LSAT as good measure of a future lawyer? University of San Fran--addendum?

[crashton79]

I would like to go to the UNiversity of San Francisco night program.  I have a 3.76 from UC Santa Barbara in psychology and a MA in Asian Studies (3.85 gpa) from the University of Hawaii.  I would like to study international law.  I have very good LORs and a good PS.  But I got a 155 on my LSAT.  Mutha$#%%^.  Is anyone aware of my chances for Univ. of San Fran.?  Also, I have performed average or slightly subpar on both the SAT and GRE--but have always been to perform really well in school anyways.  I have read some posts already about addendums--and Im not sure if I should write one.  I can demonstrate that twice--standardized tests were unable to predict my level of success at the college and graduate level.  Both my mother and my brother have learning disabilities, but I have never been tested (although, I know I might very well be reaching at that point).  Does anyone think I should write an addendum?

ALso, an interesting note for everyone--my girlfriend is a PhD student at Berkeley and she is working on a project with LSAC and a ton of law professors, ad coms, and lawyers about how to improve the LSAT's ability to predict whether a participant will make a good lawyer.  She has told me that most of the people in the project agree that the LSAT is NOT a good mechanism for predicting who will make a good lawyer, but rather, it is good at predicting who will do well their first year in law school.  Anyways, along with so many others on this board who are great applicants in every other category but the LSAT, I guess I have been wrestling with my poor score and doubts about my abilities.  Frankly, the LSAT pisses me off and I happen to believe I could easily hang with most students at Stanford and Harvard and whatever--but what can I say--I got a 155.  Maybe Im just being a biatch, but I don't think that is right. Thanks.

[Clay Carter]

I had this discussion last night with my Aunt who is a successful lawyer here in Canada.  Let's put it this way...there needs to be some standardized measure that allows the schools to compare people from unique backgrounds and academic environments.  Nevertheless, you don't walk in to law school on the first day with a T-shirt on that says your LSAT score in bold font.  You take the test because it is a requirement to get to where you want to go, but the real test begins when you earn that seat in law school.  Even then, you graduate a lawyer...you don't show up to the office wearing your school's apparel.

Obviously, a lot can be said for the talented people that attend the big schools and aced the LSAT.  All I am trying to say is that for all aspiring successful lawyers - whether we aced the LSAT or not, whether we studied law at the big school or the underdog - there will come a day when we are finally in the "real world" and that will be your ultimate chance to prove you belong.  That's my story and I'm stickin' to it...

[AmbitV]

hey, I think you can easily get into USF with that GPA.  LSAT is only slightly under their 25 percentile.

Another option is apply to their part time program, and transfer into full time.

Did you study for the LSAT?  Another option is study for it and retake it...

[Southern Gentleman]

I think, in a general sense, the LSAT is a good indication of who will be a good law student. Those that are good law students will logically be often better lawyers. So, logically, there IS a correlation between them. That said, I don't think that the difference between the capability of someone who scores in the 150's is significantly less than someone who scores in the 160s. The difference is probably more significant when you compare the lower 50% vs the upper 50%. IOW, those that score under 150 are much less likely to succeed in LS and as a lawyer. Its just my own theory, but I'd love to see the social statistics that I bet LSAC has somewhere for this sort of thing.

[WoeIsMe]

depends on the type of law.. i've heard the best predictor is the ability to sit still at a desk for long hours and ability to brush off  monthly one-way screaming sessions from the partner.

[sophia_bella]

Crashton, I think you have a very good basis for writing an addendum. I heard a Berkeley admissions officer say one time that if we scored poorly on the LSAT and we have a history of doing poorly on standardized tests but doing well in school, then we should definitely let them know.