7 answers
Harshpreet
Student
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
1
Question
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What are some techniques and methods i should follow to get into law school?
#law #law-school #law-practice #lawyer
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7 answers
Suddhasattwa Das
Career Coach, Friend, Guide
38
Answers
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Updated
Suddhasattwa’s Answer
Hi Harshpreet,
Quite an aspiring role, impressed!
Well, you certainly need to have a bachelor's degree or have completed 90 credit hours (three years) towards a bachelor's degree, prior to entering a law school.
But if you are under-graduate then you need : Undergraduate degree in Pre-Law Major
Clear your LSAT (Law School Admission Test) to get into any LSAC-member Canadian law school. (should be 12-180 range)
Then you can go to any Law School in Canada
Last stage is complete Your Province’s Bar Admission Course and Articling
All the very best Harshpreet.
Cheers, Suddho
https://www.lsac.org/choosing-law-school/find-law-school/canadian-law-schools
https://www.lawyeredu.org/canada.html
Quite an aspiring role, impressed!
Well, you certainly need to have a bachelor's degree or have completed 90 credit hours (three years) towards a bachelor's degree, prior to entering a law school.
But if you are under-graduate then you need : Undergraduate degree in Pre-Law Major
Clear your LSAT (Law School Admission Test) to get into any LSAC-member Canadian law school. (should be 12-180 range)
Then you can go to any Law School in Canada
Last stage is complete Your Province’s Bar Admission Course and Articling
All the very best Harshpreet.
Cheers, Suddho
Suddhasattwa recommends the following next steps:
Dianne Francisco, JD
Case Clerk
3
Answers
Palo Alto, California
Updated
Dianne’s Answer
Hi Harshpreet,
This is such a great question, and I wish I would have asked it before I attended law school. I went to law school in the U.S., and I'm not sure if there are different requirements from Canadian law school, so just be aware these are steps I would recommend as an American law student (although I imagine it can apply to Canada too!).
Step One: College
You will need a Bachelor's degree before attending law school. I think the most unique and neat thing about law school is that you do not need to have a specific major to get in! Many people think law school candidates should just take Political Science or Criminal Justice, but there is no requirement. I had fellow law school colleagues who studied Philosophy, English, and even Graphic Design. I found that my peers who had other majors aside from Political Science or Criminal Justice had a different way of analyzing things that benefited them and allowed them to thrive in law school. I have also met students who studied Mechanical Engineering or Biology in college. The amazing thing about those people was that it allowed them to have a backup career (if you will) if they later decided not to go to law school. Additionally, in the United States, if you want to become a patent attorney, they require you to have a science degree, so these peers also had that option! I have a friend who was a Registered Nurse before she became an attorney. Once she finished law school, she was able to get a job as a lawyer for a hospital defending medical professionals as a malpractice attorney. She can connect and understand her clients in a way other lawyers can't because of her medical training. I would think of it this way: what kind of career would you like to have if you decided not to go to law school?
Step Two: Study for the LSAT
I would recommend studying and even taking the LSAT during the middle of your junior year in college. This will allow you enough time to go back and retake it if you are unhappy with your score without delaying your law school application process.
Step Three: Apply to law school
If you decide that you want to go to law school immediately after graduating from college, you should consider applying to law school during the first semester of your senior year of college. That way, before you graduate from college, you will know which law school you will attend.
If you have extra time in college, you should see if your school has a pre-law student organization. This is a great way to meet other prospective law students and connect you with lawyers who graduated from your college. But the most important thing about going to law school is earning high marks in your class and obtaining a high LSAT. Anything else you do is bonus points!
I hope this helps! Good luck!!!
This is such a great question, and I wish I would have asked it before I attended law school. I went to law school in the U.S., and I'm not sure if there are different requirements from Canadian law school, so just be aware these are steps I would recommend as an American law student (although I imagine it can apply to Canada too!).
Step One: College
You will need a Bachelor's degree before attending law school. I think the most unique and neat thing about law school is that you do not need to have a specific major to get in! Many people think law school candidates should just take Political Science or Criminal Justice, but there is no requirement. I had fellow law school colleagues who studied Philosophy, English, and even Graphic Design. I found that my peers who had other majors aside from Political Science or Criminal Justice had a different way of analyzing things that benefited them and allowed them to thrive in law school. I have also met students who studied Mechanical Engineering or Biology in college. The amazing thing about those people was that it allowed them to have a backup career (if you will) if they later decided not to go to law school. Additionally, in the United States, if you want to become a patent attorney, they require you to have a science degree, so these peers also had that option! I have a friend who was a Registered Nurse before she became an attorney. Once she finished law school, she was able to get a job as a lawyer for a hospital defending medical professionals as a malpractice attorney. She can connect and understand her clients in a way other lawyers can't because of her medical training. I would think of it this way: what kind of career would you like to have if you decided not to go to law school?
Step Two: Study for the LSAT
I would recommend studying and even taking the LSAT during the middle of your junior year in college. This will allow you enough time to go back and retake it if you are unhappy with your score without delaying your law school application process.
Step Three: Apply to law school
If you decide that you want to go to law school immediately after graduating from college, you should consider applying to law school during the first semester of your senior year of college. That way, before you graduate from college, you will know which law school you will attend.
If you have extra time in college, you should see if your school has a pre-law student organization. This is a great way to meet other prospective law students and connect you with lawyers who graduated from your college. But the most important thing about going to law school is earning high marks in your class and obtaining a high LSAT. Anything else you do is bonus points!
I hope this helps! Good luck!!!
Andrew Kenny
4
Answers
Updated
Andrew’s Answer
There is no "designed path" to get into law school. The most important thing is to work hard in college and get good grades. One of the most important pieces of applying to law school is doing well on the LSAT exam. It would be advantageous for you to take an LSAT prep course that provides simulated testing experiences to allow you to work under the same conditions you would face during the real exam. There are many different paths to take when pursuing a legal career and for that reason, there are so many backgrounds you can come from. As long as you have a good work ethic you can explore any path while in college.
Job Hall
Real Estate Manager
113
Answers
Reno, Nevada
Updated
Job’s Answer
You need to get good grades, participate in debate or the school paper. Try to do both to improve your public presentation and writing skills. Take one or two LSAT classes to prepare for the LSAT. If you can write a well organized and logical thesis.
Fiona Meow
Legal Counsel
123
Answers
Hong Kong
Updated
Fiona’s Answer
Study hard and get good grades!
Do some volunteering work or extra curricular activities to make yourself stand out.
Do some volunteering work or extra curricular activities to make yourself stand out.
Mariana León García
Senior Analyst and Lawyer
26
Answers
Mexico City, Mexico
Updated
Mariana’s Answer
Hello Harshpreet,
1. DO THE READING. Do all of the reading assigned for your courses. Do not fall behind; you may never catch up. Do your reading at times of the day when you are most alert. Also, do your reading in a location where you will not be distracted or tempted to do something else. Otherwise, you will find that it takes you far longer than necessary to prepare for class.
2. BRIEF THE CASES. Take notes while reading. For each assigned case, write down the legally significant facts, the holding of the case, and the rationale for the court's decision. This is what is referred to as "briefing" cases. Your case briefs should be just that-brief.
3. REVIEW BEFORE EACH CLASS. Review your reading notes (case briefs) right before class. That way, the cases will be fresh in your mind, and you will substantially increase your ability to follow the class discussion (not to mention avoid the embarrassment associated with being unprepared when called upon by the professor).
4. GO TO CLASS. Most professors cover some material in class that is not discussed in the reading, so failure to attend class will put you at a big disadvantage when you take the final exam. Also, you will receive an "FW" if you miss more than 20% of the sessions of a course. This is factored into your grade point average as an "F" and is never removed from your academic record, even if you retake the course.
5. PAY ATTENTION IN CLASS. Some misguided students use class time to shop on the Internet, play computer games or catch up on their e-mail. You are paying a substantial amount of money for tuition. Do you really want to spend your tuition money "surfing the net" or playing computer solitaire instead of paying attention to the class discussion?
6. TAKE CLASS NOTES. Do not, however, get so caught up in trying to take down everything your professor says that you are not actively engaged in the class discussion. Review your class notes before starting your next reading assignment and analyze how the new cases you read affect those cases you already have reviewed in class.
7. REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW. Just because you don't have an exam until the end of the semester does not mean that you should wait until the reading period to begin your review. This is not undergraduate school. You cannot cram right before finals and get good grades. Therefore, make time for frequent review over the course of the semester.
8. ATTEND REVIEW SESSIONS CONDUCTED BY YOUR PROFESSORS AND/OR THEIR ACADEMIC FELLOWS. Some professors and/or Academic Fellows hold review sessions prior to exams. This is a great way to clarify the issues about which you are confused without having to stand in line outside your professor's office. Moreover, helpful tips regarding how to write your exam answers in a way that will earn you the most points are often shared during review sessions.
9. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FEEDBACK FROM YOUR PROFESSORS. If your professor distributes a practice question and says that she will review your answer if you submit it by a certain time, DO IT! This is a great opportunity to get your professor's input and make any necessary adjustments before your performance is graded.
10. CREATE A STUDY PLAN. Many students complain that they do not have enough time to brief cases, prepare outlines and/or take practice exams. They're wrong! By planning your time in advance, you will have enough time to meet all of the demands of law school and have time to enjoy some outside activities. If you need help managing your time, see Professor Faulkner.
11. MINIMIZE YOUR STRESS. Law school can be stressful, but there are a number of steps you can take to keep stress to a minimum. Humor is a great stress reliever. Make time for exercise
12. GET HELP IF YOU NEED IT. It is not uncommon for students to be confused about the substantive law covered in their classes, how to prepare for class, how to study for exams, how to manage their time or how to take law school exams. Indeed, it is the rare student who does not have questions about these subjects from time to time, particularly during the first year of law school. If you have questions, there are a number of resources available to you. Every professor holds weekly office hours.
Hope this works for you.
Mariana
1. DO THE READING. Do all of the reading assigned for your courses. Do not fall behind; you may never catch up. Do your reading at times of the day when you are most alert. Also, do your reading in a location where you will not be distracted or tempted to do something else. Otherwise, you will find that it takes you far longer than necessary to prepare for class.
2. BRIEF THE CASES. Take notes while reading. For each assigned case, write down the legally significant facts, the holding of the case, and the rationale for the court's decision. This is what is referred to as "briefing" cases. Your case briefs should be just that-brief.
3. REVIEW BEFORE EACH CLASS. Review your reading notes (case briefs) right before class. That way, the cases will be fresh in your mind, and you will substantially increase your ability to follow the class discussion (not to mention avoid the embarrassment associated with being unprepared when called upon by the professor).
4. GO TO CLASS. Most professors cover some material in class that is not discussed in the reading, so failure to attend class will put you at a big disadvantage when you take the final exam. Also, you will receive an "FW" if you miss more than 20% of the sessions of a course. This is factored into your grade point average as an "F" and is never removed from your academic record, even if you retake the course.
5. PAY ATTENTION IN CLASS. Some misguided students use class time to shop on the Internet, play computer games or catch up on their e-mail. You are paying a substantial amount of money for tuition. Do you really want to spend your tuition money "surfing the net" or playing computer solitaire instead of paying attention to the class discussion?
6. TAKE CLASS NOTES. Do not, however, get so caught up in trying to take down everything your professor says that you are not actively engaged in the class discussion. Review your class notes before starting your next reading assignment and analyze how the new cases you read affect those cases you already have reviewed in class.
7. REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW. Just because you don't have an exam until the end of the semester does not mean that you should wait until the reading period to begin your review. This is not undergraduate school. You cannot cram right before finals and get good grades. Therefore, make time for frequent review over the course of the semester.
8. ATTEND REVIEW SESSIONS CONDUCTED BY YOUR PROFESSORS AND/OR THEIR ACADEMIC FELLOWS. Some professors and/or Academic Fellows hold review sessions prior to exams. This is a great way to clarify the issues about which you are confused without having to stand in line outside your professor's office. Moreover, helpful tips regarding how to write your exam answers in a way that will earn you the most points are often shared during review sessions.
9. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FEEDBACK FROM YOUR PROFESSORS. If your professor distributes a practice question and says that she will review your answer if you submit it by a certain time, DO IT! This is a great opportunity to get your professor's input and make any necessary adjustments before your performance is graded.
10. CREATE A STUDY PLAN. Many students complain that they do not have enough time to brief cases, prepare outlines and/or take practice exams. They're wrong! By planning your time in advance, you will have enough time to meet all of the demands of law school and have time to enjoy some outside activities. If you need help managing your time, see Professor Faulkner.
11. MINIMIZE YOUR STRESS. Law school can be stressful, but there are a number of steps you can take to keep stress to a minimum. Humor is a great stress reliever. Make time for exercise
12. GET HELP IF YOU NEED IT. It is not uncommon for students to be confused about the substantive law covered in their classes, how to prepare for class, how to study for exams, how to manage their time or how to take law school exams. Indeed, it is the rare student who does not have questions about these subjects from time to time, particularly during the first year of law school. If you have questions, there are a number of resources available to you. Every professor holds weekly office hours.
Hope this works for you.
Mariana
Richard A.
physician
2153
Answers
Updated
Richard’s Answer
Law schools do not look to see if you have had specific high school courses. However, in order to get into a good college, you might consider taking the hardest degree program available at your school (AP or IB). The IB program would be excellent to get experience in extra writing. You might also take a speech or debate class to see if you enjoy public speaking. There are types of attorneys though who do not have to go to court or have trials. My wife is an attorney, and she thinks all of the writing she did in high school and college were excellent preparation for law school and being an attorney.