THE LAWSCHOOL
OPTION
(A reference book for students
interested in knowing more about
how to prepare for and apply to law school)
ANA L. DROSCOSKI, Esq.
PRE-LAW ADVISOR & ASST. DIRECTOR
300 Garland Hall
410-516-4140
DAVID VERRIER, Ph.D.
DIRECTOR
Carolyn Mae Krause
LaTonia J. Sanders
Administrative Coordinators
Lena Harding
Administrative Secretary
11/2/18
F:\SHARED|Wpfiles|Preaw|Law Tower\LawOptionMANUAL06
TABLE OF CONTENT
I.Introduction1
II.Pre-law Preparation2
A. Academic Record2
B. Work/Internship Experience3
C. Extracurricular Activities3
III. A Suggested Calendar4
IV.The Application Process5
A. The LawSchool Admission Test6
B. Preparing for the LSAT 7
- LawSchool Recommendations7
Starting a Pre-law File7
Pre-law File Checklist8
D. The Art of Gathering Recommendations9
E. The Essay9
V.The Acceptance10
A. Choosing a Law School10
B. Early Decision12
C. Deferred Admission12
D. Delayed Application12
E. Financial Aid13
F. Bar Requirements13
G. Joint Degree Programs13
H. Placement After Law School14
I.
INTRODUCTION
Whether you have decided to apply to law school or are just considering law school as one of many possible options upon graduation, this booklet should be of use to you. What follows is a discussion of the ways in which you can prepare yourself for law school, the mechanics of applying and what you can expect once you are there.
It is possible that you have only a vague desire to attend law school but have heard that a law degree is good preparation for almost any career. On the other hand, your personal ambitions may be more refined, yet you still may be incorrectly assuming that law school is a necessary stepping stone to your goals. There is a wide range of fields such as public policy, urban and regional planning, criminal justice, international relations, social work and others that are law-related, but for which a legal education may not be necessary or the most appropriate training.
Why LawSchool? Before choosing law as a career, it is important to decide why you are choosing to be a lawyer as well as to know what a lawyer actually does. If you have had a legal internship, you probably have considered both of these issues.
You may realize that the practice of law involves a great deal of research and detail. Many lawyers think of it as fitting pieces into a gigantic puzzle. A legal practice today is a business as well as a profession. It involves billing in six minute increments, soliciting clients, working successfully with support staff, associates and partners, marketing yourself and your firm, and continually keeping abreast of the changes in the field.
You may not realize that the profession usually demands very long hours. If you want to have ample time for leisure and family, law may not be the best choice for you. You do not, of course, have to work 70 hour weeks, but if you do not, you may not climb the partnership ladder. Know what is important to you. Being a lawyer involves much more than a large paycheck, and depending on what field and practice setting you choose, it may not even include that. This booklet is a starting place for learning more. We hope it will help you make an informed decision about law as a career as well as give you nitty-gritty information about the application process. For additional resources and discussion of your personal situation, see Ana L. Droscoski, J.D.
The LawSchool Experience. It is difficult to generalize about the law school experience since each school has its own identity. However, most law schools have a fairly standardized first-year program that usually covers the study of torts, contracts, property, criminal law, and civil procedure. Within the first year, there is little room for elective coursework, and most courses continue for the full academic year.
During the second and third years of law school, the vast majority of the coursework is elective and generally lasts a semester or a quarter, depending on the school’s system. It is during the second and third years that clinical and internship experience may become available, and electives may determine for you your future line of work.
Law school is not a place to specialize in the same way that you choose a major. However, many students develop areas of specialization by taking a preponderance of courses in one field, such as International Law or Environmental Law. For the most part law schools prepare you to think like a lawyer and leave the preparation for the practice of law to on-the-job experience. Because law schools have come under attack for being “too academic,” many have started clinical programs designed to give students “hands on” experience. You will want to investigate the clinical possibilities at the law schools that interest you.
In order to become better acquainted with life as a law student, plan to visit law schools, attend classes and talk to as many students as possible. The JohnsHopkinsUniversity Pre-Law Society and Office of Pre-Professional Programs & Advising sponsor the annual Law School Fair that is attended by admissions officers from throughout the country. Discussing your plans and interests with these admissions representatives can be very helpful to your decision making. Ana L. Droscoski, J.D.can often give you names of Johns Hopkins graduates attending a law school you are planning to visit.
II.PRE-LAW PREPARATION
One of the best features of pre-legal education is that it contains absolutely no requirements or restrictions. You can major in literally any field and take any course or program offered, and subsequently be admitted to a fine law school and become a topnotch lawyer. The key factor is to challenge yourself to do well. Many pre-law students major in political science, international studies, history or English. This is only advisable if you like one of these areas of study. Those who major in the traditional pre-law areas will neither be helped nor hindered in the admissions process. What counts, of course, is how well you perform in your chosen field of study.
A.ACADEMIC RECORD
A strong academic record is very important in the law school application process. JohnsHopkinsUniversity is well known as a rigorous, academically challenging institution. It is important to demonstrate your capacity for success within a competitive institution. Once again the old adage to “do what you enjoy, and you will do well” appears to hold true. Although a heavy course load does make an impression on admissions officers, it is still more important to take an average number of courses (+/- 15 credits) and do your best. Completing your degree requirements, a semester or a year early, or double majoring, is not in itself seen as a benefit.
In evaluating a candidate's undergraduate academic performance and resultant undergraduate cumulative grade point average (G.P.A.), law schools look very carefully at the trends in a student's academic record. A student who has earned high grades in a large number of analytic and advanced courses but whose G.P.A. has been lowered by a few low grades in less demanding or introductory courses taken during the freshman year may be regarded as a stronger candidate than the student who has earned a high G.P.A. by taking numerous introductory courses during the junior and senior years.
Law schools will tend to forgive a weak freshman year and/or the ravages of the sophomore slump, provided the student shows real strength in the last two years. Law school admissions committees, however, will be concerned about a candidate who shows real strength in the first year and then shows a decline in G.P.A. each successive year.
You may be tempted to take “law-related” courses. While such courses offer students an opportunity to test their academic interest in law, law schools urge undergraduates not to take these courses in such numbers that they prevent them from taking a broad range of courses in the liberal arts. Many admissions officers also advise against taking too many courses on a pass/fail basis. Although there are exceptions, courses taken pass/fail represent one less opportunity to accurately evaluate a student's academic performance. Many times a pass in a pass/fail course is looked at as a “C.”
Students frequently ask what effect, if any, study abroad for a semester or year will have on their admission to law school. Some resources indicate that although foreign study itself will not contribute significantly to a candidate’s acceptance or rejection, law schools are interested in recruiting students with diverse and enriched educational backgrounds. Students are cautioned, however, to apply to reputable, academically strong study-abroad programs. It is also important to realize that study abroad grades will be calculated into the Law School Data Assembly Service G.P.A., even though those same grades may not appear on the Hopkins transcript.
B.WORK/INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE
Although a law-related work experience or internship is not a requirement for law school admission, such “field experience” offers students an opportunity to test their interest in law. This type of position may involve real responsibility in a legal environment: interviewing clients and gathering salient facts, legal research, writing memoranda, counseling, and negotiation.
Employment in a job not law related may play a role in an admissions committee’s decision if such work shows significant entrepreneurial ability or involves situations where employers have given the applicant real responsibility in a company's operations. If a student has found it necessary to work in order to pay for college tuition or expenses, it is important to bring it to the attention of the admissions committee. Demonstrating maturity in accepting responsibility for college expenses and learning to balance employment and academic commitments can have a positive impact on an admissions officer.
C.EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Law schools neither require nor are impressed by long lists of extracurricular activities. However, admissions committees are looking for significant leadership ability and activity, and a commitment to something other than a high undergraduate G.P.A. Whatever the activity, it needs to indicate meaningful community involvement, leadership, and responsibility in order to have a significant impact on the admissions process.
1
Note of caution: We wish to warn pre-law students not to make choices concerning courses or majors, work or internship experiences, and extracurricular activities simply to impress law school admissions committees and thereby improve one’s chance of admission. It is impossible to second-guess admissions committees. There is disparity among law schools about the comparative weight put on a candidate’s academic and extracurricular accomplishments. Remember: Do what you feel comfortable and happy about doing. If you are interested in what you are doing, you will be successful.
III.A SUGGESTED CALENDAR
Freshman and Sophomore Years
Section II on Pre-law Preparation primarily relates to freshmen and sophomores. Keep in mind the general advice to do what you enjoy, since most of us are successful when we truly enjoy what we are doing. Beyond that, it will be beneficial to participate in Pre-law Society activities where you will be able to get to know other students interested in the law. The Office of Pre-Professional Programs & Advising is available to you for advice and counseling. You may also want to begin reading books about law and lawyers as you have time (see pages 16-22). It is also important to ask questions about the profession to anyone you know — faculty members, parents, friend’s parents, employers, etc. It is not too early to begin gathering information.
*See Timelineand Check Sheet for Law Professions Applicants, for more comprehensive recommendations throughout each of your four years at Hopkins, as well as the application process. Available in the office tower, or online at web.jhu.edu/prepro.
Junior Year
-Discuss plans with Ana L. Droscoski, J.D.
-Study LSAT/LSDAS Registration and Information Book or the LSAC website at
-Attend the Pre-law meeting for juniors in the spring
-Register for LSATs well in advance of deadline date (June test date recommended). This will also register you with the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS)
- Request recommendation letters from faculty
-Become comfortable with the application process and expectations for applicant
Summer After Junior Year
-Take LSATs in June, if they were not taken previously
-Start researching law schools which interest you; check out websites
-Visit law school campuses
-Discuss legal careers with friends and acquaintances who are attorneys
-Read suggested pre-law book(s)
-Begin thinking about personal statement essay on application
-Review transcript and, if accurate, submit to LSDAS
Fall - Senior Year
- Complete pre-law file as soon as possible
- Discuss law school matching with Ana L. Droscoski, J.D.
- Try to mail all applications by the first week in November
- Early decision applications need to be mailed by the first week in October. Always check individual school deadlines
Early research about the programs and requirements of individual law schools will simplify the application process for you. Law schools will consider LSAT scores, your G.P.A., honors, internships, job experiences, recommendations, your personal essay, and other information in deciding whether to admit you. Since each school weighs these factors differently, utilize the Official Guide to U. S. Law Schools (or another compilation) and confer with an advisor. Ideally you will identify several schools which are close matches to your qualifications as well as a few which are “reaches” and a few where you feel relatively sure you will be admitted. A good rule of thumb is to identify two or three “safe” schools, where your numbers indicate 70% or more of the applicants are admitted and two or three “good match” schools where 50% or more of the applicants are admitted.
Spring - Senior Year
-Check to make sure the law schools you have applied to have the materials they need
-Visit schools where you have been admitted or wait-listed
-Start making decisions about where to attend
-Let other schools know your plans
-If you are wait-listed at a school of your choice, consider forwardingnew information to the admissions office, i.e., fall semester grades, thesis, other recommendations, etc. to indicate your very strong interest in the school
-Keep in touch with the Pre-Professional Programs & Advising Office
IV.THE APPLICATION PROCESS
Do It Early/Assume Nothing. Our conversations with law school representatives lead us to believe that it is in your best interest to apply as early as possible to law school. Even though stated application deadlines fall anywhere between January 1 and May 1, it is advisable to get your application completed and in by the first week in November. This will insure a careful and thorough reading of it before admissions officers are faced with the thousands of applications that they have had to deal with in recent years. Many law schools have rolling admissions procedures, allowing those applicants who apply early a better opportunity; October 1 is not too early for competitive schools with rolling admissions.
The law school application process is long and complicated. There are many opportunities for mistakes to be made. Start early to allow for delays and assume nothing. If you don't hear from LSDAS or a law school to which you have applied, call and verify that your application or registration has been received. You are in charge of your own destiny. The Office of Pre-Professional Programs & Advising, your faculty, parents and friends will offer support, encouragement and information, but you, and only you, can complete the application process.
A. THE LAWSCHOOL ADMISSION TEST
What is it?
As the LSAT/LSDAS Registration and Information Book explains, “The LSAT is designed to measure skills that are considered essential for success in law school: the reading and comprehension of complex texts with accuracy and insight; the organization and management of information, and the ability to draw reasonable inferences from it; the ability to reason critically; and the analysis and evaluation of the reasoning and argument of others.” The Law School Admission Test continues to be regarded by law schools as the single best predictor of first-year law school performance. It is a half-day standardized test with five 35 minute sections of multiple choice questions. Four of the five sections are scored; the fifth is used to pretest new items. A 30-minute writing sample is administered, but is not scored, although it is sent to all law schools to which you apply.
The LSAT: How to Register and When to Take It. Registration forms for the test are found in the LSAT/LSDAS Registration and Information Book, as well as on the lsac.org website. The book is available in the Pre-Professional Programs & Advising Office and contains important information concerning the LSAT, the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS), sample test questions, publications available to help you with the application process, financial aid information and other resources. PLEASE READ THISBOOK VERY CAREFULLY.