Post undergrad question

[mattm]

Hello,

I'm about to graduate in two weeks and considering law school for a future cycle (entry Fall 2018 at the earliest).

I had a question as it relates to studying for the LSAT and searching for employment. What expectations do law schools have for potential students during the time they study for the LSAT? Unfortunately my job offers fell through, and I will likely graduate unemployed. If I am without a job, I will live at home with my parents. I will not be charged with any bills at home so in theory I could "full time" LSAT study.....but I would imagine it would not look good on the law school application to only have studied for the LSAT for an extended period (the earliest I would take is in June).....is a part time job acceptable as it gives me more time to devote to my studies? Or is volunteering also acceptable (as I would have even more flexibility than a part time job)? I'm trying to avoid working full time and LSAT study if I don't have to as I would imagine that' is very difficult to do both and trying to view my situation of being unemployed by graduation as a perfect opportunity to knock the exam out of the way.

I want tu maximize my score because since both the resume and the LSAT are important components, I'm aware of the fact that the LSAT is the most heavily weighed aspect and as a result, I'm eager to hear back your thoughts on the situation

Best

[Jon Denning]

Hi Matt,

Thanks for the question! Let me start by emphasizing your last (correct) point: the LSAT is far and away the top priority for you. Schools ask for a resume because they want to get a sense of who you are and what you've done with your life outside of academia, but it's still a numbers game at its core so every school out there is going to care a great deal more about your score than your professional/personal life.

Schools also know, and to a degree even expect, that people often take months to study for the LSAT, de-emphasizing work and social obligations in the process. So if you devote several months to the test and achieve a score worthy of admission, they won't look twice at that "gap" in your record.

That said, I'd also argue that it's not only admissions-beneficial to do something in addition to full-time studying, but likely personally-beneficial as well, so if you can find some time for a low-key job (part-time, or independently-contracted) or some volunteer work (or possibly even some travel) I recommend it. Either/both seem like a healthy distraction from non-stop LSAT, and diversifying yourself a bit is nice for schools to see, as well.

Still though make LSAT your main focus. Schools have little to no requirements for recent grads beyond a score, so anything you're able to do in addition to test success is just garnish on the LSAT entree.

I hope that helps—good luck!