Law school admissions committees evaluate applicants based on several factors beyond academic requirements alone, including undergraduate GPA and LSAT scores; extracurricular activities; work experience and community service experience; writing ability is given particular weight in their application review process. Writing proficiency can often make or break an applicant’s chances for admission.
Prepare for class by reading assigned casebooks (compilations of legal cases and court decisions) and reviewing course material. Consider joining a study group for additional support and to share notes.
Fall
Fall is typically the busiest season for law school enrollment and for prospective students looking to enroll. Therefore, planning their law school admissions process prior to beginning their junior year of undergraduate college would allow for easier application after graduating – in an ideal world applying in September is ideal!
Law school applications typically open in September or October and close anywhere between February and June the following year. At this point, applicants should have finalized their list of schools attended, requested transcripts and letters of recommendation from all undergrad and graduate institutions attended, taken the LSAT (retaking it if necessary), completed their FAFSA applications if applicable, as well as started working on personal statements and application essays with best practices in mind.
Once applications are submitted, wait lists may begin forming. Although this can be frustrating for prospective students, there are steps they can take to increase their chances of acceptance:
Submit transcripts from all undergraduate and law schools attended to LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service (CAS), file the FAFSA as necessary, take or retake the July LSAT if needed and revise personal statement/application essays as necessary.
Soon, orientation for new law school students will commence and their classes will become immensely difficult. Students should endeavor to find ways to support each other as much as possible – study groups are an excellent resource that can aid with everything from comprehending complex legal concepts to preparing for exams.
Outside of classes, law school students should engage in extracurricular activities focused on professional law practice. These extracurriculars offer students a great way to meet other students, make connections with alumni and develop the necessary skills needed for a successful legal career – moot court and law review are two such popular examples of such activities. Keep in mind that law school can be stressful; anticipate any health or mental difficulties which arise; be particularly cognizant when studying for and taking the bar exam can present unique difficulties that must be handled appropriately.
Spring
Applying to law school in the spring means joining an incoming class alongside students who began in September. Here, you’ll gain insight into legal study fundamentals as well as begin developing your own approach for solving complex legal puzzles.
Your classmates and professors are also invaluable resources in creating your peer network; from sharing job leads to helping understand difficult concepts. Together you’ll form lasting friendships as colleagues in future jobs. Your classmates may even provide important support beyond simply job opportunities – including job leads they find as well as sharing heart-to-heart discussions about practicing law! Finally, professors become invaluable resources directing you towards scholarships offers or helping explain difficult concepts.
Most law schools offer an intensive first year curriculum known as 1L. You will likely take classes on topics like constitutional law and federal jurisdiction, civil procedure (the process of adjudication), foundations of criminal law (including evidence gathering and trial advocacy), contracts, property rights and contracts during this first year.
Many courses you’ll take have only one exam at the end of each semester that determines 100% of your final grade, making it essential to pay close attention in class and complete all reading. A great way to ensure that you’re ready for this test is joining a study group; here you can share questions about course material with fellow students as well as form outlines of course notes and case briefs together.
Law schools are competitive institutions, with their rankings determined in part by how many applicants they admit. Because of this, some schools may fill their entering classes before their stated application deadline has passed – meaning some people who applied earlier will not be admitted.
If you are applying to law school this spring, make sure that your applications are submitted early. Allow time for recommendations letters to be written and check in with your admissions counselor to ensure all materials have been received. Furthermore, consider verifying any education loans to ensure they will remain in an in-school deferment status when starting law school.
Summer
Vermont Law and Graduate School’s summer law school program offers students an extraordinary opportunity to expand their legal knowledge while honing legal writing skills. Each year, VLGS selects a select group of undergraduate student advocates from Vermont Law and Graduate School’s undergraduate student advocacy programs to participate in this intensive course that covers two main legal themes – environmental protection and restorative justice – along with providing both in-person classes as well as online learning so students can complete coursework from home.
Students enrolled in the summer law school program can earn either their master’s degree (LLM) completely online or as part of a JD, depending on their needs and career goals. The curriculum is flexible to meet any student’s needs while emphasizing legal writing skills development essential in practicing law. Furthermore, students will work directly with real clients on real legal issues while becoming exposed to various legal environments.
Law students typically enjoy two “breaks” each year in law school: between their first and second years (known as 1L summer) and between their second and third years (2L summer). Summer can provide law students with much-needed rest, relaxation, and recuperation from an otherwise challenging academic year; yet still being busy enough that classes tend to decrease significantly! Furthermore, summer offers the perfect opportunity to explore internship or job options during this season of restorative relaxation!
Law schools typically offer a number of professional extracurricular activities during the summer term, including moot court and law review, to enable their students to meet other members of the legal community and make connections that could aid them later on in their careers. Furthermore, such activities are an ideal way for law school students to develop both their analytical and written skills within a challenging environment.
Students often spend their summer vacation interning at law firms, judge’s chambers, law libraries or other legal organizations. Internships are mandatory for most law students; wages for judges and certain nonprofit legal service providers range from zero (for free services such as Legal Services Canada) up to over $3000 weekly at top tier firms in major cities.
Winter
Law school can be an extremely structured environment, with most schools having a standardized first year curriculum that usually encompasses civil procedure, criminal law and legal writing classes that offer comprehensive coverage of American court system structure and case law analysis.
Additionally, law schools typically offer an impressive variety of professionally-focused extracurricular activities beyond classroom learning. Students may join student organizations, attend social and sporting events, perform community service projects or even travel abroad for international experiences. Many student organizations are dedicated to advocating specific causes such as women’s rights or ethnic minority interests within the student body. Furthermore, legal research programs like moot court and law review provide legal students with additional opportunities.
As with any academic experience, law school classes require significant effort from their students. Many treat their law school classes like full time jobs – dedicating up to 40 hours each week in reading and studying (this may involve attending evening classes as well as weekend homework assignments).
Students struggling to keep up with reading and studying demands may benefit from joining study groups. Study groups provide an effective means of sharing notes, discussing difficult concepts, providing support and making studying fun while decreasing anxiety levels.
Applicants to law school should ensure that their applications are as thorough and thorough as possible in the spring, especially those applying in their final year of studies. It’s essential to remember that schools consider an application “complete” once all documents including an LSAC Credential Assembly Service report and two faculty evaluations have been received.
Students looking to relocate should also explore housing options before arriving at law school, while applicants should check in with their loan servicer to confirm any existing education loans are in an in-school deferment status and start making repayment plans as necessary. Most law schools will be able to accommodate such payments without negatively affecting admission status; as they want their USNWR ranking to improve as much as possible!