UCH. They Bay Area market is AWEFUL. Go check the Hastings thread in Ask a Law Student, they are saying if you are around median you are screwed, iirc they say you need something like top 20% to feel somewhat safe of getting a job.

UCLA and USC are unlikely with a 3.2 unfortunately

Best to go out of the state.. and I'm someone with similar numbers as you and grew up in the east bay and would rather stay.. but it is just a BAD idea to go to law school here, unless its berkeley/stanford

Is that top 20% to get a biglaw job, or to get ANY job?

diegoforlan10 wrote:

SaintsTheMetal wrote:Don't go to UCD or UCH. They Bay Area market is AWEFUL. Go check the Hastings thread in Ask a Law Student, they are saying if you are around median you are screwed, iirc they say you need something like top 20% to feel somewhat safe of getting a job.

UCLA and USC are unlikely with a 3.2 unfortunately

Best to go out of the state.. and I'm someone with similar numbers as you and grew up in the east bay and would rather stay.. but it is just a BAD idea to go to law school here, unless its berkeley/stanford

Is that top 20% to get a biglaw job, or to get ANY job?

LST, UCD class of 2010 wrote:•64.9% of graduates were known employed in full-time legal jobs. This figure includes an unknown number of temporary jobs and school-funded jobs.
•59.8% graduates were employed in long-term jobs.
•71.6% graduates were employed in full-time jobs.
•7.7% graduates were unemployed.

--LinkRemoved--

diegoforlan10 wrote:

SaintsTheMetal wrote:Don't go to UCD or UCH. They Bay Area market is AWEFUL. Go check the Hastings thread in Ask a Law Student, they are saying if you are around median you are screwed, iirc they say you need something like top 20% to feel somewhat safe of getting a job.

UCLA and USC are unlikely with a 3.2 unfortunately

Best to go out of the state.. and I'm someone with similar numbers as you and grew up in the east bay and would rather stay.. but it is just a BAD idea to go to law school here, unless its berkeley/stanford

Is that top 20% to get a biglaw job, or to get ANY job?

Any decent job. Big law is much higher than 20%. Anyone not in the top 20-25% or so better have some real hustle to find any kind of legal work

Don't take my word for it though, I'm just a 0L doing research.. head over here:
http://top-law-schools.com/forums/viewt ... 0#p5553353