AboutSally A. Kane Expertise As a recent law school graduate who excelled in law school, I can answer questions regarding the law school experience including preparing for and applying to law school, excelling in law school, law review, legal writing tips, the law school curriculum, exam success, financing law school, balancing work and school, clerkships and externships, job interviewing and more. I do not answer homework questions.
Experience I have thirteen years’ experience in the legal field, ten as a litigation paralegal and three as a corporate attorney. During law school, I juggled many priorities including a full time job, law school and a newborn baby. In law school I served as a law review editor, wrote for student publications and completed two externships, one with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and one with the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Publications I have published law and career related articles in a variety of publications including Legal Assistant Today, The Legal Intelligencer, Juris and The Journal of Legal Nurse Consulting.
Education/Credentials I possess a B.A. in Writing from Edinboro University, a Paralegal Certificate from Duquesne University and a J.D. from Duquesne University School of Law.
I completed my first year of law school at a lower first year school and did fairly well, allowing me to transfer to a top twenty law school. At the time of my transfer I began to suffer what would be a prolonged bout of severe depression. Having never experienced any mental illness before, i did not seek treatment immediately. Instead I tried to muddle through, barely completing my second year, and was then academically dismissed during the first semester of my third year, basically because I never attended. I have since been treated and seem to have recovered, and am considering attempting to complete my degree. I would prefer to attend a different school. Any advice on applying? What level of law school might be realistic?
Thanks,
-jeff
Answer Jeff,
Sorry to hear about your depression. Admission to a new law school will be largely based on your LSAT and undergraduate GPA. If these were not high enough to get into a top twenty school initially, they may not be now, especially since your law school grades faltered. You can explain your mental health issues but it is difficult to say how much this would sway an admissions committee.
Your best bet may be to return to the same school for a semester or two, raise your grades and then transfer to another law school. Otherwise, you should probably aim for the level of law school you were initially accepted into.
