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Update

It has been quite some time since my last post and theres a lot to catch up on!

For starters, I added a few more schools to my application list: 

Willamette University College of Law (Salem, OR)

Southern University Law Center (Baton Rouge, LA)

Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law (Houston, TX)

University of Arkansas Little Rock School of Law (Little Rock, AR)

University of Washington Masters of Jursiprudence (Seattle, WA)

I also completed the December administration of the LSAT and am awaiting my scores (due January 3-4,2018). I did not receive a score that I felt was reflective of my abilities on the September LSAT and felt the re-take was necessary to achieve my goal score. 

I will continue to post as I receive admissions news, LSAT scores and more!

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And they’re off! Applications, I mean.

It took me a bit of research to narrow down my initial list of law schools I would be applying to, but as of October 1st I have applied to the following: 

Howard University School of Law -- Washington D.C.

University of Washington School of Law -- Seattle, Washington

 **Applying for the William H. Gates Public Service Scholarship Program 

Seattle University School of Law-- Seattle,Washington

**  Applying for the Scholars for Justice Scholarship Program

Gonzaga University School of Law -- Spokane, Washington

**  Applying for Veteran’s Scholarship Program

** Applying for the Public Interest Law Scholarship Program 

Lewis & Clark Law School -- Portland, Oregon

To be quite honest, I can’t say which part of the admissions process has been the hardest, awaiting my LSAT scores (which I’ll receive on 10/14) or awaiting the admissions decision. Nonetheless, I will be hear to fill y’all in! 

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LSAT Day!!

Test day came and went and boy was it a challenge! I reimagined confident throughout the entire 2 hour and 55 min exam and I can't wait to see my scores in October. Remaining optimistic and hopeful that I achieved my goal of at least a 150.

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On the home stretch

Only 5 days separate me from one of the biggest tests of my lifetime. After taking a little break from my studies, due to my overwhelming anxiety I am back on the grind taking practice test after practice test until Friday. 

With having my admissions documents completed for the schools I will be applying to: Seattle University, University of Washington, Gonzaga and Howard, I am looking forward to waiting a month for my score and submitting my apps!

This has been a stressful and long journey and I’m glad that the components that I have control over, will soon be done! 

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Test Anxiety is such a bitch and she definitely got the best of me yesterday during my practice test. I traveled 3 hours to Willamette University School of Law to take a practice test under real conditions. I was feeling extremely confident, but my scores did not reflect that whatsoever.

Discouraged, I called my boyfriend, Malcolm, and told him that I would be going to with my plan B and applying for a Masters of Social Work (MSW) program instead of pursuing my dream. With the September test only 3 weeks away I truly felt that I should just give up and go a different route. Through his words of encouragement and my mother’s never-failing motivation I left my self-pity party and decided to push myself even harder than before.

My resume is exquisite, I serve in my community in many areas, and my passion for helping others shines bright. I just need to achieve my goal LSAT score in order to further show admissions that I am an ideal applicant and future student.

Is my LSAT prep going well? In some areas, but it fucking sucks! 🤦🏽‍♀️

Is this one of the most stressful things I’ve ever done? Hell yes. 😩

Will I get through this and achieve not only a goal but life dream? YAAAS BITCH! 💁🏽

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25 days til September LSAT

Hey Y’all! I have been very neglectful of my blog and will ensure that I am contributing at least once daily. 

It’s already August 22nd and with only a few weeks until the BIG day, its needless to say that I’m feeling: anxious, worried, excited and most of all ready to get it over with! 

I can say that my Logical Reasoning abilities have improved, as have my Reading Comprehension skills, but Logic Games are continuing to kick my butt. With my practice test (under real conditions) at Willamette University School of Law coming up on Saturday, I’m anxious to see what areas are calling for further improvement. 

8:00 am on Saturday September 16th, 2017 seriously can’t come soon enough, and until then my life is as follows:  

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Campus tours, practice tests and advising-oh my!

I’m excited to have registered for two full-length practice tests at Willamette University College of Law in Salem, OR (3 hours away) for the months of August (in prep for September LSAT) and November (in prep for December LSAT). 

I will be heading down for a campus tour and will be able to attend a class which is perfect considering it will be the start of their fall semester. 

On August 21st, I will make my way 45 minutes North and attend a class and advising appointment at Seattle University School of Law which has Washington State’s first and only Part-Time program. If finances and scholarships don’t fully align for me, I will most likely attend this program as it would still allow me to work full-time during the day and attend classes 2-3 nights/week. 

I’m hoping that as I complete a few more tours and advising sessions, it will allow me to create some order of my top 4-5 law schools to apply to. 

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LSAT prep will be the death of me

After being in a slump and not feeling motivated to continue with my LSAT studies, I have a found a better program to complete for the next 8.3 weeks and am starting to feel re-energized. I decided to invest in 7Sage Starter and Mike Kim’s The LSAT Trainer (2016). Between the easy to comprehend explanations of LR and LG and the weekly video lessons, I’m confident that I’m on a better track to LSAT success than I once was. 

While my anxiety towards the exam hasn’t completely subsided, I am backed by the encouragement of my family, friends and peers who truly do believe in me and I know that I am more than capable of achieving my goals. 

On my next post I will go deeper into my comprehensive study schedule and will post some tips that may be helpful to others. 

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Many juveniles referred to Juvenile Court are second- or third-time offenders who commit offenses such as shoplifting, malicious mischief or possession of alcohol. These youth may be eligible for an alternative to formal court processing known as diversion. 

After the prosecutor reviews the case and determines that the youth is eligible for diversion, the case is referred to the program. If both the youth and the program agree to diversion, instead of having the case tried in a formal courtroom setting before a judge, the youth and his or her family meet with a Community Accountability Board (CAB) comprised of volunteers from the youth’s community and/or Diversion staff. The CAB and the youth enter into a written agreement about what consequences will be imposed for the youth's behavior. The agreement may include restitution to the victim, community service, a fine, counseling, informational or educational classes and other options.

In preparation for adding more volunteer experience to my already extensive resume, I have been approved to serve as a member of my local Tacoma Community Accountability Board. I strongly believe that accountability begins with the child, family and community FIRST. I’m very excited to take on this new role and learn more about the juvenile justice system. 

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Excited. Anxious. Overwhelmed.

All of these words describe everything that I’m feeling in regards to studying for the September LSAT. As mentioned previously I will be completing my self study with the help of Blueprint LSAT Preparation and their 3 workbooks and texts: 1) The Blueprint for LSAT Logic Games 2) The Blueprint for LSAT Reading Comprehension.

Tuesday June 27th is the date of my FIRST practice test and I’m optimistic that my score will not discourage me from continuing on in my studies. That it will serve as motivation to achieve my goal of 165-180.

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      WHY DO YOU WANT TO STUDY LAW / BECOME AN ATTORNEY?

“That’s not fair!” This was my favorite phrase as a young child.  Whenever I found myself in an unfavorable situation, I would often scream this out to my mother and father in hopes that they would see that my rightfully earned grounding was unjust. The older I became, the more that phrase continued to resonate within my heart and mind. As I became educated about issues of the world and the many challenges that people face, I knew that it wasn’t fair for them to have been exposed to those experiences. The criminal justice system in the United States is far from perfect and has many issues with providing true justice to families and communities who have been victims of crimes. It is fair to see why many people have lost trust in the system and don’t believe that it is there to support them. There are racial disparities within the system, discrimination shown dependent on socio-economic status and many issues that further prove that the system simply isn’t working to protect. Just as my younger self would say, “that’s just not fair”.

I have been passionate about pursuing a career in Law since I was in middle school. I currently have a pre-law emphasis, specifically Law, Justice & Public Policy, at Evergreen State College Tacoma where I am learning about the intricacies of the justice system and the many power-players involved. Law touches almost every aspect of our life and is constantly evolving to keep up with current society, to which we all belong. I want to studying law to help people overcome inequity, as well as developing a sound understanding of the laws which govern us by harnessing the powers of analysis, criticism, persuasion, problem solving, oral and written communication. The injustices of the world troubled me since childhood and I always wanted to be able to make a difference by helping people around me to find the right way to deal with a seemingly problematic system. I truly believe studying law is the best way to understand what our society is about, how it runs, what its rules are, how politics are involved, and how the individual person is affected by all that. I have a heart for service and a passion for redressing the many inequalities and inequities of this system.

According to the American Bar Association, 88% of all lawyers are white and only 4.8% are black. That is a great disparity considering the high rates in which POC, particularly African-American and Hispanics, are incarcerated. This representation in the court room truly matters and I want to be apart of helping to raise that percentage of black attorneys. The criminal justice system can be very unforgiving and many people have lost faith in it, but I hope to change parts of the system and truly provide justice to all that I’m able to represent.

              WHAT DO YOU INTEND TO DO AFTER LAW SCHOOL?

I aspire to commission into the JAG Corp of the United States Air Force and serve in my home station for the 194th Wing Camp Murray, WA State Air National Guard. I hope to fulfill a role as either a Staff Judge Advocate or Special Victims Counsel.

In the civilian world, I hope to become a Juvenile Justice Attorney and work within public interest/criminal law to make legal help accessible to those who may not otherwise afford it.

Ultimately after some time as a successful practicing attorney, I will open my own non-profit organization called Youth Justice where my staff and I will provide access to social and justice services to dually-involved youth.

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I’ve always wondered what my purpose in life was. I thought I’d find that in church growing up, but it wasn’t truly until I left that environment when I found what I am called to do.

I’ve worked in the foster care system and juvenile rehabilitation for quite some time and the stories that I’ve heard and the trauma I’ve helped people attempt to work through really impacted my life. I found my passion in advocating for these children and teens who had no voice of their own and worked to empower them to make better decisions.

There is a big problem with our current systems of welfare, foster care and juvenile justice and I hope that in the future my non-profit organization will be able to fill a much needed gap within the at-risk youth population.

Youth homelessness has been on a steady rise within the state and most specifically King and Pierce Counties.

50% of adolescents aging out of foster care and juvenile justice systems will be homeless within six months because they are unprepared to live independently and have limited education and no social support.

More than 25% of former foster children become homeless within two to four years of leaving the system.

In the United States, as many as 20,000 kids are forced into prostitution by human trafficking networks every year.

8% of dually-involved youth had at least one arrest before entering child welfare system.

32% experienced new reports of maltreatment referrals subsequent to arrest.

56% were charged with a second offense (i.e., recidivated).

These statistics are starling and very unnerving to read.

Many crisis centers and shelters do not have the capability to provide 100% safe and stable housing for many of these teens. While there are teens within the system who do not have any criminal background, many unfortunately do. With lack of stability, recidivism is high and extremely likely in order to ensure some semblance of survival.

The transition period to adulthood is a particularly difficult time for most adolescents. This difficulty is magnified for young adults in foster care, which includes foster boarding homes, kinship care, and residential placements. These youth often must navigate this transition with minimal family support and stability. It is no surprise, then, that numerous studies have found that foster care children are at risk of poor adult outcomes, including elevated rates of juvenile delinquency and criminal justice involvement, homelessness, teenage pregnancies, and health issues, as well poor educational and employment outcomes. Youth who interact with both the foster care system and the justice system — either detention or jail — therefore, face even greater challenges and are particularly at risk for poor outcomes in adulthood.

Dually-Involved Youth:  youth who are simultaneously known to both the child welfare and the juvenile justice systems.

Dually-involved youth need effective, stable and safe resources in order for them to eliminate their chances of recidivism into this unforgiving system. That is what I will strive to do within my organization.

The overall vision for my dream organization is to divert youth  from recidivism and re-entering Washington’s juvenile justice system. Youth who are involved in the juvenile justice, outreach, counseling, educational services and employment training will maximize their potential to become more successful and productive members of their communities. They will have the continued support of integrated systems staffed by highly-skilled practitioners, utilizing evidence-based practices, in an environment of fair and unbiased decision making.

Please take a look at my Developmental Readiness Plan and feel free to leave a note with feedback so that I can continue to improve my model and ensure overall success and benefit to the population being served.  

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LSAT Registration

I am extremely grateful to have my $180.00 fee waived (thank you LSAC) so that I may register for the September LSAT. This leaves me with just shy of 3 1/2 months to prepare which means, no summer fun for me!

Stayed tuned for ramblings of my own self-torture!

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Summertime Sadness (LSAT Prep)

In light of my Junior year coming to an end and having to focus on the realities of what I want to do with my life. To make things “real” and light a fire under my behind, I have officially enrolled in my LSAT prep course for the summer to help me for the September LSAT (law school admissions test).

What is the LSAT? The LSAT is an integral part of the law school admission process. It provides a standard measure of acquired reading and verbal reasoning skills that law schools can use as one of several factors in assessing applicants.

After considering many options out on the market, I made my choice carefully and went with Blueprint LSAT Preparation. Blueprint offers both a classroom and online option. Due to my schedule and need for accessibility I opted for the online course. I have yet to receive my course materials, but look forward to beginning my 3.5 month introduction to hell!

If you are interested in checking out Blueprint, please take a look at their website!

Classroom: http://blueprintlsat.com/lsat/classroom/locations

$1499

Includes: 3 textbooks, 15 practice tests  

112 instruction hours

Access to Blueprint: The Movie 2.0

iOS Mobile App

Course taught by 98th percentile instructors

Online: http://blueprintlsat.com/lsat/online

$179/month

Includes: 3 textbooks, 15 practice tests  

88 online hours

Access to Blueprint: The Movie 2.0

iOS Mobile App

Course taught by 98th percentile instructors

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Law School visit #1

Today I visited University of Washington School of Law ( my #1/dream school). The admissions counselor was extremely helpful and provided me with all the information that I needed to plan out the next months leading to 1 October (when apps become available).

I am considering UW for many reasons:

I can utilize my military tuition waiver and receive 50% off/year. (This would save me soooo much $$$)

The William H. Gates Public Service Law Scholars Program awards five scholarships on an annual basis to first year students entering the UW School of Law J.D. program. Each Gates PSL scholarship award will cover tuition, books, other normal fees. (THIS IS OBVIOUSLY MY TARGET GOAL!)

The advocacy clinics that they are have available for 2L and 3L students have all of my passions: Child Welfare, Youth Advocacy, Civil Rights and of course public service and public interest law.

The ONE and ONLY concern that I have with the program is that it is full-time day only and its advised that students not work as it is a rigorous schedule Monday-Friday. Being that I have many financial responsibilities, I will have to work more than part-time hours. If i receive generous scholarships and loans, then this may be able to help me survive throughout the following 3 years.

I am remaining determined and optimistic that I will receive a high enough score on the LSAT that scholarships will practically come raining down onto me!

I have an advising session at Seattle University School of Law next week and am excited to learn more about their part-time program which make work better for me!

Stay tuned!

Katana

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I started a blog today

Hello and thank you for taking the time to check out my blog. As many of you may know, I am involved in A LOT of stuff, i.e. working as a DV Legal Advocate for the YWCA Pierce County, Paralegal for the WA State Air National Guard and Junior at TESC Tacoma (how do I do it? I. DON’T. KNOW!). I figured that compiling my educational/career journey into blog posts would be a great way for me to share this aspect of my life.

I will write about:

•my personal social justice community work/projects

•undergrad struggles and tips

•the road to (applying for) law school to include LSAT

Once again, thank you for following me on the many journeys I am taking simultaneously and I hope that sharing a little about my life may impact you in some way.

XOXO,

G̶o̶s̶s̶i̶p̶ ̶G̶i̶r̶l̶ Katana