Rating: 
Summary: Worth the money
Review: My brother, who is a lawyer at a top firm, advised me against buying any "self-help" books before applying to law schools. He said the books available aren't worth the paper they're printed on.Well, he was wrong. I ignored his advice (my grades aren't as good as his were) and bought Richard Montauk's "How to Get Into the Top Law Schools." This book, which is now well-worn, was certainly worth the investment! It's full of revelations from admissions insiders and need-to-know information about the process of applying. I would definately recommend it to other pre-law students who want to get an edge on the competition.
Rating:
Summary: Worth the money
Review: My brother, who is a lawyer at a top firm, advised me against buying any "self-help" books before applying to law schools. He said the books available aren't worth the paper they're printed on. Well, he was wrong. I ignored his advice (my grades aren't as good as his were) and bought Richard Montauk's "How to Get Into the Top Law Schools." This book, which is now well-worn, was certainly worth the investment! It's full of revelations from admissions insiders and need-to-know information about the process of applying. I would definately recommend it to other pre-law students who want to get an edge on the competition.
Rating: 
Summary: Fluff - not worth purchasing
Review: One cant really expect to gain an unbiased opinion about law school admissions from someone who stopped practicing law, made a transition into management consulting, and then started an admissions consulting business. Regardless of what Mr. Montauk says, there is no definite "method" that will secure you admission into a top law school. Great grades and high LSAT scores are a must. You dont need to purchase his book in order to know that. Other "intangibles" affect the admissions process, but they dont carry as much weight as academics. Nobody knows what the admissions officers like to see except the admissions officers themselves. However, I agree that one should focus on their unique qualities when applying. (Keep in mind that what you think is unique may not be unique to admissions officers.) Mr. Montauk selfishly feeds on the anxities of today's money hungry and ambtition driven students to fatten his own pockets. I find it ironic that Montauk criticizes students who want to attend law school in order to pursue lucrative careers in corporate law when that is exactly what he did. I wonder if he dediced to enter consulting because, he "is fascinated by the quandry of modern business" or that he started an admissions consulting business because, he "is truly interested in helping students". I wonder what Mr. Montauk wrote when he applied to Stanford. It was probably some false rhetoric about how he admires justice or some bogus anecdote. He should have just written a letter to Stanford saying the following "Dear Stanford, Please admit me so I can padden my credentials, eventually make a transition into a lucrative field, and feed off of the insecurity of others". Mr. Montauk's book exemplifies everything that is wrong with today's hyper-competitive admissions process. IF you dont make your dream law school, dont worry, you wont starve. You can still have a rewarding career as well.
Rating:
Summary: Not the best
Review: Save your money. There are plenty of other books that are far superior to this one. Examples: Law School Confidential, The Complete Law School Companion, How to Succeed in Law School. This read is not worth it. Seriously.
Rating: 
Summary: Worthless
Review: The secret to law school acceptance:
Method 1..
a. graduate from an ok undergrad program
b. get a respectable LSAT score
c. take some time on your personal statement...be honest
d. make sure you have the max number of references(dont worry too much what they say...they're all the same, except see below)
e. spend the money to apply to MANY schools Method 2(if you are unable to satisfy any of the above) pick 1
a. know a tenured faculty member or admissions person
b. donate over 100k to the law school
c. know a major alumnus of the law school who will make a phone call
d. date a tenured faculty member
e. get a Supreme Crt Justice or important political figure to write a letter of rec.(only time a letter of rec matters) And above all, don't buy silly books like these, they're all garbage.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: This book is absolutely indispensable for prospective law school students. It offers top-notch counsel on virtually every topic of importance to those considering a J.D. degree, including the pros and cons of pursuing a law degree to begin with. "How to Get Into the Top Law Schools" also provides an extremely thoughtful analysis of the available law school rankings and their limitations. The bulk of the book, of course, is devoted to the application process itself, and it is clear that the author has devoted a significant amount of time speaking to the people who know the most about what really counts--the admissions directors themselves. I found their advice and the author's strategies and tips to be invaluable.
Rating:
Summary: Richard Montauk is the stereotypical jerk lawyer
Review: This book is crap. I was accepted to several outstanding law school programs. My applications were out the door before I picked up this book, but I thought it would be an interesting read. Please do not waste your money on this drivel. Richard Montauk is to law school admissions what televangelists are to religion. As someone who has been through the admissions process, I suggest Law School Confidential. You do not need to buy this book in order to gain admission to a top law school. Here's how: a high GPA, strong LSAT score, and a great personal statement. If your GPA is high but you got an average LSAT score, hope is not lost. I suggest taking extra time to prepare your personal statement. Enlist a college professor or high-level grad student to review it for you. Montauk implies going to anything less than a top 20 law school guarantees a less successful future. Please do not let this man feed into any insecurities you might have about the admissions process. To all prospective law students, congrats on considering the pursuit of a higher degree. Despite what Montauk says, a career in law can be very fulfilling.
Rating: 
Summary: pretty good
Review: This book is pretty comprehensive; it answers most of the questions that I had about applying to law school. Especially useful are the sample essays, which include comments about what each essay's strengths and weaknesses are.
Rating:
Summary: Essay samples are very useful.
Review: This book is the most useful law school admissions book. You do not have to read the whole book if you are in a time crunch; you can read just the sections pertinent to your case. It also has direct quotations from deans of admissions and financial officers from numerous schools; explains the differentiating factors among the top law schools. About the last 100 pages of the book is dedicated entirely to sample law school application essays and their analyses.
Rating:
Summary: The book does what it says
Review: This is a book about how to get into top law schools. It really was helpful in learning about how the top law schools differ from each other, and it also teaches you what to look for if you're thinking of going to any other schools (for example, what they like to see in work experience, what aspects of your profile are most important to them, and so on). If that's the only thing you want, the Vault Buzz Book may be better for you, but if you want that info along with a guide of what to do with that information, this is perfect.
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