your journey is worthy of an experienced guide
navigate the law-school process with confidence
How does one begin to prepare for a life in law?
One step at a time.
Where do you want to go? What route should you take to get there? An experienced guide can help you:Find the relevant map; chart the most straightforward path; avoid the pitfalls and dead ends; arrive safely at your destination…Moving forward on your journey is, undoubtedly, up to you. Nevertheless, a seasoned professional who has helped literally thousands of students gain admission to the law schools of their choice can help you navigate the process. Sometimes, it helps to have an experienced guide.
one path doesn't fit every journey
As an independent advisor, I work exclusively for you. That means I can dig deep into your specific situation - your career timeline, your family obligations, your financial constraints, your geographic preferences - and build a strategy that actually fits your life.
When your advisor answers only to you, every piece of guidance can be tailored to your unique path. I can give you honest feedback about which schools make sense for your goals, help you write essays that highlight your individual strengths, and develop a timeline that works with your schedule.
Your law school journey is as unique as you are.
You deserve advice built specifically for your story, your goals, and your future.
don’t get lost in the application maze
Personal statement, letters of rec, LSAT scores, transcripts, optional essays, addenda - sound familiar? Most students stare at this list feeling completely overwhelmed.
Where do I even start?
What if I mess up the timeline?
Should I write about my study abroad or my internship?
Here's what happens next: you spend weeks googling "law school personal statement examples" and reading contradictory advice on forums. You change your essay topic three times. You panic about deadlines you don't actually understand.
Stop wandering in circles.
After guiding students through this maze for 14 years, I know exactly which path leads to acceptance - and which ones lead to rejection letters. You don't have to figure out this maze alone.
Let me guide you
I’m Dr. Carrie Archie Russell, JD, PhD
I earned my bachelor’s degree from Rhodes College in Memphis, my law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law and my PhD in Political Science from Vanderbilt University.
I am an award winning instructor and advisor, teaching constiutional law courses (among others) as a political scientist. Before earning my PhD, I worked as a Judicial Clerk for Davidson County Tennessee’s Twentieth Judicial District, and continue to remain active in the Nashville and Tennessee Bar Associations as well as the National Association of Pre-Law Advisers.
I am here to help you understand the law school admissions process and determine if applying to law school is the best next step for you in your life’s journey. I have fourteen years of Pre-law advising experience, helping thousands of applicants gain admission to multiple law schools, successfully negotiate scholarship offers and identify which Law Schools best position them to help reach their professional goals.
Now, I want to take that knowledge and help everyone considering a life of public service understand the law school application process and submit the strongest application possible. Lawyers have the capacity to change the world for the better. Let me help you get there.
clarity in guidance
Dean Russell’s generosity to meet with me, encourage me consistently over four years, provide clarity in guidance and next steps, counsel me in how and where to best focus my energy, and, more than anything, champion my story has blessed me more than I could ever express in words. Her counsel helped me gain admission, with a prestigious scholarship to Emory in the Fall. The beautiful part is that I know thousands of other students who would say 100% the same.
Cambri D.
Vanderbilt ‘25, Emory Law Woodruff Fellowship recipient 2025
available & responsive
Professor Russell was a knowledgeable and supportive resource during my law school application process. She was available and responsive in answering my questions, and gave great advice as I was choosing between schools. I have been very happy at Stanford Law School, and would definitely recommend Professor Russell for law school advising.
Gabrielle Harder,
Vanderbilt ‘22, Stanford Law School ‘27
a huge boost
Dr. Russell was my pre-law advisor, professor, and mentor while I was an undergraduate student at Vanderbilt University. Her knowledge and support were essential in helping me decide that law school was the right choice. She also helped me navigate the application process, including LSAT Prep, the schools I should apply to, and what to say in my application. Most importantly, she taught me how to succeed in law school, which gave my education—and legal career—a huge boost. I would not have received the highest grade in each of my first-semester classes without her teachings and advice. Those grades, in turn, helped me obtain my first clerkship. Ultimately, I would not be where I am today without Dr. Russell ’s guidance.
Peter B.
Judicial Clerk, U.S. Court of Appeals & Associate at AmLaw 25 firm
don’t trust the armchair experts
That pre-law Facebook group telling you to apply to 20 schools? The Reddit thread claiming you need a 170 LSAT or forget it? Your friend's older brother who "got into a decent law school" and now thinks he's an admissions expert?
They're all wrong.
I've watched too many qualified students tank their applications because they followed bad advice from people who've never sat across from an admissions officer. They'll tell you myths like "submit everything by October 1st" or "you HAVE to go to a T14 school to get a job."
Meanwhile, the students I work with? They're getting into great schools with "imperfect" stats because they know what admissions committees actually want to see.
Stop taking directions from people who've never made the journey.
school selection reality check
I have to get into Harvard or my career is over.
Should I apply to all the T14 schools?
My parents will only pay if I get into a 'good' law school.
Stop. Breathe.
Here's what 14 years of watching students obsess over rankings has taught me: The "best" law school is the one that accepts YOU, fits your goals, and doesn't bury you in debt.
That regional school everyone overlooks? It might have the immigration clinic you need and connections to the DA's office where you want to work. That "lower-ranked" school offering you a full ride? It could launch your career better than Harvard with $200K in loans.
Rankings don't practice law. Lawyers do.
I know which schools actually match your stats, your goals, and your budget. Stop chasing someone else's definition of success.
thoughts that go ‘bump’ in the night
Is my GPA too low?
Can I actually get into law school?
What if I bomb the LSAT again?
I've heard these exact questions from over 1,000 students - usually whispered at 2 AM when the anxiety hits hardest. You're not broken if you're stressed about this. Law school applications ARE confusing. The timeline IS overwhelming. And yes, one wrong move CAN hurt your chances.
But here's what I know after 14 years: You don't have to figure this out alone.
Stop losing sleep. Get real answers.
the waiting is the hardest part
You hit submit on your applications in November. Now what? You refresh your email every hour. You stalk law school forums looking for "waves" and "decision dates." You convince yourself that silence means rejection.
Why haven't I heard anything?
Did my application get lost?
Should I call them?
I should have applied earlier.
The anxiety is eating you alive. You're second-guessing every word of your personal statement. You're wondering if that optional essay was actually required. You're calculating backup plans for careers you don't even want.
This waiting game is brutal - and you're playing it blind. Everyone online has theories about what the silence means, but nobody actually knows what's happening behind those admissions office doors.
But you don’t have to spend months in this mental torture chamber.
This journey is for you
What you've already accomplished is incredible! Whether law school has always been your path, or you've done the work to create a new direction for yourself - you are exactly where you need to be.
But I know that voice in your head. "Everyone else seems so much smarter." "What if they find out I don't belong here?" "Maybe I'm not law school material."
I see this imposter syndrome in nearly every student I work with - even the ones with perfect GPAs. You're not broken for feeling this way. You're human.
Here's what I won't do: give you empty pep talks or tell you to "just believe in yourself."
Here's what I will do: show you exactly why you DO belong, help you craft an application that proves it, and walk alongside you until that confidence becomes unshakeable.
Stop letting self-doubt make your decisions. Schedule your reality-check session.
