Law School Admissions
The first thing a person needs to do is decide whether or not they want to pursue a law degree. Getting through law school takes an average of 7 years, with full-time study and participation in events such as practice trials. If you have decided that you want to pursue a career in law, you must begin looking at Law Schools. Many people want to attend top ranked law schools, however, based on factors such as tuition, location and curriculum, many prospective lawyers stick to less known law schools that are close to home.
It’s important to note that if you are interested in establishing employment in a large, prestigious law firm, you may want to look into law school scholarships, grants and loans that are available. For most new graduates, graduating from lesser known or smaller law schools can make it challenging to land such positions. Partners in law firms like to hire new graduates with degrees from Yale University or Harvard University (Ranked #1 and #2 in U.S. News and World Report’s recent rankings list). Your law schools reputation can ‘say a lot about you’ after graduation.
Once you pick a law school, you must figure out that school’s deadlines, fees, and other application requirements before applying. If you are applying to more than one or two schools, you may want to purchase a calendar or day planner to help you stay organized and keep track of all of the important upcoming dates.
The Application Process for Law School
Most law school application processes vary, but include:
- Preparing for the LSAT
- Research law schools and application deadlines, fees, etc.
- Register for the LSAT
- Obtain your LSAT Admission Ticket
- Ask to have your official transcripts sent to the schools of your choice
- Ask for letters of recommendation from your people and have them send them to the law schools of your choice
- Take the LSAT
- Obtain your LSAT score
- Apply to law schools with their individual applications
- Order your law school reports and verify they were sent to your chosen law schools
- Send all of your documents in together and wait for a response
Getting Into Law School
Getting into law school can be a challenging and difficult task. For most law schools, especially prestigious universities, there are certain factors they use to help them decide who is admitted and who is not. The following factors all play a significant role in helping your get into law school.
GPA Scores- Your high school GPA is just as important as your undergraduate GPA when applying to law schools, and when you’re trying to help financial assistance such as scholarships, grants and loans. Averaging a 3.8 or above during your entire high school and undergraduate career can benefit you tremendously during the admission process.
LSAT Scores- Having a high LSAT score can increase your chances of getting into the law school of your dreams, especially if your GPA scores are also high. If your GPA is suffering, your LSAT scores can still help you, as passing the exam shows you are knowledgeable in the field of law.
Letters of Recommendation- Letters of recommendation are a huge part of the admission process. These letters generally come from professors, employers and other people who are in a position that gives them an opportunity to know your abilities, talents, intelligence and work habits. Most law schools require 3 letters of recommendation.
Personal Statement- Your admissions essay can be a challenging task to complete, however it is necessary to apply for most law schools. The admissions committee wants to know why you are qualified for law school, so take the moment and shine!
