Rating: 
Summary: The Best Law School Admissions Resource Out There
Review: "How to Get Into the Top Law Schools" is a top-notch source of valuable advice for those who are getting prepared to apply to law schools. There really aren't many other books like this out there, and what's available pales in comparison to this comprehensive tome. Montauk's book provides lots of useful examples and gives solid advice on essay writing, positioning and getting recommendations that will strengthen your case for getting into a top school. I heartily recommend this fantastic resource.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't Bother Reading This Book
Review: According to Richard Montauk, a sucessful law career can only be acheived by graduating from an Ivy League law school. He isn't even practicing law at this point! Instead, he's taking the money of naive prospective law students. This book is not particularly well-written or helpful. The information it contains is nothing new or astounding. In fact, the only thing I really learned from this book is that Richard Montauk is an egotisical, money-hungry bore.
Rating:
Summary: Richard Montauk: the stereotypical arrogant lawyer.
Review: Don't buy this book. Many of the example essays are hilariously bad. I especially enjoyed the one by the caretaker of a disabled woman who "is the only person standing between her and a nursing home." Yeah, and now she'll be in a nursing home while you pursue a law degree. Good job, there!
I'm convinced that half the 5-star reviews here were written by Montauk himself. I have been through the law school admissions process. The advice in this book is generic at best. Save your money.
Rating:
Summary: Helpful for a select few
Review: Don't let this book scare you away from going to law school. Montauk suggests a JD will only be helpful for a career in law, yet he is now a consultant. If someone has Richard Montauk's address, let me know. I'd like to send him back this book.
Rating:
Summary: A 531-page compendium of practical information
Review: How To Get Into The Top Law Schools by Richard Montauk fully lives up to the promise of its titles. This is a 531-page compendium of practical information, applicable advice, and expertly presented directions on determining if law school is the right choice for the reader, and if so, how to select just the right law school; successfully apply to that chosen school, and getting the most out of the law school experience when enrolled. Of special note are the chapters devoted to financing a law degree; properly responding to wait-listing, enrollment acceptance denials, and other disappointments; and "Application Essay Examples". Complete with a "user friendly index, How To Get Into The Top Law Schools is a confidently recommended resource for students (and their families) who aspire to a law school education.
Rating: 
Summary: Not as helpful as I imagined
Review: I agree with the reviewer above that Mr. Montauk is indeed hypocritical, and he is definitely biased. Who isn't biased? Everyone has a unique perspective that they are bringing to the table when they write a book. You would get a different opinion from a criminal lawyer, as well as from a professor of law. So, I believe that we should not take Mr. Montauk's words as gospel.I agree with the others that the quotes from the admissions officers are abundant and helpful; however, I also think that Mr. Montauk's words, in his biased perspective, are excessively discouraging for future lawyers. I found myself questioning why I wanted to go to law school, even though I really knew in my heart that I wanted to go. This was all because Mr. Montauk, the so-called "expert" was giving the impression that his opinion is gospel. I will admit that he seems to have substantial experience and is obviously an intelligent person, but I simply do not agree with some of his ideas. All in all, a somewhat helpful book, but also inordinately discouraging.
Rating:
Summary: Not as helpful as I imagined
Review: I agree with the reviewer above that Mr. Montauk is indeed hypocritical, and he is definitely biased. Who isn't biased? Everyone has a unique perspective that they are bringing to the table when they write a book. You would get a different opinion from a criminal lawyer, as well as from a professor of law. So, I believe that we should not take Mr. Montauk's words as gospel. I agree with the others that the quotes from the admissions officers are abundant and helpful; however, I also think that Mr. Montauk's words, in his biased perspective, are excessively discouraging for future lawyers. I found myself questioning why I wanted to go to law school, even though I really knew in my heart that I wanted to go. This was all because Mr. Montauk, the so-called "expert" was giving the impression that his opinion is gospel. I will admit that he seems to have substantial experience and is obviously an intelligent person, but I simply do not agree with some of his ideas. All in all, a somewhat helpful book, but also inordinately discouraging.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent advice for those seeking to attend top law schools
Review: I discovered this book last summer when I first decided to put myself through the law school application process (again). What a find! I only wish I had had it the first time around. There are so many little nuggets of advice that are useful to those applying to top 20 law schools. The emphasis on the importance of the LSAT cannot be missed. There's also a great section on how to get the best letters of recommendation from profs (although the sample letter Montauk includes seems a little unrealistic--it's almost four pages long). Also, don't worry if your resume isn't as solid as some of the sample ones included--those people are NOT your typical law school applicants. Montauk does a thorough job of going through every aspect of the law school admissions process, including the most important one: Is law school right for you? The first chapter is invaluable in evaluatng whether you're making the right choice for yourself, since law school is a costly commitment (time, effort and money-wise). There are also countless data tables that examine statistics for each law school and a great chapter on law school rankings. Overall, I would say that this book is worth every penny for those applying to top law schools (for those who are looking outside of the top tier, I would be more hesitant to recommend it since the data he includes is restricted primarily to top 20 schools).
Rating:
Summary: Great advice for getting into the top schools
Review: I've read a number of books this fall about getting into law schools but find this one to be the most useful and comprehensive. It's apparent that Montauk has spent a lot of time speaking with the various admissions directors, and the advice he shares has really helped me tailor the approach I'm taking in applying to different schools. I also got a lot out of the chapters of interviewing and essay-writing. And I appreciated Montauk's thoughtful critique of the law school rankings. The book is an extremely helpful resource.
Rating:
Summary: Exhaustive reference for getting into law school
Review: If you can only afford to purchase one book on the entire law school application and admissions process, make sure it's this one.
I won't rehash what others have already pointed out except to say it's not "really" fair to compare this book to the others you've probably heard of -- for example, "Planet Law School" by Atticus Falcon, "Law School Confidential" by Rob Miller, and "Law School For Dummies" by Rebecca Greene -- because, whereas the others concern themselves with the whole of law school from application to becoming the best law student to what to do after law school, "How to Get Into the Top Law Schools" focuses (almost) solely on the admissions process itself. The advantage of this narrowed perspective, so to speak, is obvious: there is far more in-depth coverage on simply "getting in." So, if you're looking for a book devoted to that, devoted to "getting in," I have yet to find one better than Montauk's book [for reasons others have previously noted].
And by the way, the advice here can honestly (in my opinion) aid both those who want to get into the top law schools as well as those who don't need nor perhaps even want to aim so high. Oh, and make sure to get the revised and updated (2004) edition rather than the older one that's apparently still floating around on various online bookstores.
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