The Law School Admission Game: Play Like An Expert

by Ann K. Levine

Learn everything you need to know to get into law school. This third edition (and completely re-written and updated) version of the bestselling law school admission guide provides detailed information on how to present yourself in the law school application process. Ann Levine brings 15+ years of experience in law school admissions (as director of admissions for law schools and as a law school admission consultant) to provide advice about writing the best law school personal statement and optional essays, how to choose people to write letters of recommendation, what to include in your resume, how to explain weaknesses in your application such as a low GPA or LSAT score, the best way to prepare for the LSAT, and how to choose a law school. Once you've submitted your law school applications, this book will continue to guide you on getting accepted from a waiting list, negotiating law school scholarships, and transferring to a new law school after your 1L year. The book includes an analysis of personal statement introductions as well as complete essays successfully used by applicants, tips on writing optional essays for law schools, and sample resumes and addenda. Topics include:
- How will law schools view my credentials, activities, and work experience?
- What is the rolling admission process and how can it impact whether I am accepted?
- Will the fact that I am a non-traditional applicant help me or hurt me?
- Why is the personal statement important and how do I select a topic?
- How do I explain a low LSAT score, inconsistent GPA, academic probation, or arrest record?
- Should I write an optional essay?
- Should I share information about my learning disability?
- Why was I placed on a waiting list and what can I do to increase my chances of acceptance?
- How can I use scholarship offers to negotiate between law schools?
- How do I decide where to attend?
The tips and insights provided within The Law School Admission Game: How to Play Like an Expert is the second best thing to having your own law school admission consultant. Ms. Levine offers candid and tangible advice in a conversational tone with an open and encouraging (but brutally honest) approach. This book will change how you look at the law school admission process and help you create your strongest possible application package. This book offers strategies for all law school applicants, including specific advice for people:
-Determined to attend a Top Law School
-Hoping for the chance to attend any law school
-Seeking an affordable legal education
-Returning to school after being in the work force
-Still in college with limited work and life experience
-Considering how to build their experiences and resumes to strengthen their applications
-Concerned about writing a compelling personal statement because they haven't overcome significant obstacles
- Know the story they want to tell about overcoming obstacles in life but are not sure what to emphasize.

No matter your life story or potential weaknesses in your law school application, The Law School Admission Game: How to Play Like an Expert will guide you through every piece of the application process.
Both previous editions of this book have been Amazon.com bestsellers, and this one is the first to feature full-length essays used by successful applicants in the past, as well as a self-study LSAT schedule.

If you're even thinking about applying to law school, this book is about to become your go-to resource.

Genres: Law, Nonfiction, Legal, Collections

235 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 31, 2017

About the author

After graduating magna cum laude from the University of Miami School of Law, having distinguished herself with service to the Inter-American Law Review and membership in Order of the Coif (among other honoraries), Ms. Levine worked for the University of Denver College of Law as the Director of Student Services before becoming the Director of Admissions for California Western School of Law in San Diego, California. She later served as Director of Admissions for Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, California.

As the director of admissions for two ABA approved law schools, Ms. Levine reviewed thousands of applications each year and was primarily responsible for making all admission decisions including awarding scholarships. After moving to Santa Barbara, California, Ms. Levine was a practicing attorney for two civil litigation firms.




Author of two popular guides to law school, The Law School Admission Game: Play Like an Expert, an Amazon.com bestseller and The Law school Decision Game: A Playbook for Prospective Lawyers, released fall 2011, Ann Levine is a prominent law school admission consultant who has helped 1,500+ applicants nationwide achieve their admission goals since founding Law School Expert in 2004. Ms. Levine works one-on-one with law school applicants nationwide and speaks at Pre-Law Clubs and Phi Alpha Delta chapters. Her Law School Expert blog is one of the most respected and popular pre-law advice blogs in the nation and attracts nearly 200,000 readers a year. She is a member of the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC) and adheres to all ethical guidelines as provided by that organization.

Enjoy the benefit of Ms. Levine's years of experience in law school admissions. Learn more about successfully applying to law school with help from the Law School Expert.

"Applying to Law School is complicated. I know what a law school admissions committee is looking for and I will spend time talking with you and creating a theme for your application. I will help you decide what to discuss in your personal statement and give you ideas for getting started writing the personal statement. If there are weaknesses that need to be explained, I will help you to create an effective addendum. I will provide you with an honest evaluation of your law school application, including suggesting law schools you may not have considered.

Included in my full package, "The Works", is everything you will need to apply to law school with an expert by your side. For a one-time, flat-rate fee, I offer in-depth law school admission counseling and advice, working with you on all of your law school applications, including optional essays, resume, and addenda, helping you respond to application questions, and reviewing unlimited drafts of as many essays as you write, providing constructive feedback and detailed editing. I spend as much time with you as you need, no matter how many applications you submit. No hourly billing or limit on the number of applications I review.

I would be honored to be your coach through this daunting (but conquerable!) process of applying to law school."




"Applying to law school is complicated. As Director of Admissions for two ABA approved law schools, I made all admission decisions. I apply this knowledge and experience in my evaluation of your strengths and weaknesses. My goal is your success."

- Ann Levine


Ann Levine lives in Santa Barbara, California with her husband (a lawyer) and their two daughters. Ann works with clients from around the world via Internet, phone, and Skype. She continues to serve as "The Secret Weapon of Law School Applicants Nationwide."

Reviews

[Carla Gallardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an amazing book to guide me on this terrifying journey, no bullshit just exactly what to expect from the application process

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

suddenly I am filled with existential dread and a pressing need to study for the lsat

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, I’m sure all of this could be found online but at the time of purchasing, I was a beginner who had NO IDEA what I was doing or where to start. I especially appreciated tips on the application process.
Although this book is very overwhelming since there’s so much to do in so little time and it did give me a fair share of stress-induced anxiety attacks (lol), this book is an extremely valuable resource for beginners since everything is all in one place.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, everything in this book could probably be found on a forum online somewhere, but I still think that this is a valuable resource. The advice in this book was incredibly helpful as I wrote my personal statement, optional essays, and tweaked my resume. I learned so much about the law school admission process, and would definitely recommend Levine's book to anyone thinking about applying to law school.

[Pengyu Jiang · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don’t read this book. Go read as many posts in law school online forums as you can and that is much more helpful than this book.

[Madison Rader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sincerest appreciation for the insight and information of this book. Being a non-traditional student, it’s been a struggle finding information. Most forums and books focus on the traditional students. This book provided great clarification and guidance. I feel immensely better about the process now. Many thanks to Ann Levine!

[Gwen Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you know some things about law school admissions, then you might not get alot from this book. If you are like me and know nothing, this just might be the book for you.

[Emilio Torres · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great advice; I will need to look at the newer edition for current processes.

[Parker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Levine doesn't offer bad advice, but you can find everything in the book (and more) online through various forums.

[Maggie Hanner · Rating 3 out of 5]

the author offers some valuable advice, would recommend for anyone considering law school

[Selin]

i’m stressed

[EMMANUEL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely was the greatest book I picked up to prepare me for law School. I wasn't, unfortunately, able to attend law school... hopefully soon in the future, because of life forces that I had no control of. It's this whole societal reality that if you are too "overachiever" they hold you back, because they want to see if you're really that "exceptional". I didn't fit the typical law student, and I know most professional would understand this reality, so I had to be held back a couple of years to prove that this is something that I deserve.

Plus I'm ethnic. Being ethnic, in a "predominantly" white influenced country, causes me and other ethnic people, to be forced to drop all their aspirations and endeavored pursuits because we can't make the white person look inferior to ethnic people. Its white supremicy and the reason why the USA is falling apart. IT's just complete #White #Privilege

I'm not angry at all. I'm just very disappointed that I was so in favor and supportive of the White American, when they stripped everything about my life, and made me live like a homeless rat. I even graduated from the top private schools on the West Coast of the USA, with a very generous scholarship. I don't know how my scholarship didn't apply, but God knows (I believe this to be absolutely true), that the world was working against me.

Hopefully, one day I'll become a lawyer. Because I don't want to get married, have a relationship, or have sex until I'm established and know where I am in my life, so I don't have to worry about providing. I want to be independent and self - sufficient, so I can do my job as a spouse.

I vowed to God (not the church or religion), that I will stay celibate until I marry. Especially since I've endured many extreme torturous that life can give a person. My story is definitely worth hearing. But who cares... Right. I'm ethnic. I don't get white privilege. I get ethnic slavery. It's just life, which currently is very unequal; therefore, negates the constitutional that governs this very "democratic" country.

Privileged or not, I am affluent. Even if I don't have the affluent lifestyle. I don't have to be living the lifestyle of "affluence", to have affluent standards. I believe celibacy until marriage is pretty affluent. But how would I know. Affluence is only associated and experienced with White people, because they "set the standard." Sure.......
It's more difficult, and life threatening, but defiantly shows that I am beyond more capable of enduring the "stressors" of life, that most people "bitch" about. I'm just being honest, which is hard to find in the legal system. There's never a person whom I've met in the legal system, who governs in what they swear oath to, "I'll tell truth, and nothing but the truth. So help me God." They definitely don't have God in their life. But who cares, it's just my opinion, and I'm not white. I don't have the privilege to have an opinion in this world.

[Becky Courage · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone at the very beginning of the law school admission process, I found this book very helpful. It provided me with valuable information and insight into aspects of the application process I had no clue about. In particular, the chapter on resumes and the personal statement were highly beneficial.

However, this book was clearly written for an American student trying to get into a Top 10 Law School, and didn't always apply to my situation. I would have liked a more international view, being a Canadian student.

Overall, this book was very informative and I did take many helpful points from it. If you are someone considering law school, this book will benefit you in your application process.

[Brian Strunk · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone currently seeking admission into law school, I've read a lot of material about the admissions process in addition to taking countless practice tests. This book provides a great insight into the admissions process from someone who was on the other end of the application process.

Levine's insight provided me with some critical direction, and as such I have reworked my application materials for law school. As a reader of her blog, as well as her twitter account (@annlevine), I was glad to get Ann's insight in print. I read the book in about 2 hours, as I couldn't put it down.

A must read for anyone seeking law school admission.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book after going through the law school application process which gives me some context to place the content.

The book over all is great. However, it's clearly designed for only American Law schools and doesn't address the fact that some of this information will not apply to students in other countries, such as Canada. This could cause difficulties for readers who are unaware of the differences in application and assessment processes.

The information on resumes is fabulous. As someone who has hired for companies in the past, I would advise the resume section to anyone, not just those planning to attend law school.

[Queezle · Rating 2 out of 5]

These tips all seemed straightforward and self-explanatory. "A wait list is not a rejection" - obviously, it's a wait list. "You need to take the LSAT to go to law school" - yes, thank you. Somehow I managed to figure that out on my own.

I don't necessarily think that it was a waste of my time to read, but I can't think of a single tip that stood out to me from this book that I wouldn't have already known or easily been able to figure out by googling "law school admissions timeline" or something similar.

[Amber Clark]

This book is the best book I've read so far about the law school admission process. it's very informative and as I go thru the process over the next few weeks to start reapplying I know the mistakes I made last year.

[Bryanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative. Ann gives it to you straight. This is a great starter for someone like me who was clueless going into the admissions process for law school. Many of the examples and some of the chapters I skipped because I am not a parent of a student and there are certain chapters devoted to that specifically. Other than that, a really useful guide from a reliable source that is all in one place rather than searching randomly on law school forums. Thanks, Ann!

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative book!

I gave it 5 stars because it was a very comprehensive book. I especially liked how it got into detail in the personal essay. About what is more important to write about in the essay. When the time comes I'll be prepared to write an engaging essay. Thank you for your help.

[Dawn Yount · Rating 3 out of 5]

While some of the info was helpful, it was not complete enough. It was also not overly helpful for an older, non traditional student. Probably would have been a lot of help to someone fresh out of college or close to it.

[Bob Maher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful and informative

[Tri Le · Rating 3 out of 5]

Consider Anna Ivey's book. It's more comprehensive, credible and well-written. Plus Ivey is an actual admission committee member at U of Chicago.

[R Conway · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative

[Joel David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great tips, poorly edited (was it even edited?)

[Griffin Connolly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smart, candid advice (I hope).

[Amy]

Good, reliable information on the law school application process.