divine angst

A friend of mine called me last night, just to “check in” since we hadn’t talked for a while. But it only took three or four minutes of conversation for the real reason for the call to come out—she’s planning to apply to law school.

So we talked about the LSAT and commuting and having babies in law school, about career paths and priorities. And it inspired me to write a little advice for the “non-traditional” law student.

First, I’ll clarify that, by “non-traditional,” I mean anyone going to law school to pursue a second career. I think that’s a pretty fair definition. I feel mostly non-traditional because I’ve been working on a particular career path for five years now. My friend is non-traditional because she’s been in her field, doing the same kind of work, for nearly eight years. Stag and CM are non-traditional by this means, too. If you don’t like my definition, fine, then pretend I’m just talking about second-career law students.

Deciding Where and What Kinds of Programs to Apply To

The first thing you should consider is whether or not you are willing to move. Chances are good that, if you already have a career, you probably also already have a life where you are. You might be married, own a home, have children, be involved in community activities or a church—in other words, you’re probably not as mobile as more traditional students.

Thinking about moving is important, because it requires you to understand your ambitions. What do you want to do with that law degree? Do you want to go to the best school possible, do law review, and go on to a clerkship or a big firm job? You might have to move for school if these are your goals. Or do you want to do well enough in school to get a good, steady job with a local firm (or go in-house at a local corporation)? Because law schools are largely regional, if these are your goals, staying where you are likely won’t be a problem.

Keep in mind, too, that things like law review require significant time commitments. If you’ve got kids, citechecking will reduce the already limited time you have to spend with them. If you want to HAVE kids in law school, law review might have to come second to a new baby. Yes, you might be able to do it all, but do some strong thinking about your ambitions BEFORE you map out your three years in school.

Another thing to consider is part-time programs—are you willing to work full-time AND be a law student? If you live near a school with a part-time program, you can keep your job and home. But other commitments—community involvement, for instance—might have to be sacrificed. Of course, keeping your job means taking out fewer loans to pay for living costs, so you could end up with greater job flexibility after graduation.

Once you’ve figured out the answers to these questions, you can start setting some goals. If you are willing to move, great! You’ll have the most options. If you’re not willing to move, carefully consider the schools in your area. (Of course, if there are no law schools in your area, you will HAVE to move. You can’t do law school online, unless you’re in California.) Look at the programs at schools near you—do they have concentrations that interest you? If you don’t want to litigate, but the local law school is really well known for trial advocacy, consider whether that school is the place for you. Also look at how far away the schools are—will you have a significant commute? Are you willing to commute during the week to go to a school that’s a little farther away but more suited to your goals?

It’s not too early to consider the financial implications of law school, too. If you own a home, you’ll want to think about how you can prepare NOW for the loss of your income next year (unless you’re in a part-time program, of course). Think about childcare options and extra transportation costs. Don’t let these kinds of details surprise you right before you start school.

And Now, the Evil Test

You have to take the LSAT. If you’ve looked at your options for schools, you probably already have an idea of what kind of numbers you need to have a good chance of admission. Because you’ve probably been out of school for a while, you can’t do anything about your GPA. Good or bad, it is what it is. But the LSAT is your chance to shine, to show what you are capable of. You can always write a GPA addendum if necessary.

Start studying for the LSAT early. My personal recommendation is to start by taking the free sample test (available on LSAC.org) and seeing how you do. Take it timed, so you get an accurate idea of what your base score is.

Depending on how you do, you can decide whether or not to take a prep course. Ask around in your city to see which ones are the best. For instance, I’ve heard Kaplan here in My Fair City is pretty good, because they get a lot of the kids at the local top-whatever law school to teach there. In other places, though, I’ve heard Kaplan is to be avoided at all costs. Just ask around. Find out what other people recommend. If you don’t take a prep course, buy as many actual, previously administered LSATs as possible (also available on LSAC.org). Work out a schedule that gives you enough time to work on the sections that you have the most trouble with. Take regular, timed, full-length diagnostics to see how you’re improving. And if you don’t improve with self-study, reconsider taking a course.

(NB: In some places, companies like Kaplan will offer free, public diagnostics, open to anyone, not just their students. It’s a marketing technique, but it can be worth your while to take advantage of them.)

Make sure you start preparing early enough for the LSAT. Taking it in February of the year you’re going to apply is great, giving you up to four more chances to take the thing if you tank. June is also good. October is OK. If you have to wait till October, though, study your butt off so you can do your best. It’s always good to apply to schools early, early, early (particularly if you have a not-so-good GPA) and you won’t be able to do that if you have to wait to take the LSAT again in December or February to raise your score.

Applications

Remember, way back when, when you narrowed your range of schools? Late summer will be the time to start preparing to apply to those schools. Things may have changed since you started thinking about law school, so revisit your criteria. And then start working on your personal statement, addendums, and resume.

The personal statement is the most important piece to write. Work on this a bit at a time. Find a friend you trust who knows you well to read over your drafts and tell you what they think. Find a crack editor and ask them if they’ll help you edit your statement. Remember that this is your chance to introduce yourself to the committee. There’s no “right” or “wrong”—rather, it’s a chance to show them all the things you’ve done in the past that have led you to law school and that would make you a great law student. If you find your personal statement sounding weak (”I haven’t been promoted in four years and I hate my boss, so I think I’ll just go back to school”) sit down and think about your reasons for going to law school. Maybe this isn’t the path for you.

Don’t forget your letters of recommendation, either. Employers are good people to ask, particularly if you’ve been out for a while and have a strong career. But try as hard as you can to also get a letter from a former professor. Law school is SCHOOL, after all, and a letter indicating your abilities in the classroom will be a good addition to your applications.

Now we have the addendums and resume. Write a GPA addendum if you feel your GPA doesn’t really reflect your abilities. Maybe you (like many people) blew off your freshman year. Or maybe you had a chronic illness in college. Don’t make excuses, just explain WHY the admissions committee should not consider your grades as strongly as they otherwise might. Reference your career as proof that you are capable of hard work and maturity (”My freshman year, I was on my own for the first time and didn’t know what I was doing. But since then, I’ve done well, my grades trend up, and I’ve had a successful career in X since graduation.”)

There are other addendums you can write, if necessary, too—if you historically bomb standardized tests, for instance, write an addendum explaining that. (Law schools will generally want documentation of this, so be prepared to provide it if this applies to you.)

Your resume is your chance to show what you’ve done SINCE college. Remember that you aren’t applying for a job, so don’t include an objective. Put your work experience at the top. (Many law schools require you to list EVERYTHING you’ve done since you got your degree. Don’t leave anything off.) Then include your education information, and finish with extracurricular involvements in college and since college. You can also include a section on awards—employee awards, professional association awards, scholarships or other honors in college. Don’t force yourself to one page, and make sure you include everything. Again, this isn’t a JOB resume, so don’t include a skills section, if you’re accustomed to that. If you’re proud of any particular skills, mention them along with the description of the job you aquired them for or used them in.

Take the Plunge

Applications will be available in early September. Fill them out as soon as you can. Send them off as soon as you can. If you’re applying to big reach schools, apply early action. If you know you’d go to that school if accepted, apply binding early decision.

After that, it’s all just waiting. If you send your applications in early and yet haven’t heard within 10 weeks of your application going complete, contact the school to see what’s going on. Consider sending additional letters of recommendation or a letter of interest.

It can be hard to enjoy this process—it’s stressful, time-consuming, and requires a lot of patience. But in the end, you’ll have started on a new path. Get excited about it when you can.