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Definitely do not wing the LSAT. You absolutely must prepare for it. Whether Kaplan or PR is the right option is debatable. If you believe you can commit to some self-study, you can do well without the class.
I would suggest that you contact a local law school in your area or look on Craigslist to see if you can find someone to do a little individual tutoring. Since you are a little apprehensive about the test in general, it'd be worth your while to pay someone who earned a high LSAT score to sit down with you for an hour or two.
If the logic games is your main stumbling block, get The Powerscore LSAT Logic Games Bible. While it has its weaknesses, IMO it's the book that explains logic games strategies in easy-to-understand terms.
With that said, there is, and has been for many years, a huge imbalance of supply/demand in the legal field. I would not point anyone toward law school right now unless they had a (1) substantial trust fund or (2) a guaranteed job when they graduate (for instance, your father owns his own law firm or you babysat for years for the kids of a Mayor or Senator).
See jdunderground or "Third Tier Reality" and "student loan justice" for some insights into the legal job market. There are many people graduating who are now crippled with a six-figure debt from law school and feel their lives are ruined. It's a scandal and I would encourage you to avoid it all costs unless you fall into one of the groups mentioned above.
Except for a lucky few, law school these days is basically a scam. I would choose OCS or possibly "Teach for America" over law school hands down.
What Is teach for america? If I wanted to be discouraged I'd ask my ex for advice,lol.
Teach for America is a volunteer program for teaching in inner city schools.
I am trying to ensure you have a balanced view of the "labor market problems" in the legal field and go into this with your eyes open. Unless you have a scholarship lined up or considerable savings, or are positive you will graduate in the upper 10% and write for law review, or are well-connected, you are taking an enormous financial risk.
Most people entering the profession aren't aware of the risk.
By all means ignore my advice if you wish, and claim that I am simply trying to undermine you like your ex-husband. I cannot force you to look at the facts.
As Nando at "Third Tier Reality" states in his latest post:
Quote:
This afternoon, I was on the campus of my undergrad school. I was returning some library books, but the school is on semester break this week. As I was leaving, I came across a large banner notifying the unsuspecting world of an upcoming event of epic proportions - a law school fair. Oh joy! Well, I stood there in the plaza for a moment. As my knuckles turned white, I decided, at that instant, to crash this party. I will be at the Union Ballroom at the University of Utah on October 20th.
First, I will casually go from table to table and ask the admissions officers to show me how they came up with their employment and starting salary figures. I will ask them in front of interested students. I am sure this will upset the school representatives. But then again aren’t lawyers trained to use critical thinking and not simply take people or organizations at their word? I will also ask for a breakdown of employment, i.e. “Who is working tables, tending bar, teaching high school, or selling insurance nine months after graduation?” I will also ask for their response rate to the surveys, and what percentage of their graduates are working as paid attorneys. I will arm myself with bar passage rates from as many of the schools as I can.
Then, I will take this opportunity to distribute leaflets to pre-law students. I will also include links to websites such as JDU, Unemployed Lawyer, Skadden Farts, and several others. I will also have handouts showing the true state of the lawyer market. I will also provide news articles on the sad, shrinking legal market. Those interested in law need to be made aware of the fact that law school is a pitfall for most. It is truly an expensive proposition and a bad bet.
Next, I will talk to students and see what they expect from law school. I will then explain to them the harsh reality of law school – how the sleepless nights, constant stress, debt load, and time constraints do not, in any way, guarantee one even a fair chance at a successful career. The market is oversaturated and has been for decades. The market will not magically improve after this “economic recession” passes.
I understand that many cannot be dissuaded at this point. Many of the attendees have already bought into the lie, i.e. “I will go to law school, study my ass off, learn to think like a lawyer, make law review, do moot court, rub shoulders with the real movers and shakers of the legal community, get a summer clerkship after first year, make lots of money, easily pay off my student loans, maybe clerk for the Circuit Court of Appeals before joining a big corporate firm, etc.” Many are past the point of no return – many will have already registered with LSAC, submitted their transcripts and letters of recommendation. But I must try something.
Direct action is needed. I figure this is at least worth a shot; who knows? – maybe the school paper will be there. The worst case scenario is that I am asked to leave the fair. I am not concerned with getting arrested or fired. I will make sure that I break no laws. The event is free and open to the public. And I simply want to ask some questions of law school officers and inform the students of the scam.
If I can get even one or two people to reconsider their decision, then the effort will have been worth it.
If I were in your position, I would want to hear the truth even if the truth was disappointing rather than sticking m head in the sand.
Last edited by DreamingSpires; 10-18-2009 at 10:48 AM..
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