As someone who used to review files for a top school and is now an admissions consultant with 7sage, I will say that solid work experience is a great soft. It's hard to quantify how much it will help you of course....but it will at least show that you are employable and , in your case, it sounds like you have experience in patent law which will demonstrate that you have a good idea what the practice of law entails....all good things. The numbers really do matter, but great work experience is a solid bonus. Good luck!

From my experience in admissions for a T-10 school (and now as a consultant with 7sage), I will say that if you can get the details, you should. I've had clients request records and even background checks to get at the details. However, depending on the jurisdiction, sometimes the infraction was so long ago and/or so minor that it's impossible to find a record. If that's the case, then something along the lines of "In Fall 2010, I was given a ticket for going 65 in a 50 in Charlottesville, Virginia. I paid the fine. I have had no further moving violations..." should do the trick. If "smelling roses" is code for public urination (always a favorite of adcomms), just know that (in my opinion) the presumption will be that you were intoxicated which is not totally minor but also not a huge deal if there was only one infraction.

Having worked in the admissions office of a T-10 school (and now in consulting with 7sage), I think being employed is generally a positive thing in admissions processes.... but, as is often the case, the devil is in the details. If you are just graduating from college and you take the summer off to study for the LSAT and then start a job in September, that seems totally fine to me. Sane and rational. But, to leave a full-time job to study for the exam and then end up with a one year or more gap on your resume "just" to study for the LSAT seems a bit extreme. You'll probably have to explain the gap in an addendum and it could end up putting even more pressure on your score.... you mean, you took 8 months off to study and still only got a 162 [or 152 or 172]? Huh..... The right answer will also depend on the kind of job you have, the hours, the stress level, your other commitments and needs. No easy answers.

Hi captainwoofs, as a former admissions person and now 7sage consultant, I will say that my thinking on this issue has become more nuanced over the years...... while reading files at a T-14 school, I was of the opinion that "the numbers speak for themselves." However, now that I'm on this side of the desk, I see that some schools specifically ask you to explain a variance of more than X points. For those schools, you definitely should do so but it need not be long and full of excuses..... it can be as simple as: I took my first LSAT without much preparation, so I decided to take a study course and try again. Although my second score went up by 5 points, it was still significantly below my practice test scores. I wanted to give myself one last try to achieve a score reflecting my potential. My third score is consistent with my practice tests scores and reflects my ability to succeed in law school." (Clearly I am using a made up set of facts. You will need to adapt this to your situation.) Re: whether you should always explain a variance even if not asked, I think reasonable minds differ. Some consultants/admissions officers I know say they want to see an explanation; others lean toward "let the high score speak for itself." No crystal clear answer I'm afraid.

You could do a short Gap in Employment addendum in which you state the reason for the gap. I personally believe adcomms will be more understanding than usual about gaps in employment because Covid has made things very difficult. It's understandable that people are losing jobs, having internships rescinded, and not being able to find jobs as readily as in normal times.

I agree with the rest. You have a good shot at the T-14 or T-16. But it's a bit of an atypical year, so nothing is a guarantee!