"The Pain of Law School OCI"
We here at the Lawbitches have gone through the struggle. Although a few of us are on law review, have wonderful life/job experiences, and have done really well in law school, none of us got a job through OCI. We really have enjoyed listening to the 2Ls here discussing how many interviews they had and how many call backs they had. Little do they realize that call backs do not mean jobs. We also feel for some of the other bloggers out there who have gone through OCI and have been absolutely demoralized. Don't worry, you'll find a job. Time to network (the other pain of law school).
3L Advice: Motivating Quotes
"Motivating Law School Quotes"
Brick walls are there to show you just how much you want something.
Brick walls are there to show you just how much you want something.
3L Advice: Speaking in Class
"Speaking in Law School Class"
Do it.
Because you will have to anyway at some point, and you might as well humiliate yourself now.
Everyone looks like a moron at some point in law school. Better to get it over with right away.
Do it.
Because you will have to anyway at some point, and you might as well humiliate yourself now.
Everyone looks like a moron at some point in law school. Better to get it over with right away.
Advice: Day 3
"What if I fail the MPRE?"
Take it again. And again.
Or, look at it this way -- you really can't fail the MPRE, you may just have to move to a less ethical jurisdiction. Try somewhere down south (Alabama, Georgia, Missisippi), somewhere more backwards (Kentucky, South Dakota, West Virginia), or somewhere where they probably don't even have accredited law schools (N. Mariana Islands, Palau, and the Virgin Islands). Apparently Puerto Rico doesn't require the MPRE so you can always go there.
To all of you taking the MPRE right now, good luck!
Take it again. And again.
Or, look at it this way -- you really can't fail the MPRE, you may just have to move to a less ethical jurisdiction. Try somewhere down south (Alabama, Georgia, Missisippi), somewhere more backwards (Kentucky, South Dakota, West Virginia), or somewhere where they probably don't even have accredited law schools (N. Mariana Islands, Palau, and the Virgin Islands). Apparently Puerto Rico doesn't require the MPRE so you can always go there.
To all of you taking the MPRE right now, good luck!
Advice: Day 2
Courtesy of Reasonable Peep:
"If I apply to law school in January am I screwed?"
As in any good legal world issue, the question is for what exactly are you screwed? If you were banking on some hefty scholarship money from the school or elsewhere to pay for your education, then yeah, you are screwed. Most scholarship money is disbursed early on, so the later your application, the lower your chances--sorry.
In terms of getting into law school, no you are not necessarily screwed depending on where you want to go and how good your application is. If you have a strong application, you will probably get in. However, you may find out about getting in late, which could screw up your world in more ways then one.
I remembering tabling at the first year orientation during my second year, and I ran into a guy I graduated with from undergrad. He was a first year. He told me he had applied in July, was notified of his acceptance THE DAY BEFORE ORIENTATION, told his boss the day of orientation he needed to quit his job effective immediately, and showed up halfway through the orientation. He did just fine during his first year, but he had a very stressful start to the process and missed the opportunity for money and any other helpful legal course programs that were offered by the school prior to orientation.
Overall--if you want to go to law school next year, apply sooner rather than later if you want to get the most bang for your indebted dollar!
Advice Day 16
"how to pick up chicks in law school?"
Might I direct you to "Chicks Dig Law Students" now called, "Chicks did Law Clerks," who has recently returned to blogging. He's a funny dude. He fucks. A lot. None of the law bitches go out to "pick up chicks" because we are either married or in in serious committed relationships.
Might I direct you to "Chicks Dig Law Students" now called, "Chicks did Law Clerks," who has recently returned to blogging. He's a funny dude. He fucks. A lot. None of the law bitches go out to "pick up chicks" because we are either married or in in serious committed relationships.
3L Advice: Middle of Class
"What to do if your in middle of your law school class"
Give up on getting a six figure salary immediately after graduation unless you go to Harvard, Yale, or another top 10 school (and if you go to that school does it even matter where you graduate).
Another option is to start a blog and bitch constantly about law school.
A final option might to be take out the entire law review (preferably during a law review meeting so there is very little collateral damage). If you take out the entire law review that might move you up 10 to 20 percent in your class rank (depending on how many and how they let people join your law review). Good luck with the murdering!
Give up on getting a six figure salary immediately after graduation unless you go to Harvard, Yale, or another top 10 school (and if you go to that school does it even matter where you graduate).
Another option is to start a blog and bitch constantly about law school.
A final option might to be take out the entire law review (preferably during a law review meeting so there is very little collateral damage). If you take out the entire law review that might move you up 10 to 20 percent in your class rank (depending on how many and how they let people join your law review). Good luck with the murdering!
Advice Day 11
"how to get Westlaw points"
This my area of expertise. See my previous post on the topic ("Westlaw=Crack.") Not only do I whore myself out to Westlaw, I am an equal opportunity whore and also use Lexis. For Westlaw, attend every single training session you can (you can get 200 or more points for each session, I am actually in a Training Session right now). Do the topical seminars and take the quizzes online (the problem with this is once you do it you can't get the points ever again). Sign up to be on the Westlaw mailing list (they send you easy opportunities to get more points). Do research 5 times a week and answer all the trivia questions. If you follow these steps you too can get an iPod like me (I'm in the process of trying to accumulate enough points for another iPod).
While we are on the subject of Westlaw points, I'll give you a brief overview of Lexis points. The big advantage of Lexis is you can earn points 7 days a week (as opposed to Westlaw which is only 5 days a week). However, at our school it seems to be really hard to earn points. For Lexis, once again get on the mailing list; it will send you easy ways to earn points. Also on Lexis similar to Westlaw, do online classes (unlike Westlaw you can do 6 of these a semester to earn points) and once again attend seminars to get more points.
This my area of expertise. See my previous post on the topic ("Westlaw=Crack.") Not only do I whore myself out to Westlaw, I am an equal opportunity whore and also use Lexis. For Westlaw, attend every single training session you can (you can get 200 or more points for each session, I am actually in a Training Session right now). Do the topical seminars and take the quizzes online (the problem with this is once you do it you can't get the points ever again). Sign up to be on the Westlaw mailing list (they send you easy opportunities to get more points). Do research 5 times a week and answer all the trivia questions. If you follow these steps you too can get an iPod like me (I'm in the process of trying to accumulate enough points for another iPod).
While we are on the subject of Westlaw points, I'll give you a brief overview of Lexis points. The big advantage of Lexis is you can earn points 7 days a week (as opposed to Westlaw which is only 5 days a week). However, at our school it seems to be really hard to earn points. For Lexis, once again get on the mailing list; it will send you easy ways to earn points. Also on Lexis similar to Westlaw, do online classes (unlike Westlaw you can do 6 of these a semester to earn points) and once again attend seminars to get more points.
If Only...
If only I had someone in my life who had inspired this sort of activity... I could have avoided law school completely.
Half hour til my interview. Im focused.
Half hour til my interview. Im focused.
Advice: Day 1
“Is it hard to get into law school?”
Well, we’re all here. And if that doesn’t say it, then perhaps this will:
We have a variety of backgrounds, undergrad GPAs ranging from 2.8 to 3.9, LSAT scores ranging from the 140s to the 160s, and ages…well, there is a 12-year gap from our youngest blogger to our oldest.
Not all of us got into law school on our first try, and not all of us got into our first choice schools. Not all of us were even sure that law school was what we wanted to do. Some of us wrote our personal statements about how we wanted to do good and serve justice by becoming lawyers, while others of us mentioned that we were in it for the money (which, as we can tell you now, is one of the worst reasons to go to law school).
The point is, as long as you are truly passionate about going to law school, you take the LSAT until you get a reasonable score (which for some schools could be in the high 130s…it really depends how much weight the school gives the LSAT), you are realistic about the schools you are applying to, and you communicate how excited or interested or how much you want it in your personal statement, you can get in. Maybe not on the first or second or even third try. But eventually. And once you’re in, anyone can do the work – as long as they are willing to put in the time (although there is not as much correlation between the time you spend and the grades you get as you’d think…but you learn to deal with that).
So, as long as you are persistent and want it bad enough, then it's possible to get into law school. And if you get a 170 or higher on your LSAT then it doesn’t matter how bad you want it, because any school will let you in.
The LawBitches say: just get a high score on the LSAT.
Well, we’re all here. And if that doesn’t say it, then perhaps this will:
We have a variety of backgrounds, undergrad GPAs ranging from 2.8 to 3.9, LSAT scores ranging from the 140s to the 160s, and ages…well, there is a 12-year gap from our youngest blogger to our oldest.
Not all of us got into law school on our first try, and not all of us got into our first choice schools. Not all of us were even sure that law school was what we wanted to do. Some of us wrote our personal statements about how we wanted to do good and serve justice by becoming lawyers, while others of us mentioned that we were in it for the money (which, as we can tell you now, is one of the worst reasons to go to law school).
The point is, as long as you are truly passionate about going to law school, you take the LSAT until you get a reasonable score (which for some schools could be in the high 130s…it really depends how much weight the school gives the LSAT), you are realistic about the schools you are applying to, and you communicate how excited or interested or how much you want it in your personal statement, you can get in. Maybe not on the first or second or even third try. But eventually. And once you’re in, anyone can do the work – as long as they are willing to put in the time (although there is not as much correlation between the time you spend and the grades you get as you’d think…but you learn to deal with that).
So, as long as you are persistent and want it bad enough, then it's possible to get into law school. And if you get a 170 or higher on your LSAT then it doesn’t matter how bad you want it, because any school will let you in.
The LawBitches say: just get a high score on the LSAT.