To become a lawyer, one must complete both an undergraduate degree and obtain a Juris Doctor (JD) law degree. Your undergraduate GPA will play an instrumental role in being admitted as an attorney.
Carefully consider which major is right for you; select classes that interest and will benefit both you and your GPA. Psychology, sociology or history might all make excellent majors to pursue.
1. Think About Your Future
Law school admission can be challenging, requiring strong grades, comprehensive research and writing projects and plenty of hard work. Thus it is imperative that individuals start preparing as early as possible for this journey.
Consider taking on part-time employment or an internship within the legal field in addition to studying. This will give you valuable experience and build contacts that could come in handy during applications for law school admissions. Also read up on what law school will entail (such as Scott Turow’s One L).
Another step you should take before enrolling in law school is considering what kind of community you would like to join. While this might not seem important at first glance, it can have a huge effect on your happiness during law school.
2. Take Advantage of Pre-Law Programs
Step one in preparing for law school admissions is taking the most challenging high school classes possible, particularly those focused on writing skills development and organization. Furthermore, taking classes that develop your analytical and logical reasoning abilities will aid your chances of aceing the LSAT test, which is necessary for admissions into legal schools.
Some schools provide pre-law majors or course tracks for undergraduate students, though this is not required to enter law school. You can prepare for it by completing an internship or participating in legal subject area groups or student organizations that demonstrate your dedication to your future career. It is also crucial that you establish relationships with professors and supervisors who will write letters of recommendation on your behalf; admissions committees tend to favor recommendations from people who know you better rather than from big names alone.
3. Take the LSAT
Law school applications can be complex affairs, requiring undergraduate transcripts, letters of recommendation and LSAT scores as well as personal statements and resumes. Pre-law programs may help boost your GPA while simultaneously developing your writing abilities; you may also benefit from taking lots of practice questions in subjects like writing logic argumentation reading comprehension to prepare.
Plan to register early when the LSAT scheduling queue opens, setting your target score two points above it so if test day jitters occur you still have a chance at meeting your goal score.
4. Get Letters of Recommendation
After taking the LSAT and before you begin applying to law schools, ask your mentors and professors to write letters of recommendation that highlight you individually as well as paint a holistic picture of who you are as an individual and your motivations for attending law school. These should include personal information about both yourself and experiences that have made an impressionful statement about who you are as an individual and your overall reasoning behind law school enrollment.
Letters should provide implicit praise for both your reading and writing skills as well as intellectual capacity; additionally they should emphasize broad traits important to lawyers such as hard work and dependability, creativity, emotional maturity, self-awareness, cultural awareness resilience and honesty. Don’t choose recommenders solely based on title; detailed letters from associate attorneys would likely fare better than general letters from senators or CEOs.
Always bear in mind that law school is an intensely competitive environment; therefore, the more preparation you put forth to gain admission will increase your odds of acceptance.
5. Apply to Law Schools
After fulfilling all the basic law school requirements – such as maintaining a high GPA, taking and passing the LSAT, gathering letters of recommendation, and paying application fees – it’s time to start your applications. Look for schools within your budget with strong reputations for helping their graduates find employment after graduation and strong career services departments.
Consider organizing an internship during your undergraduate years at a law firm, courthouse or legal aid office to demonstrate your interest in becoming an attorney. A well-done internship can bolster both your resume and strengthen connections with mentors who can write powerful letters of recommendation on your behalf.
Start working on your personal statement early to give yourself ample time for revision and feedback. Many schools provide additional essay prompts or character and fitness questions – be sure to plan and research each prompt thoroughly so you’re well prepared!
