Law School Admission Blog

I was at Applebee's yesterday and I got a weird message on my cell phone. It was from a recruiter at the University of Denver. He left a message last week for me to call him.

Now, my view on situations like this is one word: persistence. Not irritation or annoyance. But persistence.

I could've called him back the following day. I could've emailed him. I couldn't waited until I got him.

Remember the mantra, though. Persistence.

So I immediately left a message. I thanked him for calling, I called him by his last name (Mr. So and So), I left contact information and I told him I'd call him first thing tomorrow morning.

Turns out he got me first and he had some pretty good information to share. He said he'd read my application, personal statement and accompanying information and was impressed. He was recommending to the application board that I'd be accepted.

He also tossed in some personal information, saying his ex-girlfriend used to live in the same city as me. He seemed very personable and relaxed. Should I do the same? Opportunity for maybe a joke?

Screeeecccchhhhh! Pump your brakes, junior. Best to let that ride. Here's why.

About a year ago, I was on an interview at a very prestigious paper and the interviewers where kinda free and loosey-goosey (wow, I can't believe I just used that word). So a mutual name was brought up, a mutual name that I was familiar with. It was a guy who's ex-wife (wife at the time) had an affair with a roommate of mine. They fought almost everyday in the newsroom.

So I brought this situation up and turns out one of the interviewers was dating the guy. Big mistake. Uh, did I get the job? Is Michael Moore sitting in the VIP box at the president's inauguration?

So my advice in these situation is to stick to the script. This ain't a bar. Keep it professional. And hopefully, they won't find out how tasteless your jokes are until they hire you, or in this case, you get into their law school.

So the conversation continued and he suggested several things: complete my financial aid information, scour the library and Barnes and Noble for scholarships as opposed to the internet and consider a summer program they have to help you get acclimated to law school.

I wrote down all this information and plan to follow through. He asked me to call him first thing Feb. 1 and you bet I plan to.

In my short experience with the law school application process, following through and being thorough seems to be bigger assets for anyone like myself. Asking for business cards. Leaving messages. Giving email updates. Asking if there is anything else you can do to help speed the process up. Following directions. These things are what have led to fee waivers and correspondence with schools that may have more law school applications than a small city.

Anyways, my two cents. We'll see where this interaction with DU leads me. I'm listening to "Sex Machine" by James Brown and I'm about to watch "Unforgivable Blackness," a documentary on Jack Johnson.

If that doesn't inspire you to make things happen, I don't know what will.

"Get up ahhh/ get on up/ I said get up/ Stay on the scene/ like a sex machine."

Yeah, man. I'm trying to be the hardest working law applicant in the country. All I need is a perm in some glitter on my coat, and I'd be dangerous.

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