<p>I am a foreign student studying in the us. My grades are jusy ok: 3.65 from the previous college and 3.71 from the current school. And my LSAT score is 168 (I took it last year).
I will graduate this winter and wil work in an international volunteer group for few years (probably in Africa)
After I come back from Africa I want to go to law school here (for the JD program).
I really want to work in some international law firm. So I think studyin law here is the best way to do it.
But although I work very hard, as you can see, my english is not as good as yours(native speakers')
And also, I read very slowly.
I know that the law school work and lawyers jobs heavily depend on your language skills in many ways. So, I am going to be the worst student in law school in this respect.
Do you think I can graduate and have a job if I could get accepted to some lawschool? Or do you think I will just get kicked out before graduation even if I get accepted now?(<-not right now cuz Im applying to law school few years from now after I finish the volunteer)
And if I have a chance, which school do you recommend? (I do not really care about the average salary of grads or the location of the school. I somewhat care about the reputation simply becaues it is important for getting a job. One thing that I really care about though is what the school expects its students. For instance, I do not want my school to expect me to focus more on my income or social status than public interests or contribution to the society. I prefer a school that encourages students to engage in something beyond money)
Thanks.</p>
<p>Why are you asking about law school? All of your other posts on CC have to do with getting into art school.</p>
<p>Probably in at Cornell, probably out at the rest of the T14.</p>
<p>I thought law school was very reading/writing oriented? If your English isn’t up to par, I think you should instead stay in America and learn college level English.</p>
<p>And yeah, I’m quite confused as well…Art school posts</p>
<p>You guys do realize people can pursue multiple paths simultaneously to hedge? Law/Architecture/Art/Music/Acting for me.</p>
<p>thanks hankddd exactly
(and thank you to all who answered my question.)
yes I am interested in art and law,and few other things.
In terms of my language skills, I can speak and write pretty well. (i believe thats why I could get 3.7 and 168). so in this sense, I think I have learned the “college level english” althoguh i still make mistakes occationally.
The problem is that law school requires more than just “college level” language skills. My work is going to depend heavily on the language skills. And I am not sure if I can pass all the classes and get a job eventually.
In other words, I want to know whether the acceptance (to law school) somewhat meas something like “you have potentiality and are likely to pass classes and graduate”. Or is it just “we accepted you but its just because you satisfied the minimum requirements”?</p>
<p>With a 168 and good grades, you’ll find a decent school. Do you need to take the TOEFL? I’m sure you can clean up your English (maybe with help) on your submissions, so the school would hardly know.</p>
<p>The question is: do you want to subject yourself to law school if you feel your English might be weak? Law is a big enough slog if you read and write well naturally. If you have any lawyer or law school connections, you should consider reading a couple cases and having them test you for comprehension. See how long it takes. Try sitting in on a 1L class after reading one of the cases assigned for that day.</p>
<p>Obviously, all beginning law students get better and faster, but it might give you an idea of how your language skills will stand up to the work load.</p>
<p>I understand what you all are getting at with respect to the whole “English language skills” thing, but plenty of people with english as a second language slog through top law schools all the time.</p>
<p>See: LLM Students.</p>
<p>^LLMs get extra exam time, iirc</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Hurray for generalizations!</p>
<p>Well they don’t get extra time at my school…</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I’ve never heard of this, and it didn’t happen at my school. Since they’re graded on the same curve as JD students, it wouldn’t be very fair.</p>
<p>thanks everyone
I really appreciate the info you gave me
btw, if I have a chance, which school do you recommend? (considering my gpa and lsat score)
Since Id like to have a job after graduation, I should be thinking not only about schools, but also about the state I will be working in, right?
I am currently in MA and I know a bit about this state. But I have no clue about how other states are in terms of the bar exam, job opportunities, working environment, etc.
Which state do you think would be a good place to work in? and what school should I apply in order to work in that state?</p>
<p>flowerhead,</p>
<p>I understand that ESL kids get through top law schools (and well) all the time. But they usually have superior English skills despite it being their second language.</p>
<p>I based my questions not simply on the OP’s ESL status, but upon his or her own rating of English skills (“I read very slowly” or “I will be the worst student in this repsect”). Speaking English as a second language may not be a barrier to law school success, but a lack of confidence in reading skills probably is.</p>
<p>To add to the LLM question, international LLM students at my school were graded on a seperate curve and could petition for extra time. It would seem bizzare to subject someone in that context to the same testing rules as regular student. I was given extra time to answer questions on foriegn language exams while pursuing my LLM overseas, as well.</p>