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.
Question What is the best way to prepare for the LSAT?
What do top law schools (e.g., Yale, Harvard, Stanford) specifically look for in an applicant? Does a perfect (or near-perfect) LSAT score outweigh one's mediocre GPA (3.1-3.3)?
Answer Dear Huy,
The best way to prepare for the LSAT is through a prep course. Law school admissions is a very competitive process and you want to have every advantage that your fellow applicants have. Prep courses can teach you test-taking strategies, time management and answer tricks that you may not learn on your own.
The second most important thing to do in preparing for the LSAT is to practice, practice, practice. Answering many practice questions may help improve your score. Remember, the LSAT is probably the most important factor in law school admissions.
Top law schools primarily look at two things: LSAT and GPA. Other factors come in to play but these are the most important indicators of law school success.
A perfect or near perfect LSAT score is rare. It can outweigh a low GPA to some extent, particularly if you can present a compelling reason why you did not excel academically in college.
You might want to check out these common law school FAQ's:http://legalcareers.about.com/od/lawschoolfaqs/Law_School_Questions_and_Answers.htm
