In case you thought you wouldn't have much competition this law school application season, check out Applications Up, Way Up, at Iowa Law at Above the Law.

The University of Iowa College of Law has sent out an email, which states:

We have nearly completed a busy Fall travel schedule. Also, it has been a very successful travel season, as reflected in our total application numbers to date: Applications to The University of Iowa College of Law have increased 62% versus this time last year, and the quality and diversity of those applications has increased significantly, as well. It is still early in the admissions season, so we will see if these positive signs hold up over the long term.

This should serve as a reminder that if you are choosing to apply to law school in this difficult economy, be sure to get those applications in as early as possible; many schools have rolling admissions policies, but even the ones who don't still like to get a certain number of seats filled early.

Should turn the lights off once in a while?

Tribeca residents are complaining about the new New York Law School all-glass building near their homes because it's "like a giant Japanese lantern sitting on the corner," according to Andrea Tomasetti, whose living room sits 50 feet from the beacon.

Many residents now keep their blinds and curtains closed to avoid the light--an action that, of course, blocks off one of the selling points of their Tribeca neighborhood, the view.

At least one residents appreciates the light, though. Rebecca Cort likes the feeling of greater safety it offers.

Still, the school's dean and president, Richard Matasar, said they've "installed some timers and motion sensors" and they'll also turn off lights that aren't needed throughout the night.

Even law schools don't want to be bad neighbors.

If you're still waiting to hear from me about your personal statement, take heed--I'm getting there!

The bad news is that I'm not accepting any more for review at this time, but I will open it up again at some point during this admissions season. Watch this space!

That said, if you have any questions or issues I can help with regarding applications, just shoot me an email, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

We've talked about this before, but just in case you're still unclear as to how you should dress in law school, Above the Law offers the cautionary tale of one BYU Law student who came to class wearing a SWAT team outfit, complete with an armor belt.

The student said it was just a Halloween costume, but the police officers who raided the classroom and removed him apparently weren't feeling the Halloween spirit. He did return to class later dressed in more appropriate law school attire.

Duly noted law students? Let's hope so.

Tomorrow, November 3, is the deadline for online registration for the December 2009 administration of the LSAT. Register now at LSAC.org to avoid paying late fees or getting shut out of the exam altogether.

Registering online is the easiest method, and LSAC notes that signing up for an account with them has several advantages:

• LSAT registration
• Early receipt of LSAT score by e-mail
• LSDAS (Law School Data Assembly Service) registration
• Publications and test preparation materials for purchase
• Access to electronic applications for ABA-approved law schools
• Law school forums
• 24-hour file access

If you've already taken the LSAT and aren't sure whether to take it again, check out Should I Retake the LSAT?

Also, hopefully you've already started preparing, but if not, head to LSAT Prep in 3 Steps.

Best of luck!

It's time to get into the Halloween spirit with Bitter Lawyer's Five Monsters You Meet in Law School.

And if you want to gather around with some classmates and identify who these particular creatures are in your section, well, it's all in good fun, right?

Have a great weekend!

The Law School Academic Support Blog has 11 great ways you can stop yourself from zoning out in law school classes.

Three that I particularly love:

• Don't sit in the back row.
• Volunteer instead of waiting to be called on.
• Make sure you're not hungry or thirsty going into class.

How do you stay awake and involved in law school?

Ana del Puerto, Admissions Counseler at Widener Law School's Deleware campus, has shared advice on what questions to ask at law fairs.

Don't bother with LSAT scores and GPAs, del Puerto says; make sure you ask about the intangibles like what life and students at the law school are really like, as well as about bar passage rates and employment/specialty information.

Check out all del Puerto's tips at What to Ask at a Law Fair.

The American Society of International Law (ASIL) is now accepting applications for the Arthur C. Helton Fellowship Program, which provides micro-grants to "law students and young professionals to pursue field work and research on significant issues involving international law, human rights, humanitarian affairs, and related areas."

The program honors the legacy of ASIL member Arthur Helton who was killed in the Baghdad UN bombing in 2003.

From the ASIL website:

Helton Fellowship micro-grants are intended to ensure that these individuals have access to modest amounts of funding that can often stand between them and their first professional opportunities to become effective practitioners, experts, and scholars of international law.

Helton Fellowship micro-grants are intended to contribute to paying for logistics, housing and living expenses, and other costs related to the Fellow's international law fieldwork and research in affiliation with the sponsoring organization....

Law students, practicing lawyers, human rights professionals, scholars, and other individuals seeking assistance in conducting international fieldwork and law-related research are encouraged to apply.

The application deadline is February 12, 2010 and work on the fellowship begins in April. For full details, including an application, see the ASIL website.

H/t CM Law Librarian Blog.

A group of Yale Law students have filed a civil rights lawsuit against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on behalf of ten New Haven residents who say the agents illegally entered their homes and arrested them based on race and/or ethnicity.

The lawsuit is based on June 2007 raids, which the plaintiffs allege occurred "in order to retaliate against the City's public safety policies that aimed to integrate all residents, including immigrant and Latinos, into civic life." The raids, which in some instances involved force and drawn guns, occurred three days after New Haven approved the Elm City Resident Card Program, which would provide identification to all city residents, regardless of immigration status.

The lawsuit also names senior ICE officials, alleging they failed to prevent foreseeable constitutional violations.

For more details, see the full press release (PDF).