Use your undergraduate years to determine if becoming a lawyer is the right career choice for you. Alexandra Anderson in the Center for Career & Professional Development and Dr. Joseph Hower, faculty pre-law advisor, serve as your allies, from helping you determine the resources that will assist you from decision-making through the actual application process. You can reach them at su-prelaw@southwestern.edu.

The most successful students take every advantage to enhance their profiles. Your first source of information should be the American Bar Association (ABA)’s article on Preparation for Legal Education. This statement lists the skills and knowledge that are essential to law. The statement is available at https://www.americanbar.org/groups/legal_education/resources/pre_law/.

Choosing a Major

The wonderful but frustrating truth is that law schools have no preference for any major or course work, but they do consider very strongly how well you do in your choice of major. All undergraduate majors have characteristics that will help you in law school: engineering and science students develop analytical reasoning; liberal arts students develop knowledge about the structure of society and reading- and writing-intensive skills, while business majors obtain corporate and entrepreneurial insights. Students from all majors at Southwestern University have become successful lawyers.

Don’t rush your decision about your major: instead, take time to investigate your interests and be open-minded. We advise students to major in what they enjoy most and what they would consider for an alternate career. Usually, you do better in courses in which you like the material. You may also decide not to go to law school immediately after graduation or you may change your mind about it completely. Use your electives to dabble in course work required for other majors. This will broaden your educational background as well as allow you to check out other possibilities for careers.

Many students take courses in history, accounting, economics, anthropology, political science, literature, philosophy, sociology, speech, and psychology to round out their curriculum. 

Making the Grade

Give your academic performance top priority— don’t let a poor record make your career decision for you. The two most important determinants of admission to law school are your cumulative grade point average and your LSAT score. However, filling your undergraduate semesters with blow-off courses will backfire on you in several ways. First, your LSAT score will reflect your lack of cognitive growth and flabby thinking skills. Second, law school requires overwhelming amounts of reading and analysis, and talented, determined and extremely competitive classmates will surround you. A non-challenging educational program will cripple you from the start. Third, in college you should seek out the excellent professors, not just the courses. You will need good relationships with faculty who can serve as recommendation writers. Start early cultivating those relationships.

When you apply to law school, every grade from every college will be compiled into one grade point average. This means that although the grades earned at a community college do not “count” at Southwestern, they will count when you apply to law school! Correct your academic weaknesses now. Developing reading speed, study skills, and test-taking strategies are just some of the topics you can get help with at the SU Center for Academic Success.

Extracurricular Activities

In addition to grades and test scores, law schools examine your resume to see what types of activities you have participated in and what leadership opportunities you have taken. All pre-law students should consider joining the SU Pre-Law Society, a law-related student organization. This group provides speakers such as lawyers and admissions officers, field trips to law schools, mock LSATs, and camaraderie with students with similar aspirations. In addition to student organizations on campus, you should consider community service opportunities, internships, study abroad, and work experience. There are no “required” activities for law school, but the most competitive applicants tend to have demonstrated leadership experience and have often take study abroad trips or completed internships. Law-related internships or employment will enhance your ability to make an informed decision to attend law school and get marketable practical experience. You can volunteer, be a part-time student worker or work full-time in the summer. The Center for Career & Professional Development or faculty pre-law advisors can help you determine which activities and programs will best suit your needs and goals.

Exploring Law as a Career

Explore other career options with your academic advisor and the Center for Career & Professional Development. Investigate law as a career by reading (see the list below), interviewing lawyers and judges, and being an active member of a law-related student organization. Obtain realistic information about law school placement rates and starting salaries. Begin networking in the legal community now so that you can properly focus your energy and time during law school.

Reading List

• The Official Guide to U.S. Law Schools. LSAC and LSAS publication.
• ABA Guide to Approved Law Schools. American Bar Association.
• Pre-Law Companion. Ronald Coleman.
• The Official Lawyer’s Handbook. D. Robert White.
• One L: An Inside Account of Life in the First Year at Harvard Law School. Scott Turow.
• An Introduction to Legal Reasoning. Edward H. Levi.
• The Spirit of the Common Law. Roscoe Pound.
• The Bramble Bush. Karl N. Llewellyn.
• Going to Law School? Readings on a Legal Career. Ehrlich and Hazzard.
• John Marshall, A Life in Law. Leonard Baker.
• The Washington Lawyer. Charles Horsky.
• The Growth of American Law. J.W. Hurst.
• Thinking About Law School: A Minority Guide. LSAC and LSAS Publication.
• Cracking the System: The LSAT. The Princeton Review.
• Full Disclosure: Do You Really Want to Be a Lawyer? Complied by Susan Bell.
• The Lure of the Law. Richard W. Moll.

Applying to Law School

A good, complete application requires proper planning! A complete application consists of five main items: your undergraduate GPA; your LSAT score; the application itself; your resume and your recommendation letters. Some applicants will also include addenda to discuss grade trends, standardized testing conditions or criminal records. To present yourself in the best light, you should begin preparations as soon as possible. The following strategies should help you get started.

Recommended Timetable for Law School Applicants

April/May: Prepare and register for the June LSAT. Begin researching law schools and identify possible choices. Start collecting reference letters.

June: Take the LSAT. Continue research and finalize law school choices. Make a file for each law school and include deadlines, addresses, etc. Update your resume.

Late June: Receive LSAT scores. Send requests for information to law schools of interest. Begin writing your personal statement. Keep track of which letters you have received and send Thank You cards to the writers.

August/September: Subscribe to Credential Assembly Service (CAS). Have official transcripts from every school you have ever attended sent directly to CAS. Begin completing applications. Keep photocopies of all application materials and correspondence. Forward reference letters to CAS.

October/December: Take, or retake if necessary, the LSAT. Complete remaining applications. Receive notification from CAS that Law School Reports have been mailed to law schools. Rank law schools on your list.

Spring Semester: Receive offers of admission. Apply for financial aid and scholarships. Tour law schools (may be virtual) that have offered admission. Inform the Center for Career & Professional Development of admissions offers and which school you have selected.

Law School Admission Council 

One of the first things you should do is set up your Law School Admission Council (LSAC) account.  This will be your gateway to the entire law school admission process. Your LSAC account number will be your primary identifier for all LSAC services. You will use your LSAC account for registering for the LSAT, receiving your scores, using the Credential Assembly Service, and submitting law school applications. Once you set up your LSAC account, you will be able to easily go through all of the steps necessary to register for the LSAT, prepare all of your credentials, complete your applications, and check the status of your application process.  

Mastering the LSAT

Your Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score is a major determinant of whether you get accepted into law school and which schools will admit you. The LSAT tests your reading comprehension and analytical and logical reasoning skills. It is administered digitally. Never take the LSAT for practice! Some schools average your scores if you take the LSAT more than once; many do not favor multiple scores at all, especially if the second score is lower. You can choose to take the LSAT in person or remotely.

Most applicants plan to take the LSAT in June of the year preceding law school entry in order to send completed applications as early as possible. Many schools practice rolling admissions, giving early applicants an advantage. Register for the LSAT as soon as possible to reserve a spot at your first-choice test site. After registration, don’t throw the LSAT Registration book away! You’ll need to refer to it later.

Prepare for the LSAT and plan to take it only once. Don’t take the test unprepared, and don’t take the real test for practice. Schools treat multiple scores differently but most will average all scores. The actual LSAT costs $222 beginning in 2023-2024. Many LSAT preparation methods exist, including private courses—either in-person ($1000+) or online ($600-1200)—self-prep ($50-375), and private tutoring ($2000+). Practice LSATs are available on campus each semester.

Credential Assembly Service (CAS) 

The Credential Assembly Service (CAS)  streamlines the admission process because you need only have your transcripts, recommendations, and evaluations sent one time to LSAC, and they summarize them and combine them with your LSAT scores and writing samples into a report that is sent to your prospective law schools. The Credential Assembly Service includes access through your LSAC account to electronic applications for all ABA-approved law schools.  Most ABA-approved law schools require that applicants use CAS as a centralized, standard method of receiving applicant information. The basic steps for assembling your CAS file can be done in any order, but they must all be completed before any law school reports will be sent.

• Create your secure LSAC.org account if you have not already done so
• Make sure there is a reportable LSAT score in your LSAC file
• Provide information about the schools you attended to LSAC
• Make sure all required transcripts are sent to LSAC
• Make sure all required letters of recommendation and evaluations are sent to LSAC
• Pay the $200 fee for the Credential Assembly Service. (Your account will remain active for five years.)

Law School Resumes 

Unless forbidden, you should send a resume with each law school application. This resume will generally be longer and contain more detail than a resume used in a job search. The Center for Career & Professional Development is always ready to review your resume and offer suggestions.

Personal Statements and Addenda

Your grades and LSAT scores give the committee some idea of your academic abilities. Your resume lets them know what you have done and where you have been. The personal statement can be the most important part of the application because it lets the committee know something about you. Because most law schools do not interview applicants, a personal statement is your only chance to provide additional information to the admissions committee. Your resume in prose format is not a personal statement! Different people will give you different advice on what to include in your statement, so always consider the source of information. Before you submit your application and statement, have others read it and offer objective comments. The Center for Career & Professional Development, academic advisors, and trusted professors are good choices for critics. Spend time reflecting on your life, the events and people who have impacted you, and the important things in your life. Write a statement that lets the reader know more about you. To have a statement reviewed by the Center for Career & Professional Development, contact pirate2pro@southwestern.edu. 

If you had a poor semester or low LSAT scores, you may wish to discuss this in your application. Some will advise you to include that in your personal statement. You should do this only if that is the essence of the story you wish to tell the committee. However, overcoming low grades or doing poorly on the LSAT will not be the thesis of most statements. You may include an addendum with your application that discusses only the reasons for poor performance and how you overcame that hurdle. Reasons may include illness, financial problems, lack of study skills, or lack of motivation. Once again, the Center for Career & Professional Development is happy to review these addenda. For more information, download “Write the Right Personal Statement.”

Reference Letters

Reference letters may serve a crucial role when the admissions committee must decide between you and another applicant. Generally, you will need three letters. Choose evaluators who know you and can speak from a first-hand perspective of you and your abilities. At least one letter should be from a faculty member at Southwestern from whom you have taken a class. Letters from friends and acquaintances will not hurt your admissions chances, but generally do not improve them. A letter from your employer that discusses your work ethic and skills will generally outweigh a judge you know socially and says that you are a good person.

Law School Applications 

You should apply to law schools from your LSAC.org account (to US member law schools only). Schools will then request your Credential Assembly Service law school report from LSAC. Be sure your LSAC application information is correct. If there are mistakes, correct them as soon as possible!

Your application form will generally be that which you submit via your LSAC account. However, each law school may require other information regarding letters of recommendation, resumes or personal statements. Read each list of requirements thoroughly before you begin to submit materials. Consult the law school, the Center for Career & Professional Development or a professor if you have any questions. Applications should be sent as early in the application season as possible.

Early Decision/Early Admission. Several schools have early decision or early admission programs. Some schools will not have applications until late September or early October. Keep good records on application deadlines and procedures. Keep a copy of each completed application. When you take the bar exam during your first year of law school, you are required to submit a copy of the application to the bar examiners.

To Which Law Schools Should You Apply?

You should examine why you want to attend law school and your realistic chances of gaining admission to different schools. The Official Guide to U.S. Law Schools provides a starting place for examining your options; copies are available at www.lsac.org. Factors to consider when choosing law schools include reputation, location, facilities, teaching methods, combined graduate/law programs, placement and bar passage rates, costs, clinical programs, faculty, part-time or evening divisions, class size, and student to faculty ratio. Your list of law schools should include at least one school where your chances of admission are high and at least one school that is a long shot. Your Southwestern professors and the Center for Career & Professional Development can help you evaluate your list of possible schools. Visit as many law schools as possible. Use tools like LinkedIn to identify current or former law students at particular schools who are SU grads. Many wait to visit schools until the spring semester, when law schools have “admitted student days.”

Other Concerns

Several issues may arise during the application process, ranging from questions about trends in grades to minor legal indiscretions. Never assume that you should gloss over any incidents in your past. Remember that the Bar Examiners will receive a copy of your law school application from the law school when you enroll. They are checking for honesty and consistency. Failure to disclose scholastic probation or a minor criminal violation on your application could result in your being denied admission to the bar in three years! All infractions of the law must be reported, even if they were expunged or if you received deferred adjudication.