Are you ready for the June LSAT?

We're 2 weeks away from the June LSAT and many fall 2009 law school applicants are wondering whether to go ahead and take it or to wait for the October 2009 LSAT administration. Here are some things to consider when deciding whether you are ready to take the June LSAT.

Take II: Reapplying to Law School

If things didn't go your way for Fall 2008 admission and you are retaking the LSAT to apply for Fall 2009 admission (or Winter 2009 admission), here is a post of things to consider as you approach the June 2008 or October 2008 LSAT. (Please forgive the plug at the end - this was one of the first lawschoolexpert blog entries).

And here is a link to a previous post for general LSAT advice. The blogs that linked to this post last July still have worthy advice on the topic.

Taking the LSAT Cold? Bad Idea.

My friends at Integrated Learning posted an article I wrote about why it's so important to prepare adequately for the LSAT the first time you take it, rather than winging it to see how you do knowing you can always retake it.

LSAC Law School Forum Dates

LSAC has announced the dates and locations of its 2008 Law School Forums.

Here is a previous posting about the value of attending LSAC's law school forums.

American's 10-mile Long Waitlist

Is opening up. One of my clients just was asked via email to re-confirm his interest and within 5-minutes he had an acceptance letter (and 24 hours to submit a deposit).

Things to Consider When Accepting a Law School Scholarshi

For those of you considering law school scholarship offers right now, please consider (1) whether the scholarship is renewable and (2) what is required of you to renew it. A 3.25 doesn't sound so hard to attain coming out of undergrad; but at some law schools that may be a GPA reached only by the top 20% of the class. If you're choosing a school primarily because of the scholarship then think about how you would feel without that scholarship 2nd and 3rd years. This is especially true if you would try to transfer because if you haven't hit the GPA requirement for your scholarship then you may not be the world's most competitive transfer applicant.

Getting Ready for the Fall 2009 Admission Cycle

The Integrated Learning Blog posted an article I wrote for them about things you can do now to prepare for the Fall 2009 Law School Admission Cycle.

Best Law Schools for BigLaw

I have a handful of clients contemplating Columbia, Harvard, NYU, Boalt and Northwestern and here's a timely post by WSJ Law Blog of interest if you're hoping for a BigLaw job after graduation.

Rankings Lead to Increased Transfer Admits

The Faculty Lounge has a great article today about law schools downsizing to jump in the rankings, and compensating by taking more transfer applicants. This is a well-known practice, and applicants are just now starting to get wind of it.

Pre-order 2009 ABA LSAC Official Guide Today

Don't even think of applying to law school without this!

Agonizing over Being Waitlisted?

Anna Ivey, fellow member of AIGAC, has a great blog post about (1) why schools waitlist and (2) what to do about it.

How the University of Buffalo Responds to Dropping 23 Spots

A great article about the big impact little numbers can have on a law school's ranking.

University of Minnesota's Take on the Rankings

Here's another example of a school that hasn't changed much in the rankings since 1996 but is catching flak for going down 2 spots in 2009: University of Minnesota Law School.

Think this school will be watching its incoming LSATs a bit more closely? Probably. With good reason? Probably not. Should be interesting, but we have to remember that the 2009 rankings take 2007 data into account.....

What do the Law School Rankings Really Mean?

Here is a link to an open letter written by Brian Leiter about the flawed methodology of the U.S. News Law School Rankings. Every law school applicant (in deciding where to apply and where to attend) should read it. If you do not read it, you are not doing your homework. Too many law school applicants make their decisions by the rankings; if you are going to stake such a big decision on what a magazine has to say then make sure you understand how law schools manipulate the rankings and why.

A lot of you have been asking me for my opinion about this year's rankings. I believe that looking at only one year's data provides an incomplete (and often overly dramatic) picture. After all, if the rankings will change a year from now then you made a very short sighted decision. And, of course, the rankings must change each year in order for U.S. News to continue to sell their magazine for $9.95.

The following is not a complete analysis of the 2009 Law School Rankings. This is the beginning of a continuing discussion about my observations, presented in no particular order. Also, keep in mind that I am not a statistician.

I decided to compare this year's rankings with those from 2006 to see whether any of the notable rise and fall stories from this year had significant merit (as to both the praise of the rising and the panic of the falling).

Here are my general observations:

• The top 5 schools are exactly the same (Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, NYU). For the last 4 schools, the overall scores decreased - apparently because acceptance rates were higher.
• In groups of 5, the top 30 schools don't change much over time. So if you limit yourself by applying only to Top 20 schools, you're leaving out 3-5 schools that are in that group in any other year. Who is to say that #24 won't be #19 by the time you graduate?
• The Tier 3 and Tier 4 Schools should not be looked at as "lesser". They should be regarded as "Regional Law Schools." Many of these schools have excellent reputations in their respective geographic regions and are at a disadvantage in the rankings since national reputation is a major factor relied upon by US News. Most lawyers practice law in a particular community for their entire careers. Going to law school in that community has distinct advantages not properly taken into account by the rankings.

Some of my readers have been asking me school-specific questions. I'll address a few of those here:

• There is some panic about Cardozo's ranking dropping this year. In 2006, it was #58 and in 2009 it's#58. That is not a drop I would consider significant.
• Pepperdine has climbed from #77 in 2006 to #59, largely because of acceptance rates. (Bar passage also climbed from 60% to 65%). The school has been under new leadership, and -arguably- more Conservative leadership.
• UNC has dropped 11 places because of employment rates upon graduation. But don't be quick to condemn. Reading Brian Leiter's article may lead me to assume UNC-CH has been (perhaps) more ethical in their employment rate reporting and may be suffering as a result. Just a guess, with a "benefit of the doubt" mentality thrown in to the mix.
• U. Washington going from #24 to #19? Still within my 5-point rule. I'm not worried.
• U. Colorado has climbed from #48 to #32. Nothing substantive has changed except 9 month employment numbers.
• University of San Diego was #63 in 2006 and is now #82 (and in very good company with University of Miami and Loyola Chicago). Acceptance rate changed from 21% to 31% - that's the only major difference in the numbers.
• Those of you deciding between Santa Clara and San Diego should keep in mind that Santa Clara is only ranked one school above San Diego. The difference is absolutely negligible. Don't make this decision based on rankings. (However, in 2006 Santa Clara was Tier 3... it's acceptance rate has doubled but employment and bar passage numbers improved). If you want to be a tax attorney, perhaps San Diego. If you want to practice IP, then perhaps Santa Clara. Do your research.

Those are my comments for now; I look forward to reading all of yours.....

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Fluctuations in Law School Rankings

William and Mary offers a good example of how a law school as a whole doesn't change from year to year, but it's ranking in US News fluctuates. I offer this to prove a point - if you choose a school because it's 26th, rather than going to one that is 35th, you may end up disappointed in your reasoning rather quickly. (William and Mary has been through the ringer with its leadership of late and yet climbed in the ranking?)

I know my readers have been waiting for my overall analysis of this year's rankings - I am working on it and will post this week.

U.S. News Mentions AIGAC Admission Counselors

U.S. News mentioned that Admission Consultants with membership in AIGAC provide assistance to applicants in an ethical manner. I'm proud to be one of 40 members of this group!

Deciding to Apply to Law School?

Here are 2 more posts I came across today:
U.S. News provided some insight into salary and specialization trends.
Here is one George Washington University Law student's take on the important considerations in rankings.

More About the Law School Rankings

As you know, I've done quite a bit of blogging on both the productive and detrimental reliance of law school applicants (and of the law schools themselves) on the U.S. News Rankings. As you know, the 2009 results have leaked. Here are two good postings you should read to help take the rankings with a grain of salt. The US News rankings are only useful in the appropriate context, so this information is vital to law school applicants:

• Information about Bar Passage rates as an ingredient in the rankings.
• For an example of how one ingredient (UGPA) is unlikely to change the worthiness of an entire law school.

I'm happy to answer any questions and to entertain comments on this. The magazines will be released tomorrow.

2009 US News Rankings Leaked Early!

Thanks to Daniel Filler, Senior Associate Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs at Drexel University College of Law (and fellow law school issue blogger) for pointing out to me that the US News Rankings have been leaked a bit early. (They are due in print on Friday).
Not sure how a law school can change so much that it jumps from #8 to #6 in one year but no one doubts that Berkeley is a law school to be reckoned with. This will definitely impact Fall 2008 law school applicants as deposit deadlines loom. Talk about timing!
I know I have clients who will change their minds over this little jump. I also have clients that will probably decide not to transfer from Berkeley to a higher-up nearby based on this new release. That's a lot of power for a little magazine....

Thinking About Multiple Seat Deposits?

If you've been admitted to law school for Fall 2008, you probably have a seat deposit due April 1 or April 15. The complication, of course, is you may be one of the many law school applicants waiting to hear from other schools and you probably don't feel ready to make a commitment to one school without knowing what your other options might be.

The most common question is whether an applicant can submit a deposit to more than one law school. The answer to this question has changed in the last year thanks to a new LSAC policy.
Here is what LSAC says:

Seat Deposits

Many law schools use seat deposits to help keep track of their new classes. For example, a typical fee is $200, which is credited to your first-term tuition if you actually register at the school; if you don’t register, the deposit may be forfeited or partially returned. A school may require a larger deposit around July 1, which is also credited to tuition. If you decline the offer of admission after you’ve paid your deposit, a portion of the money may be refunded, depending on the date you actually decline the offer. At some schools, you may not be refunded any of the deposit.

The official position of the Law School Admission Council is:

Except under early decision plans, no law school should require an enrollment commitment of any kind, binding or non-binding, to an offer of admission or scholarship prior to April 1. Admitted applicants who have submitted a timely financial aid application should not be required to commit to enroll by having to make a nonrefundable financial commitment until notified of financial aid awards that are within the control of the law school.

Multiple Deposit Notification

Each year, LSAC provides participating law schools with periodic reports detailing the number of applicants who have submitted seat deposits or commitments at other participating schools, along with identification of those other schools. Beginning June 15, 2008, those reports will also include the names and LSAC account numbers for all candidates who have deposits/commitments at multiple participating schools.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

Be smart and ask each law school about their policy on multiple deposits. (NYLS has been kind enough to send a threatening e-mail about this to some of my clients this year). If a school says they will not penalize you for multiple deposits, then great. If they say they might revoke your offer of admission then that will definitely impact your decision.

I'd love to hear comments from applicants who are navigating these unchartered waters....