LSAT Blogs

Once you enter law school, most likely during your first year, you will start to fill out the application for the bar exam.  Why do I bring this up now when you’re working on getting into law school, let alone thinking about graduating?  Because there are similar questions on both the bar and law school application, the bar examiners will compare your bar exam application to your law school application.  If there is any, and I mean any, discrepancy between the two applications, it can be cause to expel you from law school or prohibit you from taking the bar exam.
The bar exam application asks you about every aspect of your life, from marital status to filing tax returns to outstanding parking violations.  I strongly encourage you to check out the bar exam application for the state in which you plan to take the bar.  It’s easy.  Just do a search, for example, on the words "Illinois bar exam."
Today I want to focus on two questions in the bar application called Character & Fitness. To paraphrase:

1. Has any academic institution you attended ever placed you on suspension or probation?
2. Have you ever been convicted of a crime, including/excluding traffic violations, including/excluding speeding tickets?

Maybe your undergraduate school placed you on suspension and later expunged the suspension from your records.  Do not assume that because the occurrence was expunged that it no longer matters.  It most certainly does.  You will need to explain –- in detail — what happened.
Regarding question #2 above, read the correlating question on each law school application very carefully.  I randomly selected schools from around the country to see how they phrased the question on their applications.  Some exclude traffic violations, and others include minor traffic violations such as speeding tickets.  I understand that it may have been ten years since you received that speeding ticket.  You still need to disclose it and do your utmost to find out the exact details.  Either way, call your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles.  It is possible that by doing so, you will be reminded of a violation that you had forgotten.  Once again, you will need to provide a detailed explanation.

1.  If you know the exact details, then include them.  Be very succinct and straight forward.  Provide the date, where the violation occurred, the exact violation and the fine. 
2. If you remember receiving a speeding ticket,  contacted the DMV and learned that it has since been expunged, then you should write exactly that. Here’s an example of how such a concern might be explained: I remember receiving a speeding ticket approximately 7-10 years ago and called the Department of Motor Vehicles to find out the details. The DMV notified me that my record has been expunged. To the best of my recollection, I was driving down Highway 294 and pulled over by the Sheriff’s Department and cited for speeding. I do not recall the amount of the fine, but I paid it. (Or, I remember attending traffic school in lieu of paying the fine).

If you are unsure whether your circumstances require you to answer "yes," it is always much more beneficial to disclose too much rather than not enough. In this particular situation, the giving "TMI" (too much information) is a good thing.

September test scores are out.  Some of my clients do not feel that their scores are indicative of their true ability, and we’re discussing the pros/cons of retaking it on December 5th.  Check out my July 20th post "Thinking about retaking the LSAT?" where I address the topic.

What they are more concerned about, however, is whether the December administration will put them at a disadvantage because it is late in the admissions cycle.  I’ll address that today.

When law schools indicate a deadline date of February 1, March 1, March 15, etc., they understand that the December LSAT is a popular one, and they know that many qualified applicants will come out of that test.  Yes, spots will have already been filled, but spots are still open, too.

To get the competitive edge, you want to make sure that your application is in that first batch that are completed once the scores become available.  Let me explain.

Remember, you can apply to law school at any time.  You do not need to have taken the LSAT.  Your letters of recommendation and transcripts do not need to have been received by LSAC.  You can apply as soon as you’ve completed the application, and written your personal statement, addendum (if needed) and resume.  Once the Admissions Office receives this material, it will request your LSAT score, transcripts and letters of recommendation from LSAC. 

Here is the key…LSAC will send out this information to the law schools to which you applied only when all of the material - LSAT score, transripts and letters of recommendation - has been received.

If you choose to take the LSAT in December, your goal should be to submit your application beforehand or soon afterwards.  If you haven’t already done so, make sure to ask your recommenders to write your letters now.  And, submit the transcript request form to your registrar now if you haven’t yet done so.  You want to ensure that this material is received by LSAC as soon as possible.

A number of Admissions Offices close the week between Christmas and New Year’s.  Faculty are away on vacation.  It’s a very quiet time. By submitting your application before or soon after you take the test, you give the Admissions Office time to request your material from LSAC so that once your score becomes available, LSAC will mail out your packet, the Admissions Office will receive and file it, and your application will be considered complete and go to the Admissions Committee for review come the first of the year when everything picks up again. 

Last week I talked about the possibility of transferring law schools. But did you know that there’s a second way to attend another law school? It’s called being a visiting student.

Most law schools offer you the opportunity to spend a semester, or at most an academic year, attending classes at another law school. Consider, for example, that you are currently enrolled in a Chicago school, and you’ve decided to live in New York City upon graduation. As a visiting student at a New York law school, you can begin the networking process prior to moving there. Or, maybe you’re concentrating in intellectual property law at a Washington, DC, school, and you find a California school offers classes that your home institution does not. Or, maybe you’re attending school in Florida and a personal matter requires you to be in Minnesota for a short time.

In all of the above cases, I encourage you to contact the Registrar at both your current school and the school you’re considering visiting. You want to make sure that the credits and classes from your visiting school will transfer back to your original school. The application process to be a visiting student can vary from school to school, but generally you will need to submit an application, a letter of good standing from your current law school and your law school transcripts. You may need to also submit letters of recommendation from law school professors.

You will pay the tuition of the school you’re visiting and will receive your degree from your original law school. You should be able to become involved in school organizations and take advantage of that school’s career placement services. However, you may not be eligible to participate in law review or moot court.

I would never guarantee a client that he/she will or will not be accepted to a law school. I do, however, believe it is my responsibility as a Kaplan consultant to make my clients aware of the various options open to them. Visiting another law school can be a very valuable tool depending upon your individual situation. Be sure to check it out.

"What about transferring to another law school after my first year?" It is a very common question posed by my clients.

The Admissions Committee is required to bring in a first-year entering class of a certain size determined by administration) in order to meet budget projections. On the other hand, there is no class size requirement for transfer students. If ten transfer applicants qualify for admission, then the ten will be accepted. If no transfer applicants qualify for admission, then none will be accepted.

The Committee is looking to accept applicants who will enhance its student body; therefore, it is essential to earn strong grades at your current institution. Generally, a transfer applicant must provide the following material to be considered:

» Application

» Letter(s) of recommendation, at least one being from a first-year law school professor

» Certification letter from the law school confirming that you are in good standing and able to continue legal studies there should you choose to do so

» Official LSDAS report

» Final transcripts from all schools attended

» Transcript of first-year law school grades

» Personal statement. Be sure to include your reason for wishing to transfer.

» Application fee

Because it might take awhile for your first-year grades to become available, it is possible that your transfer application will not be reviewed until July. Some schools may allow you to submit copies of your grade reports – or some other documentation indicating your grades – until your official transcript becomes available.

Each law school’s Admissions Committee has set its own transfer application process, such as number of letters of recommendation to submit. Be sure to call each school to learn its specific requirements.