Tips on Getting into Law School

As is the case with most aspects of law school, the admissions process is relatively similar for most schools. Below is a summary of the general process, along with a list of the factors that are considered in the process, as well as a brief description of these factors and their relative importance. It is important to note that in recent years a crop of high priced admissions advisers have cropped up across the country, touting themselves as "Law School Geniuses" and marketing their services at phenomenally high prices. While the information contained in this blog is just a "general description" there are thousands of online resources which provide detailed and accurate information on the application process. It may be frivolous to spend thousands of dollars on these so called "Geniuses" when you can find all the pertinent facts yourself on the information super highway in 20 minutes or less. After all, where do you think these advisers-for-hire have gained their so called insight into the law application process? Generally, unless they have logged some serious hours in the admissions office of a high tier law school, they may posses no more knowledge than you might after a few well placed clicks of the mouse and a phone call or two. A friend of mine in New York lost nearly $4,000 on an advisor who shall remain nameless for the sake of legalities. He held off purchasing an engagement ring in order to afford this worthless luxury. This is not to say that all law school application advisers are fools gold. It is plausible that they may offer valuable insight to nervous applicants. The bottom line is the level of their effectiveness is difficult to measure since the variety of student who is willing to pay such exaggerated fees mostly has an outstanding GPA and/or LSAT score and would likely achieve acceptance without any further guidance. The weight that a particular admissions committee attaches to a certain criteria will vary across law schools. However, the amount of variation tends to be small. Generally, there are two types of admissions decision making processes, that I call the quantitative approach and the holistic approach. The quantitative approach tends to focus primarily on a combination of LSAT scores and undergraduate GPA. Conversely, with the holistic approach, LSAT score and GPA are two of many factors that the admissions committees use to make decisions.
Economics is one of several majors frequently used to prepare for law school, especially for those interested in corporate or business law. Law schools look most favorably on a traditional disciplinary major, as long as you do very well in it .
Earn Excellent Grades.
Depending upon the quality of the law school, that could well mean at least the top 10 percent of your class.
Perform Very Well on the LSAT.
Performing very well on the LSAT is absolutely essential to getting into any law school. Buy LSAT preparation books early (in your sophomore year) and test yourself repeatedly. Then seriously consider taking one of the LSAT preparation courses either in the spring of your junior or the summer before your senior year. LSAT scores are averaged, so plan to take them early in your senior year when you are feeling well and rested.
Do a Law-Related Internship.
Law schools say internships don't matter much on an application, but they can help you decide whether law school is worth all the struggle.
Choose the Right Courses.
Although law schools say there are no particular courses in any discipline that will especially aid an application, they often recommend courses that emphasize comprehension, analysis, and writing. Certain courses introduce you to different aspects of the law and can help determine your area of interest; Business Law (BUS 222), Constitutional Law (POLS 363), and Civil Liberties Law (POLS 364) are three examples. Courses in critical thinking, logic, and mathematics are also suggested.

How to Prepare for Law School

While Political Science, History and English are the most common among those who apply for law school, you should only declare those majors if you enjoy them. The skills essential for law school preparation can be attained with any major. Therefore, you will actually increase your chances of admission into law school if you choose a major in which you are interested. Studying a subject you enjoy will help you acquire a higher GPA than if you were to take a major that you were not as interested in. The American Bar Association identified the following skills as essential:
Analytical and problem-solving skills
Critical reading skills
Writing skills
Oral communication and listening abilities
General research skills
Task organization and management skills
Value serving others and promoting justice
Assessing your chances of gaining admission to any particular law school requires a review of the most current admission's data available. There are several resources to help you:
ABA/LSAC Official Guide To ABA-Approved Law Schools This book [located in 135 Johnston Hall or online at www.lsac.org] includes facts and information on all ABA-approved law schools in the country. Data such as admission results for prior applicants are helpful to see how others with your GPA and LSAT scores fared last year.
Boston College Law School Range Finder
Princeton Review Advanced Law School Search
Law school catalogs Some law schools don't print all of their admission results in the ABA/LSAC Official Guide To ABA-Approved Law Schools; therefore, you can obtain an application booklet and/or catalog by contacting the law schools that you are interested in and requesting information. Many schools do have this available online.
What are "REACH", "TARGET", and "SAFETY" schools?
It is rare that an applicant will gain admission to all of the laws schools they apply to. Therefore, it is helpful to make educated guesses based on three categories of prospects.
REACH This is a law school where about 20% or less of the applicants with your GPA and LSAT scores were recently admitted. Your "REACH" applications should be your dream schools. Work hard to make your application one of the 4 they might accept.
TARGET This is a law school where your GPA and LSAT scores are approximately the same as the medians for last year's entering class. "TARGET" schools present at least a 50/50 chance.
SAFETY This is a law school where at least 80% of the applicants with your GPA and LSAT scores were admitted last year. Include several "SAFETY" schools on your list due to the accelerating applicant pools in terms of quality. What may have been a "SAFETY" school last year may have suddenly become a "TARGET" school instead.