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For
Law School Transfer Applicants
At
PrelawAdvisor.com, I
also work with first-year law school students seeking to transfer
to a different or better law school. Succeeding at winning
a law school transfer at the end of your first year of law
school is frankly quite difficult. Many people, seeing the
ease at which people currently transfer from one college to
another at the undergraduate level, assume the same thing
about the world of law schools. But the law school transfer
market is much narrower. American law schools generally do
not seek to have high attrition rates during the first year,
as was once the case. Now, overwhelmingly, most first-year
law students go on to their second and third years at the
same law school. Thus, few additional seats open up in the
second year.
Secondly,
there has been some reluctance on the part of higher-ranked
law schools to "cherry pick" the very best students
at the end of the first year from lower-tier schools, especially
neighboring law schools. Imagine a city with elite national
law school "A", respected regional law school "B"
and good local law school "C." At the end of each
year, the very top students at B and C may well be tempted
to seek a transfer upwards to A. Admissions decision makers
at A recognize that such students, the victors in the battle
of the first year at B and C, are frankly better students
than a good number of their own at A. The institution of A
would be benefited by the addition of such a handful of top
B and C students, but a pattern of regular taking of these
top students will strain A's relationships with B and C. Thus,
this concern, and the lack of a large number of second-year
seats, prevents too much movement upward.
For
those second-year transfer seats that are available, competition
is fierce, as by then, first-year law students understand
much more about the hierarchical nature of the law schools
and the legal profession. The good news for those considering
a transfer is that undergraduate grades and LSAT scores fade
considerably in importance to those schools receiving transfer
applications. More good news is that some top law schools,
like Georgetown, deliberately create a number of new 2L seats,
and they have gotten over much of their historic concern about
"cherry picking." The bad news is that top first-year
law school grades--somewhere between the top 20% to literally
being the top person in the 1L class--are necessary for serious
consideration in the transfer application process. You may
have to beat just about every other 1L student in your class
in order to gain serious consideration in the transfer process.
Given
this challenge, here's how I work with transfer applicants.
If you are seriously thinking about this, contact me as soon
as possible during your first year of law school. Time for
the development of strategic elements is essential.
PrelawAdvisor.com
Agreement for Comprehensive Law
School Transfer
Advisory Services
Date:
__________________
Advisee:
__________________________
In consideration of the Advisee's payment of $1,950.00, Brad
Dobeck, Esq., president of PrelawAdvisor.com,
will provide the Advisee with comprehensive law school transfer
advisory services during one admission cycle. My goals are
to assist you in: (1) earning the best possible law school
transfer admission offers; (2) while improving your competitiveness
no matter where you continue to study; (3) assisting you in
your future job and/or clerkship hunting; and (4) if desired
by you, assisting you in applying for and winning future graduate
law degree (LL.M) admission offers.
Brad
Dobeck will:
Serve
as the Advisee's strategist, advocate and ally in the process
of competing for transfer offers from the recommended target
law schools.
Develop
a strategy for you, which includes: selection of transfer
law schools and any specialized programs within; the timing
of submission of your applications; development of a highly
creative and persuasive personal statement concept; advice
on all other application documents, including optional essays,
addendums, answers to questions and certifications; selection
and preparation of your recommenders; and recommendation of
a delivery method of the application.
Seek
to spare the Advisee from learning the lessons of the transfer
law school admission process the hard way (that is, by rejection
or poor results). But to do so, you have to understand that
I must at times simulate the toughness and impersonal nature
of the law school admission process. However, I will always
be on your side.
Attempt
to respond, normally, within two business days to your phone
calls or e-mails. Please give me a little flexibility during
the busiest times of the year. I will also take an occasional
vacation day (as should the Advisee!).
Your
Responsibilities as Advisee:
Implement
the strategy agreed upon.
Act
upon my recommendations, to the best of your ability, paying
close attention to all of the details, as law schools require.
You
give me permission to speak to you candidly, and to edit your
work without reservations, so that your applications will
meet the high standards sought by law schools.
Our
Joint Operating Principles:
One
of the most important factors for you to have in this process
is mental flexibility. Hold the goal of transferring
to a different or better law school firmly in mind, but please
retain an open mind as to how to best achieve this goal. Mentally
flexible applicants are the most successful, in my experience.
Law
schools, as you know, set very high standards for written
work. We will do our very best to meet them, working together.
Attention to correct details is critical. Law schools seek
work that is excellent in every detail. Proper grammar and
spelling are absolutely essential.
There
are no dumb questions. Ask anything on your mind. But
please learn from each discussion, so that we don't have to
cover the same points repeatedly. Execute corrections to the
best of your ability.
In
some ways, the law school admission process is quite rigid.
Yet in other ways, it can be flexible, allowing for your creativity.
I'll help you understand when flexibility in your response
is permissible.
Parents
are always welcome to call or e-mail their questions
or concerns.
You
agree to email me information on any changes in your thinking
and goals, and news of significant developments in your life
that might affect your law school plans. You agree also to
report all significant law school communications to me. Please
keep me informed. It is your responsibility to do so.
In
order to avoid making mistakes that might adversely affect
your applications, please do not contact law school admission
offices on your own, before checking with me first.
If
you agree to the terms of this Agreement for Comprehensive
Law School Transfer Advisory Services, please send an email
to me, confirming your acceptance. You may make payment by
using your credit card on my website (press the PayPal button
below) or by mailing a check to PrelawAdvisor.com at the address
below.
The
$1,950 fee you pay is non-refundable.
Thank
you very much. I look forward to working with you!
Sincerely,
Brad
Dobeck, Esq.
President, PrelawAdvisor.com
4751 34th Road North
Arlington, VA 22207-4209
Phone: 703/237-8531; Fax: 703/237-8151
BradDobeck@aol.com
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