Top Law Schools

1). Graduated college nearly 4 years ago in 2019
2). Have a 2.7 lsac gpa. Upward trend last 3 years, but battled cancer in undergrad
3). When I apply will have 5 years of solid work experience separating me from gpa
4). Currently scoring in the 170s on LSAT practices

* Is there a chance if I blanket the Top 14, I could snag one at Georgetown, UVA, Michigan, Northwestern?
**has anyone known anyone with those credentials that landed top 14?
*** I know the ABA is moving toward making the LSAT optional, but that doesnt go into affect til Fall 2025 right? So If I apply to law school with LSAT taken Fall 2024, then they have to count my LSAT as part of their admission requirements?

Scoring in the 170s on practice tests and getting an actual 178 or higher on exam day are two very different things. Many people manage the former but only a few manage the latter.

Admitted student stats suggest than a 178/2.7 is unlikely to get into a T14, but with a compelling addendum on the poor undergrad grades, it’s possible you’ll manage to get into a decent school.

Some top schools (like YLS and Chicago) actually publicly post the lowest UGPA in their entering classes. It’s usually somewhere between 3.1 and 3.25. 2.7 is significantly below that, which suggests that it’s too low a UGPA to get into a school of comparable caliber, even with a 180 (which is almost always the highest LSAT in each top school’s entering class based on publicly available data).

No one can give you a definitive answer, so just do your best and apply broadly.

I'd suggest trying for WashU, very splitter friendly and give scholarships still. I think they also allow a blocked part application where you can hide your GPA, but I'm not totally sure? Best of luck.

My best friend had exactly these stats. The highest ranked school he was accepted at was WashU with a substantial scholarship.

I got in Georgetown about 5 years ago with a 2.8/174. Got a little bit of a scholarship, nothing crazy. White guy, kind of interesting story, but definitely no special "softs." My GPA addendum was basically "I didn't care about school; that was dumb."
I know other people with similar GPAs here, but they have more impressive backgrounds / have overcome adversity in ways I haven't.