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, as a general rule. (But a few law schools, Georgetown University Law Center in particular, have ambitious programs to attract large numbers of transfer students.)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 significant 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 15% 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 Rd N
Arlington, VA 22207-4209
Phone: 703/237-8531; Fax: 703/237-8151
BradDobeck@aol.com