177/Superior GPA/ international nURM, nKJD. Chance me for HLS/CLS. Forum

[thelawkid]

I am from Armenia and have graduated from the Law Faculty of Yerevan State University, which is considered the best university in Armenia, particularly in law. I graduated with a GPA of 19.3/20, which LSAC evaluated as "superior." I graduated in the top 5% of my class with honors. During my studies, I served as the deputy head of the law faculty's student scientific body. I have approximately 2 years of professional experience in Armenia, including 6 months as a lawyer and aide in the office of the Prime Minister and 1.5 years as an associate at a top law firm. Additionally, I worked for 1 year as an intern during my studies at the Constitutional Court of Armenia, where I clerked for one of the 9 judges. I scored 177 on the LSAT.

I will have one recommendation letter from a former Deputy Prime Minister for whom I worked, one from a professor at Yerevan State University who is also a judge in the Constitutional Court of Armenia for whom I clerked, one from the Dean of Yerevan State University, and one from a managing partner of a law firm where I worked in Armenia. I have also published 6 law papers in Armenia. Please give me your opinion whether I have a chance to be admitted to top 14 law schools /especially HLS, CLS.

[crazywafflez]

You do certainly have a chance to be admitted. Harvard, Columbia, NYU, Cornell and Georgetown all seem to be the most friendly to international applicants. I would just apply to all the T14 though- and I'd personally prefer to go to Cornell or Penn for free rather than paying sticker price at Harvard.
However, why do you want to study in the US? It just seems like you're accomplishing a lot and have excellent outcomes in Armenia already. What will a JD give you in terms of what you want unless your goal is strictly to work in a big law firm, move to the USA and make a lot of money mindlessly toiling away in a NYC firm trying to hit 2200 billable hours and hoping your next deal closes smoothly and you can schmooze with a partner in hopes of one day becoming one?

[thelawkid]

Thank you.