The Law School Admissions Game: Play Like an Expert

Getting into law school is in many ways more complicated than law school itself. By the time you reach law school, you have been in school for at least 16 years, probably more. The application process, however, is a once in a lifetime experience, and different even from the college process. In school, professors are giving you assignments and deadlines, administrators are always giving you direction on what form to complete next and how to fill it out correctly, and if nothing else, your fellow students are there to push you in the right direction. When applying, however, you are on your own. Furthermore, the information available is usually 1) flat out wrong 2) really just there to sell you another product (LSAT prep sites) or 3) well meaning but derived from secondhand experience.


None of that matters anymore, as with her brand new book, The Law School Admission Game: Play Like an Expert, Ann Levine has created the single most useful resource for law school applicants on the market today. In 160 pages, she is able to provide a roadmap to the application process, insider information on how your application is evaluated, and a dose of reality to keep you grounded but moving forward.

Why is this book so helpful? It begins at the 'twinkle in your eye' stage with important questions to consider regarding law school and the application process. It is here that this book separates itself from the the rest of the admissions support already available by accepting that people apply to law school for a variety of reasons, from a desire to serve others all the way to a desire to be in a respected field. An early chapter also takes time to give consideration to how different majors look on an application. I thought this was highly insightful, as most other resources assume you were a Pre-Law or History major, but Ms. Levine shows how to make your Art History (or in my case, Psychology) major work for you. There is also information for applicants with career experience between college and law school.

The Law School Admission Game then moves onto LSAT and GPA information, as well as a thoughtful explanation of the rolling admissions process. It should be noted that this book is not LSAT prep in any way, but there is full, detailed information on how LSAT scores reflect on your application. Also, this book is able to offer advice on retaking the LSAT and score cancellation. Although I only took the LSAT once, this is the most comprehensive source for information on LSAT cancellations and retakes. There are a number of scenarios provided as examples, covering almost any situation.

From there, you move into the meat of the application. The Letters of Recommendation (LORs), the Personal Statement, and optional essays. Ms. Levine takes the guesswork out of the LORs. The LSAC does a terrible job explaining how they work, but this book is able to clarify everything in a few pages. Also, there is finally sound advice on how to choose recommenders. Other sources simply say focus on professors, and while Ms. Levine agrees, other options are explored as well. For the personal statement, there are no useless sample essays, but instead start to finish advice on picking a topic that suits you, and that will make an impression on admissions staff. How do you know it will make an impression? The author relates several personal experiences as an admissions director reviewing actual personal statements.

From there, you are provided with information on what to do after you have mailed in your application, including some advice on how to professionally communicate with admissions offices. I can pretty much sum it up in three words: Use Professional Communication.

Finally, The Law School Admission Game addresses other concerns, such as transfers and scholarships. These sections are less detailed, as frequently Ms. Levine points out that it varies too much from year to year and school to school for broad statements. That said, the section on deciding which school to attend is an honest, thoughtful look at the options of different law schools.

The discussion of deciding where to attend is one of the reasons I found this book so groundbreaking. Ms. Levine is able to encompass such a large and unwiedly topic and compress it down to easy to understand terms, without sacrificing fidelity. The benefits of applying to a top 30 law school are discussed, and this book definitely will help you apply to the best law schools in the country. And yet, regional (Tier 4) law schools are also given equal weight, as their value is discussed in the local job network, or those with career or family obligations. Never have I read advice from someone so able to understand the value in both, as well as everything in between.

Ms. Levine also has an uncanny ability to use language in a way that is more in line with high school teacher than lawyer. Clear, direct, and concise, the book is eminently readable. Additionally, the language is modern and, dare I say, hip. I have blogged previously (here) about Ms. Levine's ability to communicate with law school applicants in a supportive and personal way. Amazingly, it shows through in this book as well. She is frank, including advice to 'stop bitching;' and admonishing that you are not the exception for trite essay topics, despite what you may think. This book reads easily, and moves quickly, while providing plenty of information.

As I mentioned before, The Law School Admission Game is full of firsthand experience Ms. Levine gained working as a director of admissions. She is able to give real insight into how personal statements, low LSAT scores, bad resumes, or LORs are actually used by admissions offices. This is phenomenal information, and comes with full credibility. Also, Ms. Levine is current in this admission market, acting as a private admissions consultant. Having said that, she never once uses this book to sell her services with a cheap, "for the rest of the information pay for my services" hook that is so common in media today.

If I had to pick out any shortcomings, it would be that a few sections are only discussed from one side. For example, the virtues of applying early in the rolling admissions timeline are discussed, but there is little advice on how to approach applying later in the cycle. I think the biggest reason I noticed this is because the rest of the book is so balanced and comprehensive.

All in all, if you are in the process of applying to law school, getting ready to apply soon, or even just thinking about applying, this book is a great read that will answer nearly all of your questions. i cannot recommend it highly enough. As a regular reader might know, I am a do it yourself kind of guy. The Law School Admission Game gives you the information to make informed decisions and work the admission process to get into your ideal law school.

Buy this resource on Amazon here
or
Barnes and Noble here