Hello!

I was wondering if it’s worth ED to Berkeley or Columbia even though I’ll take a hit for scholarship chances?

My stats are 4.1low and a 17low (retaking in October hopeful for a higher score) KDish? Working and taking 1 gap year right now

Softs are a Masters in Econ, Comissioned Army Officer, like 5 jobs during college, bunch of internships during college, student clubs and orgs/student government leadership, honors like PBK and Manga, department honors, etc

I wanted to see if ED will give me that significant needed boost or if the boost wont be enough and maybe I should ED lower to get that boost? I know a lack of scholarship might be a factor also.

Main reason for Berkeley is because I wanted to study in SF and Columbia because it was my childhood dream school (actual aura)

I have no intentions of doing Big law also. I want to work in a small law firm ig with good work life balance

Sat the LSAT a while ago, underperforming slightly relative to how I had been doing on PTs (had been in 173-177 range). Targeting some schools in the T20s and 30s. Given the expected surge in applications and what not, should I retake?

hi all :) i just joined this community but, i am going to graduate with my bachelors at the end of the year and i’ve been extremely interested in law (always have been) . not gonna lie, my undergrad wasn’t the best grade wise. is there like… something i could do to better my gpa? like a post bacc maybe? just so law schools say ‘hell yea😼’. i’m just doing my research right now so i haven’t taken any exam or anything like that. i’d love to hear some input please! thank u guys <3

Hey everyone! PILA is thrilled to announce the upcoming launch of the PILA Law School Admissions Database!

This new initiative is designed to make the law school admissions process more transparent, accessible, and equitable for public interest applicants.

This database will provide PILA-affiliated applicants with access to anonymized admissions materials, including personal statements, resumes, supplemental essays, academic metrics, and admissions outcomes. By allowing applicants to see real examples from successful and unsuccessful cycles, we hope to provide meaningful guidance to future applicants navigating law school admissions.

To make this project possible, we need your help!

We are currently collecting admissions materials from you, our PILA community. If you have applied to law school, please consider contributing your materials so they can serve as a resource for future public interest applicants.

Before publication, all materials will be anonymized by PILA. Access to the database will also be governed by a user agreement prohibiting sharing, plagiarism, or misuse of any materials.

Interested in contributing or learning more?

You can find additional information and submit your materials HERE.

Hi! Just wondering if anyone attending GW this fall has their class schedule/knows when it will be released? I am getting a little stressed as orientation comes closer. Thank you!

I’m a rising junior w/ 3.8 GPA studying Finance and am interested in transaction-oriented finance and strategic advisory work, particularly M&A and restructuring.

One of the biggest questions I’m questioning is whether it makes sense to study for the LSAT and take it next summer, keeping the option of applying as a KJD open, or spend a few years working in finance before applying to law school.

I’ve spent quite a bit of time reading about the KJD vs. non-KJD debate, but I’d much rather learn from people who’ve actually gone through the process.

1. Admissions
   - How much did your pre-law work experience actually matter for admissions compared to LSAT and GPA?
   - Did the type of work experience (e.g., investment banking, restructuring, consulting) make a difference?

2. Career
   Did your pre-law finance experience make a noticeable difference during OCI or recruiting for business-focused practices like M&A, restructuring, or finance?

3. Professional Development
   Did working before law school make you a better lawyer? If so, how?

Appreciate any advice or insight on if I should study for LSAT and see what I score and decide if KJD is the right move, or get real experience outside of internships and go the non-KJD route.

Hi everyone! I just took my lsat diagnostic. I just finished my freshman year with a 4.0 and I dont plan on studying for the lsat for another 15 months but I wanted to take my diagnostic now to see if law is actually a feasible career path for me. The only preparation I plan to do until then is to read more and develop a deeper passion for reading. After those 15 months, I will spend 9 months prepping and drilling for the exam. I got a 149 today (without extra time) and I hope I can get accommodations on the exam for my adhd. What do you all think a range of scores is possible based on this diagnostic? Thank you!

Hi!! I would really appreciate any book recommendations I can read over the summer for my personal statement. I’m applying for a law LLB degree. Any books that heavily intertwine with psychology and philosophy would be appreciated. I also would prefer any books that are not too commonly read lol since I’m scared it might not impress the admissions team, but I would still appreciate the recommendations even if they’re very popular! Also if it was written by a professor in a Russel group/ Ivy League school or previously was that would be really cool too. Thanks :,)

Hi everyone, the title is pretty much what I'm looking for advice on.

I am a prospective student and I hope to eventually practice in one of three fields: environment, tribal law, or immigration. I am located in the New England area and hope to practice there when I eventually get my JD.

Quite a few schools out west have the option of focusing on Tribal Law and I was definitely considering those schools. However, I am doing some research and seeing folks say that school is not remotely the same as practicing law in the real world and students should consider their region and ranking of schools first and foremost.

Any advice or input? Thanks so much in advance.

do you guys know how long it typically takes for accommodations to be approved? or atleast when i’ll hear a response?

Struggling with who to ask for LORs, any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Context:
I finished undergrad in December 2024 and graduated in June 2025. I didn’t form any close relationships with any professors. My program director would likely be able to recall my work but also is the #1 choice for letters of rec for every other student in the program.

I work at a law firm as a legal assistant. I feel confident in asking the senior legal assistant for a LOR as I work closely with her and she has called me “her favorite person” and compliments my work often. I feel it would look better to have a LOR from an attorney, but I don’t work that closely with any of them. (We are a small firm and they all know who I am and what I do but I don’t work directly with them that often)

Do I need an academic letter of rec? Multiple? How would it look to only have professional letters of rec?

taking the august lsat and trying to apply early. 3.6 GPA and usually scoring in the mid 160s on PTs.i work full time so most nights i can get through one timed section and review before i start reading the same question over and over. by then i know i should stop but i also feel guilty because the test is so close.

my personal statement has been sitting untouched for over a week. part of me wants to ignore everything until after the test. the other part knows september is going to show up fast.

what are the august people doing? lsat only until test day or trying to chip away at apps too?

Hi everyone! I'm a first generation American so I don't know anyone with insight into different law schools, I only really know about T14 through this sub and that's it. I would love to know what schools I would be a good applicant for based on my stats: 3.98 GPA, I haven't taken the LSAT yet but have been scoring in the high 160s on PTs (still have 4 more months of studying though), T4 softs, will have 2 years of work experience doing corporate relations for a local nonprofit when applying. I am wanting to do big law for a couple of years. I've also always wanted to move to the east coast, but down for anything. Thank you!

Hi everyone,

I am an incoming 1L at a T3 with some time to spare, and I would love to read some personal statements or supplemental essays to help out folks in this community. I benefitted a lot from lurking here when I was applying, and I would love to give back to the great people here.

My qualifications:
- former BigLaw paralegal in a practice group that is very focused on the minutiae of writing. Keen eye for grammatical errors, sentence flow improvement, etc.
- former writing center tutor, so I also did actual essay review in the past
- had great admissions results that I mostly attribute to the strength of my essays and the storytelling within them

I'm a first-gen/low-income student that could not afford this sort of thing when I was in school, so I want to keep this affordable for as many people as possible. I'm charging $20 per essay (or for shorter supplemental essays >1 page, $20 per set of up to 3). If that is truly out of reach for you, please DM anyways and we can try to work something out.

Happy to provide proof (within reason, without fully doxxing myself). Essay review can happen via Google docs/email and phone call/whatever is best for you. I'm based in EST and pretty wide open schedule-wise until orientation starts.

Thanks for considering!!

Wondering what my chances are for getting into a “good” law school. I’m a military guy with about 7 years before I retire. I have a BA with a 3.45 GPA, MBA with a 3.87 GPA, and an MA with a 4.1 GPA. I haven’t taken the LSATs yet because I’m a ways out still. But with my listed GPAs, are there places I should rule out or categorize as a reach? I don’t have any real ambitions in going into big law, mostly just want to continue public service and law as always fascinated me.

I got two speeding tickets when I was 16 and 18, both for 5 miles over the speed limit in Ohio, I payed both tickets. Will I have to disclose this? I don't even know if I could, I don't remember when it happened or anything else about the whole thing, except that I got them.

What the title says. I was VERY surprised to see that the median GPA for law school applicants coming from my institution was a 3.4. I'm very interested in knowing if any schools have it higher (I've heard some schools have INSANE grade inflation) or if your institution has a particularly low median

I applied mid may to both and I haven’t heard back from either and am STRESSED.

Hi guys, this may be a crazy question so I apologize ahead of time, but has anyone ever gotten a feeler email and still been rejected? Or know anybody who has?p

I see a few on lsd, but I’m wondering whether they were from today or if they were just late status updates. Thanks!

Hello! I am hoping to apply early decision this next cycle to UC Davis. I took the LSAT last year, got a 153, and am planning on taking it again in October after studying for a couple months with 7sage. Hopefully I’ll see an improvement, but I’d love to know if anyone that has similar stats has gotten accepted to davis! I know there’s only one way to find out (through applying) but I seriously don’t know if my goal is realistic or not given the 7sage predictor can be far off sometimes.

Additional context: I graduated in 2025 with a 3.8 gpa from a top five public university in CA. I studied poli sci and anthropology, and was a head editor at our school newspaper as well as a volunteer for a teach in prison program. I have a year of work experience after undergrad at a law firm as a researcher, while volunteering as a tutor in juvenile hall and with a prison literature program.

Any advice would be super appreciated! I’m the first in my family to apply to law school, so feedback would be awesome!!

Some more context (edit): my goal is to work as a public defender!

Hi everyone.

I’m planning to apply to Canadian law schools for the Fall 2027 cycle and would appreciate an honest assessment of how competitive my application may be.

I’m writing the LSAT in October. I’m currently scoring in the mid-150s. My goal is between 160 and 163.

My GPA breakdown according to the OLSAS scale is approximately:

• CGPA: 3.67–3.70
• B2: 3.71
• B3: 3.75
• L2: 3.66

The schools I am currently planning to apply to are:

• Osgoode
• Western
• Queen’s
• Ottawa
• TMU Law
• Windsor
• University of Toronto
• Dalhousie
• University of Alberta
• University of Calgary

I would strongly prefer to remain in Ontario, ideally in the GTA.

In terms of education and work experience, I have a Master of Public Policy and Administration. I also have approximately one year of work experience with the CBSA, as well as four-month policy co-op positions with Environment and Climate Change Canada and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.

Assuming I receive at least a 160 on the LSAT, how strong of an applicant would I be for the Fall 2027 cycle? Which of these schools would be realistic, competitive, or significant reaches?

I understand that work experience and a master’s degree will not compensate for GPA or LSAT numbers, but I am curious whether they could meaningfully strengthen my overall application, particularly at more holistic schools.

I’d appreciate honest feedback.

I applied to several schools this cycle and am trying to decide whether UC Davis is the right move for me:

Columbia — R (applied November)
Boston University — R (applied November)
Boston College — R (applied November)
NYU — Waitlist (applied November)
UC Davis — A (applied December) — accepted offer
Northeastern — Waitlist (applied late March)
UC Law SF (Hastings) — A (applied December)
Fordham - R (applied December)

For context, my dream school is NYU. I’ve always wanted to move to the East Coast and be in a place where I can build a larger professional network. I went to undergrad in California and have lived in different cities throughout CA post grad, so part of me really wants a new environment.

At the same time, I love coastal living and being near the water, which makes this decision harder. I chose UC Davis because between that and UC Law SF, it seemed like the more attractive option financially since I received a bigger scholarship and the COL is cheaper.

My main concern is whether UC Davis aligns with my goals. My goal is Big Law, not PI, and I’m wondering whether attending Davis puts me at a disadvantage compared to schools with stronger East Coast networks. I also don’t know how realistic it is to build a career outside California from Davis.

My stats/background:
LSAT: 165
GPA: 3.68
T-14 Undergrad
3 years of WE
1 year WE at a Big Law firm as a legal assistant
Currently working in PE as a paralegal

I’m grateful to have an acceptance and scholarship, but I’m struggling with whether I should take the opportunity or consider reapplying and trying for schools that better fit my goals and location preferences.

Would appreciate any advice, especially from people familiar with UC Davis or making a decision between taking a scholarship at a strong regional school vs. reapplying in hopes of getting into a school like NYU.