Low GPA, 6 years of law experience

[Elizabeth8]

Hello,

I am trying to find out my chances of getting into law school in the Boston or Philadelphia area. My UGPA is low - 2.48 and my major was Legal Studies.  I have not taken the LSAT yet.  I want to be an immigration lawyer - I have been an immigration paralegal for the past 6 years. I graduated undergrad in 2003, worked as an immigration paralegal since March of 2004. Can anyone give me a sense of what sort of LSAT score I need? Also, does it look terrible that I majored in Legal Studies 6 years ago and did horribly?

Thank you for any advice anyone can offer!

[Jamie Stringer]

Look at www.lawschoolnumbers.com and www.hourumd.com for info on applications to various law schools. 

To be honest, a 2.48 in Legal Studies doesn't look too hot to law schools, but depending on what school you'd like to attend and what you get on the LSAT, you might be able to get into a law school.  I wouldn't worry just yet about what score you need to get on the LSAT, but just on studying and doing your best on the test.

[Elizabeth8]

The 2.48 is my overall GPA..my major GPA is around 3.0.

[LMUtalldrink]

i'd been working in a law firm for years, had a 2.44 gpa and 159 LSAT and got into schools in the top 100.  I considered applying to Suffolk but my husband didn't want to move to MA, but I got into higher ranked schools anyway.  You should take the LSAT before trying to figure out your chances.
What do you have to lose?
GOOD LUCK!

[Elizabeth8]

I have researched schools that I think I can get into with my gpa and around a 160 LSAT but I am concerned about the fact that my low gpa was in a law related major

[upgrade]

I have researched schools that I think I can get into with my gpa and around a 160 LSAT but I am concerned about the fact that my low gpa was in a law related major

It won't matter what the major was.  A "Legal Studies" curriculum is probably nothing like law school. 

[Jamie Stringer]

I have researched schools that I think I can get into with my gpa and around a 160 LSAT but I am concerned about the fact that my low gpa was in a law related major

It won't matter what the major was.  A "Legal Studies" curriculum is probably nothing like law school. 

This.

When I said it "won't look too hot," I say that because (and I could be wrong) the Legal Studies major sounds kind of like a Criminal Justice-type major.  I know that I've read somewhere that there are certain types of majors that schools aren't too gung ho about and Crim Justice was in that category.  However, I could be completely off-base about the type of work done in the major.

I still stick by what I said about LSAT scores though.  The GPA isn't changeable.  The only thing you can do now is bust your butt on studying for the LSAT and doing really well to show schools that perhaps they should place less emphasis on your GPA since you do have some solid analytical skills.

Good luck!