Want to go to Law School: need info

[StevenYoo]

Hello all,

I'm going to graduate from Cooper Union with a Bachelor's of Science of Engineering and I'm seriously considering going to law school to get into Patent Law.

I dunno where to start. I know I have to take my LSAT's, and my goal is at least 170.

Do law schools have concentrated frields of study in patent law and such? Which ones?

How long (usually) does one go to law school? 4 years? 5?

What kind of tuition are we talking about here (for a top tier, cream of the crop law school) ?

What kinds of jobs/internships can people wanting to get into law get without any previous law background?

Thanks

 

[KokomoGST]

There's tons of law schools in the city and surrounding areas... and frightening thing is we still need more attorneys!

All your questions are typical basic potential law student questions... 170 is reallyREALLY high... this isn't the SATs. Go to one of the local law school open houses and do some research. It generally takes 3 years for a full time student to earn their JD.

 

[StevenYoo]

Originally posted by: KokomoGST
There's tons of law schools in the city and surrounding areas... and frightening thing is we still need more attorneys!

All your questions are typical basic potential law student questions... 170 is reallyREALLY high... this isn't the SATs. Go to one of the local law school open houses and do some research. It generally takes 3 years for a full time student to earn their JD.

170 IS really high, you're right... but that's where i'm aiming for. I know I can get a 170, so I'm gonna go for it.

Is NYU Law good or is it overrated? I know Columbia Law has one of the best law programs in the country...

what are some local NYC law schools? CUNY? Or are they private?

 

[xuanman]

I'm in law school. You should definitely do more research about whether patent law and law school is what you really want to get into. But to answer some of your questions, law school is 3 years, it's not necessary to take any patent law or ip law classes at law school, especially at good law schools, a high LSAT is a good goal of course, tuition is very expensive 30K + housing, books, living, etc..easily run over 50K/year in NYC. Columbia, NYU, and Fordham are the top3 in nyc...let's see what else, your having a background in engineering is definitely important for patent law. The only thing you have to do to get a job with a patent shop is to be smart, get good grades, and have the work ethic to work long long hours. good luck.

 

[StevenYoo]

Originally posted by: xuanman
I'm in law school. You should definitely do more research about whether patent law and law school is what you really want to get into. But to answer some of your questions, law school is 3 years, it's not necessary to take any patent law or ip law classes at law school, especially at good law schools, a high LSAT is a good goal of course, tuition is very expensive 30K + housing, books, living, etc..easily run over 50K/year in NYC. Columbia, NYU, and Fordham are the top3 in nyc...let's see what else, your having a background in engineering is definitely important for patent law. The only thing you have to do to get a job with a patent shop is to be smart, get good grades, and have the work ethic to work long long hours. good luck.

wow 50k a year is a LOT. But 3 years isn't that bad at all! What degree(s) do you get in those three years?

 

[yellowperil]

I'm pretty sure there's an LLM in patent law which requires maybe a semester or a year over the required 3 years. I'm a 1L and had no previous law background (I was a failed pre-med/psychology major ). All they're looking for is a variety of classes, decent grades and a high enough LSAT, and good recommendations. Once you get into law school (I've heard) the most important things are your first year grades and your getting connections. Previous work experience probably gives you an advantage over other students (unfortunately for me).

 

[StevenYoo]

Originally posted by: yellowperil
I'm pretty sure there's an LLM in patent law which requires maybe a semester or a year over the required 3 years. I'm a 1L and had no previous law background (I was a failed pre-med/psychology major ). All they're looking for is a variety of classes, decent grades and a high enough LSAT, and good recommendations. Once you get into law school (I've heard) the most important things are your first year grades and your getting connections. Previous work experience probably gives you an advantage over other students (unfortunately for me).

what's an LLM? I don't know these law school acronyms. what's a JD?

 

[yellowperil]

LLM - Legim Magister. It's a certificate in addition to the JD (Juris Doctor) when you want to specialize in a certain area of law (e.g. taxation, intellectual property, family, etc.)

 

[aphex]

<-- Bookmarked this thread

 

AlphexII, do you intend on going to law school?

"How long (usually) does one go to law school? 4 years? 5"

It's usually 3 years for a full time student. But part-time students take longer.

For answers to the rest of your questions, go to the following site: Princeton Review. They changed their format, but hopefully you can browse it without much difficulty.

For school rankings according to US News' system of ranking, go here: US News Law School Rankings.

I hope that helps.

 

[xuanman]

Originally posted by: GuybrushThreepwood

Originally posted by: yellowperil
I'm pretty sure there's an LLM in patent law which requires maybe a semester or a year over the required 3 years. I'm a 1L and had no previous law background (I was a failed pre-med/psychology major ). All they're looking for is a variety of classes, decent grades and a high enough LSAT, and good recommendations. Once you get into law school (I've heard) the most important things are your first year grades and your getting connections. Previous work experience probably gives you an advantage over other students (unfortunately for me).

what's an LLM? I don't know these law school acronyms. what's a JD?

in general you do not need an LLM to do patent law. most patent lawyers just have JD's. You do have to take the patent bar after law school...

 

"Once you get into law school (I've heard) the most important things are your first year grades and your getting connections. Previous work experience probably gives you an advantage over other students (unfortunately for me)."

That statement is very true! If you fail your first year, you're most likely to be dismissed from the school. But futhermore, when you graduate from law school, the employers won't care much if you did really well for the last two years of your law school. The first thing they look at is your first year performance. So, it's very essential to do well and above average, if not excellent, the first year of school.

The other statement is true about connections. Having connections works like a magic. And it especially helps people who weren't the best students but did reasonably well. Networking is an excellent card to carry.

Previous work experience helps, but it's not a necessity to be successful at law school. I know some students who came from very different majors such as economics, mathematics, and had no background knowledge. They succeeded without problems. It does help to have previous experience or knowledge; but during your attendance as a law school student, there are internships, courses and programs for you to commit to. It exposes you to the practical aspect and earns you experience.

On the other hand, there are some quick programs such as CLEO (this one is particularly geared toward the disadvantaged) where you are exposed to law terminologies and other prep studies. It just costs a lot to be involved in these programs. You have to be willing to cough out $2,000 - $4,000+ for these summer programs. Make inquiries and you'll gain enough knowledge about different programs. Knowledge helps a lot when deciding to go to law school and what school to go to.

And I should add, don't just judge a college by its ranking on US News. There is another ranking system used by Judging the Law Schools. That ranking comes out different from US News. But most importantly, don't put complete weight on rankings, as a school may be good quite all right but lack in what you in particular would like. Some schools are geared toward theoretical lectures whilst some are geared toward practical lectures with actual law clinics for you to try out with. The environment may not be conducive for you either. So, ask yourself what you want and then search for what school comes closest to meeting your ideal scenario. If you choose the wrong school, you could live to regret it. And investing in law school is investing a huge sum. Lastly, keep in mind that you could transfer or be a visiting student at another school in case you weren't too satisfied with the school you chose, or if for financial reasons. For opinions about top ten schools from actual students who attended the schools, go here: Survey.