Well, the admission cycles for most schools have come to a close. I'm almost certain April 31, 2013 will be the last day even for schools with extended application periods. If you happen to be one of the unfortunate students that did not get into your first, second, or even third pick- there is always next year. The only way that this would be possible is if your LSAT score was not that great and maybe you should reconsider why you are going to Law School in the first place. If you can't bare to wait another year-then there are always fourth tier and unranked schools. However, from what I understand there is absolutely...let me correct that...almost no chance of getting a legal job if one has a fourth tier or unranked school on his esteemed resume. So what are the options? It is a fact that Law School applications are down almost 40% since 2010. It is a fact that only 56% of new grads secured jobs that require bar passage within 9 months of graduation. This means less students are going to law school and less students are securing long term gainful employment. Only the top students from top schools are going to get coveted jobs at large firms. The options are not great. Three years of underemployment, saddled with non-dischargeable debt, and a JD from a school that is 2nd, 3rd, or 4th rate. It seems law school is not a very smart decision when taking these factors into account.
I am inclined to take a more optimistic approach. What happened to being resourceful? Where did ambition and hard work go? The numbers at face value are awful. However, the numbers run the entire gamut. Only 3% of the entire 2012 entering class were African American males. There are no statistics on Underrepresented Minorities and their job prospects. That says a whole lot to me. It seems logical to assume if only 3% of Law Students are Black males that these men will also be the minority when it comes to job opportunities. Black men that attend lower ranked schools typically are able to secure sizeable scholarships. Black men that do well on their LSAT typically can get into better schools than their counterparts with comparable numbers. I assert that Black men who were fortunate enough to go to college, earn a high GPA, have minimum involvement with the criminal justice system, and still want to become lawyers-Please do so! We need public interest attorneys, we need criminal defense attorneys, we need passionate public defenders. Yes, I know that these jobs do not pay well. Money is probably the last reason that you should go into a legal career. Try to take out the least amount of loans as possible and attend the best school as possible. If you are passionate, resourceful, and optimistic then you can always hang your own shingle. I'm definitely not an expert on the subject...hell I havn't even taken my first law class yet. I just don't want to see all of the capable Black men run out of the profession because of fear.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Picking the Right School
The scam bloggers have taken over! What are scam bloggers? They are the bloggers with JDs that feel that law school is an overpriced endeavor, strictly beneficial to administrators and 'Law Professors.' Ultimately, they believe that the ABA is corrupt, in not limiting the amount of lawyers, and that law school is a scam. Law school only teaches you to think like a lawyer not how to be one. I subscribe to a few of these blogs such as Third Tier Reality. I understand their frustration with the system pumping out more lawyers than there are jobs. With new grads unable to find employment. The fact that only students graduating from Top 20 Schools or at the top 5% of their class receiving jobs at firms in Biglaw. The ranking system constructed by US News and World Report that empowers the Top Law schools while alienating lower 'ranked' schools. The over inflated price of Law School and the heaps of non dis-chargeable debt that many students are burdened with. Yeah, I get it. Perhaps the cost-benefit analysis is out of whack.
However,I feel there is still a different perspective. From the standpoint of the under represented minority. Yes the URM. I know that many students feel that the admissions process is eschewed in favor of the URM. I say Hell Yeah! As it should be. Many law schools base their Independent rankings on diversity. The fact of the matter is that an URM with slightly lower numbers might gain acceptance because of their status. Historically, minorities and women have been left out of the legal process. Law schools recognize this and have instilled into their admissions criteria a certain form of affirmative action. I think that any URM that would otherwise do well at any institution should have a slight advantage over his/her male Caucasian counterpart. I am not saying that a person with a 2.6 GPA/ 147 LSAT should get preference over a much higher scoring Caucasian male. What I am saying is that a few points either which way should and does give preference to the URM.
I do advocate that minorities and women go to Law School and enter the legal profession. I would agree that the system is flooded. However, it is not flooded with URMs. If URMS choose not to enter the law profession then the future will be bleak for the people that we represent. I do not advise taking on 100,000 dollars of non dis-chargeable debt. There are plenty of law schools that do not mind footing the bill for URMS. The point that I'm trying to make is that URMs have an advantage, for the moment, to go to Law School. If you can go to school with a minimal amount of debt and do well. Not only are you enhancing the legal profession you will be enhancing your clients experience one day. Diversity is apparent in all levels of American Society and it should be stressed and pushed in the Legal Society.
Point
1. Choose a school that embraces diversity
2. Choose a school that will foot most of the bill
3. If point #2 is not an option, go to a school that offers tuition payback assistance
4. Do not believe the hype about only the Top 20 schools leading to a good paying job, people go to Law School for many other reasons than working at a firm in Biglaw
5. There is a reason that we are called Under Represented Minorities- If you can get your foot in the door without a lot of debt. Just Go.
However,I feel there is still a different perspective. From the standpoint of the under represented minority. Yes the URM. I know that many students feel that the admissions process is eschewed in favor of the URM. I say Hell Yeah! As it should be. Many law schools base their Independent rankings on diversity. The fact of the matter is that an URM with slightly lower numbers might gain acceptance because of their status. Historically, minorities and women have been left out of the legal process. Law schools recognize this and have instilled into their admissions criteria a certain form of affirmative action. I think that any URM that would otherwise do well at any institution should have a slight advantage over his/her male Caucasian counterpart. I am not saying that a person with a 2.6 GPA/ 147 LSAT should get preference over a much higher scoring Caucasian male. What I am saying is that a few points either which way should and does give preference to the URM.
I do advocate that minorities and women go to Law School and enter the legal profession. I would agree that the system is flooded. However, it is not flooded with URMs. If URMS choose not to enter the law profession then the future will be bleak for the people that we represent. I do not advise taking on 100,000 dollars of non dis-chargeable debt. There are plenty of law schools that do not mind footing the bill for URMS. The point that I'm trying to make is that URMs have an advantage, for the moment, to go to Law School. If you can go to school with a minimal amount of debt and do well. Not only are you enhancing the legal profession you will be enhancing your clients experience one day. Diversity is apparent in all levels of American Society and it should be stressed and pushed in the Legal Society.
Point
1. Choose a school that embraces diversity
2. Choose a school that will foot most of the bill
3. If point #2 is not an option, go to a school that offers tuition payback assistance
4. Do not believe the hype about only the Top 20 schools leading to a good paying job, people go to Law School for many other reasons than working at a firm in Biglaw
5. There is a reason that we are called Under Represented Minorities- If you can get your foot in the door without a lot of debt. Just Go.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Understanding the Process
I have looked through hell and high water in an attempt to find relevant information regarding the Law School process for an African American male. What did I find? Jack! That's right. There's about enough information regarding African American men and legal careers as there is that are actually in the profession. Not much. Sure there is a ton of information regarding law schools, the ABA, LSAC, taking the LSAT, 0L, 1L, 2L, 3L, the Bar exam, and finding employment. The problem is that there is no specific, engaging, material geared to and approved by African American males. There are plenty of buzz words being thrown around like frisbees such as: diversity, underrepresented minorities (URM), and more diversity. However, diversity in this sense means anyone that is not a Caucasian male. Including URM's. There is little to no information pertaining to the African American male. So I am going to take it upon myself to write about my process as an African American male and my thoughts and opinions on the subject. Many people will not like what I have to say, most likely will not agree with me, this type of environment is fertile ground for intellectual growth. I hope to learn as I explore this latent society that regulates only about 1.5 % of its ranks to African American males.
So here it is. My story might shed some light on all the other brothers out there that don't feel like higher education is an option let alone pursuing advanced education. I graduated college with a BS in Sociology. Bachelor of Science more commonly known as Bull Shit. Could not find a job. The most common reasons I heard were: the economy is bad, no one is hiring, give it some time, blah, blah, blah. So here I am with this degree and I want to work but can't because no one will give me chance. How many people do you know in this situation? I always knew that I wanted to help people. I feel that I'm blessed and I try to lend a helping hand and volunteer my time whenever possible. As a black man we are always told that education opens up doors to the world. So I figured if I can't work then I'll just get more training. Doing what? That is the million dollar question. Social Worker, Occupational Therapist, Researcher, Journalist, I just could not decide. Then I had a run in with the police. Changed my life forever. I was brutally attacked by police officers and they charged me with crimes that were subsequently dismissed. I knew from that point on that I needed to become an advocate for the people with no voice. The disenfranchised and with little means. If I had been on probation, on parole, labeled, less educated, or a myriad of other things, the police probably would have gotten away with assaulting me. However, I had presence of mind and the means to bring about a federal civil suit. Legally. Legality. Law. The essence of our daily life. Every second of our life were are governed by the laws of man and the laws of nature. Both can be manipulated to reach a desired result. African American males have been prohibited from partaking in numerous ways. I will expound on that in later posts. This is just an introduction to why I am, who I am and hopefully shed some light on the law school process for African American males in the same boat.
Here are the Basic steps to applying to and getting into law school.
1. Maintain a decent GPA (preferably 3.0 or better) in undergrad
2. Graduate any regionally accredited institution with a BS or BA in any major.
3. Register with the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) and register to take the LSAT.
4. I recommend strongly to buy study/ prep materials in preparation for the LSAT
The LSAT is at least 50% of the determining factor law school admissions committees use when determining applicants. In other words, Your Score is Important!!
5. Prepare a resume, get letters of reference, essays, personal statements , and other soft factors in order.
6. Once you receive your LSAT scores you are ready to begin submitting applications.
This process is the same for all applicants. However, whenever it comes to the "soft" factors, things will be a little different for African American males.
Here is an interesting link that I discovered that might have some relevant information:
http://www.policymic.com/articles/11599/the-weight-of-being-a-young-and-successful-black-male
So here it is. My story might shed some light on all the other brothers out there that don't feel like higher education is an option let alone pursuing advanced education. I graduated college with a BS in Sociology. Bachelor of Science more commonly known as Bull Shit. Could not find a job. The most common reasons I heard were: the economy is bad, no one is hiring, give it some time, blah, blah, blah. So here I am with this degree and I want to work but can't because no one will give me chance. How many people do you know in this situation? I always knew that I wanted to help people. I feel that I'm blessed and I try to lend a helping hand and volunteer my time whenever possible. As a black man we are always told that education opens up doors to the world. So I figured if I can't work then I'll just get more training. Doing what? That is the million dollar question. Social Worker, Occupational Therapist, Researcher, Journalist, I just could not decide. Then I had a run in with the police. Changed my life forever. I was brutally attacked by police officers and they charged me with crimes that were subsequently dismissed. I knew from that point on that I needed to become an advocate for the people with no voice. The disenfranchised and with little means. If I had been on probation, on parole, labeled, less educated, or a myriad of other things, the police probably would have gotten away with assaulting me. However, I had presence of mind and the means to bring about a federal civil suit. Legally. Legality. Law. The essence of our daily life. Every second of our life were are governed by the laws of man and the laws of nature. Both can be manipulated to reach a desired result. African American males have been prohibited from partaking in numerous ways. I will expound on that in later posts. This is just an introduction to why I am, who I am and hopefully shed some light on the law school process for African American males in the same boat.
Here are the Basic steps to applying to and getting into law school.
1. Maintain a decent GPA (preferably 3.0 or better) in undergrad
2. Graduate any regionally accredited institution with a BS or BA in any major.
3. Register with the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) and register to take the LSAT.
4. I recommend strongly to buy study/ prep materials in preparation for the LSAT
The LSAT is at least 50% of the determining factor law school admissions committees use when determining applicants. In other words, Your Score is Important!!
5. Prepare a resume, get letters of reference, essays, personal statements , and other soft factors in order.
6. Once you receive your LSAT scores you are ready to begin submitting applications.
This process is the same for all applicants. However, whenever it comes to the "soft" factors, things will be a little different for African American males.
Here is an interesting link that I discovered that might have some relevant information:
http://www.policymic.com/articles/11599/the-weight-of-being-a-young-and-successful-black-male
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