It’s such a crazy time to be applying to law school. Applications have been up. Sources for funding law school are potentially down. It can get a little bit discouraging.
If you have something else that worries you, whether it be your GPA, LSAT score or experience, that can also be overwhelming.
But take it from me, someone who has been helping law school applicants for more than 20 years, practically all applicants have anxiety, whether it is about their credentials or the competitive cycle they’re in … and guess what? It works out really well for most of them.
Here are some common scenarios:
You are worried about your GPA or LSAT score
You might be a splitter or a reverse splitter. Either way, you are unhappy about either your GPA or your LSAT scores. This is more common than you might think.
If it is your GPA and you are still in college, you can apply in the following admissions cycle after you graduate. That way you can show your full senior year grades and have time to improve your GPA. You can also then show a year of post-grad work experience, which is increasingly important to some law schools.
If it is your LSAT score that worries you, you can try the GRE or the JD Next — newer alternatives to the LSAT. Many law schools are starting to accept these test alternatives in addition to, or instead of, the LSAT.
If you graduated several years ago, or are willing to work before law school, you will be able to highlight your work experience, which I’ve sometimes seen can decrease the emphasis on grades and scores.
You are a non-traditional candidate to law school
You might be 10 or more years out of undergrad. You might be a STEM major who was originally pre-med. I have heard applicants express concern that they are out of synch, or waited too long to go to law school, or that they are not a political science or traditional prelaw major.
Well, guess what? The law schools often appreciate this—it is not every applicant who applies right from senior year in college and is a political science major. I have seen STEM majors do well when applying to law schools.
Applicants with a lot of prior work experience can likewise do well, especially in today’s economy. As legal employers now recruit law students a lot earlier, sometimes in fall of their first semester in law school, prior work experience can be extremely beneficial.
You are worried about paying for law school
I get it. Almost everyone is worried about how to fund law school. Especially now, as the loan situation changes. However, many law schools still give out substantial merit scholarships.
Applying earlier in the cycle can potentially help you, as there could be more funding available.
Networking with law schools at the LSAC Forum, or during their zoom office hours, to show interest in your top school might also help distinguish you.
Attending a law school that has a part-time program is sometimes overlooked to defray the cost of law school. If you attend a part-time program (usually four years long instead of three), you can work during the day as a paralegal in a law firm, or wherever you choose. This can make the cost of law school much more doable.
Legal employers really appreciate part-time law students right now, from what I’ve heard — they have more work experience, are used to juggling a heavy workload and sometimes have additional grades to show.
More law schools are offering hybrid and online programs as well now — check to see which ones might work for you. Organizations such as Access Lex have scholarship databases, as well as counseling for those seeking help figuring out how to finance law school. There are many resources out there to help you.
Hillary Mantis consults with applicants to law school, as well as those seeking legal careers. She is the author of several books about law school admissions and legal careers. Admissions questions? You can reach her at Hillary.Mantis@yahoo.com.
