Blog & Podcasts

Three Tips for Brand New 1Ls (+ 1L Success Coaching)

Congrats to those of you launching your law school careers this month! As you navigate orientation and the heady first few days of classes, we thought it’d be a good time to share some advice—and an opportunity—from our Pre-L/1L Success team.

Podcast: Critiquing AI-Generated Law School Personal Statements

In this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Spivey Consulting's COO Anna Hicks-Jaco gives the insider perspective on AI-generated personal statements—currently a hot topic of discussion in law school admissions offices—and critiques two personal statements written with ChatGPT.

2023 Law School Application Changes Compiled

We have seen more law schools making changes to their application components and instructions this cycle than in any other we can recall. For your reference, we will be compiling these changes below, adding new schools as their applications and instructions are posted.

Podcast: The Biggest Non-Negotiable Rule in Law School Admissions

As much as we deign to use absolutes, there is at least one principle we can think of that is absolutely non-negotiable in law school admissions. Regardless of your qualifications, breaking this rule can tank the chances of any applicant—this episode of Status Check with Spivey discusses that rule.

Predicting the 2023-2024 Law School Admissions Cycle

The 2022-2023 application cycle is coming to a close, and overall, it will finish with about 2% fewer applicants than the prior cycle—the lowest total number of applicants since the 2017-2018 cycle. In this blog, we look at 2023-2024.

Law School Application Opening Dates for the 2023-2024 Cycle

This post includes a full list of all ABA-approved law schools' application opening dates for the 2023-2024 admissions cycle.

Podcast: The Myth of the Early Application “Bump” & Law School Rolling Admissions

In this brief episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike discusses what has grown in recent years to be the biggest myth in law school admissions today.

Podcast: Dean Z on the Future of Law School Admissions + Other Admissions Questions (Part 2)

In this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike continues his conversation with Dean Sarah Zearfoss (also known as "Dean Z").

Why We Dedicate One In Every Four Podcasts To Mental Health

I mentioned something on a recent admissions podcast with Dean Z from Michigan Law School that I thought, even while saying it, was important enough to follow up on.

Podcast: What the SCOTUS Admissions Decision Means for Law School Applicants

In this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike discusses the recent Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard Supreme Court decision—which ruled against the legality of race-conscious admissions or "affirmative action"—and what it means for law school applicants, particularly applicants of color.

Spivey Consulting Group Statement on Supreme Court Race-Conscious Admissions Decision

At Spivey Consulting Group, we believe that diversity, in all of its forms, provides an inherent value in both the individual and collective experiences of who we are, where we come from, how we got here, and how this has affected our places in the world—this will always be relevant.

Podcast: Dean Z on Underrated/Overrated Law School Admissions Advice + Answering Reddit Questions (Part 1)

In this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike has a conversation with Dean Sarah Zearfoss (also known as "Dean Z").

Podcast: What It's Like Applying to Law School, Part 3 (Final Decisions & Choosing a Law School)

In this episode of Status Check with Spivey, we wrap up our ongoing conversation with "Lucy," a 2022-2023 law school applicant.

How to Assess Law Schools' Student Affairs (or, "But How Will I Like It Once I'm There?")

For many, now is the time for the hard part: deciding which law school is right for you. In this post, we discuss one aspect of the complex law school enrollment equation as you dig into the qualities of a law school that make it your best fit—Student Affairs.

Pro Bono Law School Admissions Consulting Opportunity 2023-2024

Spivey Consulting Group fully supports equitable access and diverse representation in legal education. We are excited to announce that, as part of this ongoing commitment, Spivey Consulting Group is launching its third year of our formal Pro-Bono Consulting Program!

Podcast: The New Rankings & The Future of Law School Admissions/Legal Education

In this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike talks about the new 2023-2024 U.S. News law school rankings (full +/- list here), the changes in methodology that they made, and whether and how this year's rankings events will impact law school admissions and legal education moving forward.

U.S. News Puts Blame On Schools & Decides Transparency is Overrated

2023-24 U.S. News Law School Rankings: This Year vs. Last Year (+/-)

After a long, winding, grueling path to get here, we finally have the 2023-2024 U.S. News & World Report law school rankings. Here are the new rankings with +/-.

U.S. News Rankings & the First Amendment: Bad Legal Takes and Shooting Themselves in the Foot

U.S. News' CEO Eric Gertler was part of a panel at Lafayette College on May 2nd. This blog focuses on what Mr. Gertler said about the U.S. News rankings—specifically, their relationship to the First Amendment and freedom of speech.

Podcast: "Everything"

In this short episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike talks about the widespread notion that, even beyond whatever specific and concrete challenges we each may be facing, there is an added factor of "everything" (in today's society, in life) that can sometimes feel crushing.