She ain’t said nothing but a word. These blogs and vlogs will have you so anxious and discouraged. I’ve literally felt like law wasn’t for me because of them. I’ve had to stop reading and watching for my own mental health.
We'd love to hear more from both you and Carisse and where both of you are currently in your law school journey. Carisse thank you so much for sharing your PLSI and CLIC experience with Leah's audience. We're happy to answer any questions anyone might have.
I'm a 36 year old black lawyer who's admitted in NY and NJ. It was a rough journey. I took an LSAT prep course in 2007. On the first practice exam, I received a 144. I took the LSAT in December 2007 and received a 151, which is a shitty score (keeping it 100). I was so discouraged that I didn't bother applying for law school. Without getting into the specifics, I had a change of heart in 2009. I took the LSAT again and received a 150. I was dejected. Nevertheless, I applied to law school and was accepted to two schools- CUNY School of Law and Florida A & M. My GPA was a mediocre 3.0. I only got into CUNY because of my skin color. I attended CUNY and struggled. At the end of my 2L year, I was nearly academically dismissed. It took me an extra semester to graduate. I took the NY bar exam in February 2014. I got sick on day two of the exam and didn't finish it. I took the NY bar again in July 2014 and bombed it. My MBE was a pathetic 118.6. I took the NJ bar in February 2015 and failed with a 123.2 MBE. I took the NJ bar in July 2015 and passed by the skin of my teeth with a 130.2 MBE- the essays saved me. After unsuccessfully trying to find work in the Garden State, I decided to give NY one last shot. I previously wasted thousands of dollars on Barbri. During my preparation, I self-studied. I bought the Kaplan MBE book, Strategies and Tactics FINZ, and the Emanuel MBE bootcamp series from Amazon. I also printed outlines that I Googled and rewrote it in my own words. I passed the July 2017 NY bar with a 149.3 MBE and overall UBE of 278 (I got my ass handed to me on the MPT. Fortunately, my MBE compensated for that). If you have the money, get a private LSAT tutor. Don't settle for a low score. Also, do as many extracurricular activities as possible. Once you're in law school, join a study group and take advantage of academic support. Also, prepare for many marathon study sessions during final exam time.
You are AWESOME!!!!!!!!! Thank you for sharing your journey with us! I am getting ready to take the LSAT for the 3rd time and final time! I know God is going to make this happen for me! I've spent almost 2k on tutoring. I am also ADHD which makes this even more difficult! I even started a UA-cam channel to share my journey. My channel is called " The Road 2 JD".
That's an awesome increase. Good thing is, law school's really only care about your highest score. It's what they use to bolster their rankings. Your lower score doesn't effect them, so it shouldn't effect you. In fact, it shows how much growth you're capable of; that'll make them like you even more.
There are actually lots of studies that show the LSAT is an excellent predictor of how a student does in law school, but there are always exceptions. It predicts with over 70% accuracy, so there's the 30% for whom it either underpredicts or overpredicts, and it sounds like it underpredicted for her. The SAT has shown similar predictive power for undergrad performance. Sure, there are no questions in law schools that are directly like the LSATs, but questions that go to verbal logical reasoning go to almost every question you'll get in law school exams. And logical reasoning ability is critical to being a good lawyer. Low LSATs predict low bar passage rates, too. So you may well be an exception and/or the CLEO program, which sounds excellent, helped prepare you for law school. The focus on writing is particularly important, as undergrad schools generally don't assign much weight to writing ability except in English classes. It's crucial to how you perform as a lawyer. Her verbal communication skills are very good, and I'm sure that will help her in law practice and the class participation component of law school. Use the skills you learned about what law school was actually like to find out what different types of law practice is actually like. International sounded fun to me, too, until I took international law and international business transactions. Being a good talker like she is will be good in court, and the most real-deal trial law work is in criminal defense. Best of luck!, retired criminal defense lawyer
@@LeahsLegalLife i know not to hire a black lawyer since on average you guys have 30-40% lower test scores than any other race. instead of getting in with low score why not raise your score.
This was an awesome interview! Been to a few CLEO Inc sessions both in person and via zoom but haven’t applied to the summer program yet. Great to hear about someone’s success story! Good luck to the both of you!
Crazy how I'm at my computer reviewing a practice LSAT test and took a break and seen this video. Great interview and she's from my city! H-town! I'm studying for the LSAT and have gotten pretty frustrated but I keep on trucking I've improved in the LR section and still a work in progress with the RC and Games sections. I'm making small increases and at first I was upset that I wasn't making huge improvements but I now understand that its a process and as long as I'm putting in the work the results (scores) that I want will come. I'm taking 3 practice tests a week and reviewing them in between days and drilling until I take it in April. Good luck to you on your journey you'll do just fine! We need more of us in the field for sure so its on us to help and motivate each other going through the same journey!
Slow progress is still progress! That was definitely my experience as well, instead of focusing on making huge gains I just had to shift my mindset and focus on making little improvements each week. The LSAT is definitely a struggle and it takes time to increase your score. Just know that your hard work will definitely pay off! Especially with your focus on reviewing practice tests. You got this!!
@@LeahsLegalLife Thanks I appreciate those kinds words. I’ve been at this for awhile now so I know I gotta improve each week that I’m at it. You are right it’s a process and I’m willing to put in the work to get to where I want to be. It’s needed I’m needed we’re needed because we are underrepresented in this industry. Well wishes to you!
@@damondwilson5799 if you trying to study for the lsat plz look at these ppl to learn the lsat lsatblog and lsat wizard if you need information just let me know
Thank you for this video! I’m currently studying for the March LSAT. I’m seriously considering the CLEO Program for Fall 2022. I’ve struggled with my LSAT score. I’m currently in Texas (just moved here), but if I have an opportunity to get money and acceptance in another state, I’ll travel.
Yes, definitely consider it! All you need is one opportunity! And it’s a great program, reach out to Caresse if you have any specific questions about CLEO because she’s been thriving! lol.
I got a 143 on my lsat and in the same boat. Didn’t take it a 3rd time and just applied but didn’t get in anywhere and am in the process of trying to decide to take it for a 3rd time. This was very encouraging that maybe I don’t have to take it again and can still get in with my 143
The LSAT is a difficult test (I had to take it 3 times my own self lol), but whether you take it again or check out the CLEO program, you got this! ❤️ keep at it!!!
Okay thank you so much for your help and insight. I got a little discouraged along the way and stopped studying for a few months but I think I am ready to resume again. What exactly is the Cleo institute. i apply for it and then get chosen or I don’t get chosen and if your chosen you are assigned to a school?
So she did the CLEO - CLIC program specifically which you can find more info about here: cleoinc.org/clic/ but yes, you apply and if chosen you are agreeing to go through their program and attend whatever partner school they choose for you
In law school admissions, underrepresented generally refers to racial-ethnic minorities. But a disability could be considered a soft factor and something you could definitely write a diversity statement on!
The fact that the ABA is not requiring the LSAT any longer in 2025 is telling. Many schools will not require it so don’t anyone give up hope. A standardized test should not be a discouragement.
When it comes to the scholarship that Cleo gives out after you’re admitted into one of the partner schools, is it based on Fasfa? Or is it just a scholarship in general they give you due to the program? And if that’s the case, how much do they usually give/range? Like $5,000? Or $40,000
Omgggg I just got my lsat score and I got a 142 on my first try so this gives me lots of hope!!!!🥲🥲🥲🤣🤣🤣🤣 Edit: I’m Nigerian as well…. Definitely talking about the culture when I apply
She ain’t said nothing but a word. These blogs and vlogs will have you so anxious and discouraged. I’ve literally felt like law wasn’t for me because of them. I’ve had to stop reading and watching for my own mental health.
Thank you. I got the same score and you just gave me the boost that I needed!! I will keep the faith and keep going!
You need to be black. an asian in the 99th percentile has lower college admission rates than a black in the 40th percentile.
This was a great interview! It's very encouraging to hear that someone with a low lsat score is thriving in law school.
Thank you for watching! ❤️
Almost score release day for us November test-takers!!! but no matter the score, I promise we gon' be alright lol 😂
@@themanman165 I’m going to watch it! 😊 and my Instagram is @leahslegallife
@@themanman165 Lol! Thank you Joe!
You need to be black. an asian in the 99th percentile has lower college admission rates than a black in the 40th percentile.
We'd love to hear more from both you and Carisse and where both of you are currently in your law school journey. Carisse thank you so much for sharing your PLSI and CLIC experience with Leah's audience. We're happy to answer any questions anyone might have.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a 160+ on my November exam. I can’t wait for score release day!
That’s my goal too! Good luck to us!!! 🤞🏾
What score did you end up getting?
I'm a 36 year old black lawyer who's admitted in NY and NJ. It was a rough journey. I took an LSAT prep course in 2007. On the first practice exam, I received a 144. I took the LSAT in December 2007 and received a 151, which is a shitty score (keeping it 100). I was so discouraged that I didn't bother applying for law school. Without getting into the specifics, I had a change of heart in 2009. I took the LSAT again and received a 150. I was dejected. Nevertheless, I applied to law school and was accepted to two schools- CUNY School of Law and Florida A & M. My GPA was a mediocre 3.0. I only got into CUNY because of my skin color.
I attended CUNY and struggled. At the end of my 2L year, I was nearly academically dismissed. It took me an extra semester to graduate. I took the NY bar exam in February 2014. I got sick on day two of the exam and didn't finish it. I took the NY bar again in July 2014 and bombed it. My MBE was a pathetic 118.6. I took the NJ bar in February 2015 and failed with a 123.2 MBE. I took the NJ bar in July 2015 and passed by the skin of my teeth with a 130.2 MBE- the essays saved me.
After unsuccessfully trying to find work in the Garden State, I decided to give NY one last shot. I previously wasted thousands of dollars on Barbri. During my preparation, I self-studied. I bought the Kaplan MBE book, Strategies and Tactics FINZ, and the Emanuel MBE bootcamp series from Amazon. I also printed outlines that I Googled and rewrote it in my own words. I passed the July 2017 NY bar with a 149.3 MBE and overall UBE of 278 (I got my ass handed to me on the MPT. Fortunately, my MBE compensated for that).
If you have the money, get a private LSAT tutor. Don't settle for a low score. Also, do as many extracurricular activities as possible. Once you're in law school, join a study group and take advantage of academic support. Also, prepare for many marathon study sessions during final exam time.
thank you for sharing this! and for the tips! i'm definitely inspired by your resilience.
You are AWESOME!!!!!!!!! Thank you for sharing your journey with us! I am getting ready to take the LSAT for the 3rd time and final time! I know God is going to make this happen for me! I've spent almost 2k on tutoring. I am also ADHD which makes this even more difficult! I even started a UA-cam channel to share my journey. My channel is called " The Road 2 JD".
@@theroad2jd240 Of course, your first priority is studying, not social media. Good luck. I'll pray for you.
Thank you, I'm on the same struggle bus as you and been scared to take the lsat for 10 years
Love your determination and honesty. Congrats on passing the NJ bar.
I needed this! This was very encouraged...I’m ready to start my journey.
You got this sis!!! I’ll be cheering you on! lol ❤️
@@LeahsLegalLife ayeee I appreciate that 💕
Just scored a 141 for the first time on the April LSAT Flex! This video gives me a lot of hope!
Good luck!!! You got this 🤞🏾
Great interview! Thank You!
Wow! Thanks a lot! I needed this more than you know! God bless you both! May God give you both the desires of your hearts!
Thank you so much!!! Best of luck on your journey! ❤️
I totally knew how you felt at the first shot. My first shot is 136 and now i am getting a 156. So still, that 136 affects me greatly
That’s an amazing score increase! You definitely should be proud of yourself
That's an awesome increase. Good thing is, law school's really only care about your highest score. It's what they use to bolster their rankings. Your lower score doesn't effect them, so it shouldn't effect you. In fact, it shows how much growth you're capable of; that'll make them like you even more.
There are actually lots of studies that show the LSAT is an excellent predictor of how a student does in law school, but there are always exceptions. It predicts with over 70% accuracy, so there's the 30% for whom it either underpredicts or overpredicts, and it sounds like it underpredicted for her. The SAT has shown similar predictive power for undergrad performance.
Sure, there are no questions in law schools that are directly like the LSATs, but questions that go to verbal logical reasoning go to almost every question you'll get in law school exams. And logical reasoning ability is critical to being a good lawyer. Low LSATs predict low bar passage rates, too. So you may well be an exception and/or the CLEO program, which sounds excellent, helped prepare you for law school. The focus on writing is particularly important, as undergrad schools generally don't assign much weight to writing ability except in English classes. It's crucial to how you perform as a lawyer. Her verbal communication skills are very good, and I'm sure that will help her in law practice and the class participation component of law school. Use the skills you learned about what law school was actually like to find out what different types of law practice is actually like. International sounded fun to me, too, until I took international law and international business transactions. Being a good talker like she is will be good in court, and the most real-deal trial law work is in criminal defense.
Best of luck!,
retired criminal defense lawyer
LSAT is a good predictor and the SAT IS NOT. I scored average on the SAT and finished with a 4.0 Summa Cum Laude at the University of Miami
Thank you for sharing this information. Continue to help others because it just helped me. I am going for it. Many blessings among you both.
So happy to hear it helped you!!! Thank you so much, and many blessings to you as well!
Yeah, I remember taking the lsat twice and getting a 149 then 147.
it's super difficult! I've taken it twice so far as well.
Yeah, it is, but you’ll get in. I just graduated this past May and just pass the bar for October.
@@clarar2547 That's major!!! Congratulations! 🎉
What law school did you go to?
@@nataliaa5380 I was admitted to NKU.
This was so helpful!
Happy to hear that!!
@@LeahsLegalLife i know not to hire a black lawyer since on average you guys have 30-40% lower test scores than any other race. instead of getting in with low score why not raise your score.
This was an awesome interview! Been to a few CLEO Inc sessions both in person and via zoom but haven’t applied to the summer program yet. Great to hear about someone’s success story! Good luck to the both of you!
Thank you, Fatimah! Good luck to you as well! 💜
@@LeahsLegalLife thank you so much 😊
Crazy how I'm at my computer reviewing a practice LSAT test and took a break and seen this video. Great interview and she's from my city! H-town! I'm studying for the LSAT and have gotten pretty frustrated but I keep on trucking I've improved in the LR section and still a work in progress with the RC and Games sections. I'm making small increases and at first I was upset that I wasn't making huge improvements but I now understand that its a process and as long as I'm putting in the work the results (scores) that I want will come. I'm taking 3 practice tests a week and reviewing them in between days and drilling until I take it in April. Good luck to you on your journey you'll do just fine! We need more of us in the field for sure so its on us to help and motivate each other going through the same journey!
Slow progress is still progress! That was definitely my experience as well, instead of focusing on making huge gains I just had to shift my mindset and focus on making little improvements each week. The LSAT is definitely a struggle and it takes time to increase your score. Just know that your hard work will definitely pay off! Especially with your focus on reviewing practice tests. You got this!!
@@LeahsLegalLife Thanks I appreciate those kinds words. I’ve been at this for awhile now so I know I gotta improve each week that I’m at it. You are right it’s a process and I’m willing to put in the work to get to where I want to be. It’s needed I’m needed we’re needed because we are underrepresented in this industry. Well wishes to you!
@@damondwilson5799 So true! The legal field severelyyy lacks diversity but we're working on changing those numbers!!! Best of luck to you!
@@damondwilson5799 if you trying to study for the lsat plz look at these ppl to learn the lsat lsatblog and lsat wizard if you need information just let me know
@@contrarianthinker Thanks I appreciate it!
Thank you for this video! I’m currently studying for the March LSAT. I’m seriously considering the CLEO Program for Fall 2022. I’ve struggled with my LSAT score. I’m currently in Texas (just moved here), but if I have an opportunity to get money and acceptance in another state, I’ll travel.
Yes, definitely consider it! All you need is one opportunity! And it’s a great program, reach out to Caresse if you have any specific questions about CLEO because she’s been thriving! lol.
What score did you end up getting?
How did everything go?
Thank you for this! ☺️
No problem! 💕
Thank you for this video!!!
Thank you for watching ❤️
We got this! I take my exam in 2 weeks.
Good luck! You're going to kill it! 🙌🏾
How did it go
Great interview amazing!!
Thank you!! 💜 Feel free to reach out to us on IG if you have any other questions: @itsleahthomas_ and @colormelovelyy
I got a 143 on my lsat and in the same boat. Didn’t take it a 3rd time and just applied but didn’t get in anywhere and am in the process of trying to decide to take it for a 3rd time. This was very encouraging that maybe I don’t have to take it again and can still get in with my 143
The LSAT is a difficult test (I had to take it 3 times my own self lol), but whether you take it again or check out the CLEO program, you got this! ❤️ keep at it!!!
Okay thank you so much for your help and insight. I got a little discouraged along the way and stopped studying for a few months but I think I am ready to resume again. What exactly is the Cleo institute. i apply for it and then get chosen or I don’t get chosen and if your chosen you are assigned to a school?
So she did the CLEO - CLIC program specifically which you can find more info about here: cleoinc.org/clic/ but yes, you apply and if chosen you are agreeing to go through their program and attend whatever partner school they choose for you
Try Loyola university law
Thank you for telling me about CLEO.
No problem!
I absolutely loved this video and the interview was really great! Thank you ladies so much for this🙌🏾 you are so right about that lsat lol it’s trash.
Thank you for watching!!!! Good luck on your LSAT ❤️
Is the school that you got into ABA accredited?
Yes! her school is
Did she recommend attending CLEO after taking the LSAT? Or before?
Just a matter of what your goals are! In her case, she did CLEO after taking the LSAT and seeing her scores were on the lower end.
@@LeahsLegalLife thank you!!
I may have missed it but what was your gpa? Congratulations love! 👏🏾
I don’t believe she shared her GPA, sorry! 😩
Great conversation there
Thank you!
Love the interview, but I have one question. I am disabled, would I count as someone who is underrepresented?
In law school admissions, underrepresented generally refers to racial-ethnic minorities. But a disability could be considered a soft factor and something you could definitely write a diversity statement on!
Good luck with the Bar exam.
The fact that the ABA is not requiring the LSAT any longer in 2025 is telling. Many schools will not require it so don’t anyone give up hope. A standardized test should not be a discouragement.
yes! 👏🏾
I thought it was denied? Is that real? Lol let me stop studying now
@@jw4609lord I just gave myself a stroke for no reason!
When it comes to the scholarship that Cleo gives out after you’re admitted into one of the partner schools, is it based on Fasfa? Or is it just a scholarship in general they give you due to the program? And if that’s the case, how much do they usually give/range? Like $5,000? Or $40,000
I’m not sure about the range, but it’s a scholarship in general if I’m not mistaken! Similar to merit-based aid. So it’s different from FAFSA
I hope she passes the bar or she’d have wasted a lot of money and time.
She will. 😊
Hey Leah how’s Law school going hopefully it’s going good I love you
From Khay’Ce
Khay’Ce!!! I miss you boo ❤️ I love you too!
Omgggg I just got my lsat score and I got a 142 on my first try so this gives me lots of hope!!!!🥲🥲🥲🤣🤣🤣🤣
Edit: I’m Nigerian as well…. Definitely talking about the culture when I apply
Lol took me 3 tries before I got a somewhat satisfactory score 😂 keep studying! You got this 🙌🏾