Irish law student considering a U.S. JD

Hi all,

I’m an Irish law student at University College Cork (Ireland’s #1 law school) and I’m trying to figure out whether applying to U.S. law schools is realistic for someone in my position.

I’m currently completing my law degree and am expected to graduate with a high 2:1. Irish grades don’t translate directly into the U.S. GPA system, but a final average around 67–69% (a high 2:1) is generally considered comparable to a 3.8 GPA.

I recently started looking into the LSAT and took my first practice exam. I’ve only done one so far. Based on that test I scored about a 158 overall. I know people will say I should take many more practice tests before drawing conclusions, and I will if I decide to pursue this seriously, but I’m trying to figure out whether it even makes sense to go down this path.

The reason I’m asking is financial. As a non-U.S. citizen I wouldn’t have access to U.S. federal student loans, so attending would realistically require some form of scholarship. It doesn’t need to be a full ride, but I would definitely need meaningful financial aid.

The LSAT, CAS, applications, and preparation materials could easily cost me thousands before I even know whether admission is realistic.

So my question is: with a roughly 158 diagnostic LSAT (I’m sure I can bump that number up with more practice) and a strong Irish law degree, would I be considered a competitive applicant at U.S. law schools that offer scholarships? Or is this path so unlikely that it’s not worth investing the time and money to pursue?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, especially from people familiar with international applicants.