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.
Expert: Sally A. Kane Date: 5/16/2008 Subject: Getting Into Law School
Question Hi, I have some questions about my prospects of getting into a good law school and I would really appreciate your help. I Graduated last year with a degree in Electrical Engineering, GPA of 3.2. I currently work for an Engineering Consulting firm. I have been thinking about IP law for a while now but have recently become more serious. I'm planning on taking the LSATs next year and starting law school in two year, but my GPA worries me. Will they take into consideration my degree in Engineering?
Also, it will be a couple years out of school when I apply and I was not really close with any professors. A few may still remember me, but probably could not write a very personal recommendation. Do you think this will hurt my chances much?
Thanks
Ross
Answer Hi Ross,
Intellectual property is one of the hottest practice areas in today's legal market. Law firms and corporate legal departments often prefer IP associates to have an engineering degree. Therefore, you may have a distinct advantage in the legal market upon law school graduation.
With a GPA of 3.2 and a high LSAT score, you should have no trouble getting into law school. Obviously, the higher your LSAT score, the better the chance you have of gaining admission to a top-tier school. Although law schools may take into consideration the difficulty of your undergraduate major, your GPA and LSAT score are the most critical admissions factors.
Not having a recommendation from your professors is not important if you have been out of school for a few years. Recommendations from your supervisors will be sufficient.
