Former gang member...What are my chances?

[smartandunique]

Good luck to u wherever u go. u've already shown that u can beat the odds.

[Denny Shore]

pickle isn't a law student.
He hasn't been accepted to any law school.
Therefore, his opinion counts as much as the opinion of the pigeon who crapped on my car this morning.
He believes that if he displays arrogance and a misplaced sense of superiority, people will care what a guy with an undergrad degree (pending) thinks about law school.  No one should or does.  Ignore this moron.  He knows nothing and is a typical troll.

[REALITY]

He already confessed to it on a different thread. Just another GED dropout with nothing better to do. The part of mooching off his parents is most likely true though, but I bet he's 40 and doing it.

pickle isn't a law student.
He hasn't been accepted to any law school.
Therefore, his opinion counts as much as the opinion of the pigeon who crapped on my car this morning.
He believes that if he displays arrogance and a misplaced sense of superiority, people will care what a guy with an undergrad degree (pending) thinks about law school.  No one should or does.  Ignore this moron.  He knows nothing and is a typical troll.

[Leviathan]

2010 Graduate Poli Sci

URM - mom from sierra leone, west africa/ dad jamaican with portugese descent (never met father)
will be first college grad in family. 

3.0-3.1 GPA at graduation if I maintain current pace of straight A's. (Upward Trend-two straight years of all A's. 0.73 GPA after freshman year)

167 LSAT - Shooting for 171-172 on retake

Compelling Personal Statement and LOR's.  Former gang member/been stabbed in torsow/ scars to prove it. Not proud of it, just stating the facts.  Left gang and decided to attend college at 22 yrs. old after best friend was sentenced to 18 years in prison (fed time-no parole).  REALLY turned my life around

Started a youth mentorship program here in Atlanta....My Brother's Keeper which links underprivileged black males with black male college students.

I'm shooting for T-14. HYS and other top of the heap schools etc.

What are my chances?

Though this topic is old, I think that it might be relevant to a number of BALS (Black Aspiring Law Students).

First, I'd say it is really great that you turned your life around. Turning your life around and getting out of the gang life probably saved your life or kept you out of prison.

Second, I think that your admission to the top law schools will depend on the execution of your application. I think a pretty impressive personal statement would be comparing your story to your friend who is behind bars for 18 years. You have to write it a certain way to let the adcomms know that you've grown from that gang life and that it is behind you.

Now I think you'll get into a great law school, but being realistic, know that there are others in similar situations or worse. For example, I went to a HYS and met some former gang members. I also met some kids who spent time in prison doing time. They changed their lives around too...

but they were able to go to college at get 3.8 GPAs + 165+ LSATs. I know two particular people with this sort of profile. And let's be real, HYS is only going to accept maybe 1 or 2 people with such a profile every other admission cycle so the competition is FIERCE even with your story.

So you have to execute your application. Have to have perfect essays, GREAT recommendations, your LSAT is a little low, but shouldn't be too big a deal, and have an addendum discussing the challenges of adjusting to academic life from the street life and then talk about your grade trend.  You might also want to consider penning a statement of purpose so ADCOMMS know why you want to go to law school. Saying you one day want to be a federal prosecutor might be particularly powerful given you're Black and led a street life at one point.

Good luck.

[MY2CENTS7]

2010 Graduate Poli Sci

URM - mom from sierra leone, west africa/ dad jamaican with portugese descent (never met father)
will be first college grad in family. 

3.0-3.1 GPA at graduation if I maintain current pace of straight A's. (Upward Trend-two straight years of all A's. 0.73 GPA after freshman year)

167 LSAT - Shooting for 171-172 on retake

Compelling Personal Statement and LOR's.  Former gang member/been stabbed in torsow/ scars to prove it. Not proud of it, just stating the facts.  Left gang and decided to attend college at 22 yrs. old after best friend was sentenced to 18 years in prison (fed time-no parole).  REALLY turned my life around

Started a youth mentorship program here in Atlanta....My Brother's Keeper which links underprivileged black males with black male college students.

I'm shooting for T-14. HYS and other top of the heap schools etc.

What are my chances?

The school IS NOT the problem, the State Bar that you will be applying to will have you do a MORAL CHARACTER fitness application. If you have Felonies some states will let you practice if you can show rehabilitation, with letters of support. MY BEST ADVICE is to do you Moral Character Application in Advance of Spending Any Money. You can then find out IF you will have a problem in THAT STATE.

Hope this helps, mentioning getting stabbed in the torso WILL NOT help you get accepted in school or in any state. Less Information is better on the applications as long as you answer TRUTHFULLY the question asked. You may raise questions about your own fitness if your answers are as expansive.

If a certain state bar committee says NO!, then you can APPEAL (usually) or keep trying to you find a state that accepts you and that you can see yourself living in. Personally I like Wisconsin's policy of admitting any lawyer trained in that state without a Bar Exam, but they still have Moral Character requirements

Best Regards!

[trudawg]

Any updates?

I'm in my 2nd year of law school and I absolutely love it! It's tough, but do-able when you have the dedication and drive from having doors shut in your face all your life.

Good Luck to all!

[justanothersucker]

Don't you just hate it when "BAL"s be all up in your face? .......bals.......face....... ....

[/quote]

Though this topic is old, I think that it might be relevant to a number of BALS (Black Aspiring Law Students).

[/quote]

[ipscientific]

2010 Graduate Poli Sci

URM - mom from sierra leone, west africa/ dad jamaican with portugese descent (never met father)
will be first college grad in family. 

3.0-3.1 GPA at graduation if I maintain current pace of straight A's. (Upward Trend-two straight years of all A's. 0.73 GPA after freshman year)

167 LSAT - Shooting for 171-172 on retake

Compelling Personal Statement and LOR's.  Former gang member/been stabbed in torsow/ scars to prove it. Not proud of it, just stating the facts.  Left gang and decided to attend college at 22 yrs. old after best friend was sentenced to 18 years in prison (fed time-no parole).  REALLY turned my life around

Started a youth mentorship program here in Atlanta....My Brother's Keeper which links underprivileged black males with black male college students.

I'm shooting for T-14. HYS and other top of the heap schools etc.

What are my chances?

Go for it. You have good experience. Street smarts are very valuable in life. Now you also have an academic education. Go for it. You will be a millionaire and be an inspiration for others. Don't ever let anyone tell you, you can't do something.