PREPARING FOR A CAREER IN LAW IN THE 21ST CENTURY
rev. Feb. 2007
by Bryan K. Fair
Thomas E. Skinner Professor of Law
The University of Alabama School of Law
Thirty-five years ago, I decided I wanted to become
a lawyer. I felt certain that legal
training would open myriad opportunities for me to serve my community and to
gain economic security for myself and my family.
The challenges to achieving my dream were
daunting. I had no lawyers in my family
to consult and many other obstacles to overcome, including learning to read and
write well, learning to study, as well as finding ways to pay for college and
law school. Despite many challenges and
with the help of so many people along the way, I achieved my dream. And I never let go of that dream and never
believed anyone who suggested that it was beyond my reach.
Since completing undergraduate school at Duke and
law school at UCLA, I have worked with a large law firm and taught legal
writing and academic support classes at UCLA School of Law. Today, I am fortunate to teach constitutional
law at Alabama. I am enjoying my career
in law and recommend it as an excellent field of study. It has been very rewarding. If you choose law, I hope it will be as
rewarding for you.
One can locate many good books on legal education
and most colleges and law schools have numerous faculty or administrators who
offer advice on careers in law. The purpose of this essay is to assist students
considering a career in law by presenting some general advice, especially for
African American and other minority students who historically were excluded
from legal education and who often have limited sources of advice. Whatever your background, I hope that some
aspect of this essay might assist you.
After you have read it, I hope you will contact me with additional, more
specific questions about your interests and goals. I would be delighted to provide you any help
in making a good decision about whether or where you might attend law school. My e-mail address is BFair@law.ua.edu. I will try to respond as quickly as
possible. Alternatively, you may wish to
call me at 205-348-7494. If this essay
is helpful, please share it with others considering legal education.
I have divided this short essay into two parts. In Part One, I describe the ABCs of law
school admissions. In Part Two, I
recommend a few outstanding books on law study and the culture of law
school. In a follow-up essay, Academic
Excellence in Law School, also available on my web site, I set forth general
advice for law students on study skills, time management, legal analysis, and
exam analysis and writing. After you
enroll, I hope you will read those materials as well and share them with your
peers.
I.
The ABCs of Law School Admissions
If I were considering a career in law anew, I would
do several things differently. Only you
can determine whether you have what it takes to succeed in law. However, you cannot make such an assessment without
full information about what it is that law schools and lawyers do. Lawyers perform many roles and the more you
know about their work, the easier it will be for you to decide if you really
want to undertake the difficult tasks required in law school and in the
profession. Therefore, as you decide if
law is for you, I recommend that you ask and answer a few of questions.
First, I would ask myself: why a legal career? Why not engineering, teaching, medicine,
business, or some other discipline? Law
is a great field for persons who like to read, write, and talk. However, you should explore all fields of
study and determine why law is best for you.
To answer that question, I would research the work and lifestyles of
different types of lawyers. Too many
students enter law school without any notion of what lawyers do. During law school they become disenchanted or
bored and some drop out. Some dislike
the case method, the exhaustive examination of court decisions to teach
students how to think and write like lawyers.
Some are not prepared for the long hours of study; others are terrified
of speaking before an audience. If you
choose law, you should enter the field with your eyes open. The more information you have about law
school, law study, and law practice, the more effective you will be in
utilizing your time in law school.
My image of lawyers was largely shaped by
television. Unfortunately, that image
barely touched the surface of the significant challenges and rewards of a legal
career. There are many lawyers who have
written about their work and what they think it takes to succeed as a
lawyer. Most local libraries contain
small collections on law study and careers.
Karl Llewelyn’s, The Bramble Bush is
one classic, although some readers will find it inaccessible. Scott Turow’s, One L is another popular read.
I prefer the clarity and humor in Kenney Hegland’s, Introduction to the Study and Practice of Law. A brief review of such materials can yield
fascinating stories about great judges, civil or criminal lawyers, or famous
cases in our legal history. I would read
as much as I could about law study, law teachers, teaching methods, legal
skills, and the culture of law school before deciding to apply. If you read broadly, you will find that there
are many jobs that lawyers perform in education, business, judicial administration,
and politics, to name a few. All that
reading will be time well spent either because it will help you negotiate the
challenges of law school or it will help you choose a profession more suited to
your special interests and talents.
Later in this essay, I mention a few of my favorite books on law study.
Second, I would ask myself: am I willing to work
long hours, reading and writing about legal issues? A law degree is very marketable and most
lawyers earn a comfortable living.
However, there are some costs associated with the many benefits of a law
career. One cost for most lawyers is an
exacting schedule. Lawyers may work many
hours each day, including weekends. The
work can be very stressful. Lawyers
conduct legal research and write various types of legal documents. Some spend substantial amounts of time in
court or before administrative bodies.
You should try to speak with and/or observe lawyers at work. Perhaps you can work as a legal assistant or
clerk. Or perhaps you can visit your
local court and attend a trial in a nearby federal court. By going to court, you can observe lawyers,
judges, and part of the legal system in operation. Also, observing judges and lawyers will help
you identify some of the skills necessary for a career in law. Many lawyers and judges in your community are
willing to let you observe what they do.
You need only approach them and tell them what you are trying to
accomplish.
The exacting schedule begins the first day of law
school, not when you graduate. Some law
teachers suggest that you should expect to spend approximately three to four
hours studying for each hour you spend in class. So, if you are in class fifteen hours per
week, you might expect to spend at least another forty-five to sixty hours per
week outside of class, reading, studying, and learning. Successful students take notes while reading
for class and write brief summaries of all the main cases. Then they attend class ready to apply what
they have read by examining hypothetical questions and asserting plausible
analyses in light of the rationales offered in the cases. Next, they study their class notes,
distilling the key principles from individual cases and constructing links
among all the cases and all the topics covered in each course. Finally, the most successful students find
practice exercises to simulate exam conditions. This practice helps sharpen
their analysis and writing skills, and helps students test how well they can
apply the cases and materials they have worked so hard to learn. When one adds the hours, law school takes on
the appearance of a demanding, full-time job.
The rigor of law school prepares you for the demands of law practice.
The essential abilities necessary for a successful
career in law include outstanding independent learning skills, such as reading,
writing, and advocacy skills. The law
student must be able to extract meaning from complex legal texts such as
casebooks or hornbooks and to organize and present legal materials orally and
in writing. Therefore, the applicant to
law school must demonstrate the capacity for above average reading, analytical,
and writing skills. Law schools use the
LSAT and undergraduate grade point average (“UGPA”) to predict an applicant’s
capacity for law study. Law students
also need effective oral skills. Many of these skills are developed through
classroom instruction in law school as well as through co-curricular
activities, such as student participation on one of the law school's journals
or moot court exercises which simulate trial and appellate arguments. Most law schools also have live-client
clinics that permit students to gain practical experience with real cases,
especially in the second and third year of law school.
APPLYING
TO LAW SCHOOL: Getting Started
Once you have read about lawyers and law study and
you have decided that you are still committed to all the challenges presented
by a career in law, you should ask yourself, where can I get the best
information about individual law schools?
You need information about how law schools select among the thousands of
applicants each year. The best sources
of that information are law school catalogs or reference books that profile law
schools and their admissions criteria.
The Law School Admissions Council (“LSAC”) has an amazing website for
prospective law students. You should
become familiar with every resource on the LSAC site. The LSAC designs the LSAT. It provides a convenient way to register and
report your scores to law schools through the Law School Data Assembly Service
(“LSDAS”). The LSAC provides free
practice test information as well as fee waiver guidelines. It sets out links to the websites of all the ABA-approved
law schools in the United States and Canada.
The LSAC also provides research databases for students seeking a law
school with certain characteristics. And
the LSAC sponsors annual law school admissions forums throughout the country
that give prospective students time to speak with representatives from nearly
150 accredited law schools. Those
representatives know firsthand how admission works at their schools. They know the median numeric profile of
admitted students, the scholarship programs, the curriculum, environment, the bar
passage and employment rates, and other key information. Please visit the LSAC website regularly at www.lsac.org.
Key Factors in law School Admissions
Typically, law schools consider many factors when
evaluating applications, including:
- LSAT
score
- Undergraduate
GPA
- Major
- College
attended
- Grade
distribution
- Improvement
in GPA
- College
activities
- Work
experience
- Graduate
or professional training
- Advanced
degrees
- Letters
of recommendation
- Personal
Essays/Personal Statement
- Family
background
- Disadvantages
overcome
- State
of residency
- Community
service
Unfortunately, many law schools in the United States
adopted exclusionary admissions policies prohibiting the enrollment of some
citizens. For example, some schools
excluded all African Americans. Others
excluded all women or other ethnic minorities.
Such unfair practices were finally declared unconstitutional, but the
effects of those policies are evident in every aspect of the legal
profession. During the past three
decades, some law schools used ethnicity or gender as one factor in
admission. The goal has been to remedy
past discrimination and to promote greater diversity in legal education. For
the past ten years, the use of ethnicity or gender in admission decisions has
been under fire as an unconstitutional practice. Some states have banned the use of race or
gender in college admissions. Other
states still permit limited use of race or gender to promote educational
diversity consistent with the U.S. Supreme Court decisions in Bakke and Grutter. To obtain the most
accurate information, you should ask each school about its affirmative action policies.
The two most important factors in law school
admission are an applicant's LSAT score and undergraduate/college GPA. Some schools weight the LSAT greater than
half of the total index. Other schools
give most weight to undergraduate grades.
To amass the best possible numerical profile, one must begin preparation
for applying to law school as early as possible during one's undergraduate
training. To gain admission to law
school the applicant must compare his/her numerical profile with the profiles
of prior applicants to ensure that the applicant is competitive at a particular
school. I emphasize the numbers here
because they are very important at all law schools. Students with the highest numbers gain
admission before students with lower numbers.
They also receive key scholarships.
Thus, you must do everything you can to establish the highest LSAT and
UGPA. If your undergraduate GPA is lower
than the median at a particular school, you will usually need a higher LSAT to
remain competitive there.
Below I discuss other key factors that may influence
law school admission beyond simply numbers.
A. Choosing a Major
Your area of concentration or major is very
important because it can increase your opportunities after undergraduate
school. You may decide that you want to
work for a couple of years. If so, you
will need some skills that are marketable coming out of college. Or you may be
undecided about a career and want to take courses in a variety of subjects
until you identify an area of substantial interest. There is no one major that is best suited for
students thinking about a career in law.
Any major which demands substantial reading and writing, oral advocacy,
negotiation, analytical reasoning, and problem solving is a good pre-law study
program. While history, political
science, and English majors still dominate, many new law students are entering
with majors in science, engineering, and mathematics. But others are entering
with business and/or accounting training.
As long as your major is rigorous academically and you perform well in
it, a major in almost anything from astronomy to zoology will be sufficient
preparation.
You should select as your major an area which really
interests you and in which you are motivated to work for the highest possible
grade point average. It may take you one
or two years to select a major. Even
then, you may discover that your choice was wrong. For example, I started college as an
economics major. After five courses and
several C grades, I switched to history where I earned mostly A’s. High grades are essential for a law school
applicant. And, the higher an
applicant’s cumulative GPA the greater the number of potential law school
choices. Law school admissions personnel
believe that a student who consistently earns high grades is a dedicated
learner and will make the necessary commitment to be successful in law school
and in the legal profession. In
addition, many schools will evaluate the quality of an applicant’s
undergraduate school and rigor of the applicant’s course of study when making
admissions decisions. Therefore, I
recommend that you go to the best college that you can afford and that you
choose a major that has a reputation for academic rigor.
I also recommend that you take several courses with
the same professors. Most law school
applications will encourage or require you to submit letters of recommendation
preferably from other professors who have seen and evaluated your academic
performance. By taking several classes
with the same professors, and doing well in those classes, you can create a
pool of potential references. At the
same time you may find that your interest in the subject or motivation to work
hard increases because you are no longer anonymous to those professors.
B. Co-/Extra-Curricular Activities
Most law school applicants have impressive
resumes. They have been student leaders
and participants in a variety of organizations.
Large numbers of activities do not, however, excuse low grades. It is a mistake to think that because you
excelled in student leadership your grades are less important. In fact, most of the applicants you will
compete against will have many activities and high grades.
Whenever possible try to participate in academic
extra-curricular activities like college bowl, the debate team, pre-law clubs,
etc. Also, study abroad programs can be
rigorous and expand your understanding of other countries. Such academic activities will confirm that
you are dedicated to learning and hard work, and that you will likely meet and
exceed the challenges of law school. I
did not take advantage of all of the opportunities available because I did not
think I could afford them. Be sure to
explore all options before you close any door.
Try to take advantage of every learning opportunity.
During college many demands will be made on your
time. Many organizations with important
goals will seek your leadership or support.
You must resist the urge to participate in every worthy organization. I chose to be a Big Brother, but otherwise I
limited my club time to one or two groups like the Black Student Association or
Student Government. Often, time spent on
activities means sacrificing study time.
Your priority in college should be your studies, especially if you
are planning to go on to graduate or professional school. You want to achieve the highest grades that
you can and you need to prepare rigorously for your standardized tests for law
school.
C. LSAT Preparation
Nearly all ABA-accredited law schools require
applicants to take the LSAT. You might
think of it as the common denominator for all applicants. By requiring the LSAT law schools can compare
you with thousands of other applicants in terms of reading, analytical
reasoning, and writing skills. Your LSAT
score is used to predict how you will perform in your first year of law school. Despite criticism of its use, there appears
to be no movement to reduce the use of the LSAT. Therefore, you must accept it as the standard
and not dwell on issues of test bias.
The LSAT is a half-day standardized test. It provides a standard measure of reading and
verbal skills. The test consists of four
35-minute sections of multiple-choice questions and one 35-minute writing
section. Three of the four
multiple-choice sections contribute to an individual’s score. The one nonscored multiple choice section is
used to test experimental questions. The
35-minute writing test is not scored, but copies are sent to all law schools to
which an applicant applies. The score
scale for the LSAT is 120 to 180.
The LSAT is designed to measure skills in reading
comprehension, the ability to organize and process complex information and to
draw reasonable inferences based on it, and the ability to analyze and evaluate
the reasoning and arguments of others.
There are three types of questions:
a) Reading
Comprehension (one section)
b) Analytical
Reasoning (one section)
c) Logical
Reasoning (two sections)
You must familiarize yourself with each type of
question and the test mechanics. There
are a couple of ways to prepare for the LSAT, including taking a preparation
course, working through a self-study guide, or a combination of the two.
It is never too early to begin to prepare for
standardized tests, like the LSAT. That
is why many wealthier, professional families arrange for their children to take
standardized tests like the SAT in the seventh grade and why those children
after repeated practice testing and coaching become “good” test takers. The term “good” in this sense is synonymous
with “experienced.” You need to gain as
much experience as possible with each aspect of the test. It may take months of practice before you are
prepared to take the real LSAT. Practice
as much as you can before you take the actual test.
Black students are not generally “good,” experienced
test takers. First, many have less
coaching experience and often much less successful practice with standardized
tests. Second, many do not have excellent reading and reasoning skills because
they have attended poor schools throughout their lives. Many do not take full advantage of the
available test preparation classes or books because they have no advisors or no
one who has taken the test to tell them what to do. Many take the test during times when they are
busy with school, work, or other commitments.
The result is that the national average for black students taking the
LSAT is approximately 143 on a scale from 120 to 180. The average of all takers is approximately 152. Because there is a nearly ten-point gap
between the average LSAT scores of black students and the average scores of
white and Asian students, there is added pressure on black students who seek to
compete for spots in most law schools.
It is imperative that black students take a better
approach to LSAT preparation. One should
not take the LSAT until one has taken sufficient time to prepare. One's preparation must be focused and
disciplined. I suggest that you spend a
minimum of six to nine uninterrupted months preparing for the LSAT, preferably
during a summer and fall or spring and summer when the impact on your GPA will
not be too great. I recommend that you
enroll in a preparation course that meets regularly for six to eight
weeks. The course should expose you to
the basic components of the LSAT. It
should provide you with opportunities to learn the directions for each section,
to improve time efficiency, and to improve your multiple-choice test
performance. The course instructors
might offer additional tips or strategies.
Outside of the course, you can perform timed exam
simulations and evaluate your performance on specific sections. For example, if reading comprehension
questions are difficult for you, spend several weeks or months working outside
of the course on those types of questions.
Your preparation should include substantial
instruction, practice testing, and evaluation.
If you have a choice, it is probably a mistake to work during your
preparation. All of your extra time
should be spent in class or performing diagnostic exercises and practice
tests. It might take a couple of months
before you notice any improvement in your performance. If possible, treat your preparation like a
full-time job. If not, create a schedule
that revolves around your preparation.
Some schools weight the LSAT and UGPA about
equally. For most schools, I think your
LSAT score is probably a little more important than your GPA because it is
difficult to evaluate grades from different schools and the LSAT is standard
for all applicants. You should sacrifice
all nonessential activities to obtain the highest score on your first attempt. It
is best to take the LSAT only once and to fully prepare for it the first
time. Some black students who take the
test without preparation obtain scores in the 130's. Very few of these students get into law
school. Indeed, today students who score
in the high 140s are routinely denied admission.
a) Preparation
Courses
Most of the students who take the LSAT each year
report that they enroll in a preparation course such as Stanley Kaplan or
Princeton Review. Therefore, you are at
a decided disadvantage if you do not take a course. While courses may cost several hundred
dollars, some companies offer tuition reductions for students with limited
financial resources. Some students might
consider taking the preparation course more than once for even greater practice
and reinforcement. Many courses offer a
reduced rate for repeaters. I cannot
overstate the importance of your LSAT preparation. Some schools offer preparation courses
through university extension programs as well.
If you cannot afford a preparation course, then
purchase a test preparation book and write to the Law School Admission Council
for practice tests. The address is: LSAC/LSAS, Box 2000, Newtown, Pennsylvania
18940-0998. To speak with a service
representative, call 215.968.1001. In
addition to practice books, you can obtain free of charge the Law Services
Information Book which contains sample LSAT questions and explanations, a
sample test, a sample answer sheet, and answer key. You can also purchase the official LSAT
preparation books that are copies of actually administered tests. You can
probably teach yourself how to take the LSAT exercises and thereby improve your
score. To design your own preparation
course requires excellent discipline and organization. Such self-study should not be attempted
half-heartedly.
There is no excuse for taking the LSAT
unprepared. Even if you must take a year
or two off after you graduate to create preparation time, you will likely be
better off than taking the exam unprepared.
b) When
Should You Take the LSAT?
The test is administered four times each year during
roughly February, June, October, and December.
You should not plan to sit for the test until you have prepared for at
least six months or more, especially if you have a history of low standardized
test scores. Therefore, the optimal time to take the test will vary depending
on individual schedules. However, you
should take it as early as possible between the spring of your junior year and
the fall of your senior year.
It can take several weeks for the Law School Data
Assembly Service to submit your score to the law schools you designate,
therefore you want to take the exam well in advance of any application
deadline. Also, in the event that you
need to re-take the exam, if you wait too late to take it the first time, you
can miss the application deadline and you may have to wait another full year
before you begin law school.
c) General
Test-Taking Tips
- Visit
the test site before the actual exam.
- Get
a good night's sleep before the examination.
- Eat
a nutritious breakfast before the examination.
- Dress
comfortably and for variations in room temperature.
- Memorize
the directions for each section before you take the test.
- Keep
track of your time and work as quickly as possible.
- Work
through all of the questions you understand first, then return to more
difficult problems.
- Do
not leave any questions blank; there is no penalty for guessing.
d) What
is a Good Score?
The answer depends on where you want to go to law
school. It may be difficult to gain
admission to the law school of your choice.
It will certainly be more difficult to gain admission with a low LSAT
score.
Contrary to what one might hear, even the current
special admissions programs at most law schools desire that black applicants
have a LSAT score in the 150-160 range or higher. Most of the nationally ranked law schools
require black students to have a LSAT score in the 155-165 range or
higher. Therefore, your success on the
LSAT can dictate the number of law schools to which you should realistically apply.
If you take the LSAT and score between 145-155, you
should probably consider taking the test a second time. By increasing your score, you improve your
admission and scholarship prospects. Since many schools average all your LSAT
scores, it is equally important that you make the preparation time available
well in advance of the second test.
D. Applying to Law Schools
For the past several years, law school admissions
statistics for black students have been grim because less than fifty
percent (50%) of the black students who applied to law school were admitted.
There are two primary reasons for the low admission rate: low LSAT scores and poor selection of law
schools to which to apply. I have
already discussed the LSAT and ways to reverse the performance on that test.
a) Applying
to the “Right” Law Schools
Black students need to make more informed selections
of law schools to which they apply.
Apparently, there is little or no guidance or independent research done
on application choices. Black students
apply to the law schools with national reputations, such as Harvard, Yale,
UCLA, Michigan, Columbia, Penn, Stanford, Berkeley, Texas, NYU, Cornell,
Chicago, Duke, Georgetown, Virginia, to name a few in no particular order. If a black applicant does not have a 160 or
higher on the LSAT and a GPA in the 3.3-3.4 range, most, if not all, of the
schools listed above should be considered longshots.
You should not apply only to schools that are
longshots. You should apply to a range
of schools to ensure that you have several choices for law school. For example, when I applied to law school, I
applied to UCLA, Stanford, Berkeley, Davis, Oregon, Washington University at
St. Louis, Ohio State, Howard, and Georgetown.
I wanted to attend law school in California, so I applied to several
schools there. But, I applied to Howard
and Georgetown because I was willing to live in Washington, D.C. I applied to Washington at St. Louis because
my advisor told me I would probably gain admission there. I applied to Ohio State because my family is
in Columbus and my numerical profile exceeded the profile for applicants like
myself to that law school. I applied to
Oregon because Derrick Bell was then the Dean of the law school. Only UCLA, Stanford, Georgetown, and Berkeley
were longshots for me. According to my
research, I had a good chance to gain admission at all the other schools. I had several choices and selected UCLA.
I write all of the above by way of example and to
make the point that you must apply to a range of schools. You must match and compare your numerical
profile with the profiles of other applicants to the same law school. If your numbers are higher than the median
profile, chances are good for admission.
If your numbers are lower than the profile of other applicants, your
chances for admission are poor. If your
numbers are about the same, then your letters of recommendation, course of
study, personal statement, and other factors will likely influence the result.
Many schools keep track of numeric profiles of
entering classes. Most probably will not
report separate numbers for minority students because to do so might be seen as
illegal. Thus, black students must compete
against other applicants’ profiles. The
best way to find that information is through the admissions office, or if you
attend law day forums, ask the representative.
b) Obtaining
Information About Law Schools
At last count, there were approximately 188 ABA-approved
law schools in the United States (see attached list). Some states such as California have many accredited
law schools; other states have few ABA-approved schools. In Alabama there are only three, The
University of Alabama School of Law, Cumberland School of Law at Samford
University, and Jones School of Law, which has received provisional approval.
Many of the schools offer application fee waivers to
some applicants. Most have catalogs
available by late summer. It is your
responsibility to evaluate the pool of law schools and to determine those to
which you should apply. If you do not
have time to research law schools before you graduate, then you should take
time off after you graduate. Too often,
students rush into decisions without good information.
There are many people who know about law
schools. Some of them work at the law
school on your campus. Some travel
around the country to law days at your school.
Some attend regional law school information forums sponsored by the Law School
Admission Council. Some are pre-law
advisors. In addition, there are many
books available at your local libraries on law school, law study, and law
skills. With so many ways to learn about
law schools and law study, students who are motivated or who have good
independent learning skills can access and evaluate such information.
After you research the law schools, you must ask
evaluative questions about the schools.
For example, it may be important that there are no women on the faculty,
or that the student-run law review competition is based on first-year grades,
or that half the minority students do not have permanent jobs before
graduation, or that there are no academic support programs, or that attrition
for black students is several times the rate for nonblack students, or that the
bar passage rate for minority students is extremely poor. By asking such questions, you might determine
that some of the schools on your list are not good for you. No one can ask such questions for you and no
one has as much at stake.
You should create your own list of top schools based
on your numerical profile, your interests, and your environment
preferences. Your list does not have to
parallel other national rankings. I
recommend that you identify schools that you would be glad or proud to
attend. There are many schools that do
not appear in the national rankings but that are excellent. Also, there are many administrators and
teachers at schools around the country that are dedicated to increasing the
success of minority law students. You
must identify such people at the law schools that interest you.
For black students who would prefer to attend a
predominantly black law school, Howard University, Texas Southern, North
Carolina Central, and Southern should be on your lists. Howard remains the most prominent
predominantly black law school. It has a
distinguished tradition and an ideal location.
It also has a diverse, talented faculty.
Florida A&M University has recently been approved for a new law
school.
You can probably find several law schools in every
state that provide excellent legal training.
Those I have listed are only illustrative of my point that you must
create your own list.
c) Submit
Applications Early
Most law schools have applications available in
August and the deadline for submitting applications is early spring (between
February and April). For some reason,
many black applicants submit their applications near the deadline. That is a mistake for several reasons. First, the applications that arrive first are
processed first and probably receive the greatest level of review and
evaluation. Second, if your numbers are
above the median of other applicants, you will probably receive early
notification. (Many schools begin
admitting students in October or November.) In addition, if there are any problems with
your application, they can be corrected well in advance of the deadline. Also, it takes time for the law schools to
process an application. As the deadline
draws near, more applications arrive and admissions staff is overburdened. Therefore, there are several benefits to
applying early and none to applying late.
1. To
expedite your applications you might meet with your recommendation writers to
provide them a chance to become reacquainted with your outstanding
qualities. Provide them a resume and pre-addressed,
stamped envelopes so all they have to do is write and mail the recommendation
to the law schools. Follow up to ensure
letters are sent in a timely manner.
2. Follow
the procedures outlined in the application for each law school. If you have questions or problems that you
cannot answer, ask for help. Do not
harass the admissions staff. Usually
someone is available to assist you in the admissions office by email, telephone,
or on a drop-in basis.
3. Spend
sufficient time writing your personal statement to ensure that it is
interesting, clear, and void of technical errors. You can write about anything, but you may
benefit yourself by writing about your family background, academic experience,
or reasons for going to law school. Your
statement should distinguish you from other applicants.
E. Choosing Which Law School to Attend
If you amass a good numerical profile and select
which schools to apply to wisely, you should have several choices. My advice is to attend the “best” law school
to which you are admitted and that you can afford to attend. I use the term “best” to mean the school you
would most want to attend based on your needs and goals. For example, I chose UCLA because it offered
the greatest opportunity for exposure to a diverse student body and a large
legal community in a warm environment and climate. In addition, UCLA was one of the least
expensive law schools in the country, even for a nonresident. You may have different needs and you should
try to articulate them as you decide where to attend law school.
a) Curriculum
Some schools are known for special curricular
programs, such as Entertainment Law, International Law, Public Interest Law, or
Clinical Education. Most catalogs
describe in detail such unique programs.
Some schools are also known for their student journals or law
reviews. Still other schools are known
for on-the-job training programs during law school and job placement after
graduation. Any of the above programs
might influence your decision to select one school over another. You might try to visit some of your choices
while they are in session and to meet some of the students and faculty.
b) Location
Most law schools offer comprehensive course
offerings. Therefore, many students go
to law school in one state but practice in another. It is rare for a law graduate to be limited
to one region and it is often for reasons other than where the person went to
school. For example, my law school roommate returned to the Midwest, then
worked in D.C., and currently practices in New York.
Other friends from UCLA went to Chicago, Boston, New
York, Atlanta, Miami, Seattle, and Dallas to practice. There may be other reasons to go to law
school in the state you plan to practice, such as summer jobs and general networking,
but I do not think that you should limit yourself to one state or region.
c) Financing
Law School
It is your responsibility to develop a plan to
finance your legal education. Most law
schools give a few scholarships, and even fewer scholarships that cover a
substantial portion of a student's costs.
While you await admissions decisions, you should also complete financial
aid applications and obtain information about other sources of public and
private funding. There are state and
federal financial aid programs and many private organizations that provide
monies for legal education for blacks, other minorities, and women. Read your law school catalogs closely and ask
admissions counselors about other possible sources of money. If your numerical profile is high enough,
many schools will eventually offer you some form of financial aid.
1. State
and federal loan programs are probably the best source of funding for law
school. Your legal education is an
investment in your future earning potential, so some debt is worth
incurring. However, it is easy to borrow
the maximum amount allowable each year and to amass huge loan balances. Loans are rarely forgiven. Before you borrow too much, think about how
you will be able to pay the loans back.
2. The Council
on Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO) sponsors several annual Regional Summer
Institutes. CLEO participants undergo
six weeks of intensive study of legal method, including legal analysis,
research, and writing. Many participants
receive assistance in law school placement.
Also, graduates of the Institutes receive financial stipends when they
matriculate to law school.
CLEO is especially designed for students from
educationally and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. You can write to CLEO for information at:
Council on Legal Education Opportunity
740 15th Street, N.W., 7th Floor
Washington, D.C.
20005
(202) 662-8630 or toll free (866) 886-4343
CLEO Scholars.com
3. Most
law schools discourage first-year students from working and the ABA prohibits
students enrolled at ABA-approved schools from working more than 20 hours
during a semester. Again, if you must
take time off to save money for law school you would probably perform better
when you start. Many second- and
third-year students work part-time. Some
work for law firms. Others work on
campus as research or teaching assistants.
Part-time work during school and summer employment can help defray some
of your law school expenses.
F. What Should You Do During the Summer
Before Law School?
There are many valuable activities that you might
undertake before you matriculate to law school.
For example, you might try to travel or you might work for a law
firm. You might attend a summer law
program. Whatever you do, I would
recommend that you begin reading as much as you can about law school and law
study. There are so many good books that
have been written about law school and what you can expect from your professors
and classmates. Other authors have
written about the legal education process, including how to prepare for law
examinations or to interview for law jobs.
Still others have written about their personal approaches to law
school. Hundreds of thousands of people
have successfully completed law school and a good number have written about
their success. You can gain great
insights from reading about the experiences of former law students.
The best book I have read about law study is Introduction
to the Study and Practice of Law by Kenney Hegland (West 1983). Professor Hegland, a former law school dean,
writes about the relationship between what lawyers do and what law students
do. He discusses why law students read
appellate cases and how a student can learn lawyering skills by reading cases. He also writes about the trial process and
how lawyers argue and distinguish cases.
Part two of the book focuses on law school skills, including studying,
notetaking, case briefing, outlining, legal writing, appellate advocacy, and
writing law school exams. Part three
discusses the different experiences of law students, career choices, and
includes an interesting section where lawyers write about their jobs. I highly recommend Hegland's book. I use it with my students regularly.
Another very interesting book is Slaying the Law
School Dragon by George Roth. Roth
offers the new law student his approach to law school. He makes very specific suggestions on what
you should do during the period just before you start law school. For example, he suggests that you move to
your new city or community and learn it.
Learn where you will eat, do laundry, entertain, study, etc. He also suggests that you find the local
courthouse. He recommends that you learn
your way around the law library and that you find hornbooks on each first-year
subject.
Roth suggests that you can begin to learn principles
of law well before you enter your first class.
Roth also provides suggestions for reading and briefing cases and
preparing for exams.
There are many other books you might read to prepare
for your legal education. Below I have
listed a few books that I have read that contain useful information about law
study, law school, and law careers. Some
of those listed are books on legal reasoning, philosophy, and the structure of
the legal system.