Ann K. Levine, Esq.

Chief Consultant and President
(805) 604-5039

Don’t Miss out on Great Law School Tips! Law School Expert Newsletter is launched!


The Law School Expert team is constantly working to bring you all the news you need to know about law school admissions. We wanted to let you about some new and easy ways to keep the good advice and information coming your way.

 

 

With a debut issue in January 2012 Law School Expert has started a monthly newsletter that can be delivered right to your email inbox each month. Be sure to get your name on our mailing list.

 

 

 

Another great way to make sure you don’t miss a thing is to “Like” Law School Expert on Facebook. Our Facebook page has a lot of great links from friends and partners of Law School Expert like LSAT Prep companies, law school bloggers, and more. You’ll want to check it out and join the conversation.

 

Or, if you like your news 140 characters at at time, you can follow Law School Expert on Twitter!

We’re delivering the news you want to know, so be sure to get plugged in so you don’t miss out!

5 Things to do While Waiting for Your LSAT Score


I know the waiting feels endless, but just think about all of the people taking the bar exam who have to wait three months to find out IF, after making it through law school,they will be able to actually practice law. I do expect scores to come out by email in the next 12-36 hours and I want to keep you all nice, calm, occupied, and feeling productive in the meantime. Here are some things to do in the next day or two:

1. Articulate the reasons why you want to be a lawyer. Not why you want to go to law school, but why you want to be a lawyer. Write them down and keep it in your wallet and look at it every time you spend money. I know no one will really do this, but I think it’s a GREAT idea. If you don’t want to be a lawyer but want to go to law school for some other reason, write down those reasons and spend the next day doing research on other ways to get to your goal without going to law school.

2. Go see Hangover 2 or Bridesmaids. I really want to see both of these films. I don’t have time (just moved houses and am trying to finish up my book to help you decide whether to go to law school) so please see these films, laugh a lot, and let me know how they are. One of my favorite traditions when I was in law school was going to see a movie on Friday afternoons. It was a great escape, and I haven’t had time to see movies since, so let me live vicariously through you….

3. Work on your resume. It doesn’t take much time to feel like you’ve made a lot of progress on this particular project. An hour can make a big difference.  You can download the audio version of Chapter 6 “Building Your Resume” of The Law School Admission Game: Play Like an Expert and get a ton of good information (do’s and don’t and how-tos) in a mere 20 minutes, then spend the next 40 minutes putting the suggestions to use on your own resume. You’ll feel like you’ve crossed something important off your to-do list, or at least made serious headway.

4. Look up people on Wikipedia who have the jobs you want to have one day. See how they got those jobs, what career trajectory they took to get there. Want to be Commissioner of the NBA? President of the ACLU?  Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights? A Wills and Trusts attorney in Kansas City, MO? Surfing the web for lawyers and reading their bios is a much better use of your time than trolling law school discussion forums.  Again, few of you will take me up on this idea, but I promise it’s a very worthwhile exercise.

5. Read this old post of mine (from 2007!) about 4 Things To Do While Waiting for Your LSAT Score.

Mostly, remember not to panic. Your LSAT score is not grading you on how you’re living your life, how you’re loving the people who matter to you, how you’re making the world a better place, or how rewarding a career you’re going to have one day. It’s just a major factor in how law schools are going to judge you. That’s it. And we can talk more about that later. Have a great day!

Best Law Schools for Federal Clerkships


See this article ranking law schools according to the number of graduates from the 2009 class in Federal Judicial clerkships – Great support for going beyond the USNWR rankings in choosing a school!

Tune In: Job Prospects and Rankings


Tomorrow afternoon, I’m going to sit down with students at all 5 Bay Area law schools (Berkeley, Hastings, Santa Clara, San Francisco and Golden Gate) to discuss how they are feeling about job prospects and law school rankings. You can listen live and chat with us and ask questions tomorrow (Sunday 2/27) at 4 pm PST/7 pm EST, or listen to it after we’re done (either online or through iTunes download). Click here for more information about my next Blog Talk Radio Show.

Insider Secrets by Your Law School Expert


I recently did a podcast interview for Insider Secrets : ”Getting Into Law School” - you can listen to it or read the transcript. In it, I discuss how to choose an LSAT prep program, choosing a law school, taking on debt, putting together your applications, resumes, wait lists, low LSAT scores, and about a thousand different things related to law school admission. I’m happy to take questions here and/or entertain your comments and thoughts.

What Law Students Say About Careers & School Choices


Thursday was a great day for me. I started off with a TV interview  (you can watch the 5-minute video about my law school admission consulting business here). Then, I met up with 4 of my former clients. I try to do this whenever I travel. I really enjoy helping people get into law school, and seeing how they are doing and what they’ve learned while in law school is incredibly gratifying.

Of the 4 law students, two are 2Ls and 2 are 3Ls. The first question I asked each of them is, “How do you feel about the job market?” The overall consensus is that people are concerned, however I was thrilled to learn that both 3Ls already have jobs lined up after graduation – one has a judicial clerkship and the other a job in a mid-size litigation firm. Of the 2Ls, one has an internship lined up at the D.A.’s office and another is currently traveling around interviewing for positions with major players in the entertainment industry.  This was much more encouraging than the anonymous ranting and raving I’ve been reading on the blogger-sphere.

Three people got their jobs in traditional ways: the formal application process for the clerkship, working as a summer associate at the firm, submitting an application. The fourth person is someone I’ve mentioned previously on the Law School Expert blog – I call him the King of Networking. A big wig from an entertainment company spoke at his law school. Jesse attended the event and introduced himself to the speaker. He then followed up with the speaker, and this weekend will be interviewing with several different departments at the speaker’s company! That, my friends, is networking.

I also want to share something else about Jesse (which, by the way, I am doing with his explicit permission). Jesse’s goal is to work as a lawyer in the entertainment industry. He knew this going into law school. He never waivered. When it came time to choose a law school, I remember him agonizing over whether to attend the law school with the great entertainment program in the perfect location or the law school without even a single course on entertainment law with the better overall reputation (and cheaper tuition).

I felt he would’ve done beautifully at either school. There wasn’t a bad choice to make. I remember telling him, however, that since he’s the King of Networking, he probably wouldn’t need to rely on his school’s entertainment law offerings to build his career. I also mentioned he might stand out more at a school not known for this area of law, whereas entertainment law hopefuls are a dime a dozen at this other school. So, Jesse is now a 2L and I wanted to know – is he happy with his decision?

He is THRILLED. He says he doesn’t feel like he’s competing with anyone else at his school for jobs. Prospective employers remember that he’s the kid from  UC Davis.  He’s distinctive. This wouldn’t work for non-networking fiends, of course. You need to know what you’re willing to do to reach your goals and keep in mind how much help and coaching you’re going to need. Jesse, of course, has 2,500 Facebook friends…..

I really get to know my clients – we work together intensely throughout the admission process. I learn their stories, motivations, and aspirations. Each of the 4 law students I visited with on Thursday is in the process of reaching his or her goals. They are happy with their decisions to attend law school, even though they wish they didn’t get quite so caught up in law school politics (remarkably similar to high school politics but with more sex).

On a parting note, if you’d like to attend my webinar tomorrow (TUESDAY) on “Crafting a Stellar Law School Resume” please email me at lawschoolexpert at gmail.com. The first 15 people who respond will get to listen in for FREE! (A $60 value).

Upcoming BlogTalkRadio Shows featuring Ann Levine


I have three BlogTalkRadio Shows scheduled that should interest readers of the LawSchoolExpert blog:

First, tune in MONDAY at 1 p.m. EST/10 a.m. PST for 30-minute interview and Q&A about my law school admission guidebook. The interview is being conducted by the first prospective law school applicant to read the book and promises to touch upon crucial issues relating to law school personal statements, career prospects and more. We will take questions from callers, too!

Upcoming Shows:

On Monday, June 1st at 1 p.m. EST/10 a.m. PST I’ll be talking with a panel of LSAT tutors about
“Last Minute Tips for LSAT Takers” in preparation for the June 8, 2009 LSAT administration. (45 minutes)

On Monday June 8th at 1 p.m. EST/10 a.m. PST I’ll be interviewing Kevin E. Houchin, Esq., author of “Fuel the Spark: 5 Guiding Values for Success in Law School & Beyond.” For those of you not taking the LSAT on June 8th, but instead preparing to start law school, hearing from Kevin should help you enter your 1L year with your core values in perspective.

If you’re able to listen live, you’ll have the opportunity to ask questions. If you can’t, you’ll be able to hear the interview afterward. Please pass this information along to anyone whom you think might be interested!

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