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[Adron]

I know I need to take the LSAT(and get 163 or above) and apply to the school, come up with about 15k/year, and most importantly get accepted. Besides that, any suggestions or advice from those of you who have actually been accepted to law school and more importantly completed it?Will I be able to maintain a full time job in IT while going to school? Also, school is in Madison, and I live in Milwaukee, about 90 miles away - issue?

[Dracon]

I flunked out of law school in my third year. I went to a night law school program at a small University. I worked full time during the day. I would try to brief my cases during lunch hour and sneak time away from my job to read cases. It was too much for me. I was never fully prepared. I think the rule of thumb was for every hour of classroom work, there had to be at least 2 hours of out-of-class preparation...maybe 3 hours...I don't remember for sure.I didn't really flunk out....my point hour was equivalent to a "C" and they only wanted "A's or B's. So the Dean very reluctantly asked me to resign and try again some day when I didn't have to work. Your situation looks even worse than mine.

[anyon]

Let's break down your questions into smaller parts. First, why do you want to go to law school?  This isn?t a flip question. People go to law school for different reasons. If you want to go to law school for credential value, my answer would be different than my answer if you want to change careers   If you just want to enhance your credentials, it won?t matter where you go to law school or where you rank in your class, if you do graduate and pass the bar.   Second, why are you so insistent on going to the law school at UWM?  I ask because I know that there is at least one law school closer to you--Marquette. Also, those are not the only two law schools in the universe.   Third, Will you be able to hold down a full time job and go to law school?  Does the law school have an evening division? I ask because many law schools do not have an evening division. So, it would be impractical to try to work a day job and go to law school during the day as well.   If you go to a law school that has an evening division, it would be possible to do both, since students in evening divisions normally take a much lighter course load, needed four or five years to graduate.   Assuming that you can juggle your work responsibilities, would it be possible to work forty hours a week and go to law school full time.  My answer is a resounding, BARELY POSSIBLE, BUT A VERY BAD IDEA!"   If you elect to do that, it makes me think that you will be sub optimizing your legal studies. You will learn a lot less, be physically and mentally exhausted and have short changed your employer significantly. I went to law school full time at age twenty two and barely made it through the year. I was as tired as I?ve ever been at the end of the first year. And, I wasn?t working either.   If you are asking the question, you need to learn a lot more about law school. The process, particularly in the first year at full time law schools, is very time consuming.  If you were to work a full time job and go to law school, you would have to give up sleeping for three years.   Finally, if you want to go to law school in Madison and live in Milwaukee, I need to ask you will you be driving or taking a train or bus? If you are driving, you will be giving up three hours a day to travel. Now, if there is a commuter train or a bus that you can take and use your time to read while traveling, the idea would be appealing, since you could get a good part of the day?s reading done in transit. Of course, your use of the law library would be restricted, but that is another story.   But, if you are going to be driving 180 miles a day, particularly in the winter, you will be very tired just from that. If you elect to commute, forget the job. Your job will be to keep awake and keep your car on the road.   If I were in your shoes, I would either try to go to law school closer to home or rearrange my financial affairs so that I could go to law school full time, especially during the critical first year.   If you?d like to send me a PM, I?d be glad to visit in private with you.  Sources: Over thirty years as a lawyer and law professor   Snow_Leopard's Recommendations Law School Confidential(Revised Edition): A Complete Guide to the Law School Experience: By Students, for Students Amazon List Price: $18.95 Used from: $4.85 Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5(based on 167 reviews) How to Get Into the Top Law Schools, 4th edition Amazon List Price: $27.50 Used from: $14.00 Average Customer Rating: 4.0 out of 5(based on 44 reviews) How to Get Into Law School Amazon List Price: $16.00 Used from: $4.40 Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5(based on 11 reviews) Best 170 Law Schools, 2008 Edition(Graduate School Admissions Gui) Amazon List Price: $22.95 Average Customer Rating: 5.0 out of 5(based on 1 reviews) The Law of Schools, Students and Teachers in a Nutshell(Nutshell Series) Amazon List Price: $30.00 Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5(based on 3 reviews) U.S. News Ultimate Guide to Law Schools, 3E(U.S. News Ultimate Guide to Law Schools) Amazon List Price: $19.95 Average Customer Rating: 3.0 out of 5(based on 1 reviews) Acing Your First Year of Law School Second Edition: The Ten Steps to Success You Won't Learn in Class Amazon List Price: $22.00 Average Customer Rating: 4.0 out of 5(based on 25 reviews) The Paper Chase Amazon List Price: $9.98 Used from: $5.99 Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5(based on 76 reviews) Snow_Leopard 64 months ago Please sign in to give a compliment. Please verify your account to give a compliment. Please sign in to send a message. Please verify your account to send a message.

[Garwin]

First, why do you want to go to law school?  This isn?t a flip question. People go to law school for different reasons. If you want to go to law school for credential value, my answer would be different than my answer if you want to change careers   If you just want to enhance your credentials, it won?t matter where you go to law school or where you rank in your class, if you do graduate and pass the bar.   Second, why are you so insistent on going to the law school at UWM?  I ask because I know that there is at least one law school closer to you--Marquette. Also, those are not the only two law schools in the universe.   Third, Will you be able to hold down a full time job and go to law school?  Does the law school have an evening division? I ask because many law schools do not have an evening division. So, it would be impractical to try to work a day job and go to law school during the day as well.   If you go to a law school that has an evening division, it would be possible to do both, since students in evening divisions normally take a much lighter course load, needed four or five years to graduate.   Assuming that you can juggle your work responsibilities, would it be possible to work forty hours a week and go to law school full time.  My answer is a resounding, BARELY POSSIBLE, BUT A VERY BAD IDEA!"   If you elect to do that, it makes me think that you will be sub optimizing your legal studies. You will learn a lot less, be physically and mentally exhausted and have short changed your employer significantly. I went to law school full time at age twenty two and barely made it through the year. I was as tired as I?ve ever been at the end of the first year. And, I wasn?t working either.   If you are asking the question, you need to learn a lot more about law school. The process, particularly in the first year at full time law schools, is very time consuming.  If you were to work a full time job and go to law school, you would have to give up sleeping for three years.   Finally, if you want to go to law school in Madison and live in Milwaukee, I need to ask you will you be driving or taking a train or bus? If you are driving, you will be giving up three hours a day to travel. Now, if there is a commuter train or a bus that you can take and use your time to read while traveling, the idea would be appealing, since you could get a good part of the day?s reading done in transit. Of course, your use of the law library would be restricted, but that is another story.   But, if you are going to be driving 180 miles a day, particularly in the winter, you will be very tired just from that. If you elect to commute, forget the job. Your job will be to keep awake and keep your car on the road.   If I were in your shoes, I would either try to go to law school closer to home or rearrange my financial affairs so that I could go to law school full time, especially during the critical first year.   If you?d like to send me a PM, I?d be glad to visit in private with you.