Maybe you underperformed on the LSAT. Maybe you feel you did not push yourself enough. Or maybe your resume and personal statement were not as impressive as they needed to be. For whatever reason, you did not get accepted to your dream law school. You did, however, do well enough to earn acceptance to a different law school. Rather than waiting another year to apply again, you decide to attend your back-up, accepting the fact that your dream school isn’t going to happen. You begin law school hopeful that you’ll soon realize this is where you were meant to be all along, but that feeling never comes and now you’re stuck in a school you don’t love, still longing for the one that got away. 

Griswold v. Connecticut, 381 U.S. 479 (1965), was a formative case for the Supreme Court jurisprudence regarding the Fourteenth Amendment. But it’s the discussion regarding the Ninth Amendment among several of the opinions that is irresistibly intriguing, spurring the imagination as to what the Amendment could do. Six justices felt moved to speak on the Due Process Clause. Of the six, four commented on the role of the Ninth Amendment, and the other two were likely influenced by it. 

For some people (like me), the path to law school isn’t a straight shot. There are those who begin as premedical students, but then learn about how important malpractice law is to the medical profession. There are others who realize that develop long-term business goals that you believe an MBA will further. And finally, for people like me who caught the empirical research bug early on, a PhD in concert with law school is essential.

Perhaps the most common question I am asked these days is, “Is law school right for me?” While I would love to be able to provide an earnest yes or a definitive no to all those who ask, the reality is that there is seldom a quick or easy answer. But, above all, it is a question to which each of us has to come to our own answer. What I and other law school admissions consultants can do, though, is make sure you are coming to an answer from an informed perspective and are thinking about the right things. And, of course, if the informed answer is yes, then we can help you get into the best possible law school!

Pretty soon after you’ve arrived at law school, you’ll probably start hearing about “outlines” and “outlining.” Fellow students will ask when you’re going to start outlining for Torts or Contracts. The bar prep representatives will start trying to sell you outlines for your courses. High-quality outlines prepared by students in years past will become sought-after commodities.

 No two ways about it: getting into one of the top 5 law schools in the United States is extremely challenging.  Your candidacy is a culmination of the hard work you put forward for academics (aka GPA), the hours you dedicated to preparing for the LSAT, and the most salient experiences that pushed you to want to be a lawyer.

Though the top 5 law schools aren't for everyone, if you have your heart set on one of the best, you should know which school or schools make the most sense for your numbers and long term goals as a lawyer. 

Dealing with a disappointing performance and mark from 1L fall is difficult especially as the 1L summer internship application process progresses and your email is inundated with discussions regarding OCI in the summer. Just remember a couple of things: (1) getting a bad grade does not mean that you won’t be a good lawyer (or more importantly, get a job) and (2) there’s always a way for you to improve. I have a few tips as to how you can move forward during the spring semester.

Juneau Alaska (alaska-in-pictures.com)

It may be the dead of winter, but it’s fast approaching already: the 1L summer job search!  Your summer can be a lot of things: a chance to try the actual legal profession, a first step along the path to an eventual career, an opportunity to start building a resume and job connections, and a time to escape the confines of the law library and see the wider world.  It’s overwhelming… and probably even more so if it feels like everyone else knows exactly what they’re going.  (They don’t.)  But, with all of that in mind, here are some ideas for a great 1L summer.

 If you’re a 1L approaching the end of your first semester of law school, and you’re anything like I was, you’re probably starting to wonder: What are these exams I keep hearing about?  How do I prepare for them?  How do I succeed on them?  Will I be okay?

As to the last one, the answer is definitely: yes.  You’re fine!  As for the other questions, read on…