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Professor Jeanne Calderon

Business & Society Program |

Stern Prelaw Advisor

E-mail: [email protected]u.edu

http://www.stern.nyu.edu/faculty/bio/jeanne-calderon

http://www.stern.nyu.edu/experience-stern/about/departments-centers-initiatives/centers-of-

research/center-real-estate-finance-research/research/eb-5-research

Kevin Valliere

Assistant Director of Advising

E-

mail: [email protected]du

http://www.stern.nyu.edu/portal-partners/current-students/undergraduate/academics/advising

PRE LAW ADVISEMENT

for Freshmen, Sophomores and Juniors

Table of Contents Page

Introduction

Pre-Law “Curriculum” 4

Grades 6

Withdrawals and the Pass/Fail Option 7

Is the Law for Me? The Law School Experience 7

Law as a Career 10

Opportunities for Minority Students 11

One Final Note 11

Suggested Reading List 12

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INTRODUCTION

I am available to help you plan your pre law education and reach reasonable decisions on how, when

and where to apply to law school. Although I can guide you, the ultimate responsibility for your

professional school planning rests with you. I can explain what a law school education is about,

suggest related readings, and provide statistical data and information (at the beginning of your senior

year) about the probability of your admission to selected law schools. However, I cannot tell you

whether you will enjoy the law, or whether you will be a good lawyer, or whether you will find a job

that fulfills your increased expectations upon law school graduation. The answers to these questions

depend to a large extent on you.

Your years at Stern are a time to learn and develop management and other business skills; as well as

explore the liberal arts. Through your studies, you can further develop your study skills and

learning

ability, and demonstrate expertise in a particular academic discipline. As Stern graduates,

you should

be able to take advantage of the business skills that you acquired and work in your field

of expertise – perhaps for several years before applying to law school. (See page 3.)

This document is intended to be read together with The Official Guide to U.S. Law Schools

published

by the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) and the Law School Admission

Council

(LSAC) as well as many other materials (as set forth below) and posted online. The Prelaw

Handbook (as it is known in the trade) is revised annually and is the official guide to all American

Bar Association approved law schools in the country. In addition to individual law school profiles

and entrance requirements, the book offers excellent discussions on law as a career, preparation for

law school, the admissions process, the law school experience, financing a law school education, and

a list of suggested pre law readings. Students who are thinking about possibly attending law school

are strongly urged to read the introductory pages of the Prelaw Handbook. It can be accessed at

www.lsac.org.

In the fall of each year, the LSAC sponsors a Law School Forum in New York City, as well as in

other selected cities throughout the country. Call (215) 968-1001 or click on

http://www.lsac.org/jd/choosing-a-law-school/law-school-recruitment-forums for more

information. Representatives from over 160 of the nation’s law schools answer your questions

and bring catalogues, bulletins and applications, and the LSAC provides shopping bags so that

you can collect and carry home virtually everything you ever wanted to know about legal

education, specific

law schools and their admissions criteria. This is an opportunity to speak

directly to representatives from the admissions offices—an opportunity that you should not miss.

Sadly, the Law School Forums will not be taking place this year due to COVID restrictions. Instead, a Digital

Forum will take place on the following dates: September 26, October 13, November 4, and December 12.

More information here.

NYU Law Admissions will be changing and scaling back its opportunities for in-person visits (such as

meetings with students and class visitations) for at least the Fall 2020 semester. For the most up-to-date

information, visit this website.

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The American Bar Association’s official guide to ABA-Approved Law Schools includes statistical

information on ABA-approved law schools (such as enrollment, LSAT scores, curricula, faculty,

career placement, etc.). You can access this information by going to the following LSAC website:

http://officialguide.lsac.org/.

Prepared graphs showing the pattern of acceptances and rejections made by law schools to which

Stern students and alumni have applied can be found in looseleaf binders in the Undergraduate

Advising office on the 6

floor of Tisch Hall. These will be available on an extremely limited basis

during the Fall 2020 term. Please send an email message to Kevin (uc[email protected]) at

least two weeks before you would like to review the material in these binders to inquire about

availability. On my website you can obtain class profile grids that have been

prepared by the Boston

College Career Office (Law School Locator):

http://www.bc.edu/offices/careers/gradschool/law/research/lawlocator.html#locator

I recommend that you look at the materials posted on the website of the Northeast Association of

Prelaw Advisors (NAPLA): http://www.naplaconference.org/resources-for-law-school-applicants/.

For those of you who are international students, I believe you should carefully read the documents

that advise international students about applying to law school and then practicing as a lawyer upon

graduation from law school within the United States.

There are many other Internet sites that focus on law schools, legal careers and law-related topics.

An excellent

site for general information is http://www.ilrg.com. The Law School Admissions

Council’s home

page, which provides an abundance of information about the law school application

process and the

LSAT, is at http://www.lsac.org Other sites that may be of interest to you:

Association of American

Law School: http://www.aals.org; American Association of Law Libraries:

http://www.aallnet.org;

ABA- Approved Law Schools:

http://www.americanbar.org/groups/legal_education/resources/aba_approved_law_schools.html;

National Association of Law Placement: http://www.nalp.org; American Bar Association Section of

Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar:

http://apps.americanbar.org/legaled/accreditation/acinfo.html.

For rankings in 10 categories, from admissions to employment, of the law schools in the New York

City area link to: http://www.nylj.com.

Finally, one of the best resources for pre law matters is the Stern Business and Law Association

(SBLA).

This student association hosts events, lectures, and programs for interested students.

During the fall, the SBLA typically arranges for campus visits by admissions officers of various law

schools. H o w e v e r , d u r i n g t h e f a l l 2 0 2 0 s e m e s t e r , a l l S B L A m e e t i n g s

a n d e v e n t s w i l l b e h e l d r e m o t e l y . You may join the Stern Business Law

Association during Fall orientation – which will be held remotely. For information,

please visit

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SBLA’s website at: www.stern.nyu.edu/~sbla or email the organization at

[email protected]. You

should seriously consider getting involved with this worthwhile student

organization. I am the

faculty adviser to this student organization. Inquire via email for their fall and spring programs (and

how they will be affected by being remote in Fall 2020).

You should also be aware of the Pre Law Society at the College of Arts and Science. It is a very

active and worthwhile organization. The society’s NYU website:

http://www.nyu.edu/clubs/prelaw.society/. The CAS prelaw advisory office is part of the

Pre-professional Advisement Office

which is located in 905 Silver (212) 998-8160 or email at

[email protected].

You also can learn about CAS pre-law events by subscribing to:

[email protected].

To subscribe, send the following message from your NYU email address: Join prelaw first name last

name.

On Monday, October 5

at 12:30pm I will hold a digital law school advisement session to

introduce myself, provide

applicants with the information that is contained in these Guidelines and

answer questions about the

application process. This session will be recorded and subsequently

posted online for those students who will be unable to attend.

If you have general pre-law questions throughout your undergraduate career, I encourage you to also

consider making an appointment by logging onto Albert:

http://w4.stern.nyu.edu/uc/advisingdocs/quick_start_guide_to_aas.pdf

to speak with one of the Stern Undergraduate academic advisers who can help you with identifying

appropriate courses, selecting law schools, understanding the law school application timeline, and

other related matters. I reserve my time during the fall semester to meet with Stern seniors and

alumni

who are in the process of applying to law school.

Stern students who are not yet ready to

apply to law school may make appointments with

me during the spring semester. Academic

advisers are available during the Fall and Spring semesters to meet with you.

Kevin Valliere is the undergraduate adviser who assists me with pre law advising. He has worked

at Stern for five years, focusing on students taking a leave of absence, special research initiatives,

as well as advising students enrolled in the Business and Political Economy program. His contact

information is set forth on the cover page of this document.

THE PRE LAW CURRICULUM

Many students ask for suggestions in planning a prelaw educational program. At Stern, there is no

formal pre law minor or curriculum and a prelaw student, quite simply, is one who defines himself

or herself as such.

Although you may intend to go on to law school immediately upon graduation, most Stern students

do not

apply to law school until at least two years after they have earned their undergraduate degree.

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Indeed, at the most competitive law schools—such as our own—more than fifty percent of the first

year class have been out of school for at least one year. Given the choice, law school admission

committees often prefer more mature and experienced applicants. If you have any doubt about going

to law school, you should wait and work, travel, volunteer, etc. There is no “track” from which you

will be derailed. Quite the opposite – your years of experience will help to make you a better

attorney!

As graduates of an excellent business school, you will have opportunities to apply what you studied

here in jobs such as accounting, financial services, investment banking, IT, management, marketing,

etc. Don’t blindly rush off to law school without first giving these opportunities a chance.

As Stern juniors, you will be required to take Law, Business and Society, and as Stern seniors, you

will be required to take the Professional Responsibility and Leadership course. Stern recognizes that

all business people need a basic footing in law and ethics. In fact, all of the courses in Stern’s Social

Impact Curriculum will prepare you for a legal education (although that is certainly not the purpose

of such courses).

Stern endorses the viewpoint of the AALS that a single, “best” pre law curriculum cannot be

identified. You should concentrate in those academic areas that most hold your interest – the fields

most likely to motivate you to perform well. Law schools do not prefer any specific major. Most

schools recommend that students perfect their skills in English composition. Words are the tools of

a lawyer

and the student who can express himself or herself with confidence and clarity will be at a

distinct

advantage. Beginning with the Freshman Expository Writing Program, you should be

concentrating

on developing writing skills to the utmost. Also, the importance of verbal skills cannot

be overstated, and

the development of the ability to express oneself forcefully and accurately, both

orally and in

writing, is at the heart of the legal profession.

Given the above, it is possible to sketch those areas that are most suitable for eventual legal

studies.

First, since verbal expression is at the heart of the profession, courses that require

extensive reading,

writing, and research should be taken. These are in liberal arts and business areas. Second, the

precision of methodology and thought required in mathematics, computers, logic,

globalization and

the natural sciences will aid in the development of analytic skills. Third, a

background in the

behavioral sciences and humanities—politics, history, literature, philosophy,

anthropology,

sociology—is suggested since each will offer critical understanding of human

intuitions and values

with which the law deals. Understanding basic economic and business principles is of increasing

importance in law school classroom analysis. Even non-business majors

are being urged to take

business courses. Obviously, if you are thinking of practicing international

law or in a bilingual or

ethnic community, you should study the language and culture of the regions

that hold appeal.

International business courses will be helpful as well.

The courses listed below appear with some regularity in the College of Arts & Science curriculum.

Please note that the courses change from year to year and semester by semester, so consult the Fall

and Spring bulletins to familiarize yourself with current offerings.

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● History: Many courses. See here:

http://as.nyu.edu/history/courses.html

● Journalism: JOURNALISM ETHICS AND FIRST AMENDMENT LAW

● Metropolitan Studies: Law and Urban Problems, Urban Design and the Law

● Philosophy: Political Philosophy, Ethics, Value and Society

● Politics: American Constitution, American Law and Legal System, Civil Liberties,

Law and Society

● Psychology: Social Psychology of Decision

● Sociology: Deviance and Social Control, Criminology, Law and Society, Politics,

Power and Society

● Gender & Sexuality Studies: Law and Society, Women and Islamic Law, Gender in

Law

Keep in mind that most law schools actively discourage students from taking too many law-related

classes as undergraduates. Law is based upon sets of fundamental principles that are reflected in

basic fields such as contracts, torts, criminal law, property, constitutional law, and procedure. These

courses are most often taught in the first year of law school. Most law students do not fully

comprehend what legal education is about until they are well into their study of these subjects.

Elective second and third year courses are based upon basic principles learned in the first year. The

Stern undergraduate student taking a variety of law-related courses cannot hope to achieve an

ordered understanding of legal fundamentals. Students who overload on such courses may, upon

entering law school, mistakenly believe they have achieved a head start. In short, while law-related

courses may help you decide whether law is a field that interests you and may familiarize you with

new vocabulary, it is debatable whether undergraduate law courses will help you in the admissions

process or measurably help you once you are a law student.

GRADES

It would be hypocritical to address curricular choices without addressing the issue of grades. Like it

or not, grades—together with your score on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT)—play a critical

part in the admissions process. How should this affect your choice of courses to take as an

undergraduate? Ideally, not at all, but realistically it is better to take 16 credits and get A’s and B’s

than to get C’s with 20 credits. Law schools will receive a copy of your transcript, and admissions

officers know from experience which disciplines are rigorous, which departments have strong

academic reputations, and which courses have high and low curves. They also recognize when a

student is systematically padding the transcript to achieve a higher grade point average. The Stern

School is highly respected and all departments are recognized as being demanding.

If you are avoiding a course because it is difficult, or you are uncertain whether a particular subject

will interest you, you should take the risk. In the first place, one poor grade has never kept anyone

out of even the most competitive law school, and secondly, you should be willing to explore. You

may find that once you are exposed to unfamiliar territory, it will become an exciting academic

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interest that you decide to pursue. Law school admissions offices encourage this approach to

learning. This is the purpose of an undergraduate education.

Finally, I advise you to major in a field that holds your interest. This has particular relevance with

respect to grades. If you are enjoying what you are learning, the result will be better grades. Also,

you will be prepared to embark upon a career after your Stern graduation that hopefully will interest

you (perhaps even leading you to decide not to pursue a legal career!)

WITHDRAWALS AND THE PASS/FAIL OPTION

Most law school admissions committees have, what is best described as, mixed emotions about the

pass/fail option. Although committees sympathize with the idea that pass/fail grading may give a

student the opportunity to take a course that he or she otherwise would not take, committees also

believe that the more of such marks on a transcript, the less information they have on which to base

their judgment on your qualifications as an applicant. One of the consequences of a permanent

record laden with pass/fail credits is that increasingly greater weight may be placed on your LSAT

score.

Similarly, you should avoid withdrawing from courses whenever possible. This does not mean that

you should never withdraw from a course, but a series of withdrawals over several semesters carries

strong negative implications—from an attempt to manipulate the grade point average, to an inability

to finish what you have started. Since most law schools have prescribed first year curricula,

admissions committees look negatively upon undergraduate students who fail to complete a term’s

expected (or required) course load. You also should keep in mind that if you decide to apply to law

school in your senior year, the admissions office's decision is likely to be based upon your first three

years (six semesters) of academic work.

IS THE LAW FOR ME? THE LAW SCHOOL EXPERIENCE

Although law school, like college, can lead to a variety of occupations and one student’s experience

can be quite different from another’s, virtually all accredited law schools share the common and

specialized objective of training people to become lawyers (not investment bankers, hedge fund

managers, motion picture executives, sports agents, etc.). This professional orientation is reflected

in the similarity of different law schools’ curricula, as well as in a common attitude among students,

all of whom, at least during the first year, are taking the same courses. Each student is eager to

master the fundamental skills and studies hard to achieve that end. While law school is not

necessarily more difficult intellectually than college, the workload tends to be substantially greater

and the level of competency demanded by professors is uniformly higher. Since everyone is studying

the same materials, each with a desire to master skills certain to be required in a legal career,

students in law schools usually are faced with a heightened sense of competition. Although Stern

students are accustomed to competition and hard work, even they report back to me that law school

is more demanding.

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The first year of law school is devoted to a process of “re-education” because law schools see

themselves as teaching people to “think like lawyers.” Students are forced to think critically and

precisely and to articulate their ideas with clarity and conviction. Although its dominance has

declined in recent years, the Socratic teaching method remains the principal classroom tool in this

educational process. The Socratic method entails rapidly paced questions by the professor and

answers by the student(s)—a give-and-take session in the classroom setting—which are designed to

teach students how to analyze and synthesize into a coherent framework the raw materials of the

common law. A law professor will rarely explain precisely what the rule of law is in a particular

case or area, often because it is impossible to do so. Instead, the students are expected to develop

and organize their own understanding of the shape and trend in precedent as they digest hundreds of

appellate judicial decisions. Daily classes, as well as examinations (which are in essay form

requiring legal analysis of a factual hypothetical situation and usually offered once in each course at

the end of the semester or full academic year), require extensive reading and preparation.

Accomplishment, however, depends far more upon skill at rapid analysis and articulation than upon

memory and regurgitation. Group projects, at least during the first year of law school, are

uncommon—although studying with other students is very common.

In addition to the traditional “casebook” courses that traditionally have typified legal education, most

law school students participate in legal writing or “lawyering” courses, which may include “moot

court” programs. These provide an introduction to the essential skills of research, preparation of

memoranda, briefs, and other legal documents, as well as to negotiation, conflict resolution, and oral

advocacy. In the second and third years, students select from a variety of traditional casebook

courses that further enhance basic skills while providing substantive familiarity with more

specialized areas of law, e.g. evidence, taxation, corporations, securities, family law, environmental

law, labor law, international law, etc. Most law schools also offer seminars in a variety of disciplines

such as legal philosophy, as well as clinical programs that enable students to pursue specialized

interests and perform legal tasks under clinical professors’ supervision. Indeed, clinical and

“cooperative” programs have become increasingly important tools in legal education and many

students choose a law school based upon the variety and reputation of an institution’s clinical

offerings.

Experience outside the classroom is as vital to legal education—especially to second and third year

students—as formal coursework. Law students learn as much from their peers (usually in close-knit

study groups) as from their professors; many extracurricular activities in law school revolve around

student-run projects in legal education and advocacy. On the academic side, most law schools have

advanced programs in moot court for students who believe they will engage in trial and/or appellate

advocacy as a lawyer. Student publications, such as different levels and types of law reviews, offer

legal scholarship in periodical form. Students are invited to serve as editors of these law reviews

based on the grades they receive during their first year of law school and/or the results they obtain on

targeted writing competitions. On a more practical level, many students participate in organizations

that provide legal assistance or research to the elderly, indigents, prison inmates, and other groups at

the center of social and political controversy. Note that law schools are dramatically modifying their

curriculum. See final page of this document for further details.

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Obtaining “hands on” experience through an internship in the legal field is an excellent way to

determine if a legal career may be appropriate for you. Undergraduates have served as interns in the

courts, government agencies, legal public interest agencies, and law firms. The Wasserman Center

for Career Development (133 E. 13th Street, 2nd Floor, between 3rd & 4th Avenue) lists internships

(paid, non-paid, and for-credit) for all NYU students on Handshake.

To learn first-hand about a variety of legal areas, you should register for the mentoring program

(http://www.nyu.edu/careerdevelopment/programs/mentors.php). This program, administered by

Career Development, allows students to benefit from professional experiences of NYU alumni who

are practicing attorneys. The program offers role models, job-shadowing, contacts, and networking

opportunities. Call Career Development at (212) 998-4730 to obtain more information. This

program will not be running in Fall 2020 but will likely be running in future semesters.

Another way for you to gauge your level of interest in pursuing a legal career may be to test your

tolerance for ambiguity. To the layman, law appears to be an extremely precise field: something is

clearly right or wrong, legal or illegal. Yet any law student or lawyer can tell you that law is full of

“ifs,” “buts,” and “maybes.” It is not a world of “black” and “white,” but of murky shadows and

shades of gray; and interpretation, analysis, and even competence in the courtroom may depend on a

lawyer’s ability to stay afloat in an ocean of ambiguity. If you are the kind of person who likes

precision and exactness, then you might think more seriously about a career in law. The Law,

Business and Society course that all Stern students must take will give you a better sense of this than

most of your other (more quantitative) courses at Stern.

For students motivated by idealistic or humanitarian interests, the long hours and hard work devoted

to learning and legal fundamentals may seem irrelevant to long-term goals. A law student must learn

every aspect of the law, regardless of specific career plans. Even if you are most interested in

pursuing a career in, for example, human rights or civil liberties law, you must learn a great deal

about such topics as contracts, torts, civil procedure, corporate law, and taxation. Every state’s bar

examination, which must be passed by anyone seeking to gain the opportunity to practice law in that

state, covers all substantive areas of the law. Similarly, while many pre law students embrace the

idea of a legal career because of a personal antipathy towards numbers, e.g. mathematics,

economics, and the sciences, you should remember that lawyers are most often called upon to deal

with conflict, and that since most conflict is financial (even in many criminal cases, divorce cases,

etc.), the horror of numbers cannot be avoided. You should be familiar with accounting principles

and know how to read a balance sheet, even if you are working for the National Resources Defense

Council and attempting to save a pristine Alaskan forest. Of course, Stern students are strong in the

quantitative area. Law school is a long, arduous, and sometimes monotonously indirect route that

eventually will enable the graduate to acquire tools that will be needed to effectively represent any

individual or group, from the largest corporation to a dispossessed tenement tenant in need of legal

aid.

LAW AS A CAREER

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One hurdle remains after graduation from law school before students can practice law as licensed

attorneys. Bar examinations are administered by individual states to license those who wish to

practice in their jurisdiction. Most law students enroll in a six- or eight-week “bar review” course

given in the state in which they intend to practice soon after graduating from law school. As stated

above, these examinations are taken over several days and test a broad spectrum of legal topics.

This is a changing and difficult period in the legal profession. A law degree, even from a more

prestigious law school, does not provide a guarantee of legal employment. Since the severe economic

crisis that began in late 2008, the legal sector has dramatically suffered and its future remains more

and more problematic. Also, many lawyers complain that the hours they put into their

work rob

them of a satisfactory private life. While it is impossible as an undergraduate to be

absolutely certain

of how you intend to earn a living, given the high cost of law school and future

downside employment trends, one should be fairly committed to the calling of law before embarking

on a legal education. My website http://people.stern.nyu.edu/jcaldero/ has links to recent articles.

Some of the most recent articles are listed on the final page of this

document.

The tendency of most graduating law students to enter private or government legal practice should

be recognized by those who are considering law school as an avenue to a non-legal career. While it

is true that a law degree can lead to a variety of occupations, most law students become lawyers in

the private sector, and even those who pursue “non-traditional careers” often begin their quest with

several years of active legal practice. The mere fact that you have a law degree will not lead you to a

top management position on Wall Street or in Hollywood, and given the time and expense of a legal

education, you might be better served with an M.B.A. or other specialized graduate degree or

professional license or the experience of working at an entry-level position in your non-legal field of

interest upon graduation from Stern. The National Association of Law Placement offers worthwhile

information on this subject. Visit its website at www.nalp.org.

Many students whose experience has been limited to academic situations find it difficult to determine

whether law will be a suitable career for them. There are several ways to explore the option

of law

school, academically and through practical experience. As an undergraduate, you may decide to

enroll in one or two law-oriented courses (in the College of Arts and Science, Steinhardt, etc.) to test

your interest in the study of law. A few of these courses may use as textbooks the same

casebooks

used by law schools, but most will be taught in traditional undergraduate survey format.

You should

consult the Bulletins of these NYU schools to determine what will be offered during this

current

academic year, as discussed previously.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR MINORITY STUDENTS

The underrepresentation of minority groups in the legal profession has been a longstanding and

serious problem in this country. For this reason, for at least the past thirty five years, law schools

have

been actively recruiting minority applicants and have established policies to assure that

qualified

candidates are given the opportunity for a legal education. This remains true today despite

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the Trump administration’s lack of support for affirmative action policies. In addition, several recent

United States Supreme Court decisions do not fully support affirmative action policies and with the

changing make up of the country’s highest court, affirmative action policies may become obsolete

in the not too distant future.

If you are a minority student, it is wise to be well informed of the opportunities available to you. You

should make certain to identify yourself as a member of a minority group at the time you register for

the LSAT and with the LSAC. This will enable interested law schools to contact you through the

Candidate Referral Service. Thereafter, you might wish to contact minority student organizations at

the law schools you are considering. It will be to your advantage to discuss your interests and

applications with members of these organizations because in some instances they will track your

application and may have a part in the admission decision. These students can also inform you of any

special problems or special advantages for minority students at their particular law school.

Each year, the Council on Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO) helps economically and

educationally disadvantaged students enter law school. This is achieved through a summer institute

program designed to introduce minority college graduates to the study of law. Information on CLEO

is available from law school admissions offices or from CLEO’s national office at 1101 Mercantile

Lane, Suite 294, Largo, MD, 20774 or call 240-582-8600. CLEO’s website is

http://www.cleoscholars.com.

Furthermore, “Seizing Every Opportunity” will be hosting a number of virtual sessions throughout

August and September 2020. See this image for more information.

A FINAL NOTE…

Once again, I urge you to read the Prelaw Handbook (The Official Guide to U.S. Law Schools), it's

suggested reading list, as well as some of the other materials previously discussed. The Official

Guide to U.S. Law Schools can be directly viewed online at http://officialguide.lsac.org/. Too many

students wait until they are actually applying to law school before consulting these materials. I also

encourage you to join the Stern Business and Law Association.

Law schools base their admission decision on a variety of factors. Most importantly, your LSAT

score and your grade point average will place you within the “ballpark” of a particular law school’s

admission criteria, but beyond the “numbers,” admissions officers attempt to create a diverse student

body comprised of interesting individuals. You can distinguish yourself by participating in

extracurricular activities, involving yourself in the community in which you live, and getting to

know faculty with whom you are studying and whom you will eventually ask to write letters of

recommendation on your behalf. When you are ready to begin the application process, usually after

the spring semester of your junior year, you should obtain the materials you will need to register for

the LSAT and with the LSAC. Also, you should read my GUIDELINES FOR APPLYING TO LAW

SCHOOL, which is a detailed outline of the steps to follow during the specific year’s application

period. These Guidelines are posted on my pre-law website. This website is periodically updated.

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