via
Getty)
Last
week,
I
presented
the
first
part
of
my
written
interview
with
Ethan
Madore,
7Sage’s
coordinator
of
their
law
school
admissions
consulting
program.
That
column
presented
his
answer
to
the
first
of
my
three
questions
and
focused
on
how
the
changing
law
school
admissions
landscape
has
made
getting
into
one’s
school
of
choice
more
difficult
than
ever.
What
follows
are
Ethan’s
answers
to
my
remaining
two
questions.
As
usual,
I
have
added
some
brief
commentary
to
his
answers
below,
but
have
otherwise
presented
his
answers
as
he
provided
them.
GK:
What
lessons
have
you
learned
about
how
best
to
position
candidates
in
light
of
the
factors
law
schools
are
choosing
to
focus
on?
EM:
Many
of
the
best
candidates
tell
stories
about
wising-up.
Among
the
flood
of
young
graduates
looking
to
law
school
as
a
way
to
learn
how
to
write
a
blank
check
for
social
change,
candidates
with
a
sober
understanding
of
what’s
possible
—
and
admirable
—
in
the
life
of
a
lawyer
really
stand
out.
And
there
are
a
lot
of
people
who
would
make
great
law
students
and
lawyers
who
get
passed
over
because
they
don’t
realize
there’s
a
good
deal
of
strategy
in
how
you
choose
to
present
yourself.
An
application
is
a
test.
If
you’re
from
a
certain
background,
you
probably
already
understand
that.
If
not,
it
can
really
be
a
learning
curve.
When
our
committee
of
admissions
officers
do
their
blind
reviews
on
a
fresh
set
of
applications,
you
really
see
the
difference
the
right
narrative
can
make.
Admissions
officers
are
natural
cynics
and
stereotypers.
They’re
there
to
recognize
patterns
and
secure
certain
outcomes
for
the
institutions
that
employ
them.
But
they’re
also
human.
They
want
to
believe
that
their
role
as
professional
gatekeepers
actually
does
contribute
to
the
kind
of
change
they
want
to
see
in
the
world.
In
the
heart
of
hearts,
they
believe
they’re
there
to
elevate
the
worthy,
punish
the
arrogant,
and
dole
out
hard-earned
second
chances.
When
I
read
an
application
for
the
first
time,
I
always
underline
the
first
moment
I
start
to
like
a
candidate.
Usually,
it’s
a
very
small
moment
of
self-description.
Far
too
often,
it
comes
at
the
very
end
of
an
application.
But
if
you
do
that
early
enough
to
get
a
reader
on
your
side,
then
there’s
a
lot
you
can
do
with
the
right
narrative
delivered
to
a
sympathetic
audience.
GK:
Pragmatism
is
in
short
supply.
As
is
resilience.
But
both
are
qualities
that
are
essential
to
success
in
legal
practice,
especially
as
we
stand
on
the
precipice
of
an
AI-driven
shift
in
how
legal
services
are
delivered
to
clients.
For
me,
Ethan’s
answer
is
a
reminder
that
screening
for
those
who
have
demonstrated
the
ability
to
think
and
act
pragmatically,
or
who
have
shown
resilience
in
the
face
of
challenges,
is
a
good
approach
for
all
of
us
to
take
when
evaluating
others.
Whether
it
is
to
build
a
1L
law
school
class,
bring
on
a
lateral
partner
or
associate,
or
when
choosing
to
partner
with
another
lawyer
on
a
client
matter
—
spotting
and
acting
on
evidence
that
your
counterparty
embodies
a
pragmatic
and
resilient
spirit
is
critical
to
a
successful
relationship.
And
if
you
can
find
something
likeable
about
the
person
you
are
choosing
to
deal
with,
all
the
better.
GK:
What
challenges
do
you
and
your
team
at
7Sage
look
forward
to
tackling
in
the
coming
years?
EM:
Universities
have
been
adopting
the
‘revenue
model’
of
education
for
decades.
The
median
tenure
for
a
law
school
dean
is
less
than
three
years
—
that’s
not
enough
time
to
see
an
entering
class
through
graduation.
What
happens
is
that
a
new
person
comes
in
with
a
promise
to
raise
a
school’s
ranking,
which
they
do
by
maximizing
the
very
limited
factors
measured
by
U.S.
News.
Maybe
they
cut
academic
programs
to
give
scholarships
to
people
with
really
high
LSAT
scores.
Their
LSAT
median
goes
up,
their
ranking
goes
up.
But
the
program
doesn’t
get
better.
And
so
in
two
years,
there’s
a
crash.
The
school
falls
back
down
to
where
it
was
before
—
often
lower.
But
that
new
dean,
well,
they’ve
already
already
gotten
a
new
job
at
a
higher-ranked
university
on
the
basis
of
their
“accomplishment.”
The
cycle
repeats!
Of
course
that
isn’t
the
problem
7Sage’s
admissions
program
is
trying
to
solve.
But
it’s
the
landscape
we’re
in.
Our
concern
is
for
the
individual:
how
do
you
climb
this
increasingly
rickety
ladder
up
into
professional
life?
The
more
we
can
help
people
reflect
on
why
they’re
about
to
take
this
journey
and
explain
themselves
to
these
gatekeepers
of
professional
life,
the
more
they
can
make
smart
choices
in
the
face
of
billion-dollar
educational
institutions.
Universities
have
embraced
being
businesses.
You
need
to
be
a
savvy,
suspicious,
disenchanted
customer
if
you
want
what
they’re
selling.
You
need
to
talk
to
them
the
right
way.
GK:
I
believe
that
many
readers,
like
myself,
are
glad
that
they
don’t
have
to
navigate
the
law
school
admissions
process
in
the
current
climate.
At
the
same
time,
even
though
Ethan’s
considered
opinion
about
the
flawed
outcomes
engendered
by
short-term
thinking
at
law
schools
rings
true,
I
think
what
is
most
important
to
remember
is
his
advice
to
aspiring
applicants.
Namely,
that
it
is
important
to
be
an
informed
consumer,
while
also
confident
in
why
they
want
to
go
to
law
school
in
the
first
place.
As
I
watch
my
son
work
his
way
through
the
current
application
cycle
with
7Sage’s
help,
I
can’t
help
but
be
excited
and
proud
to
watch
him
take
the
brave
next
step
towards
a
life
of
what
I
hope
will
be
full
of
professional
fulfillment
and
contributions
to
society.
My
thanks
to
Ethan
for
the
insights
and
cooperation,
and
I
wish
him
continued
success
with
his
important
work
at
7Sage’s
law
school
admissions
consulting
program.
Hopefully
this
readership
will
share
Ethan’s
insights
with
aspiring
law
students
and
any
current
applicants
they
have
in
their
lives. Our
profession
is
ever-changing
and
it
is
in
our
collective
best
interest
that
the
next
generation
of
law
school
attendees
is
as
capable
and
well-trained
for
a
career
in
the
law
as
can
be.
Law
school
admissions
offices
are
the
gatekeepers
that
help
make
that
happen
—
and
thoughtful
consultants
like
Ethan
and
his
colleagues
help
make
the
admissions
process
more
successful
for
applicants
as
well
as
those
making
the
decisions.
I
am
always
open
to
conducting
interviews
of
this
type
with
other
IP
thought
leaders,
so
feel
free
to
reach
out
if
you
have
a
compelling
perspective
to
offer.
Please
feel
free
to
send
comments
or
questions
to
me
at
[email protected]
or
via
Twitter:
@gkroub.
Any
topic
suggestions
or
thoughts
are
most
welcome.
Gaston
Kroub
lives
in
Brooklyn
and
is
a
founding
partner
of Kroub,
Silbersher
&
Kolmykov
PLLC,
an
intellectual
property
litigation
boutique,
and Markman
Advisors
LLC,
a
leading
consultancy
on
patent
issues
for
the
investment
community.
Gaston’s
practice
focuses
on
intellectual
property
litigation
and
related
counseling,
with
a
strong
focus
on
patent
matters.
You
can
reach
him
at [email protected] or
follow
him
on
Twitter: @gkroub.