Law School Admission Game by Ann Levine | Interview

Law school admission consultant Ann Levine just came out with a new edition of The Law School Admission Game. I recently interviewed Ann about her book and the law school admission process in general. Our discussion follows.

You published the first edition of your book back in 2009. What's changed since then, and what new advice do you have for law school applicants today? 

Some straightforward things have changed: the mechanics of applying online, using "CAS" instead of "LSDAS", submitting letters of recommendation electronically is now an option. However, the biggest thing that has changed is that most law school applicants are a lot more savvy than they were 5 years ago. They feel increased pressure to aim higher, to manage their debt, and they understand that being on a waiting list is not a rejection but an invitation to show interest. They also know they can negotiate scholarships between schools and that transferring after 1L year is an option. Most importantly, law schools offer opportunities for optional essays, which applicants often overlook and under-value.


Is it possible for an applicant to write a successful personal statement about why he or she wants to be a lawyer? If so, how? 

Absolutely. How? By relying on facts and not dreams. By never mentioning a favorite lawyer show or movie. By demonstrating significant previous involvement in things that are related to what the writer is trying to demonstrate. By staying away from cute childhood stories about negotiating bedtime. By using facts to make a credible argument (which is, after all, what lawyers do!)


What about a personal statement about a traveling experience or time abroad? If so, how?

This one is tough. I've gotten a bit more cynical about these. Of course there are great essays don't about time abroad but they are harder to do without sounding naive or cheesy. Here are some common examples:

1. I traveled to (fill-in-the-blank developing country) and children held out their hands to me, and I made a promise as I took the little boy's hand that I would do whatever I could to eradicate poverty, and that is my driving purpose in applying to law school.

2. So, like, I spent a semester in Australia and tried things I never thought I would do: I surfed, climbed the Sydney Harbor Bridge, and ate kangaroo. I met people from places other than the U.S., and my eyes were opened to the world and how interconnected we all are, and this is why I want to be an international law attorney.

I think the key in testing whether your travel story is worth writing about relies upon the significance of your experience, the novelty of your purpose there, whether you were functioning in a language other than English, and what the point is that you are trying to make about this experience.


How can someone write an impressive personal statement if they haven't ever *done* anything impressive? After all, not everyone applying to law school has founded NGOs to save orphans from smallpox.

As I discuss in the book, it's not about saving the world. (The example I use is bringing peace to the Middle East). It's about expressing who you are and what you bring to the table. That's why choosing the topic is something you should put a lot of time into and I have brainstorming questions and "do's and don'ts" in the book.


What are some examples of successful "diversity statement" topics you've seen from applicants who are not traditionally classified as being racially diverse? 

The list really is endless, so long as you are writing about your own life and not about someone else's (such as, I knew someone who was diverse). For example: being from a small town where people are not educated/poor/unexposed to the world; growing up in poverty; immigration stories; sexual orientation; exposure to addiction issues; surviving trauma such as abuse or a serious accident; speaking other languages.


What are some examples of addendum topics that applicants should avoid? 

The biggest mistakes I see in addenda is not the topic chosen, but the method of expression. Many are too apologetic without ever really sharing the details of the initial problem that is supposedly trying to be explained. Another mistake is over-sharing. A laundry list of problems in your life without any facts to show how you've overcome those problems and how they will not continue to plague you in law school, will hurt your application. If I had to think of something that you should absolutely avoid in an addendum, it would be anything that makes you seem like a complainer or trouble-maker. An example of this would be placing blame on other people for things that are on your record, such as blaming a bad grade on a bad professor.