34 yes old needs advice on LSAT and goal after law school

[chicagoparalegal]

Hi all,
I have decided to apply for law school rather late in my life. I am turning 33 this year.
Currently working as a paralegal at an immigration law firm, I am determined to attend law school and become a lawyer. I have only recently changed my career and picked this job a few months ago so that I can learn a lot from the real lawyers.
My plan is to apply for 2017 admission so that I have adequate time in 2016 to prepare, not only for the admission but also to improve my writing/English/understanding of legal world/gain more exp in my law firm.

I graduated from a top public university after transferring from a local community college with a combined gap of 3.5. Last night I took my first LSAT practice exam 2007 with timer and scored 157.
I have two questions:
1. If my goal is to attend a law school in Illinois (for family/tuition reason), how do I improve my score and how should I target schools? I would consider reputation and scholarship equally important to me.
2. If I graduate from law school, do I stand any chance of opening my own law firm solo on immigration law?
Thanks in advance,
A

[Ladan Soleimani]

Hi A,

Welcome to the PowerScore forum. It's great that you have given yourself the next year to prepare for applying and attending law school. Your starting LSAT score is already looking good and with the time you have set aside, you should have a great score by the time you apply! I can only answer your first question about prep; I will leave the second to my colleagues with more experience in that area.

In terms of preparing for the LSAT your preparation should look the same regardless of where you are applying. You want to focus on getting the best score possible, not what number you need for a specific school. Depending on how you learn best there are several options. If you prefer working with someone who can explain concepts and answer questions you should look into our courses and tutoring, either online or in person. If you are more comfortable with self study I would recommend getting some prep books (my favorites are the PowerScore Bibles) and practice tests. Work through the books learning the concepts and practicing the skills you will need for the test. The practice tests should be taken periodically after you have learned a decent amount of material. You will want to make sure you are reviewing any tests you take carefully to determine what you are missing and use that information to guide the rest of your preparation. We usually say you should spend almost as much time going over the test as you do taking the test, though obviously that will depend somewhat on how many you miss. Here is a link to our more detailed self-study plans: http://students.powerscore.com/self-study/index.cfm

Since you are targeting schools in Illinois, I would highly recommend you go and visit them if possible. It will give you a chance to talk to the admissions staff, current students and get a feel for the school. If you cannot visit in person, do not be afraid to call schools and ask questions or for general information. Schools like it when applicants express interest in attending.

I'm sure someone else will chime in with more suggestions and to answer your second question. I hope this gives you a place to start with you prep!
Ladan