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Prelaw Handbook

by admin-oasis — last modified 2009-02-17 08:44

I. Introduction
This Handbook is a guide for UNC students who are considering attending law school. At UNC, there are many sources of help and information for such students.

UNC's Prelaw Office is located in Room 3002/3003 of the Steele Building. Jennifer Browning is the Prelaw Advisor for the General College and the College of Arts & Sciences. Her hours are available through the Academic Advising site accessible from the "For Students" selection at the UNC home page. Use the online scheduling program to make an appointment with her. You may also reach her through e-mail at jjbrowni@email.unc.edu.

The LSAT/LSDAS Information Book is a manual that contains information about the Law School Admission Test and the Law School Data Assembly Service. The book is usually available from the Prelaw advisor, from the University Counseling Center (301 James A. Taylor Student Health Services Bldg.), and from The Learning Center (204 Phillips Annex).  An online version is available by clicking here.

The Learning Center in the SASB building also offers assistance with writing (including writing personal statements for law school applications) and a prep course for the LSAT. The prep course which currently costs $150 plus $10 for materials is generally offered twice each semester. Check out all the programs offered at the Center's website, http://www.unc.edu/depts/lcweb. The Center's phone number is 962-3782.

University Career Services organizes a Law School Exploration Day every November at which representatives from law schools from all over the United States are available to offer you information about their schools and to answer your questions. In addition, Career Services coordinates internship/externship opportunities. Their phone number is 962-6507.

UNC has a chapter of the national prelaw fraternity Phi Alpha Delta (PAD). Rush for PAD occurs in the fall and spring. For information about PAD contact its president, Phillip Lee, at pclee@email.unc.edu.

UNC is located near three law schools - UNC, Central, and Duke. UNC undergraduate students may visit these schools to observe classes and speak to enrolled students.

The Law School Admission Council, which administers the LSAT and manges the Law School Data Assembly Service, maintains an excellent and informative website at www.lsac.org.  The LSAC also runs an outreach program to first- and second-year undergraudates to encourage interest in law school and the law profession from groups traditionally underrepresented in both.  Visit the website for this innovative program at www.DiscoverLaw.org.   UNC's Campus Coordinator for DiscoverLaw is Christina Anderson (anchris@email.unc.edu).

 

II. Prelaw at UNC
There is no prelaw major at UNC. Any major is fine as long as it is academically rigorous. As a prelaw student, you should have certain goals for your undergraduate education -- you should acquire good oral and written communication skills as well as good listening skills, you should learn to think analytically and critically, and you should learn to read and synthesize large amounts of materials.

Whatever major you choose, challenge yourself. Try to take honors courses when possible. Take a full course load, keeping twelve-credit semesters to a minimum.  Attempt honors in your major if possible.

Good writing skills are essential in law school and in the practice of law. Law school is not the place to learn these skills. All students will benefit from taking a writing course such as English 305. You are also encouraged to take your research and other course papers to the Writing Center, located in the SASB Building, for assistance and guidance. The Writing Center will work with you to help improve your writing skills. The Center's phone number is 962-7710. You may also request help with your writing by contacting the Writing Center at http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb.

While there is no prelaw major, certain courses may be useful in preparing you for law school. None of these courses are required for Law School and we do not recommend that you take many law-related courses -- one or two are adequate.  Check the Undergraduate Bulletin or with the departments to determine any prerequisites or restrictions.

Suggested courses include:

  • Business 404 (Legal Environment of Business)
  • Communication Studies 113 (Public Speaking)
  • Communication Studies 171 (Argumentation & Debate)
  • English 305 (Advanced Expository Writing/Law)
  • English 304 (Advanced Composition/Business Writing)
  • History 581 (American Constitutional History to 1876)
  • History 582 (American Constitutional History since 1876)
  • Journalism 340 (Introduction to Mass Communication Law & Ethics)
  • Philosophy 155 (Logic)
  • Philosophy 280 (Morality & Law)
  • Political Science 45 (An Introduction to the Nature & Function of Law)
  • Political Science 416 (Constitutional Policies & the Judicial Process)
  • Political Science 410 (Constitution of the U.S.)
  • Political Science 411 (Civil Liberties under the Constitution)
  • Political Science 415 (Criminal Law)
  • Public Policy 101 (Making American Public Policy)
  • Public Policy 201 (Introduction to Public Policy Analysis)
  • Public Policy 220 (The Politics of Public Policy)
  • Statistics 151 (Basic Concepts of Statistics & Data Analysis)

Just as law schools do not have a preference as to your major, they generally do not care if you double major or if you have a minor. Again, what law schools care about is that you take academically rigorous courses and do high-quality work.

Law schools do not look favorably upon a lot of pass/fail grades in your transcript. You should limit these.

Studying abroad for a semester or a year will not greatly affect your chances of admission to law school. Law schools are, however, interested in students who have diverse educational backgrounds. Additionally, bilingual attorneys often have a competitive edge. If you plan to study abroad, do so only at a reputable program that is academically rigorous.

Working for a lawyer or similar legal experience may be useful in assessing your interest in being a lawyer, but in general will not significantly affect your chances of admission to law school. If, however, you do something exceptional in such a job or internship, that experience may help you be admitted. You should do well enough during your internship to obtain a letter of recommendation from your supervisor. To learn more about opportunities to intern in a legal environment for academic credit, contact University Career Services.

While law schools do not require students to participate in extracurricular activities while undergraduates, law schools do look favorably on leadership skills and community service in their applicants. You should not participate in an activity just for your resume, but instead undertake such an activity only because you have a true interest in it.

III. The Law School Admission Test (LSAT)
The LSAT is given four times a year -- a Monday in June and a Saturday in September, October, December, and February. If at all possible, we recommend that you take the LSAT in June when you are better able to concentrate on it. If for some reason you are not able to take the June LSAT, the next best time to take the exam is in October. We do not recommend the December test since school pressures will be at their greatest. Furthermore, many law schools have rolling admissions, and your application will receive delayed consideration with a late LSAT score. It typically takes three weeks to receive your LSAT score. We do not recommend the February LSAT in your junior year, because you will be at a disadvantage compared to students who have four more months under their belts when they take the June test. In general, you cannot take the February test in your senior year and be admitted for the following fall -- your LSAT scores will be received too late for consideration that year.

The LSAT has five 35-minute sections of multiple-choice questions and one 35-minute writing section. There are three types of multiple-choice questions on the LSAT: reading comprehension, analytical reasoning, and logical reasoning. Four of the five multiple-choice sections are graded, while the fifth is not. The writing section is not graded, and therefore its quality is not reflected on your LSAT score; instead, your writing sample is sent to each law school to which you apply. For more details on the LSAT, read thoroughly the description of the LSAT in the LSAT/LSDAS Information Book. Since June 2007, one of the four reading comprehension questions is a comparative reading question.

The deadline to apply to take the LSAT (without paying a late fee) is generally one month before the exam. We recommend applying earlier, so that you have the best possible chance to take the exam at your preferred location. You can register at www.lsac.org. If you cannot register online, telephone LSAC at (215) 968-1001.  Once you have been assigned a test center, make sure you know, before the day of the exam, exactly how to get there so you have no problems the day of the exam.

The LSAT score is based on the number of questions you answer correctly. There is no deduction for wrong answers. Therefore you should answer all questions (until you run out of time). Additionally, all questions are weighted the same. Therefore, a correct answer has the same value regardless of what section it is in.

The LSAT is deliberately speeded. You may not have enough time to finish a section.

We definitely recommend that you take a prep course. Taking such a course may help your score through practice tests, strategic insights, and alleviation of stress. Your options include:

The UNC Learning Center: The Learning Center, located in Phillips Annex, offers a course in taking the LSAT. Their phone number is 962-3782. The Center's course is good and very reasonably priced, currently $150.

Commercial prep courses: There are a number of commercial courses available in Chapel Hill and Durham. Many students have taken these courses and been pleased with them. Be aware that they are generally very expensive. Some, but not all, of these courses offer financial aid.

On your own: You can purchase old LSATs from the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) or sample tests from a variety of publishers. You will not, however, gain the strategic insights a prep course can offer. Accordingly, we do not recommend that you prepare on your own.

While you may retake the test, we do not generally recommend it. Law schools differ as to whether or not they average two LSAT scores. If, however, you think that your score does not reflect what you can do on the exam and you think you can do at least ten points better, you should consider retaking the test. You may ask an individual law school what its policy on retesting is.

While you have the opportunity to cancel your score, either at the test center the day of the test or in writing received by LSAC within six calendar days after taking the test, we do not generally recommend that you do this. If you cancel a score, law schools to which you apply will be notified of this.

If you are unable to pay the fee to take the LSAT, you may request a fee waiver. The LSAT/LSDAS Information Book includes instructions on how to request such a waiver.  Fee waiver requests are now available online at www.lsac.org or from the pre-law advisor.

IV. The Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS)
LSDAS prepares the reports about law school applicants that are sent to law schools. The LSAT/LSDAS Information Book includes instructions on how to subscribe to LSDAS. You may register online at www.lsac.org.  Your LSDAS Law School Report will include biographical information; a summary of your undergraduate academic work; a copy of your undergraduate, graduate, and professional school transcripts; your LSAT score(s); your LSAT writing sample; letters of recommendation received by LSAC; and information about certain types of disciplinary actions, if any.

Your LSDAS period will extend five years from your registration date. In general you should not register for LSDAS when you register for the LSAT, but wait until closer to application time. You should, however, register far enough in advance so that your subscription will be active when you are ready to submit your first law school application.

Each LSDAS report costs $12. When you register for the LSDAS, you may purchase the number of reports equal to the number of law schools to which you expect to apply. For example, if you plan to apply to ten law schools, you would purchase ten reports. If you need to purchase additional reports, you may do so at the cost of $12 each.

After you have subscribed to LSDAS and sent your transcript(s) in, you will receive a Master Law School Report. Check the accuracy of the information included in this Report. If there are errors in the Report, notify LSAC as soon as possible.

LSDAS calculates an "admission index" for law school applicants, if a law school requests it. An admission index is derived from a formula by which a law school can convert an applicant's GPA and LSAT score into a single weighted index number. The law school can then compare the applicant's index number to other applicants' index numbers. Different law schools use different formulas; the LSDAS will provide you with a list of all formulas that it uses. Then, if the law school you are applying to has its formula listed on LSDAS's list, you can calculate your own index number for that law school.

If you are unable to pay the fee for the LSDAS, you may request a fee waiver. You may request a fee waiver online at www.lsac.org or from the pre-law advisor.

V. The Application Process

There is no magical number of schools to apply to. In general, we recommend that you apply to six schools -- two that are a reach for you, two that are safe schools, and two that are within your range. Of course, your circumstances may dictate that you apply to more (or, rarely, fewer) schools. Applying to law school is expensive. Apply to enough schools to give yourself good options, but not so many that you're wasting your time and money.

There are many factors to consider in deciding where to apply. Among other factors, you should consider:

Strength of the faculty -- Nothing influences the strength of a law school more than the strength of its faculty. A law school's bulletin typically lists the members of the faculty, their educational backgrounds, and their current works.

Nature of the student body -- Are the other students of your caliber? Will they challenge you? Will they be supportive? Are they very competitive? Friendships made in law school can have life-long effects -- these people will be your peers and may be useful to you in your future career.

Location -- Is there a region of the country you want to live in? Do you care if the law school is part of, or separate from, the main campus of a university? Do you care if you are in a city or a more rural area?

Size -- Do you prefer a small school where you get to know all the students and faculty but may have fewer course offerings or do you prefer a large school with more courses?

Reputation -- Some schools have strong national reputations, while others are more regional.

Size of the library -- How extensive are the library's holdings? How big is the library's physical space? Are there enough computers? Does a professional run the library?

Placement -- Does the placement office have a strong record? How do students not at the top do in terms of placement? Is the placement director a lawyer?

Costs -- Law school is very expensive. Generally public schools are less expensive (if you are an in-state student) than private schools. Many schools have good scholarship opportunities. Financial aid (from the law school, the government, and commercial banks) is also available. Some schools have loan repayment assistance programs. If cost is an issue for you, get financial aid information early in the process of selecting schools to apply to.

Career goals -- Do you want to be an academic, practice in a big-name firm, work for a national public interest group? If so, you should go to a top law school. If you have more modest goals, you can choose from a wide variety of schools.

Joint degrees -- Do you want to get another degree at the same time as your law school degree? If so, find out early which schools offer a joint degree program in the area you are interested in. If the school you wish to attend offers both degrees you are interested in, but not in an official joint degree program, contact the school early to determine what possibilities there are for combining the programs.

Opportunities for clinical work -- Some law schools have a stronger clinical program than others. If you know you want to do clinical work while in law school, determine which schools have clinics you might be interested in.

Opportunities to attend school at night -- Do you want to go to law school while working full-time, part-time, or staying with family members during the day? If so, find out which schools offer night programs.

Opportunities to start law school other than in the fall -- Do you want to start law school in the spring or summer instead of the fall? A few schools offer this option.

Opportunities for externships -- Some schools have an established externship program, while others do not. If you are interested is doing an externship, find out which schools have such programs.

Diversity of the student body and the faculty -- If attending a school with a diverse faculty and student body is important to you, check the school's numbers on this.

Importance of public interest law -- Some schools offer several public interest courses, have strong public interest placement records, and offer loan repayment assistance programs to graduates who do public interest. If you think you might want to work in public interest, determine which schools are more supportive of this option.

Specialization -- We do not recommend that you attend a law school because it has a wonderful program in a particular field of law, such as international law or environmental law. Many people go to law school intending to become one type of lawyer and end up specializing in something else. We instead recommend that you attend the best school possible and take courses in your area of interest. Going to a stronger school will give you a better chance to get the job you want.

Rankings -- As you probably know, there are many rankings of law schools. Each ranking system has its own methodology and criteria, which is why different schools place differently in different rankings. In order to understand a ranking system, you should learn what methodology and criteria have been used. Rankings may be a useful place to start learning about a law school, but you should not decide to apply to a law school based solely on its ranking in any particular list. You should always research schools that you think you may be interested in.

There are many sources of information about law schools. You should start with The Official Guide to Law Schools, published annually by the LSAC in cooperation with the American Bar Association and the Association of American Law Schools. This guide has a useful introductory section on legal education in the U.S. and contains four-page descriptions of all ABA-approved law schools. Included in each school's description is a GPA/LSAT grid that is most helpful in assessing your chances of being admitted. The Guide is now also available online at http://www.lsac.org. Click on the green icon, "Official Guide."

Law schools provide information online through their websites. Some even provide application forms for downloading or printing. The Internet is a great resource for learning about law schools. Most law schools have websites. Other useful web sites include: http://www.ilrg.com and http://www.findlaw.com.

In November, University Career Services organizes a Law School Exploration Day. (The date and time will be advertised in the Daily Tar Heel.) Representatives from more than 80 law schools around the country will be here to speak with you about their law schools and distribute law school applications and bulletins.

LSAC sponsors several Law School Forums throughout the country. The two closest to UNC are in Atlanta and Washington, D.C. The LSAT/LSDAS Information Book includes a list of these forums.

Early in the application process, you must decide if you want to apply to a school early decision. The deadline for applying early decision is usually mid-October, although it varies from law school to law school. The advantage to applying early decision is that if you are admitted, you no longer have this issue hanging over your head. On the other hand, you must submit your application earlier than you would otherwise need to and you must use your LSAT score from the summer LSAT as any other score would be too late for consideration for early admission.

Even if you are not applying early decision, we recommend that you get your applications in as early as possible. Most law schools use a rolling admissions process and the sooner your application is in, the better chance you have to be admitted. Generally, you should apply at least two months ahead of the deadline. If you took the December LSAT and want it to be considered, you must note that on your application.

VI. The Application
With your LSDAS registration, you now receive electronic access to the application forms for all accredited law schools in the United States. It is possible to complete all your applications and submit them electronically. You may also complete the applications online, print them out, and send them to the respective law schools. Many schools now state that they prefer receiving applications electronically, and each year more and more students choose to apply that way. You may also download application forms from the various law school websites.

A law school application has four basic parts -- the forms, a personal statement (which may be part of the forms), a Dean's certification form, and recommendations. The forms are generally self-explanatory. Remember that your law school application forms may become part of your record when you apply for bar admission. Accordingly, make sure everything on your application is correct. If you have had some problem -- academic, discipline, or otherwise-- do not ignore the problem on your application, as the law schools will assume the worst. Use the application form as an opportunity to explain, not excuse, whatever happened.

Recommendations are an important part of the application process. The LSADAS now offers a Letter of Recommendation Service which law schools generally accept. You may have your recommendations sent directly to the LSDAS and then select which letters are to be sent to which school. Once you have registered with the LSDAS, you will have access to the required Letter of Recommendation form.

Decide whom you will ask. In general, you should have at least two academic recommendations; you may also have another recommendation from an employer or someone who knows you well. Ideally, the academic recommendations should come from professors who actually know you; the professor will not have much to write about if all he/she knows about you is that you did well in his/her class. If you know in the spring of your junior year whom you want to ask, you should speak with them before the end of the semester to determine whether they will be here or away in the fall and, if they will be away, how to contact them. If you have not decided on your recommenders before the fall, do so early in the fall semester if at all possible. Again, your goal is to have a completed application in as early as possible. On each recommendation form, you will have the opportunity to waive your right to read the recommendation. In general, law schools treat recommendations more seriously if you waive your right to read the recommendation. Once you have the law school/LSAC recommendation forms, give them to the recommender along with your resume, transcript, personal statement, and any other information you wish the recommender to have. Give the recommender envelopes (sometimes provided in the law school applications); make sure that the envelopes are properly stamped if the recommender is to send the recommendation back to the law school directly. NOTE: Law schools will not review your application until your letters of recommendation are in the file.

Many law schools ask for a Dean's Certification Form. Generally, the Associate Dean of Students completes these forms. The office is in 02 Steele; the phone number is 966-4042.

Personal statements are often the hardest part of the application for a student to complete. The personal statement is your opportunity to distinguish yourself from all the other law school applicants. In addition, law schools look at your personal statement as an example of your writing skills. The Prelaw Advisor is willing to review your personal statement; it is generally best if you can leave the statement with the Advisor and allow him or her adequate time to review it. The Writing Center will also review personal statements.

VII. Financial Aid
Law school is expensive. To apply for financial aid for law school, you will need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is available from UNC's financial aid office or from the financial aid office of the law school to which you are applying. You may also complete the form online by going to http://www.fafsa.ed.gov. Always check with a school's financial aid office to confirm what forms you must submit. For information on scholarships and grants a particular law school may offer, contact that law school directly.

If you are admitted to a law school but offered financial aid that you think is insufficient, you may have the option of appealing the school's financial aid decision. Contact the financial aid office to determine the possibility of appeal.

VIII. Law School Acceptances --Choosing Where to Attend

In deciding where to attend law schools, you should consider the factors outlined in deciding where to apply. Many law schools hold special visitation days or weekends where admitted applicants have the opportunity to visit classes and meet current students and faculty. If at all possible, you should visit a law school you are seriously considering attending, whether on the special visitation day or weekend or otherwise. Law schools will also often give you a list of current students who attended UNC as undergraduates; usually calling these students can be quite helpful.

If you decide you are interested in deferring admission to law school, contact the law school as soon as possible to see if this option is available. Some law schools are more willing to defer admission than others.

IX. Listserve for Pre-Law Students

The Pre-law Advisor offers a listserve for students interested in receiving information and updates for students thinking of going to law school.  Typical information might include announcements from law schools of new programs, information on speakers or admissions recruiters coming to campus, offers from LSAT prep organizations, and reminders concerning applications timetables. If you would like to subscribe to the listserve, go to http://mail.unc.edu/lists. In the box, enter "prelaw_advising" and select "Visit." Select the "About" tab and subscribe at the next screen.
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