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Introduction |
Information For Juniors & Seniors1. What field should I major in, and what courses should
I take to prepare myself for a career in law?
Many students at Carnegie Mellon when asking these questions of their advisors, receive the answer that there is no prescribed major or required prelaw courses. It is not a "cop-out" when an advisor refuses to suggest a single "best" route to law school. It is merely a recognition that the careers of those trained in the law are widely varied and therefore call on widely differing skills. Whether you find this fact to be liberating or frustrating, it means that you will need to develop your own rationale for making choices during your undergraduate years. It also means that your undergraduate education can be both specialized and richly diverse. But keep in mind that the spoken and written word are the principal tools of the legal profession. If you intend to study law, you must develop an excellent knowledge and grasp of the English language as well as a clear and concise style of expression. Seek out courses, in whatever departments, which require substantial writing assignments and provide a thorough critique of your efforts. A sound liberal education is often best for most pre-law students. Courses in political science, history, economics, statistics, and anthropology help a student to understand the structure of society and the problems of social ordering with which the law is concerned. To study philosophy, literature, fine arts, foreign languages, and other cultures imparts familiarity with traditions of universal thought and trends which have influenced, or tend to influence, legal developments nationally and internationally. The examination of human behavior in sociology and psychology will aid a prospective law student in understanding the types and effects of human behavior with which law is involved. The systematic ordering of abstractions and ideas acquired by studying logic and the sciences contributes much to a pre-law student's capacity to analyze, understand, and rationally organize his or her thoughts. And, in some fields of law practice it is useful for a student to have a fundamental knowledge of technology, engineering, computers, and accounting. This long answer can be condensed into two basic points:
There are basically two: your GPA (grade point average) and your score on the LSAT (Law School Admissions Test). Subjective factors such as faculty recommendations, extracurricular interests, and work experience are also considered by many law schools, but they are less important and typically do not compensate for mediocre academic performance. To pad your GPA by taking easy courses at the expense of gaining a diverse and rigorous education and sharpening your analytical and writing skills will work to your disadvantage in scoring well on the LSAT and being prepared for the rigors of legal study. 3. When should I take the LSAT? The LSAT should be taken either in June after your junior year or in the September/October test dates of your senior year. One advantage of signing up for the summer test is that you will have your results back in time to determine an appropriate range of schools to which to apply. 4. Shouldn't I take the LSAT once for practice? No, definitely not. When you eventually apply to law schools, all of your test scores are reported. Since most schools average the scores or deduct points from the second score if it is higher, you should plan to take the test only once. If you do poorly, then take the test again - you have nothing to lose. You could, however, become familiar with the LSAT by reviewing copies of the old LSATs, in Barron's or LSDAS sample books. It's up to you to take the test under test-like conditions. 5. Should I take one of the commercial prep courses for the LSAT? Neither the Law School Admissions Council (the maker of the LSAT) nor the pre-law advisor recommend any particular commercial course. Your performance on the LSAT will be maximized after a thorough (4-6 weeks) review of the test's format and content. Whether you study on your own with sample test materials, by using books such as Barron's to guide your review, or by paying for a commercial course is up to you. If you feel that you are not a skilled test-taker, a commercial course might reduce your anxiety and give you tips for working quickly. While LSAC claims that commercial courses produce no substantial improvement in scores, the Stanley Kaplan course, for one, claims a 5-7 point performance higher than the mean for its students. Such improvements are much more likely in the middle range of scores than at the upper end. 6. When should I apply to law schools? If you want to attend law school right after college, you should apply during the fall of your senior year. Although application deadlines are often spring dates, early applicants have a distinct advantage. Plan to have everything in the mail before Christmas. 7. What about recommendations? Most law schools require two letters from faculty and one from a Dean which the pre-law advisor completes. You need not solicit these recommendations until your senior year, but you can begin now seeking out courses and teachers for whom you are motivated to do your best work. Put out the extra effort to get to know your teachers now so that you will feel comfortable and confident requesting a recommendation later on. 8. How can I know if law is right for me? Listen to what lawyers say about their work. Seek out a broad range of attorneys to talk with and observe. Summer jobs in law firms can provide you with excellent insight into legal practice. Read about law school and legal careers. The following books are recommended:
9. What's the job market like for lawyers? Despite reports of a glut of new lawyers, the National Association for Law Placement reports a 90%+ placement rate for all ABA-approved law schools in the country. The market for law graduates varies widely depending on several factors: the law school's ranking, the graduate's rank in class, the area of the country, the type of law you wish to practice. Generally speaking, the higher paying jobs with large city firms go to top-of-the-class graduates from top national or regional schools. When gathering information about law schools, be sure to notice the placement results of their graduates. 10. So what should I be doing now? Concentrate on your academic performance. This is the most important factor in determining your later options for law school. Now is the time to correct any academic weakness. Explore your interests to determine if law is a genuine and enduring commitment for you. There are, after all, lots of attractive alternatives. Think about your personal statement and what law schools you might be interested in applying to in the fall of your senior year. |
URL:
http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/org/prelaw/qanda.htm
Copyright © 2000, Carnegie Mellon University's Pre-Law Society
Last Updated On 2000-10-26 (October 26, 2000; 26th of October, 2000) 08:00:00
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