Law School Admissions Counselors

James Suzano

Law School Admissions Counselor

Academic Background

University of California, San Diego, BA in Political Science
UCLA School of Law, JD

Professional Background

• Human rights and humanitarian law-based projects with a small advocacy firm
• Trained Syrian doctors and local human rights defenders how best to lobby the United Nations’ aid system
• Represented victims of human rights violations at the United Nations in Geneva, where he worked with the Special Procedures of the United Nations to find redress for victims of false imprisonment and torture
• Adjunct professor of political science and law in Germany

Location

France

You might enjoy working with James if

• You have a background or interest in human rights or public service.
• You are in the military. James teaches US soldiers how best to engage with their civic duties.
• You love traveling. James has lived in seven different countries and visited more than 30. He even lived on a sailboat in the Caribbean when he was a child!

James’s advice for law school applicants:

The entire law school admissions process is designed to test how you think. At any given point, an admissions officer reviewing your application will ask him or herself, “Is this applicant capable of thinking like an attorney?” They’ll be looking for you to demonstrate the analytical, deductive, and logical reasoning skills necessary to succeed at law school. Applicants that don’t demonstrate those skills are rejected; those that do get a foot in the door.

Responding to that question begins with the LSAT, but it ends with the personal statement. To that end, you need to purposefully write your personal statement as an attorney would. Choose a topic that you can analyze. Describe the situation with clear and concise language, using only facts and leaving out extraneous details. Analyze the situation succinctly and come to a logical conclusion.

The substance of what you’re writing matters less than the manner in which you write it. If you’re already writing like a lawyer, then you’ve already answered the admissions officer’s most important question and shown them that you can succeed at their school.