If you are considering attending law school for the 2009-10 academic year, it is critical that you get your law school application in on time.  Make sure you know you deadlines and remember, with law school applications (unless a school has true rolling admissions) it is almost always better to get the law school application in early.  Read this piece on law school application due dates.

Once you are all deadline ready and you know what needs to be done and when, it is time to actually apply for the application form for each school you are approaching. Get the hard copy and take a good long look at it. They are all different in the sense that some schools focus on numbers (i.e. grades), and others look very closely at the personal statement. If the personal statement is an issue with the school (and if you can’t tell how much weight the school places on the statement, go online and check out their report) fill it in with the utmost care. Receiving thousands of applications is the norm for many schools. Not doing what they say in your application means you going straight to the slush pile.

Take the LSAT. There are hundreds of websites and books out there that tell you how to take the LSAT without suffering from a nervous breakdown. Of particular value are the websites that actually have sample papers online for you to download or complete online (or you can purchase the highly popular LSAT Study Notes). These are excellent opportunities to practise completing what are generally viewed as incredibly challenging papers. For example, you must be comfortable with logic, and solving problems based on logic. If you’re not, you must be before you sit the LSAT. A whole section of the paper is based upon this type of question; to not be ready is foolish. Train yourself in logic problems. If you don’t like it, practise them until you do. Only by being totally comfortable with logic problems will you manage the LSAT’s toughest section.

While all of this is going on, pay attention to your Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS) account. All your transcripts from college can be collated here, as can your LSAT scores. In addition, the LSDAS will also store letters of recommendation.

Don’t be bashful.  My LSAT score was only a 155.  Slightly above the middle LSAT score of a 150.  If you did score low on the LSAT and you’re concerned about your future prospects, check out this post on low LSAT scores and what to do about them.   Good luck and keep your head up.  Law school is always possible!

So, you want to be a lawyer?

Applying for law school isn’t actually that complicated when you think about it, but many applicants get into trouble when it comes to deadlines and actually filling the form in properly. Some basic steps towards making sure you have done the best you possibly can with this important process are outlined below.

The first piece of advice for an applicant seems almost too simple. Make sure that you apply for the LSAT by the correct deadline. Applicants are still making mistakes with this and missing the boat. Due to the phased aspect of applications, missing the boat could mean you will be stuck idling at home for months, so make sure that you know when the deadline is, and start the ball rolling by setting appropriate targets and goals, within a calendar-based framework, for getting the forms and applications in on time (and accurately filled out). And don’t forget that you can sign up for the test online, which means that there really is no excuse for missing out.

Work out which law schools you want to apply for by going online. There are hundreds of web sites with information about each law school in the country. There is information on rankings, LSAT medians, social life and the quality of the faculty. Check out Law School Reference. Every school has a plus point or two, and knowing this information will help you to make a decision. You should apply to a few anyway, and researching the different schools means that you will also learn about the differences in law schools, thereby becoming more informed about what you want.

Deadlines, again. Make sure that you put together a list of all the deadlines for application for each school. Making a list is the only way to deal with this. It needs to be something you can quickly refer to. Bear in mind that most schools have a deadline from January 1 to March 31 for fall admissions, but some don’t.

Then make sure you head over to the website of the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS). This service puts together a detailed report on every law school in the country, and will offer you more information that will help in your application.  They also will help you get the right information to right schools.  I will post part II tomorrow.

Are you concerned that you might not have the minimum LSAT score to get into law school?  Well, this is a crazy problem to worry about. Yes, for sure your LSAT score is one of the most important factors in your law school application. But you need to worry to much. If you got above a 140 on your LSAT score you will get in somewhere. How about a 150 LSAT, or a 155 LSAT? You’ll get into a few more places.  All you need to understand is that when you apply to a school and you believe that you a weak LSAT for that school- is that you need to confront the weakness head on.  Read this article on How to Get Into Law School and take advantage of the tool offered in the article. It will teach you how to make your application stronger regardless of your LSAT score.  You can conquer the law school admissions process.

I realize this is slightly off topic but I will post it anyways.  People are always emailing me and asking me how to get legal forms. This quick article should give you some ideas.

Free Legal Forms get your Affairs in Order

With young children, property, and investments to protect, I realized it was time to put my affairs in order for myself and for my dependents. However, calling a lawyer seemed like a costly way to go, especially since I wasn’t even sure where to begin this process. I wanted to learn a few of the basics first, like what needed to be included in an estate package and what types of decisions were required to complete the necessary paperwork. Free legal forms got me started on the right track so I knew what I needed for my attorney before I ever set foot in his office.

There were many opportunities to find free legal forms online, with a wide variety of general applications and documents to get me started. Estate planning seemed to be a popular choice for many folks, but I also found the necessary documentation for bankruptcy, leases, and other types of real estate deals. Many of the free legal forms that I found came in different versions that were specifically tailored to meet the letter of the law in each state, making it easy to find one that would be legally binding in my jurisdiction.

Some of the websites offering free legal forms also gave me access to information that was invaluable in understanding all of the documentation that was necessary for a wide range of life situations. I especially liked the sites that offered free legal forms in complete packages, so I could see all of the necessary paperwork for estate planning or business dealings in one simple step. The sites were pretty easy to navigate, and I could simply print out any of the necessary paperwork to take to my lawyer for final inspection and filing.

Estate planning packages were especially useful, allowing me to compile a will, power of attorney, and living will all in one sitting. By completing all of the free legal forms in this package, I could rest assured that my loved ones would have all of the information necessary to care for me during a medical or other life-threatening emergency. It also allowed my personal representative the ease of following my precise instructions for managing my estate in the event of my death. While I didn’t particularly like dwelling on the “what if’s” that might come up, I love having the peace of mind in knowing that these concerns were taken care of.

Free legal forms are an easy, inexpensive way to put your life in order. By completing this paperwork first, your subsequent meetings with your attorney should be quick and easy, saving you valuable time and money. Check online for a wide variety of free legal forms to help you manage your personal or business affairs, and get the peace of mind that comes with knowing that all of your affairs are in place!

Walter Corcoran

© 2008

Law School: Is it Right for You?

Many people have dreams of becoming astronauts and doctors while others have the dream of becoming a lawyer or even a judge. For those who are considering going into law they might wonder at one time or another if law school is the right choice for them. If your find yourself asking this question you need to do a little bit of research. First, you need to talk to someone who has a background in law so they can answer your questions with adequate knowledge. A great source would be a prelaw advisor, they will be able to help you decide if law is where you want to steer your career and help you decide what type of law that you might be interested in.

The earlier that you decide that law is the right path for your, the better. You can begin to prepare in advance by taking classes that will help you pave the way for your future in law. After you have decided that you want to pursue law and have met with a prelaw advisor it is very important that you do your fair share of research about the different law schools that are available to you. You should take your time and request as much information as you can from the law schools that perk your interest. You can either choose to do your research by way of the internet or by directly writing to various schools. It also doesn’t hurt to visit the top law schools that you are interested in. Take the time to visit some of the classes, get a feel for the campus, talk to the faculty, and even strike up a conversation with a few students. This will help you to choose the schools that are going to offer you exactly what you are looking for in a law program once you are accepted to the various schools that you apply to.

We’re going to get in the habit of posting alot more very soon here on law-school.tv. So, please check back often.

Law-school.tv is very pleased to announce the launch of the new website Lawschooldiscussion.net. This new and innovative sites  will strive to bring deans, admissions professionals, and professors directly in touch with prospective law students. Plus, students and/or prospective students will be able to ask any questions they see fit of the distinguished contributors for absolutely no cost.  Plus, users will be able to interact with each other extensively. This new site will be the premier law school discussion board

New Husson law school in Maine is denied by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.