Law School Prep Advice

[bluedana]

Also, bluedana, don't lie, we know one of your law school people isn't preparing to become POTUS. We know you're the one prepping in the transition office to take over the free world.

These two things are not mutually exclusive.

I'm fairly good at no nonsense and concise writing, how would that compare to the writing required of both law school and the legal profession?

Master this formula, and legal writing will come very easy to you: CIRAC.
State the Conclusion first.
Identify the Issues.
Cite the applicable Rule(s).
Do a thorough Analysis of how the rule applies in this instance.
Restate the Conclusion.

This comes from the Bar/Bri Bar Exam prep course, but I've used this formula for my entire practice. If you get good at using CIRAC, and you know the law, there's no reason you can't occasionally have a little fun with your writing, as Nobody suggests. (The caution being, know your audience.)

 

[Nobody]

I'm a little jealous bluedana, cause my profs all require IRAC, god forbid you lead with the conclusion or you have ruined everything! Everything you (and they) have ever worked for was ruined in that one sentence. I like CIRAC better though, it makes more sense to me.

And yes, know your audience, when your professor constantly cracks joke along the lines of "What do you call a hearse carrying a dead cow? A Patty Hearst." It's a fair bet the construction and digestive process of a sandwich will go over well.

By the way, he made stand up and everything, as if to prepare to brief a real case, to set up that joke. He's a cruel, cruel man.


-nobody

 

[bluedana]

Honestly, CIRAC works better in real life motion practice. Judges love to skim the first sentences for "The court should ... and here's why." Short attention span and all that.

 

[Alpha Romeo]

Honestly, CIRAC works better in real life motion practice. Judges love to skim the first sentences for "The court should ... and here's why." Short attention span and all that.

I used IRAC in school...CIRAC works for motions usually.

 

[Nobody]

Somehow the fact that what I use in school isn't mirrored in practice doesn't surprise me.

CIRAC seems more intuitive and easier to follow anyhow.


-nobody

 

[AliciaD496]

I'm actually in the process of applying for law schools right now. I have my applications in for two schools so far and am looking at submitting a couple more in the next few days.

I was kind of taken back by the negativity I've seen in this thread considering my brother-in-law is a lawyer himself and hasn't been anything less than supportive of me applying to schools. Considering what I've read in this thread I'll be surprised if I get in ANYWHERE, so I guess it'll be a pleasant surprise if I do.

As others have said DEFINITELY take an LSAT prep course or at least look at a guide book and take several practice tests. I know that helped improve my score by quite a bit from the first practice test to the last. I just wish my score had been a tad higher but I think everyone wishes that. You definitely have an advantage over me with your undergrad GPA. I didn't decide to apply until I was about 2 years out of undergrad and there really isn't anything I can do to change my undergraduate GPA, which will probably hurt me. Again, I'll be pleasantly surprised if I get accepted anywhere, especially a tier 1 school (my hope is the U of Washington because of the discount for being a state resident), but we'll see in a couple of months.

 

[bluedana]

AliciaD496, don't psych yourself out. You can help yourself a lot by turning in a banging personal statement. And, frankly, you might be pleasantly surprised, even shocked, at where you get in. (I was. I only applied to my law school because my dad guilted me into it for not applying there for undergrad.)

 

[Alpha Romeo]

I'm actually in the process of applying for law schools right now. I have my applications in for two schools so far and am looking at submitting a couple more in the next few days.

I was kind of taken back by the negativity I've seen in this thread considering my brother-in-law is a lawyer himself and hasn't been anything less than supportive of me applying to schools. Considering what I've read in this thread I'll be surprised if I get in ANYWHERE, so I guess it'll be a pleasant surprise if I do.

As others have said DEFINITELY take an LSAT prep course or at least look at a guide book and take several practice tests. I know that helped improve my score by quite a bit from the first practice test to the last. I just wish my score had been a tad higher but I think everyone wishes that. You definitely have an advantage over me with your undergrad GPA. I didn't decide to apply until I was about 2 years out of undergrad and there really isn't anything I can do to change my undergraduate GPA, which will probably hurt me. Again, I'll be pleasantly surprised if I get accepted anywhere, especially a tier 1 school (my hope is the U of Washington because of the discount for being a state resident), but we'll see in a couple of months.

That's because the naysayers are just that. Naysayers and they don't know what they're talking about. Be proud of yourself and your chosen profession!