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Each member of a research group visited either the Virgin Islands or Hawaii...
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Have
you always known that you wanted to be a lawyer? Or is becoming a lawyer in the
back of your mind, something you might eventually consider?
Law
school normally takes three years (six semesters) of full-time classes. In
order to apply to law school, you must have a four-year degree from an
accredited college or university. Law schools mainly look for students who have
taken a rigorous track in undergraduate school and have demonstrated good
writing and critical-thinking abilities.
Undergraduate
Majors
Perhaps
the most common misconception about getting into law school is that certain
majors are looked upon more favorably than others in the admissions process.
Also, since virtually no school has a "prelaw" undergraduate major, many
students believe that political science is the prelaw major. Not so. Any rigorous
program of study, from anthropology to zoology, is fine. You should major in an
area you enjoy, since you'll do better in that subject than in any other.
Engineering or physics majors often think that they cannot apply to law school
because they lack a liberal arts degree. This is wrong! Law schools are happy
to receive applications from engineers, chemists, physics majors or anyone who
majored in any of the so-called "hard" sciences.
Course
Selection
Undergraduate
students often believe that they should take law courses to prepare for law
school. By all means, plan to take courses in public law or business law if you
are interested in those areas, but don't feel compelled to. In fact, law
schools often frown on student records that show lots of courses in law-related
areas. They don't want students coming in with preconceived notions about the
law.
The
best tools to take to law school are the abilities to write and analyze
quickly, well, and with economy. If you are a "hard" science major, make sure that
you take elective courses that require sufficient writing - for example,
philosophy or critical writing. Conversely, liberal arts majors should take
courses requiring logical analysis, such as math all the way through calculus
or advanced courses in the physical sciences.
Extracurricular Activities
Evidence of extracurricular activities can be important to
law school admissions personnel, especially activities that show your
commitment to your community or less fortunate individuals. It may be nice that
you were on the governing board of your social fraternity, but it says more
about you from the law school perspective if you spent your weekends as a
research volunteer for the Legal Aid Society or helped fix up the local
battered spouse's shelter.
The Deciding Factors
Law
school admissions committees generally make their decisions based on two
factors: undergraduate GPA and LSAT scores. Most schools convert an applicant's
GPA and LSAT score into an index score, a single number that is then used to
compare the applicant to the rest of the applicant pool. Some schools require
extremely high GPAs and LSATs, while other schools are more flexible in their
approach. Typically, the highest-ranked law schools require superior
performance in terms of both grades and LSAT scores. So, as with any graduate
school, plan on studying hard and getting a high GPA during your undergraduate
years.
CHECKLIST
Thinking ahead to law school? Here are some points to consider:
- Talk to your high school counselor about your academic strengths
and weaknesses regarding writing and critical thinking.
- Consider taking advanced-placement courses in literature,
writing, journalism or government.
- Think about appropriate weekend and summer jobs, such as
volunteering at a legal clinic or working with the underprivileged.
- When selecting your undergraduate school, make sure it offers a
broad range of courses that give you flexibility in deciding on graduate
school. You might discover that your interests lie in a different field. But
remember that even science majors can apply to and get into law school.
- If you are certain you want to pursue law school, consider an
undergraduate school that offers some prelaw courses.
- Try to meet and talk with people working in the law field.
- Once you're in college, talk to a prelaw adviser as soon as you
realize that you may have an interest in applying to law school. Even your
first year of undergraduate school is not too early.
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