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: Worth every penny!
Review: I am currently in the midst of applying to law schools - a daunting procedure to say the least! I bought this book last year after I it was recommended to me by Amazon. I am so glad I went ahead and made the purchase! This book provides so much insight into choosing a good law school and best of all what admissions officers are looking for in an applicant. Being Canadian (we don't usually have to write personal statements to get into undergrad) I had no idea where to start in terms of my personal statment. Not only that but despite a good LSAT and excellent extra-curriculars my GPA is low due to some health problems. I understood that my application needed to be REALLY good to make-up for my marks - I had to absolutely sell myself! This book was incredibly helpful - because of it I was able to figure out the personal statment bit. Now I am really really happy with my application! I am confident that I have done my absolute best. Highly recommend this book!!! EDIT: I felt that recent developments merited an edit of my review. As my original review shows I applied to a lot of law schools this year and followed the advice in this book. Let me tell you that I WILL BE STARTING LAW SCHOOL THIS FALL! In fact not only will I be starting law school but I will be doing so at a school which is easily top 3 in Canada. Under normal circumstance I would have absolutely no business attending this law school (not with my chronically low GPA). I know that the advice of this book and the steps I took to strengthen my application as much as possible have a LOT to do with my admission into a school I could have only dreamed about! Hallelujah - my miracle has come through!!!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Good for those only a select few
Review: I bought this book and found myself saying "and this pertains to me how?" First off, much of the information provided in this book can be pick-up at a law school forum, secondly the advice is worthless to those not looking at the so-called "top 15 schools" (Ivy's, Cal, UVA, Duke, etc). In fact, the question posed in the title can be summed up in 3 words - high LSAT score. For the schools referenced in this book you need a LSAT in the 160-164 range to even get on the wait list. Not to mention that the personal statements are from people with extraordinary backgrounds - people who lived in the jungles of Costa Rica, grew up dirt poor, got pregnent at age 14 or had klansmen in their front yard. Doesn't really help the suburban kid who has lived a normal life. Save your money for the application fees, go to a law school forum, study hard for the LSAT and ignore law school rankings.
Rating:
Summary: An extremely informative guide
Review: I bought this book for my son, who is applying to law schools this fall. I am a lawyer myself and graduated from a top-tier school a number of years ago. When I sat down to read parts of the book myself, I frankly was surprised by the depth and breath of author Richard Montauk's insights into the whole application process. I truly wish such a book had been around when I was applying to law schools. The book really provides all the information my son needs to guide him through the process and, hopefully, get into his first choice. An excellent resource!
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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: An Essential Read for Serious Law Applicants
Review: I have spent a good deal of time wading through law school admissions guides. Too often, they are insufficiently researched and unscientific. Making generalizations about law school, admissions, and the legal profession can be tricky business, and Mr. Montauk recognizes this from the outset. This is not simply the view of one corporate lawyer, or law student, but instead a comprehensive analysis, informed by the experiences of law school professionals from every geographic region in America. He presents compelling strategies for marketing, based on the preconceptions (or prejudices, if you will) of law school admissions officers. He breaks down the process, and shows you the priorities and challenges faced by those who will determine your admissions fate. Understanding their perspective allows you to fashion the application accordingly, and offset the critiques that will be leveled against you during the decision-making process. Mr. Montauk, of course, has his own opinions and presents them boldly. He begins the text with a discussion of the question, "why law?" He cites the undeniably large degree of dissatisfaction among attorneys, and draws some conclusions as to why this is so. Inexperienced undergraduates, he suggests, often make poor choices, and select law for naïve and psychologically self-serving reasons. He advocates working after college, in order to bolster experience and maturity. The point is well taken, but nonetheless one-dimensional. The undergraduate transcript is less significant for older applicants, which can put high college achievers at a competitive disadvantage. Also, for those of us who cannot benefit from the contacts and connections of an ivy-league degree, finding impressive employment immediately following college can be extremely difficult. These qualms aside, this is a phenomenal book. It is a must-read for ALL serious law applicants, whether they are Harvard-bound or not.
Rating:
Summary: Solid book but poor editing
Review: I noticed quite a few typos and it looked as if some chapters were taken verbatim from Montauk's book about getting into top MBA programs. However I can't say enough good things about the depth and breadth of this book. It covers nearly every aspect of the law school process including financial aid and writing letters once you have been accepted. Overall a very good read but disappointing to see such poor editing by the publisher.
Rating:
Summary: The best book out there about getting into law school
Review: I was extremely nervous about applying to law schools until I found this invaluable companion. My only hope now is to get it back from a friend, who has borrowed it while he completes his own applications. There's plenty of advice about essays, interviews, test scores and the schools themselves that I found extremely helpful. And the author clearly has found a way to get the admissions people at the top schools to divulge their secrets. If I don't get my own copy back soon, I'm putting this one on my Christmas list.
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