How Hard Is Law School — Expectations and Reality

The decision to start a career in law starts with a personal question why law school and no less important one — are you ready to commit years to study hard, take several examinations, overtake tough licensing procedures, finally, take post-graduation, which among other things, means high tuition fees. What’s more, in reality, the preparation should start at least from a high school, while a candidate to become a lawyer has to possess a number of vital personal skills, along with professional features and achievements. On the other hand, this job is considered as one of the most prestigious, in demand, and somehow influential. Still, the process of education, is, indeed, a long thorny path. 

How to Get into Law School

How to prepare for law school and, eventually, how to get into law school? First things first, you have to complete a Bachelor degree, preferably in such education areas as journalism, political science, philosophy, economics or business, and English. When choosing your undergraduate program, focus on such criteria as coursework, educational methods, and approaches proposed in a chosen college. The thing is, your undergraduate should become a powerful foundation for your future acceptance into a law school. In other words, get back to the question “why go to law school”, and check if you have the ability to think critically, high writing performance, logical skills, and the tenacity to get the things done. While studying, try to focus on your grades, equally working at every class and subject. Additionally, extracurricular is essential. Not only to complete a decent resume but for self-development and achievement of some important skills for your future acceptance into a law school. Another practical advice is to work as an intern, for law schools, mostly, are looking for applicants with practical experience. No need to focus strictly on a law office, since a related job is good enough to start with.

Your second step is to take the Law School Admission Test. There are test centers all over the world, which propose the test four times a year — in February, June, October, and December. You should prepare for the test in advance, pay attention to such criteria checked during the test: reading apprehension, ability to analyze and to give reasons and arguments, competence to manage high volumes of information and think critically.

Your final step at this stage is to choose an appropriate law school. See the law school ranking below, which shows the top 10 schools of law to apply in 2018-2019, according to the American Bar Association, with the degree level and the subject it proposes.

1. Law School at Yale University (PhD and Master’s Degree in legal research and studies, advanced legal research) — New Haven, CT
2. Law School at Stanford University (PhD, Doctorate, Master’s at advanced legal research) — Stanford, CA
3. Law School at Harvard University (Doctorate, PhD and Master’s in advanced legal research) — Cambridge, MA
4. Law School at University of Chicago (Master’s in advanced legal research) — Chicago, IL
5. Law School at Columbia University (Doctorate, PhD and Master’s in legal professions and studies, advanced legal research) — New York, NY
6. Law School at New York University (Master’s, Doctorate, PhD, and Certificate in legal professions and studies) — New York, NY
7. Law School at the University of Pennsylvania (Master’s in legal studies) — Philadelphia, PA
8. Law School at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (Master’s, Doctorate, PhD in advanced legal research) — Ann Arbor, MI
9. Law School at the University of California-Berkeley (Bachelor’s in legal studies, Master’s, Doctorate in legal professions and studies, advanced legal research) — Berkeley, CA
10. Law School at the University of Virginia (Master’s, PhD and Doctorate in legal research and studies) — Charlottesville, VA

How to Choose and How to Apply for Law School

When selecting an appropriate law school, pay attention to the cost, location, specialties. Do online research, which should include forums with graduates to talk about the school insights, students’ life, career prospects and advice on how to get picked into law school. Be reasonable when rating your chances for acceptance into particular law school. The first index of success here is your Law School Admission Test score. It may not only define a single law school but expand its number, thus improve one’s chances to get accepted. In a nutshell, it depends on which percent of applicants with the similar test score are welcomed there. Take 25%, 50% and 75% as a basis, and apply to 2-4, 3-5 and 1-2 schools accordingly.

Finally, complete the application and law school personal statement. The last one requires careful attention, as it may have a lasting impact on the decision makers. Prepare the answer to the question “why law school was chosen” thoughtfully in terms of your personal achievements, features, skills, future plans and life attitude. Here are some additional suggestions about how to create an impressive outstanding law school personal statement.

1. Personalize. If you decide to send the application into a number of law schools, create special school statement for each one. Basics may be the same, however, each law school expects to see precise details — personal as well as professional. Learn more about the faculty life, study program, the environment overall, therefore to demonstrate the knowledge in your essay, along with the idea what exactly attracts you in this specific law school and why would you become a good addition to its education stream.
2. Practice your writing skills and get the feedback whenever it’s possible. Ask your friends, teachers, professors, parents to become your essay critics. The healthier criticism you receive, the better your law school personal statement will become at the end. Besides, it’s sometimes difficult to mark small mistakes, which are instantly visible from outside perspective. Don’t forget about the correct structure of the writing, lexical and grammatical basis, the variety of words.
3. Your law school personal statement is not only about your grades, achievements, and skills. Show your strong personality, tell about your nurture, prove your maturity. Your goal is to create a sincere, yet original image of yourself, tell the story of how have you taken the decision to enter a law school and what makes you unique among other applicants.