Will my application work in applying for law schools? ?

Question

Since May of last year I have been working as a legal assistant for an attorney in Washington, DC. My original plan was to work for an attorney for a year or two and then go to law school. I took two separate LSATs, September, 2007, and December, 2007. On my LSAT I scored a 160, felt that I could do better but scored a 150 on my second attempt. In addition to my poor score, I have a 3.0 GPA, but my upper division GPA is 2.3. I ended up not applying for law school but continued to work as a legal assistant.

A year has passed since that time and now I am considering applying for law schools again. In addition to working in the legal industry, I have had the opportunity to do a bit of contract work for a professional investor. I have enjoyed working in the financial industry just as much, if not more, than the legal industry, so I am planning on applying to colleges offering dual degrees (J.D/M.B.A.). I plan on taking the GMATs during my first year in law school.

With regard to my application, I have four letters of recommendation and I feel that I will have a much better chance getting accepted because I am applying in August while most people will not apply until October. I also plan on asking for an interview with the admissions department of the schools that I feel like I have a somewhat of an opportunity of getting into. The schools I feel I have decent chance at getting into are mostly low tier schools with the exception of UC Davis (my old school) and American University. Is this a decent plan? Are there other considerations that might give my application a better opportunity?

Answer 1

I think that applying in August, rather than October, would be a potential detriment for you.  If you were an incredible candidate, it might give you a plus, but if they consider your application iffy, all they will do is to hold off until they can compare it to all the other applications, and there is a chance it could get lost in the process.  They are not going to admit you now if they feel they might possibly get better candidates later.

Your LSAT is okay, although the second attempt may have hurt you, because a lot of law schools, if not most, average multiple attempts. Your GPA from your undergrad degree will be the thing which is the toughest to overcome.  Not only is it low, but it was your more recent grades that were lower, so it looks like you just aren't a very dedicated student.

You can probably get into a non-ABA-accredited law school of some sort, but is it worth it?  Your chances of passing the Bar will be greatly reduced if you do that.  I hate to say it, but your best bet may be to wait a number of years (10 years or so after getting your bachelors degree), so that your college GPA can be seen as immaturity.  Right now, your chances are limited, because what they most care about are signs that you will be an outstanding student, and it is the one thing you just don't have, despite good references and work experience.  

Answer 2

I would make an appointment with an admissions counselor at American since you are presently in DC and get authoritative advice from someone who really knows the real deal rather than posting here.