Hey everyone! I have just completed my applications including Harvard. I am feeling relieved a bit more now. Waiting will be painful though.

Anyway, good luck for everybody.

Hello everyone. I've been working my way through the application for 2014-2015. I look forward to future posts. Best of luck to all!

I am currently a Captain in the United States Marine Corps. I am serving as a defense attorney handling courts-martial and administrative matters. Prior to that I led a team of Marines in Afghanistan working to establish local Governance, rule of law, and stability in the Nawa District. My first couple of years in the work force consisted of being a General's Aide-de-Camp and a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in the San Diego District.

I am a member of the Massachusetts Bar. I studied for the bar at Harvard and I can personally attest that the facilities are unparalleled.

I am a graduate of the Naval Justice School 2010, Roger Williams Law School 2008 and Sacred Heart University, (MBA 2005 and B.S. 2004).

My law school GPA, class rank, and pedigree are lacking and I do not have any publications.

My recommendations are from my supervising defense attorney (Harvard Law Graduate), the Major General I served as Aide-de-Camp for, and a fellow defense attorney that was a professor of mine at both Roger Williams Law School and the Naval Justice School, as well as co-counsel on 3 cases including General Courts-Martial.

If there is anything I could help with, please don't hesitate to ask.

-Gregg

Hey guys so I have a little concern regarding my TOEFL results, you see I got 30/30 reading, 30/30 listening, 28/30 writing and... 24/30 speaking, for a 112 total. Will the lacking point in the speaking section hurt my chances?

Hey,
I do not know how strict they are on that rule but looking at your scores from other sections, I really think that it shouldn't be a problem at all:)) they say that scoring below is a disadvantage but your other sections are full points. so if you are not accepted just because of this, I would say "come on, for real?!!" :))

I need to take Toefl again since I scored 23 in speaking even though I am fluent in real life. The speaking section of toefl is really annoying. I wouldn't really concern about this but if you feel better you may take it again I guess. Good luck.

Thanks for your reply, yes probably I am overreacting, probably another factors will play a larger role, good luck in your test.

Dear all,
Although I have enough experience in my country, I am interested in JD as much as in LLM at HLS.
Why don't you apply for JD?
Just for saving time and money? Or LSAT?

Of course I know the difference in aim between the two programs.

Hi everyone.

I am also applying for Harvard, Columbia, Standford and NYU.

I am in my early 30's, and have a wife and two daughters, I graduated from the Escuela Libre de Derecho in Mexico eight years ago, in the top 10% of my class. I got two honorific mentions (a very hard academic achievement to get) during my career. I only have one publication, but it was translated to french and republished in one of the most prestigious magazines of that country.

I worked for 4 years as head of interns in one of the most recognized antitrust lawfirms in Latin America (one of my LOR is from one of its partners, who is a former llm HLS student). And have worked directing my own law firm since then. I have taught Roman Law at my local university and have an offer to keep teaching next spring semester.

I asked another LOR to the Rector of my University (former NYU student, and former congressman to the Congreso de la Union) and another one to my Constitutional Law professor (former HLS).

I think that the core of the admission process is the personal statement, and that we should focus on it.

I intend to pay for the tuition and living expenses with some of my savings, but the most part of the expenses should be payed through financial aid.

Good luck to you all, I hope to be meeting you all soon... at Cambridge, MA!

Hello,
Did anybody get an application complete email from Harvard? I submitted mine on around October 10th and it still shows as "application has been submitted."

Hi, everyone!
I can see you are all heading towards the end of the application process. Good luck to you all!
I intend to apply next year, and I would like to share my profile with you, so you can tell me what are my chances: Graduated 1st in my class, GPA 9,35/10 (top 5%), clerked at Supreme Court for 6 months, intern at court of appeal for 2 years, head of judicial trainees for 1 year, no publications yet, charity work at non-governmental organization for helping abused woman and children (2 years now), 2nd year PhD student, toefl 112.
What do you think?
Thank you and GOOD LUCK to everyone again!

Do I have to submit the online application in order to have my trascripts and TOEFL score sent by LSAC to HLS?

I don't think so since I have sent my reco letters before I have submitted my application. I asked about it to HLS and they told me it's ok and they gather and create a folder for each applicant and put the documents there. So there shouldn't be any problem. But you may always ask them :)

Thanks! Did you send your transcripts and TOEFL score straight to Harvard or through LSAC?

I have sent them through Lsac. However I forgot that my Lsac report includes the Toefl and ordered ETS also to send it to Harvard:) I hope sending it 2 times wont be a problem for me ib the process:)
You just need to send your reco letters to harvard if you are using Lsac. I found it easier...

Is everyone using LSAC for transcripts? I am not intending to at this stage, there doesn't appear to be any advantage in doing so (for Harvard at least). I may be wrong?

Is everyone using LSAC for transcripts? I am not intending to at this stage, there doesn't appear to be any advantage in doing so (for Harvard at least). I may be wrong?

Hi, I might be a little late at this but, no. I sent my transcript through post last week. And I send my transcript to LSAC on the same date. LSAC has sent me an email confirmation. Harvard has not.

Anyway, I needed to ask something regarding recommendations. I have three Professors who are willing to write me recommendations and a person who I interned with. So, in total, I have four recommendations.

However, I do not know which three out of the four will have more weightage?

Two academic + One internship or,

Three academic?

I'd be grateful if any of you could reply to the same!

Thanks! :D

Hi! You can register upto five recommenders but I highly doubt they read all the recommendations.

Firstly, they only provide three spots on page no. 3 to mention your recommenders' names etc. and if you want to provide information for a fourth, it has to be done through the additional information page.
And secondly, they state that the usually people provide only three.
So I'm guessing that their emphasis in on three letters.

Now let me clarify my question:
Which three should I mention on page 3 of the form?
All academic or 2 academic + 1 internship?

Thanks! :D

I would assume that probably the three academic letters will address the same or very similar qualities of yours, since they will all be written by professors who know you on a very similar environment and therefore will most likely have a similar approach, while your letter from the person who supervised your internship will focus on other aspects and skills that you might have and that may not be evident for your professors since they havent worked with you and can only attest as to your abilities within a classroom. If this is the case I would recommend that you present 2 academic letters and the one you have from your internship.

This is just my opinion though, so take it for what it is: just the thoughts of another LLM applicant, not by far an specialist on this matters.

Good Luck!

Hi!

Precisely what I was thinking. And it's always good to have reassurance, no matter who it's from. So thanks! :)

Good luck to you too!

Hi everybody !
I took 3 toefl and can't decide if (A) I should take another one or (B) which one of those below I should submit :
Reading Listening Speaking Writing
(i) 28 (H) 22 (H) 20 (F/F/L) 23 (F/G) = 93
(ii) 24 (H) 21 (I) 20 (F/F/F) 25 (G/G) = 90
(iii) 29 (H) 22 (H) 23 (F/G/F) 21 (F/G) = 95

Many thanks in advance for your thought !

Hi,

I suggest you to retake your TOEFL exam, or maybe sumbit the second one and then send them the new one when you pass it.

Wish you all the best!