The LGBTQ Thread

[lyquidmyrrrh]

No reason to explain!  It all sounds good to me... good luck!!

[Miss P]

No reason to explain!  It all sounds good to me... good luck!!

Sorry, I just have a knee-jerk elitist bit in me. I'm such a a-hole sometimes! I didn't mean to be super defensive.  I am happy where I am going, though I was disappointed when I was rejected by NYU (my top choice). 

[slacker]

I agree that there's no reason to come out on a PS if it's not relevant to something. I have been involved in my school (T2) in terms of trying to do more recruiting specificially towards the LGBT community. It is a URM to some firms and some schools are more active than others, so don't fully discount that it has no weight. It is a soft factor, of course.

One nice thing about coming out early in the process, if you're really interested in the school, is that you can possibly get in touch with LGBT students already present, and see what it's like for them. However, the original statement on the PS still stands.

[incognito]

NYU and Berkeley are on the top of my list.  Hey of the top 14, do you guys know any schools that aren't queer-friendly?  I'm thinking UVa and Duke...  But what about others?

And, I don't intend to come out in my application at all because it's not really relavant to any of the achievments upon which I intend to focus...  From what I understand, there really isn't much advantage in the application process given to queer folks anyway.

I'm starting at Duke this year, came out in my personal statement, and I think Duke is queer-friendly, or at least not opposed to the gays.  I've lived in the triangle area for six years and while it isn't Midtown or Dupont Circle, it is a very livable region.  I've met some of the current gay law students at Duke and they seem very happy.  In the T14 you would be hard pressed to find a school with entrenched homophobia. 

[245]

I'm actually done applying and am starting LS about 6 weeks, but I thought I'd throw in my 2 cents.  I only came out in my personal statement because my activism is what is driving me to attend LS and my activism is almost all gay right-related.

That's the general advice I got--to come out only as much as is relevant to the point of your personal statement.  Make sure it makes sense in your story or it might sound like you're coming out just to milk the diversity factor (not that there's anything wrong with milking the diversity factor--just don't make it obvious...heh...)  Of course, had there been an "LGBT" box to check on the application, I would have done that, even if my personal statement was about horseback riding or something...

Good luck to you!  Where are you thinking of applying?

Thanks, bossfan2!  Being gay isn't very important to the work that I do or why I want to pursue law, so it probably doesn't warrant a mention on my PS, but I do plan on living with my SO during law school and participating in LGBT campus activities.  I'm looking at the top 8 right now.

[245]

Having just looked at his LSN, I'm not sure that Mike 245 needs to milk his LGBT status or anything else!  He's in pretty good shape.

FWIW, I haven't seen any evidence that schools really consider queerness to be worth a whole lot.

Miss P, thanks for the vote of confidence.   I prob won't be mentioning it except on maybe Penn and Yale essays, but I don't plan on hiding it either.  So Colubmia does LGBT recruiting too???

[bridget]

I'm applying this cycle and thinking of coming out... one of my personal statement drafts is about losing financial support from my parents after coming out and having to support myself.  It's less about being a lesbian and more about motivating myself and growing as a person    I do hope that's the kind of thing admissions committees like to hear about.

Another is about activism I've done related to queer stuff- organizing events, leadership positions, etc.  So it's not directly saying "I'm a dyke" but it could be safe to assume.  I'm interested in public interest law, so it's relevant, I think.

[245]

I'm applying this cycle and thinking of coming out... one of my personal statement drafts is about losing financial support from my parents after coming out and having to support myself.  It's less about being a lesbian and more about motivating myself and growing as a person    I do hope that's the kind of thing admissions committees like to hear about.

Another is about activism I've done related to queer stuff- organizing events, leadership positions, etc.  So it's not directly saying "I'm a dyke" but it could be safe to assume.  I'm interested in public interest law, so it's relevant, I think.

Where are you planning on applying?  Good luck this cycle!

[245]

thanks!  good luck to you, too! 
My numbers are in the range for most of the top ten, though not quite as impressive as yours .  I haven't taken the real LSAT yet, but my timed practice tests have given me a feel for where I'll fall and I've still got time to prepare before sept. 30.
NYU is probably my top choice right now.  I'm looking at

-prestigious schools (as long as I'm going into massive debt I might as well get the best of the best)
-in big cities (I've been in cornfields for three years now and after growing up in Chicago, I need a city again)
-that allow deferment for Teach for America (most do, and that's my first choice for post-undergrad),
-and have strong public interest programs and/or a dual degree option in public policy.  GWU, U of Chicago, and Duke are a few, though each has drawbacks (no deferral, economics focused, and in a smaller city, respectively). 

you're looking at top 8, right?  any specific area of interest? 

I'm mostly interested in immigration issues right now, but I know that could easily change after 1L or 2LL, so I'm keeping my options open.  My SO isn't so keen on New Haven, Ann Arbor or Philly since it'd be hard for him to find a job in those cities, but SF Bay Area, Boston, NYC and Chicago are looking like good possibilities.

[heybrent]

Where are you all applying?  Are you planning on coming out in the app process???

Mike--

Apply to HLS and definitely come out in the app process.