The Howard Law/HBCU Law Schools Thread

[Kirk Lazarus]

This is my first post...I am beginning my senior year.  I have a 2.8 and I am a finance major at Howard.

I have not taken the LSAT.  What are my chances of getting into law school?

What is the best study material for the LSAT?

Your GPA is horrible so you're going to need to do well on your LSAT. Take Testmasters course. If you can't afford that, pick up the different LSAT bibles at Powerscore.com

If you do extremely well, you can get into a t14 school...but I'd definitely shoot for something north of 153 to get into some decent schools.

[Saucony Jazz]

This is my first post...I am beginning my senior year.  I have a 2.8 and I am a finance major at Howard.

I have not taken the LSAT.  What are my chances of getting into law school?

What is the best study material for the LSAT?

Your GPA is horrible...

That's a real tactless way to put it.

[Kirk Lazarus]

This is my first post...I am beginning my senior year.  I have a 2.8 and I am a finance major at Howard.

I have not taken the LSAT.  What are my chances of getting into law school?

What is the best study material for the LSAT?

Your GPA is horrible...

That's a real tactless way to put it.

tactless or not, Kyra deserves to have an honest assessment of her chances. She/he wants to go to law school. I didn't want to send any mixed signals at all. A "not the best in the world" or "not that great" or "could be better" wouldn't do much to let Kyra know that her GPA is a tremendous weakness in her application that needs to be compensated for. Now Kyra might have reasons for such a low GPA (sickness, family death, working 40hrs wk during the school year, etc), but every single admissions officer is going to think a 2.9 in finance at Howard is one of two things: 1) Kyra doesn't have the capacity to do good work or 2) Kyra is not mature enough and/or too lazy to commit him/herself to doing going work.

The main point being, whatever adjective I use to describe her GPA, it is extremely low and will take a lot to come back from to get into a law school worth going to. Kyra wants help and she deserves brutal honesty. That's just my policy.

Either you disagree with the assessment or you don't. If you agree, one wonders why you would call for more "tact" on a anonymous board. If you disagree, then what would you say to Kyra?

===========================================================================

Incidentally, I thought of one more thing to add for Kyra. If I were Kyra, I would forget about studying for the LSAT this year and focus on getting the best grades possible. Graduate with a 3.1+. Then take a year off/work/study for the LSAT. I think if she gets over the 3.0 mark, her chances improve significantly.

[thefuture]

Hey everyone! I am new to this board and I am seeking some advice pertaining to Howard Law. I am very very drawn to this school, I have always envisioned myself attending Howard Law for school, but came to the realization last year that it is a tier 3. So with that being said Howard was completely taken off my list, but lately I have been hearing that Howard is still a great school to attend, in terms of job prospects, alumni network etc. I have been reading on this board that the great job prospects only pertains to the top of the class. Based on my work ethic and my performance in school I have always been at the top, of my class or have the potential to be at the top (I slacked off BIG TIME in college..A LOT..graduated with a 3.2 ()... So lately I have been thinking, that if I go to Howard and do extremely well, as I know I have the potential to do, then I would have a good career prospect. Now Howard is my top choice...not saying I am limiting myself to Howard as I am applying to 15 schools (Howard being the only school not in the 1st tier). What do you guys think or suggest of my "strategy"? Also I definitely want to practice up north, maybe Big law even :|!

[A.]

A. There is a thread devoted exclusively to Howard and other HBCUs.  You should post your questions there.

B. It's naive to think that just because you "have always been at the top, of [your] class or have the potential to be at the top" that you will be at the top at Howard.  That's especially the case when you have a demonstrated history of "slack[ing] off BIG TIME in college..A LOT" and not actually being at the top of your class.  So apply to Howard if you want to...but not for the primary reason you've given.

[cui bono?]

Hey everyone! I am new to this board and I am seeking some advice pertaining to Howard Law. I am very very drawn to this school, I have always envisioned myself attending Howard Law for school, but came to the realization last year that it is a tier 3. So with that being said Howard was completely taken off my list, but lately I have been hearing that Howard is still a great school to attend, in terms of job prospects, alumni network etc. I have been reading on this board that the great job prospects only pertains to the top of the class. Based on my work ethic and my performance in school I have always been at the top, of my class or have the potential to be at the top (I slacked off BIG TIME in college..A LOT..graduated with a 3.2 ()... So lately I have been thinking, that if I go to Howard and do extremely well, as I know I have the potential to do, then I would have a good career prospect. Now Howard is my top choice...not saying I am limiting myself to Howard as I am applying to 15 schools (Howard being the only school not in the 1st tier). What do you guys think or suggest of my "strategy"? Also I definitely want to practice up north, maybe Big law even :|!

Had to switch the color -it was driving me nuts!  And the mods will prolly move this post to the HBCU thread-  you'll get more responses that way

Tier 3 and Tier 4 law schools are actually tougher once you get in.  Of course, tier one and tier 2 are tougher to get into.  Do not go by what you did in undergrad.  Everyone is in the same boat (relatively).  Most people did well their entire lives so basically you're in law school with a whole bunch of folks just like you. 

Tier 3 or TTT (affectionately known as Third Tier Toilet...I always thought tier 4 school should be called "the outhouse" then) and Tier 4 have a more rigourous curriculum.  I went to such a school and there were many things that we covered that my friends at Tier 1 & 2 schools knew nothing about (which could be attributed to the fact that professors vary). 

Ah, Big Law.  Many folks have dreams of Big law and (1) have no idea what it means or (2) think that upon graduating law school- any law school- the offers will come rolling in.  Nope!  There are some firms that won't even consider bringing someone in from a tier 2 school, much less a 3 or 4.  Is it possible?  Sure, but you'll really have to be good at networking!

I'd also suggest not attending a tier 3 or tier 4 school in a congested area where there are many surrounding law schools.  Big time competition.  You'll have to do the research into the schools that you're interested in.   but if there are 2 or 3 better law schools in the same vicinity, that's something you need to take into account.  You should view it as a major drawback when deciding on a school.         

 

[JDat45]

Howard does not place well all over the country.  It is unfair to egregiously mislead this person because you are trying to hype up your school.  If one does very well at Howard, there will be options, but American is the way to go money or not.

Well dayum

[Ninja1]

This is my first post...I am beginning my senior year.  I have a 2.8 and I am a finance major at Howard.

I have not taken the LSAT.  What are my chances of getting into law school?

What is the best study material for the LSAT?

Your GPA is horrible so you're going to need to do well on your LSAT. Take Testmasters course. If you can't afford that, pick up the different LSAT bibles at Powerscore.com

If you do extremely well, you can get into a t14 school...but I'd definitely shoot for something north of 153 to get into some decent schools.

TITCR, though being AA will help, if applicable.

[JDat45]

UVA, but I'm a prestige whore and don't really see what the problem with paying back loans is if you're making $140k+ per year.

HA! @ prestige whore. Me too. GUILTY AS CHARGED!

[Burning Sands, Esq.]

UVA, but I'm a prestige whore and don't really see what the problem with paying back loans is if you're making $140k+ per year.

HA! @ prestige whore. Me too. GUILTY AS CHARGED!

Don't sleep though. Howard grads go to Biglaw at greater % than most schools.  I didn't even go there but I'm constantly meeting biglaw associates here in NY from Howard.