From Computer Science Undergrad to Tech Law and Policy JD
Introduction
Andre* still remembers his first computer. He was in elementary school, and it was his Dad’s work laptop— he was always sneaking away to use it whenever he could. Absolutely fascinated by computers, it was easy for Andre to choose his area of study for his undergraduate degree. Growing up in California, it made sense for him to stay in his home state, considering the location of Silicon Valley. After all, the internet was invented in California! Andre exhausted the curriculum for computer science at his high school, and then he took several college courses over the summers. He liked coding, and he designed two of his own apps. His grades were above average, and he scored well above average on the SAT. He ended up going to a mid-size private school to study computer science. Andre performed well in his program, but he was not inspired to further his studies in computer science. Andre knew that he wanted to continue his education, but he was more inspired by the legalities that embroiled tech companies and their products. The social media scandals involving First Amendment free speech issues and privacy rights first attracted him to the legal field. Andre would spend hours reading articles discussing the most recent court cases involving tech companies. With so many products in the tech world— microchips, artificial intelligence, social media platforms— there was certainly a lot for Andre to read about! Andre’s parents reached out to me asking if I could help Andre with his transition from an undergraduate degree in computer science to a graduate law program.
*(name has been changed for confidentiality purposes)
Methodology
First, we analyzed the different types of learning environments that Andre had experienced in his life. We reflected on what worked well for Andre and what did not. After determining what type of learning environments might best suit him, we began examining all of the programs in the US and Canada that fit his preferred environment. Andre had dual US/Canadian citizenship, and he had spent his elementary school years in Montreal, so attending law school in Canada made sense for him. Also, Andre got to work studying for his LSAT test. Fortunately for him, Andre enjoyed standardized tests, and he insisted that he did not need a tutor for the LSAT.
Solution
Andre used his time off from school to study for the LSAT and intern as a part-time assistant to a paralegal at a law firm not far from his place of undergraduate study. After taking his first LSAT, Andre was glad that he had paid extra for ‘score preview,’ and he was able to delete his first score. Unfortunately, Andre was having a hard time in the Analytical Reasoning section of the LSAT, and he needed some assistance. He wished he had hired a private tutor from the beginning! The tutor made all the difference, and he was able to get a high score of 169 after taking the LSAT two more times. Also, since Andre had been reading about landmark court cases involving Tech Law and Policy for years, he had a lot of impassioned ideas that he wanted to include in his personal statement for his law school applications. I helped him sort through his ideas and choose what he wanted to highlight based on his background and interests. Andre brainstormed and drafted his personal statement for two months, and he was very satisfied when he was finally ready to submit it to his law school choices!
Results
After applying to 9 different law schools, Andre was offered admission to all 9. Some of the schools even offered Andre scholarships that would significantly reduce his burden of tuition debt. In the end, Andre decided to stay in the US for law school, and he chose the program that he felt was the best fit for his lifestyle and curriculum preferences.
