Stressing about law school. Help!?

Question:This fall will be my third year at Ohio State University. I'm on schedule to graduate at the end of this year. Originally, I had planned on going to law school right after graduation from OSU, but I'm starting to rethink my options. Basically, I have a relatively low GPA and have not had any law experience during my time at OSU. I am now thinking of taking a year after graduation to work for a law firm or some other law related activity to gain experience and also to meet people who can write good recommendations for my applications. OSU is a very large school and most of my professors don't remember me well enough to write a recommendation. Does this sound like a good idea or should I just wing it and apply to law school now? I'm not sure how a year off of school would affect my chances of getting into law school. If anyone could give me any advice that would be great. Thanks.

Answers:
From now on, make the effort to get to know your professors. I went to a large school as well, so I understand your predicament. You have to introduce yourself, talk to them after class and go to their offices during their office hours to discuss the class and ask any questions you might have. All this gives you a chance to stand out and let them get to know you, which will help them write you a recommendation. When asking for a recommendation, always ask if that person is willing to give you a "positive recommendation".

Regarding your grades, aim for A's this year. Don't take too many classes in order to rush graduation if you think your grades will suffer. Promise yourself you're going to stay focused and work your butt off. Read the assigned chapters before class and study the chapters and class notes after class. Find a tutor if you're having difficulty in a particular subject.

Taking a year off and working at a law firm sounds like a better option to me if you think your grades aren't high enough to get you in right now. It can only help, not hurt your application. Plus you can add a work recommendation to your school recommendations as well as use that time to focus and study really hard for your LSAT.

Worst case scenario - you'll find out after the year off that you're not interested in law school anymore or you can't get in, but that's not the end of the world (even if it might feel like it at the time). If you can get great grades this year, it'll help you when applying to other graduate programs in the future. Good luck.
In all candor, I suggest taking a year off to work at a law firm or any law-related agency to get a feel for what you'll be looking at doing after you pass the Bar. Also, like the respondent above wrote, you can take the year off to study for your LSAT and raise money to contribute towards your law school tuition, etc.

In my instance, I worked as a paralegal after undergrad school. I realized that there was no way that I wanted to practice law (at least not litigation). Yet, I have a friend who worked as a paralegal, wanted to practice law, and so went to law school.

Also, in law school, you're looking at 3 more years of school and then studying for and passing the State Bar exam so it's something you need to decide if up you're for and if you can afford it. Many factors to consider.

As for the professor/s, introduce/re-introduce yourself to ones whom you liked and did well in their class. Talk to them about your law school aspirations -- they might give you some solid advice.

Good luck!

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