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Amyah
Student
Miami Gardens, Florida
6
Questions
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When going to law school, what is the workload and how can I get accepted after I graduate ?
#lawschool #judge
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Job Hall
Real Estate Manager
65
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Reno, Nevada
Updated
Job’s Answer
The work load in law school is large, with many hours studying the reasoning behind the decisions. Upon graduation, and if working in a law firm as a new attorney you can look forward to 55-70 hour work weeks and so so pay. It takes special/exceptional skills and hard work to advance, but after 5-10 years it will lighten up and become much more profitable.
Kali Odell
Academic Advisor, School of Public Policy at Oregon State University
8
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Corvallis, Oregon
Updated
Kali’s Answer
Hi Amyah:
I have experience as a prelaw advisor, but have not been to law school myself, so my answer to the first part of your question is pretty general: law school workloads are pretty intense, more so than an undergraduate workload. I will leave it to someone who has had the experience to get more specific about what being a law student is like.
I can provide more details about how to get accepted after you graduate. Law schools care a lot about GPA, so making sure your grades are strong, but also that you’re taking hard courses that will help you develop writing and critical thinking skills are things they look at closely. Law schools like applicants who are passionate and take action on their passions, so making sure you have experiences outside of the classroom is important. Look for internship opportunities and some clubs/activities/volunteer work where you develop substantive skills and you can work up into a leadership role. These experiences don’t have to be in the legal field (but they can!); they should be tied to your interests though, and it can be helpful to choose experiences that might connect to areas of law you’re interested in practicing.
LSAT (or GRE) scores are important. These are the standardized tests law schools look at. Make sure you plan to dedicate several months to studying and that you take the test when you feel prepared to achieve your best score. Nobody just does well on the LSAT without studying, so make sure you plan to give it your time and energy.
You’ll need at least two letters of recommendation from your faculty. Start building those relationships as soon as possible. Identify faculty who you enjoy learning from and make sure you’re giving them your highest quality work. Go to their office hours and talk to them about your work, their research, your goals for law school, etc. If you can, take multiple classes with them or do research with them. The better they know you, the better equipped they are to write a strong, personalized letter of recommendation, which law schools love to see. Faculty letters carry much more weight than letters from other folks, especially if you’re going to law school within a few years of finishing undergrad.
Finally, you’ll need to write a strong personal statement and other optional statements. Work on your writing in school. Use your college’s writing center or career center to get feedback on your essay when it comes time to write them.
The final main thing to keep in mind is that law schools value people who are detail-oriented and can follow instructions. Make sure you read all instructions carefully and follow the guidelines each program lays out for you.
I hope this is helpful, good luck to you!
I have experience as a prelaw advisor, but have not been to law school myself, so my answer to the first part of your question is pretty general: law school workloads are pretty intense, more so than an undergraduate workload. I will leave it to someone who has had the experience to get more specific about what being a law student is like.
I can provide more details about how to get accepted after you graduate. Law schools care a lot about GPA, so making sure your grades are strong, but also that you’re taking hard courses that will help you develop writing and critical thinking skills are things they look at closely. Law schools like applicants who are passionate and take action on their passions, so making sure you have experiences outside of the classroom is important. Look for internship opportunities and some clubs/activities/volunteer work where you develop substantive skills and you can work up into a leadership role. These experiences don’t have to be in the legal field (but they can!); they should be tied to your interests though, and it can be helpful to choose experiences that might connect to areas of law you’re interested in practicing.
LSAT (or GRE) scores are important. These are the standardized tests law schools look at. Make sure you plan to dedicate several months to studying and that you take the test when you feel prepared to achieve your best score. Nobody just does well on the LSAT without studying, so make sure you plan to give it your time and energy.
You’ll need at least two letters of recommendation from your faculty. Start building those relationships as soon as possible. Identify faculty who you enjoy learning from and make sure you’re giving them your highest quality work. Go to their office hours and talk to them about your work, their research, your goals for law school, etc. If you can, take multiple classes with them or do research with them. The better they know you, the better equipped they are to write a strong, personalized letter of recommendation, which law schools love to see. Faculty letters carry much more weight than letters from other folks, especially if you’re going to law school within a few years of finishing undergrad.
Finally, you’ll need to write a strong personal statement and other optional statements. Work on your writing in school. Use your college’s writing center or career center to get feedback on your essay when it comes time to write them.
The final main thing to keep in mind is that law schools value people who are detail-oriented and can follow instructions. Make sure you read all instructions carefully and follow the guidelines each program lays out for you.
I hope this is helpful, good luck to you!