Law School Admissions 101

So, you want to go to law school. I think that’s great! However, deciding to go to law school is the easiest part. Applying to law school is a completely different story. I just recently submitted my applications, but the length of preparation has been over three years. Some of the most helpful advice I received came from students who went through the process before me. So, to help you all better understand the law school application process, I sat down with Erika Gustin, former president of the Business Law Club, to reflect on our own experiences and offer advice to those of you setting your sights on law school.

Let’s start with the basics. There are six main components to a law school application: 1) LSAT score, 2) personal statement, 3) undergraduate transcripts, 4) résumé, 5) letters of recommendation, and 6) the actual application. Of course, some law schools require additional statements or materials. For example, Yale Law School requires a statement not exceeding 250 words on a topic not related to yourself. We will focus on the six components that are found on almost every application.

1. LSAT Score

Facts: The Law School Admission is a standardized test administered four times each year. It is generally thought of as the most important part of a law school application as it is the only prerequisite used to compare one applicant to another. To take the LSAT you must be registered through the Law School Admission Council.

Q: What resources did you use to prepare for the LSAT?

Erika: I enrolled in the online Princeton Review LSAT prep course. (Sidebar: All ASU students can take Princeton Review prep courses for free as long as they take the LSAT within one year of completing a course and report the score back to Princeton). I also purchased a pack of ten former official LSAT tests through Amazon.com (found here). Each of these tests is only four sections, so to mimic the experimental section that you’ll see on test day, take one test and divide its sections randomly amongst four others. I tried to imitate the test-day environment by studying in busy areas like the public library. There is a great app called 7Sage LSAT Prep that provides recorded proctors and simulates ambient noises. This is key if you get easily distracted by the sounds of papers shuffling, pencils scratching, and people clearing their throats.

Celeste: To prepare for the LSAT I enrolled in Kaplan’s in-person LSAT prep course. (Sidebar: All ULA members receive a discount on all Kaplan test prep services.) The in-person format worked best for me and my learning style. It also established a routine study schedule for me. Enrollment in the Kaplan course gives you access to every official LSAT exam ever given and their online LSAT Channel, which contains hundreds of videos focusing in-depth on each question type and sub-type. This helped me tailor my studying to the areas I needed the most help on.

Erika: As far as teaching the LSAT goes, the resources of each prep course may differ, but the style of teaching is relatively the same. Whatever you choose, make sure you use real, published LSAT questions. Some services create LSAT-style questions of their own; avoid them.

Celeste: I agree. It’s a standardized test, so there aren’t many different ways to teach it. My advice would be to research each company to compare prices and resources, and see which one works best with your schedule. As another option, all ULA members also receive a discount on all Blueprint LSAT courses.

Q: What advice do you have for those looking to take the LSAT in the future? Is there anything you would do differently?

Erika: Simulate test-day conditions as much as possible. You don’t want someone’s sneeze to be the reason you get a lower score. I suggest dedicating at least eight full weeks to studying for the test, and longer if you have other obligations. If I had to do it again, I would dedicate more time to studying.

Celeste: Start studying now and enroll in a prep course. The course will teach you how to break down each question and how to see the patterns of questions on the exam. Once you have this basic foundation, it is all about practice. Take the time to study and you will be happy with your results.

Q: Were you happy with the score you received?

Erika: Yes, based on how much time I put in.

Celeste: I would have liked to score higher, but given the amount of time I dedicated towards studying, I was pleased with my score.

2. Personal Statement

Facts: Most law schools do not interview applicants, so they use your personal statement to get to know you.

Q: What advice do you have for writing a personal statement?

Erika: Compose your rough draft using stream of consciousness writing and then revise it three or four times. It will improve each time, but you’ll start to see diminishing returns after several edits. Vary your sentence length and don’t get sloppy with your prepositional phrases. The goal is to show the admission board that you are a three-dimensional person who is capable of self-reflection (and you need to convey this in less than two double-spaced pages). Be sure your first line is an attention-grabber. Reel them in. This last part may be unsettling, but ask other people to read it and tell you their impressions, especially if those people are lawyers.

Celeste: Don’t try to write the perfect statement the first time through. Just get your story down on paper and you can revise it later. However, this also means you need to write your first draft early in order to give yourself time for quality revisions. I wrote mine five months before I applied to law schools and revised it five times. To gain a better understanding of what law schools deem an outstanding personal statement check out these examples from admitted University of Chicago Law School students.

3. Undergraduate Transcripts

Facts: There are no required prerequisite courses for law school. Instead, law schools look to the rigor of study of your degree and classes.

Erika: Diversify. Your electives should be somewhat rigorous while reflecting your interests. While you want to keep your GPA high, getting a “B” in a challenging course can be better than getting an “A” in an easy one. It shows you’re willing to try something that you aren’t already good at.

Celeste: This one is pretty self-explanatory.Get good grades, but don’t take “fluff” classes. Law school is extremely difficult, so you want to exhibit your ability to handle the rigorous study.Taking one “Music of the Beatles” class may not affect your chances of admission, but taking many similar courses will.

4. Résumé

Facts: Law schools do not require any previous experience in the legal field. What they look for on applicants’ résumés is evidence that the applicant is well-rounded. They look for work experience, leadership roles, extracurricular activities, and volunteer experience.

Erika: Read online articles that give in-depth résumé advice. For those of you in the W. P. Carey School of Business, utilize what you learned in your WPC 301 course. Don’t violate standard norms. Keep your résumé to ONE PAGE! Don’t get too creative with formatting. Keep it simple. The most relevant information should come first and you should be able to speak passionately about each item you include.

Celeste: Everything Erika said is spot on. I read dozens of articles on how to format a résumé. Harvard Law School offers examples of résumés of past admitted students that I used as a basic template. Remember, your résumé is an outline of your professional story. Don’t put anything on your résumé that you can’t tell a story about. I also met with my Business Law Career Coach, Vivian Kiss, who helped me tremendously in giving me specific feedback. If you’re a Business Law major go see Vivian!

5. Letters of Recommendation

Facts: Law schools usually require a minimum of two letters of recommendation. They prefer at least one of the letters to be from a professor that can speak to your academic record.

Q: What advice do you have for requesting letters of recommendation?

Erika: Request early. You want your recommenders to have plenty of time to think things through while writing your recommendation. If you’re asking an alumni of a school you’re targeting, don’t be afraid to ask them to write a school-specific letter and a second generic one. You can select which letters you send to each school on the LSAC site. Just be sure that you don’t read them.

Celeste: Don’t be afraid to get to know your professors. Most of them are more than happy to chat with you during their office hours about career options and goals. This helps you establish a personal relationship, which will make all the difference when you ask for a letter of

recommendation.

6. The Actual Application

Facts: Most law schools require you to register through the Law School Admission Council to apply.This is where you will complete and submit all of your applications.

Q: Were there any surprises on the LSAC website?

Erika: The LSAC site is pretty compartmentalized, but you’ll quickly get comfortable navigating it.

Celeste: I had no idea what the actual applications would look like on LSAC, so it was somewhat surprising when I began filling them out.It was a good kind of surprising though, because it was quite similar to college applications. Most of the questions are focused on demographics, character and fitness, and personal information.

Q: How did you decide which schools to apply to?

Erika: I looked at each school’s reputation and how expansive its alumni network is. If you have a solid idea of the type of law you’d like to practice, focus on geographic regions that match up with your interest. The simplest path is to graduate in the state where you’ll take the Bar exam. The schools I am applying to are Duke, Texas, Notre Dame, Sandra Day O’Connor (ASU), UC Berkeley, and Stanford.

Celeste: I looked at school rankings on U.S. News and World Report and Above the Law. I then narrowed my list based on my LSAT score, likelihood of being accepted, and geographic preference. The schools I ended up applying to are Sandra Day O’Connor (ASU), University of Arizona, College of William and Mary, and University of San Diego.

Overarching Advice

Erika: Seek advice from those who have gone before you, namely law students and attorneys. See where their advice overlaps and what is unique for each person. Begin preparation early so you can avoid additional stress. Asking these questions six months to several years in advance will help you get your feet wet, and you’ll have a better idea of what to expect. If you’re interested in out of state schools, plan short trips to visit the campus and meet with admissions officers. This was eye-opening for me. You get a feel for the school’s culture and may even get to attend a few classes.

Celeste: Absolutely get started early. I began researching the law school application process when I was a freshman in college. The process is going to be stressful no matter what, but you want to eliminate any unnecessary stress. Make sure to go to the Law School Fair at ASU too! It is held every October in the P.E. West Building, and law schools from across the country are represented.

Hopefully, you found at least one piece of helpful advice by reading this post. If you have further questions please do not hesitate to contact me at celeste.robertson@asu.edu. I’m more than happy to meet up for coffee and chat about law school!

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