OT: Taking the LSAT 8/29

[Poptimus]

I did one LSAT practice test and got a ****** score, certainly relative to my 3.9 GPA with degrees in both math and business. Long story as to why I even went to law school. I paid the price and ultimately had to get my CFA charter to level the playing field and get hired by a firm that otherwise pretty much only accepts Ivy League grads. Don’t make the same mistake.

Would have been infinitely easier for me to just put a fraction of the time spent towards the CFA over 3 years into a few months of LSAT prep. Don’t cut corners and godspeed, fellow Canes fan.

 

[RocketsandCanes]

I probably should have mentioned that I just turned 36. Always was intrigued by law and love to participate in debates with friends and family. about a month ago it just hit me one day and I couldn't stop thinking about "well, if it's something I want to do, why not take the LSAT and see?"

What I just recently learned is that the only school that I plan to apply to (Albany Law School), while having a rich history, has fallen on hard times in recent years. They appointed a new President within the last decade or so and one of her jobs was to essentially save the law school, lol. Long story short, they were able to reach an agreement with SUNY Albany to partner but remain separate institutions. For SUNY's help in essentially bailing them out, Albany Law developed a couple of programs for current SUNY Albany students interested in pursuing law...but how about SUNY Albany graduates? How do you like it-if I get accepted I would get a minimum scholarship of $20,000 per year as a SUNY Albany graduate. I am also not disqualified from other grants/aid/scholarships.

My goal is to get a 160 which would put me above their 25th percentile. Coupled with my resume (MBA and I've worked in banking the last 8+ years before taking my current job as a controller/general manager of a small business in Oct '19) I am hopeful it would make me a strong candidate.

Really appreciate all of the replies, thanks!

If you ended up getting a 161 you would be a very good candidate for a very significant scholarship at a place like Albany. Just an unrelated word of caution though. I went to a law school with a similar ranking, and as far as job perspectives go grades really do matter.

I am confident that any law school grad who passes the bar can be employed as an attorney (networking and interview skills are key). That being said, if you want a range of employment opportunities then keep on your grades, as a lot of jobs right out of law school won't even look at a candidate without being in the top x% of their class if you aren't from a top 50(ish) ranked law school.

But seeing as you have already done your MBA and have a very established career, you already know that performance matters. Good luck!

 

[For_The_U]

If you ended up getting a 161 you would be a very good candidate for a very significant scholarship at a place like Albany. Just an unrelated word of caution though. I went to a law school with a similar ranking, and as far as job perspectives go grades really do matter.

I am confident that any law school grad who passes the bar can be employed as an attorney (networking and interview skills are key). That being said, if you want a range of employment opportunities then keep on your grades, as a lot of jobs right out of law school won't even look at a candidate without being in the top x% of their class if you aren't from a top 50(ish) ranked law school.

But seeing as you have already done your MBA and have a very established career, you already know that performance matters. Good luck!

Agree 100% with this. Personally, I would rather be top 10 ranked at a lower school than middle of the pack at a higher school. I am aware many on here disagree with this concept. But I believe strongly in it, as long as you're not set on having a career in big firm law which is something I knew was not for me.

 

[Tad Footeball]

If one is intent on staying in Miami for law school then it pains me to say it but you'd probably have to give serious consideration to going to FIU over UM.

Unless we get a new president (probably along the line of a Stavridis type) that is going to place legitimate focus upon improving the law school at least by the time you graduate.

Good luck disirregardless with the LSAT.

 

[NateDogg]

If you ended up getting a 161 you would be a very good candidate for a very significant scholarship at a place like Albany. Just an unrelated word of caution though. I went to a law school with a similar ranking, and as far as job perspectives go grades really do matter.

I am confident that any law school grad who passes the bar can be employed as an attorney (networking and interview skills are key). That being said, if you want a range of employment opportunities then keep on your grades, as a lot of jobs right out of law school won't even look at a candidate without being in the top x% of their class if you aren't from a top 50(ish) ranked law school.

But seeing as you have already done your MBA and have a very established career, you already know that performance matters. Good luck!

very good insight-appreciate it!

 

[db988]

Graduated UM with a 3.74 and a 164 LSAT. Here's my two cents:

1. Law schools care about the following 3 things first: (1) who you know, (2) LSAT, (3) Grades, (4) diversity relative to the rest of the class and last year's class (this is everything from where you lived, where you went to school, gender, ethnicity, etc. - schools want to pitch "we have 200 students from all 50 states, 20 countries, we're 60% female and 30% minority"). Past non-legal experience really didn't come into play from what I observed. If you know people, work that angle. Otherwise, focus on what you can control: LSAT and Grades. If you're better at the GMAT, alot of schools are accepting that now. I just took practice LSATs over-and-over, but every point counts. If I could trade a 165 for taking an LSAT class, I would. It means a different level of scholarship automatically available to you. Any comparisons to bar prep courses is inaccurate - the bar is aimed at getting 50% right, the LSAT you are pushing for 100% correct (in a perfect world).

2. Shoot for T14, even if you don't plan on going to the Supreme Court or working in "BigLaw". You will appreciate having the options post-graduation and it will make your life easier. Bottom of the class at t14 gets better job opportunities than anyone outside of top 10% of the top 100 schools. You may know what you want to do now, but what if you change your mind?

3. I'm not a litigator, but my litigation colleagues tell me that liking to 'debate' is a terrible reason to go to law school because the practice just doesn't work like that.

4. If you are going to go to law school, don't just get the straight degree - couple it with a data analytics MBA. The need for the number of lawyers out there is decreasing as software continues to automate the more time consuming aspects of our work. Lawyers who can combine their practice knowledge with the ability to manipulate software will be far more valuable than the generic JD.

The legal market is going to have a rough year or two, maybe more - consider your timing of entry.

 

[CaneAlum11]

7sage was my favorite for the logic games.

 

[Nopain]

Took the LSAT cold in 1983 and got a 48.

Decided to go to medical school.

 

[DMoney]

Take a ton of practice tests under timed conditions. Treat it like training for a sport. The mental fatigue and time stress get more people than the actual questions.

The only area where technique helped was logic games. The rest is just getting used to taking the test with a timer.

 

[DMoney]

If you're based in Miami, look up the Knowledge Co-Operative. Sean Lynch has been teaching LSAT prep for years and is a staple in town for his quirky, yet effective teaching methods. I believe you need about a 155 to get into UM's Law program and he can certainly help you. His prices aren't bad comparatively and he really gets you to that next gear. I'm currently using him for GMAT prep. He is located in South Miami and has class style and webex style classes.

Logical Reasoning is a B**** but he's helped me come a long while.

I worked with Sean for a summer. Good guy.

 

[SeanTaylor26]

I got a 165 LSAT and got a half scholarship to Emory Law School. I ended up getting nearly a perfect score on the logic games and did really well on the logical reasoning section too. The reading comprehension is where I messed up and that’s what kept me from getting my goal score of 170. I recommend TestMasters. The creator, Robin Singh, has the world record for most perfect 180 LSAT scores and the material was amazing. I think I got a 148 the first time I ever took a timed test prior to the class and massively improved due to the techniques learned.

 

[Home Slice]

Over the years I have seen several posters mention that they are either lawyers or work in the legal field. I am just wondering if anyone has any tips to share from their experiences studying for the LSAT. After doing a little bit of research on LSAT prep, I decided (for now) against paying for the higher priced prep courses and chose to start with Mike Kim's LSAT Trainer book. I have also seen Powerscore mentioned as a strong option with good bang for your buck. Not averse to paying more for prep, but thought I would start with this and see how I feel after a few weeks.

Before any studying I took the test from the LSAC website (untimed) and scored a 153. After 2 weeks of studying I took another prep test, this one timed, and scored a 151. As of now I think my biggest room for improvement exists in the Logic Games and Logical Reasoning sections.

Best of luck Nate Dogg!

 

[DC1986]

I know two examples of that low qualifying UM Law student...

They used this book

 

[DC1986]

Good luck!

 

[Old Gregg]

I worked with Sean for a summer. Good guy.

Good guy...huge Canes fan.

Just don't follow him on Facebook.

 

[Cane_Mutiny]

Over the years I have seen several posters mention that they are either lawyers or work in the legal field. I am just wondering if anyone has any tips to share from their experiences studying for the LSAT. After doing a little bit of research on LSAT prep, I decided (for now) against paying for the higher priced prep courses and chose to start with Mike Kim's LSAT Trainer book. I have also seen Powerscore mentioned as a strong option with good bang for your buck. Not averse to paying more for prep, but thought I would start with this and see how I feel after a few weeks.

Before any studying I took the test from the LSAC website (untimed) and scored a 153. After 2 weeks of studying I took another prep test, this one timed, and scored a 151. As of now I think my biggest room for improvement exists in the Logic Games and Logical Reasoning sections.

Great call on LSAT Trainer by Mike Kim -- that's the book I recommend to everyone who asks. I faithfully followed his 8-week program and it got me into a T-14 law school. As long as you stay consistent with your preparation, your score will improve over the course of a couple months. Do as many timed practice tests as possible, and focus on getting your logic game strategy down pat. Good luck!

 

[TheMatador]

Graduated UM with a 3.74 and a 164 LSAT. Here's my two cents:

1. Law schools care about the following 3 things first: (1) who you know, (2) LSAT, (3) Grades, (4) diversity relative to the rest of the class and last year's class (this is everything from where you lived, where you went to school, gender, ethnicity, etc. - schools want to pitch "we have 200 students from all 50 states, 20 countries, we're 60% female and 30% minority"). Past non-legal experience really didn't come into play from what I observed. If you know people, work that angle. Otherwise, focus on what you can control: LSAT and Grades. If you're better at the GMAT, alot of schools are accepting that now. I just took practice LSATs over-and-over, but every point counts. If I could trade a 165 for taking an LSAT class, I would. It means a different level of scholarship automatically available to you. Any comparisons to bar prep courses is inaccurate - the bar is aimed at getting 50% right, the LSAT you are pushing for 100% correct (in a perfect world).

2. Shoot for T14, even if you don't plan on going to the Supreme Court or working in "BigLaw". You will appreciate having the options post-graduation and it will make your life easier. Bottom of the class at t14 gets better job opportunities than anyone outside of top 10% of the top 100 schools. You may know what you want to do now, but what if you change your mind?

3. I'm not a litigator, but my litigation colleagues tell me that liking to 'debate' is a terrible reason to go to law school because the practice just doesn't work like that.

4. If you are going to go to law school, don't just get the straight degree - couple it with a data analytics MBA. The need for the number of lawyers out there is decreasing as software continues to automate the more time consuming aspects of our work. Lawyers who can combine their practice knowledge with the ability to manipulate software will be far more valuable than the generic JD.

The legal market is going to have a rough year or two, maybe more - consider your timing of entry.

Why do they call it T14?

why not T15?

 

[TheMatador]

Sorry to the OP. Took LSAT in another century

we didn’t have “games”’on the LSAT

Lawyers suck...:at least a lot of them.