Suggestions Needed from Pre-Law / Law Students

[marianne202]

I have a friend who has been going to Western International University for well over a year who was supposed to graduate from their paralegal program next Oct. They informed her yesterday that after another review of her transcripts with over 150 credits, she won't graduate until late 2014! She is furious. Now I tried to talk her out of going there last year, but she didn't listen! She had plans to start applying to law schools next year when she was close to graduation. She will turn 50 next year and is a single parent, so waiting until 2014 to graduate is out of the question. I don't know much about law schools or which of the big 3 or comprable schools would be her best option for transfer at this point. Her current class ends in a few weeks and she has no intention of going back. She is receiving financial aid and her classes are starting to be very redundant, so she feels they are just trying to get her finanical aid money. Surprise Surprise!!!

Any suggested degree paths with the big 3 that will help get her closer to an undergrad degree suitable for law school?

Her previous credits were mostly in healthcare, EMT, paramedic & nursing prior to all these from WIU. I would like to find a program that will maximize these for her and get her close to finished so she can start applying to law schools.

Any suggestions on good law schools? She lives in AZ. She wants face to face classes, preferably.

Any suggestions for her LSAT? I believe that is the exam she has to take before she can apply to law school, correct?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions and help! This is just so outside my area of expertise, but I know we have some legal eagles here.

[Yenisei]

Any bachelor's degree is acceptable for law school and other admissions requirements have to be met, including LSAT.

TBH, I would strongly advise you to dissuade her from attending law school at all- the Return on Investment isn't there for the vast majority of law students and given her age, it's much less likely that it would be a good proposition for her financially, plus she already has student loans from undergrad and won't graduate from law school at the absolute earliest until she is 53, and maybe later. There's no way it would be a good idea for her to attend law school.

My advice to her would be to find another school (preferably an inexpensive community college) from which to get an AS or AAS in Paralegal Studies and try to work as a paralegal.

She may well already have enough credits to get a BA in Liberal Studies from TESC or EC, so she should get her transcripts evaluated once she has completed her current courses.

[frankiebleyes]

Arizona has some great schools with distance learning programs, especially Tempe. Have her pick a school and get an evaluation on any decree that she can muster and then apply to law school. With as many hours as she has accumulated she should be able to complete a bachelor's quickly. Law school takes three years in most states, including mine (Tennessee). She can work as a paralegal, secretary in a law firm or medical field if she has certification from her previous college. If she were in Tennessee I would advise working for one of the big insurance companies (claims with her legal background and medical), they are always looking for that combination.
If I was ten years younger I would have gone ahead myself and pursued the same dream, why should anyone tell your friend differently. Many lawyers work for themselves into their seventies and eighties.

[alleycat]

Have your friend graduate from school ASAP. She probably has a degree done at one of the Big 3. Also she is not to old to go to law school. If that is her dream then go for it. As Frankie said many lawyers work for themsleves and they work for a long time. 50 is the new 35. Tell her also to enroll in a LSAT course to really get a handle on the test. Escpecially if she does not like testing that test can be intimidating. Just tell her to get moving out of the school she is in.

[Yenisei]

In-state tuition at ASU's law school was 19K two years ago. No one who is currently 50 and a single parent should be taking on an additional 60K+ in non-dischargeable debt, especially when they already have some student loan debt.

The paralegal route is safer.

EDIT: Current tuition at UA's law school is 26K a year. See: Cost of Attentance

Current tuition at ASU's law school is 24.47 K a year, so count on over 80K in additional debt, and probably over 90K when you take tuition increases, books, parking fees, bar review course fees, etc. into account. Note also that the average age for an entering student is currently 26: Facts and Figures.

Note also that average debt of 89K. The average student will, ceteris paribus, have 25 additional years of a working life with which to pay that sort of debt back compared to marianne's friend.

marianne, please convince her not to make this very expensive mistake.

[LaterBloomer]

Marianne202, Please don't think I'm being my normal negative self when I ask you to ask your friend to reconsider law school. Unless it will make her life complete, and fulfill all of her dreams, DON'T GO. It's not her age. It's the cost and the fact that there are WAY too many lawyers. I'm not trashing the profession when I'm saying we have too many. I'm stating what I believe to be a simple economic fact. I wouldn't dissuade her from attending one of the big three. She has probably taken legal research and writing, that, and a degree, should be able to get her a job as a paralegal. I'll PM you.

[OE800_85]

I'm confused. Because you said she wants to do paralegal studies, then you turn around and wanna help her get into law school. Law School and Paralegal Studies are COMPLETELY different. It's MUCH easier to become a paralegal. Of course, doing the work itself won't be easy. Some would argue paralegals work harder than most lawyers.

Anyways, if she digs around for options she could be quite close to paralegal certification, but miles away from being a lawyer (financially and chronologically)

[PonyGirl93]

Everything I have read on law school admissions (a lot) has stated that the major and school of your bachelor's does not matter. A bit. At all. Zilch. Apparently admissions are based on a top secret blend of GPA and LSAT scores, plus the decision of a committee on close calls. Prestigious universities and more academic, philosophical majors could theoretically be given weight in a very close decision, but most people say this just doesn't happen.

I'm going to join in the asking why she wants to be a lawyer? I am absolutely shaking in my boots at the thought of acquiring that much debt, I always wonder why any other people are that insane :p

[OE800_85]

there's nothing top secret about it. Law schools are usually very direct and blunt about their admission requirements...like, 50% LSAT, 50% GPA sorta thing, some put more weight on the LSAT, but they're quite clear.

A lot of people can tell what schools are available to them based on their LSAT score and their GPA. Most people will tell you, going to a top tier law school is a good idea. Anywhere else, you might wanna really think about it. Also, I don't think I know any lawyers that are happy people, heh.

[PonyGirl93]

there's nothing top secret about it. Law schools are usually very direct and blunt about their admission requirements...like, 50% LSAT, 50% GPA sorta thing, some put more weight on the LSAT, but they're quite clear.

A lot of people can tell what schools are available to them based on their LSAT score and their GPA. Most people will tell you, going to a top tier law school is a good idea. Anywhere else, you might wanna really think about it. Also, I don't think I know any lawyers that are happy people, heh.

Law School Predictor is pretty shweet. Input your LSDAS GPA (which is kind of difficult to calculate, you have to know your exact grades in all of your classes) and LSAT score and it will give you a chart of your "chances" at getting into each of the top tier schools

And I know some happy lawyers.