2016-2017 Pre-Law Student Guide - University of Memphis€¦ · NAPLA Pre‐Law Guide/University of Memphis Updated August 2017 3 Pre‐Law Advising Contact Information Jessica Kelso,

Pre-Law Student Guide

TableofContents Introduction/Acknowledgements 1WelcomefromthePre‐ProfessionalAdvisor 2Pre‐LawAdvisingatTheUniversityofMemphis 3ExploringYourInterestinLaw 4PreparingforLawSchool/Academics 6LegalThoughtandLiberalArtsMinor 8LegalCareerChecklist 9DeterminingWheretoApply 10UnderstandingAdmissionsCriteria 12ApplyingtoLawSchool 13LawSchoolAdmissionTest(LSAT) 14CredentialAssemblyService(CAS) 16PersonalStatements 17LettersofRecommendation/Evaluation 19AdmissionsDecisions 21FinancingLawSchool 23LegalCareerResources 26

©2008NAPLAInc.Permissiontousethiscontentisgrantedtononprofiteducationalinstitutions.Allotherrightsreserved.

NAPLA Pre‐Law Guide/University of Memphis

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IntroductionandAcknowledgementsThe2017‐2018Pre‐LawStudentGuidewaspreparedwiththeassistanceofNAPLA,withtheirpermissiontoaltertheoriginalguideanddistributetostudents.ThePre‐LawStudentGuidewasdesignedforcurrentandprospectiveUniversityofMemphisstudentswhoareinterestedinpursuingacareerinlaw.Thesestudentsshouldfamiliarizethemselveswiththecontentinthisguide.TheNAPLAPre‐LawGuideisbasedonCornellUniversity'sLegalCareersGuide,whichwasusedbypermissionofCornellCareerServices.NAPLAwouldliketoacknowledgethefollowingschoolsfortheircontributionstotheGuide:BinghamtonUniversity,BostonCollege,BostonUniversity,BucknellUniversity,ColumbiaUniversity,DukeUniversity,NortheasternUniversity,PrincetonUniversity,andTexasA&MUniversity.TheLawSchoolAdmissionCouncilprovidedinformationonstudyabroadtranscripts,andtheFinancialAidsectionisbasedonthe"FinancialAidToolkit"developedbythePre‐LawAdvisorsNationalCouncil(PLANC).ThisversionofthePre‐LawStudentGuidewaslastupdatedAugust2017.


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GreetingsfromthePre‐ProfessionalAdvisor

WelcometoPre‐ProfessionalAdvisingatTheUniversityofMemphis!Ilookforwardtoworkingwithyouthroughoutyourcollegiatecareerasyouprepareforthenextsteponyourjourneytoenteringthelegalprofession.ThisguidewasdesignedtoprovideyouwithanoverviewoftheresourcesavailableatTheUniversityofMemphis,aswellasoutlinethevariousaspectsinvolvedinpursuingacareerinlaw.MyroleasthePre‐ProfessionalAdvisoristoserveasaresourceforyou!Pleaseknowthatitisnevertooearlytomeetwithmetostartdiscussingyourplansanddevelopingatimelineforapplyingtolawschool.Iamavailabletohelpyoudeterminewhetheracareerinlawisagoodfitforyoubasedonyourskills,interests,andacademicperformance. Yourfirststepasapre‐lawstudentistosignupforourlistserv.Doingsowillenableyoutoreceivecurrentinformationaboutpre‐lawevents,volunteerandemploymentopportunities,andimportantdatesanddeadlines.Numerouseventsforpre‐lawstudentsareheldeachyearincludinganinformationfairwithadmissionsofficialsandatourofTheUniversityofMemphisCecilC.HumphreysSchoolofLaw. JointhePre‐LawListservbyemailinglistserv@listserv.memphis.eduandtypingSubscribePre‐Law‐Linthebodyoftheemail.Makesureyoudonotincludeanythingelseinthebodyoftheemail! Bynow,youareprobablywonderinghowyoucanguaranteeadmissiontolawschoolandtheshortansweris,unfortunately,youcannot.Thereisnomagicformulatoguaranteeadmissiontoanyprofessionalschool.However,therearemanythingsyoucandoattheundergraduateleveltopresentyourselfasacompetitiveapplicanttotheseschools.YoushouldsuccessfullycompletetherequiredcourseworkforyourdegreeprogramandspendsignificanttimepreparingforLSAT.Youshouldparticipateinstudentorganizationsanddevelopleadershipskills.Buildingstrongrelationshipswithyourfacultymemberswillprovideyouwithawidearrayofpeopleyoucanenlisttowriterecommendationlettersonyourbehalf.Youwillneedtostrengthenyourinterviewingandwritingskillsandmakesureyoucanclearlyarticulate,onpaperandinperson,yourmotivationforpursuingthisprofession.Youshoulddoresearchonthelegalprofessionandtheschoolswhereyouareseekingadmission.Usetheresourcesavailabletoyou,includingPre‐ProfessionalAdvising,tohelpyoustayontrack.Ilookforwardtomeetingwithyousoon!Bestwishes,JessicaCliffordKelso


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Pre‐LawAdvisingContactInformationJessicaKelso,Pre‐ProfessionalAdvisorLocation:107ScatesHallPhone:901‐678‐5454Email:[email protected] InadditiontoMs.Kelso,wehavethreeFacultyAffiliateAdvisorsavailabletomeetwithstudents:• ProfessorEbonyDawkins,PoliticalScience ([email protected])• Dr.VerenaErlenbusch,Philosophy ([email protected])• ProfessorMaryTucker,CriminologyandCriminalJustice ([email protected])Ourgoalistohelpstudentsnavigatetheapplicationprocessforlawschool,includingdevelopingatimelineforapplicationandtheLSATthroughindividualandgroupadvising.Workshopsonvarioustopicsrelatedtotheapplicationprocessincludingpersonalstatements,goalsetting,andestablishinga4yearplan,areofferedthroughouttheyear.StudentResponsibilities:

StudentsarestronglyencouragedtomeetwiththePre‐ProfessionalAdvisorearlyintheiracademiccareertodiscusstheirinterestinlawschoolanddevelopatimelinetoapplication.

Ourwebsiteisupdatedregularlywithupcomingevents.Studentsshould

emailthePre‐ProfessionalAdvisor([email protected])tobeaddedtoamailinglistfornotificationsofworkshops,guestspeakers,Pre‐LawSocietymeetings,etc.

Studentsshouldsetrealisticgoalsanddevelopaparallelplanforanalternateprofessionalschoolorcareerifadmissiontolawschoolisnotsuccessful.


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ExploringaCareerinLawAJ.D.,JurisDoctor,canleadtoawiderangeoflaw‐relatedcareersandcanopendoorstocareersingovernment,business,highereducation,communications,andnumerousotherfields.Lawschoolgraduatesareadministrators,teachers,librarians,andbusinessmanagersaswellasadvocates,judges,andpoliticians.Lawcanbearewardingprofession.Atitsbest,legalpracticechallengestheintellect,demandingtheexerciseofreasonandjudgment.Theethicsoftheprofessionrequireattorneystopromotejustice,fairness,andmorality;thus,legalemploymentcanbringparticularsatisfactiontothosewhoaspiretoworkwithinthelawtoseeksocialjustice.ExploringYourInterest*********************************************************Beforebeginningtheapplicationprocess,considercarefullyifalawdegreeisrightforyou.Itisnotnecessarytoknowwhatkindoflawyouwanttopractice,orevenifyouwanttopracticelaw,todecidetoattendlawschool.Thereareanumberofwaysyoucanexplorethefieldoflaw:

EmailthePre‐ProfessionalAdvisortobeaddedtothemailinglisttostayinformedoflaw‐relatedprogramsandopportunities.

BecomeanactivememberofthePre‐LawSociety.

TalkwiththePre‐ProfessionalAdvisoraboutyourinterestinpursuinglegal

studies.

ConductresearchonlegalcareersusingresourcesavailablethroughCareerServicesand/orTheCareerandPsychologicalCounselingCenter.

Investigateonlineresourcesthatprovideinformationonlegalcareers,law

school,employmentstatistics,andotherlaw‐relatedtopics.

Internwithalawfirmorlaw‐relatedorganizationtogainexposuretothefieldandtoexperiencetheworkenvironment.

TakeatourofTheUniversityofMemphisCecilC.HumphreysSchoolofLaw

andspeakwithalawstudentambassadoraboutthelawschoolexperience.ContacttheLawAdmissionsOfficeat901‐678‐5403toscheduleatour.

Conductinformationinterviewstolearnaboutthelegalprofession.Discuss

whatlawyersdoinatypicalworkday,personalattributesneededtobesuccessfulinalegalcareer,andsatisfactionsanddissatisfactionsofthefield.


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RealitiesofaLegalCareer*********************************************************Animportantstepinmakingadecisionistodistinguishbetweencommonlyheldexpectationsandtherealityoflegalpractice.Hourscanbeverylongandoftenincludeweekends.Legalworkcanrequirespendingconsiderabletimeintedious,painstakingresearch.Dependingonthetypeoflawpracticedandthelocation,entryintolawfirmscanbedifficultandsalariesmaynotmeetexpectations.Themarketfornewlawyersiscompetitiveforthoseseekingpositionsincitiesandfirmsthatareinhighdemand.Employmentstatisticsfortheclassof2015lawgraduatesbasedonresponsesfrom39,298(around98%ofallgraduates)revealthefollowing1:

67.7%ofrespondentsremainedin‐stateforemployment. Theaveragestartingsalarywas$83,797;themediansalarywas$64,800. Approximately51.3%oftheclasschoseprivatepracticeinlawfirms. Slightlyover29%tookpositionsinpublicservice,includingjudicial

clerkships,governmentagencies,andpublicinterestorganizations. Graduatesenteringbusinessaccountedfor17.2%.

Whileacorporatelawyerinaprivatefirmmayearn$100,000+thefirstyear,heorshemayalsoworktwelvehoursaday,sixorsevendaysaweek.Forthosegraduatespursuingpublicinterestlaw,themedianstartingsalaryisaround$45,000.Therearesignificantdifferencesincareerchoiceslawyersmake,frompublicinterestlawandgovernmentlawtoprivatepracticeinafirm.Therangeinstartingsalariesalonecanexceed$100,000.CareerchoicesofnewgraduatesarealsolikelytobeinfluencedbytheamountofdebtmostlawstudentsaccumulatewhilepursuingtheirJ.D.1 NALP Recent Graduates Class of 2015 ;NationalSummaryReportforClassof2015


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PreparingforLawSchoolLawschoolsareinterestedinyourabilitytodorigorousanalyticalresearch,towritewell,topresent,andtopersuade.Therefore,studentsshouldchooseavarietyofcoursesthatdevelopandenhancetheseskills.TheAmericanBarAssociationoffersanoverviewoftheskillsandvaluesimportanttopreparingforalegaleducationandacareerinlaw.ChoosingaMajor*********************************************************“Pre‐Law”isyourcareerfocus,notyouractualmajor.AlthoughtheAmericanBarAssociation(ABA)requireslawschoolapplicantstohavecompletedanundergraduatedegree,itdoesnotrequireanyonemajorinparticularnordoesitspecifyparticularprerequisitecoursesforadmission.Many“pre‐law”studentsmajorinwhatareconsideredtraditionalmajorsforadmissiontolawschool,suchashistory,philosophy,politicalscience,andEnglish,butitisbecomingincreasinglycommonforstudentstomajorinavarietyofotherfieldsandseek(andgain!)admissiontolawschool.Ultimatelyitisuptoyou!Chooseamajoryouareinterestedinandthendowellinthatmajorwhiletakingadvantageofopportunitiestodevelopstrongresearch,writing,criticalthinking,andcommunicationskills.Regardlessofthemajor,studentsadmittedtolawschoolexcelacademically,scorecompetitivelyontheLSAT,andareoverallwell‐roundedapplicants.Notsurewhattomajorin?Checkoutallthemajors,minors,andconcentrationsofferedattheUofM.YouwillbeadvisedinthedepartmentthathousesyourmajorbutshouldcontactthePre‐ProfessionalAdvisortobeaddedtothepre‐lawmailinglist.YouareencouragedtomeetwiththePre‐ProfessionalAdvisoratleastonceayear.CompileanImpressiveRecord*********************************************************AsolidGPA,particularlywithinyourmajor,isexpected,butawillingnesstogobeyondrequirementsdemonstratesanintellectualcuriositythatwouldbeadvantageousinthestudyoflaw.Academicexcellencereflectsdisciplineandabilities,thoughthevarietyanddepthofyourcourseworkwillalsobeseriouslyconsideredbyadmissionscommitteesasevidenceofyourinterestsandmotivation.Ingeneral,lecturecoursesprovideagoodfoundationforfurtherinstruction,whileseminarsallowyoutopresent,discuss,critique,anddefendmorespecificideas.Smallerclassesgiveyoutheopportunitytointeractwithfaculty.Gettoknowfacultywhomyoumightlateraskforrecommendations;makeyourselfstandoutasanindividualbyattendingofficehoursandaskingquestionsinclass.


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PlanningYourSchedule*********************************************************Itisunderstandablethatyouhavemoregoingoninyourlifethanjustattendingclass.Manystudentsbalancefamilyandworkresponsibilitieswithhomework,timeinclass,andstudentinvolvement.Inaddition,asapre‐lawstudent,youmaybegainingexperiencethroughvolunteering,internships,andleadershiprolesinstudentorganizations.Keepinmind,however,thatthereisnosubstituteforgoodgradeswhenapplyingtolawschool.Withdrawing/RepeatingCourses*********************************************************Mostlawschoolstakeintoaccountallgradesearnedattheundergraduatelevel,includinganyrepeatedcourses.ThismeansthatlawschoolswillconsiderbothyouroldgradeandnewgradeinyouroverallGPAcalculation.Youshouldalsoavoidwithdrawingfromacourseafterthefirstweekofclasswhenpossible.Apatternofwithdrawalsandrepeatedcoursesmayendupcostingyouintermsoftime,money,andlostopportunities.Studentinvolvement,volunteering,work,etc.,areallaspectsofawell‐roundedapplicantbutshouldenhanceratherthanharmyourGPA.ExtracurricularActivities*********************************************************Therearemanyelementsinvolvedinbecomingacompetitivecandidateforlawschool.InadditiontosuperiorgradesandstrongperformanceontheLSAT,lawschoolswillbeinterestedinyourextracurricularactivities,leadershipexperience,summerjobs,internships,andpublicservicesincetheyseekwell‐roundedcandidatesforadmission.Selectactivitiesthatinterestyou;theydonothavetobedirectlyrelatedtolaw.Overtime,getmoreactivelyinvolvedinfeweractivities,perhapsinaleadershipposition.Youracademicdepartmentmayhavedirectedstudiesandresearchopportunitiesavailable.Thisisagoodplacetostart.Inaddition,TheUniversityofMemphisprovidessupporttostudentsinterestedinobtaininganinternshipthroughtheOfficeofAcademicInternships.Thereareover150registeredstudentorganizationsatTheUniversityofMemphis.Studentsshouldreviewthedatabaseoforganizationsformembershipcriteriaandcontactinformation.ThePre‐LawSocietyhostsinformationalmeetingseachmonthontopicssuchasadmissions,LSATpreparation,andcareeroptionsinthelegalprofession.StudentscancontactthePre‐ProfessionalAdvisorformembershipinformation.AfullscheduleofeventshostedbythePre‐LawSocietyisavailableonthepre‐lawcalendarofevents.


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LegalThought&LiberalArtsMinor

TheLegalThoughtandLiberalArtsMinorisdesignedtoprovideaninterdisciplinaryliberalartsprogramforstudentsinanymajorwhointendtoenterthelegalprofession.Theminorwillbeofparticularbenefittopre‐lawstudentswhosemajorsaremoreprofessionalinnatureandwhoarenotexposedtothebroaderliberalartscurriculum.StudentswillbeintroducedtomajorintellectualtraditionsoftheWestandtoethical,social,andeconomicissuesofsignificancetoourtime.Thecoursesintheminorrequirethatstudentsreadcritically,thinklogically,andwriteclearly;allofwhichareattributesrequiredofpersonsinthelegalprofession.Studentsshouldvisit107ScatesHalltodeclareaminorinLegalThoughtandLiberalArts.Minor Requirements ********************************************************* Theminorconsistsof18semesterhoursofrequiredcoursesandelectives.Someofthesecoursesmayhaveprerequisites.Studentsareresponsibleforobtainingpermissionfromtheinstructortoattendanycourseinwhichprerequisiteshavenotbeenmet.

A.) RequiredCoreCourses

PHIL1611(ElementaryLogic) ENGL3604orENGL4602

B.) Electives:Selectonecoursefromfourofthefollowingfivegroups(eachcourse

MUSTbechosenfromadifferentgroup)

a. EconomicContextofLaw:ECON2010,2020,4210,4220,4250,4340

b. HistoricalContextofLaw:HIST3121,4506,3840

c. PracticalFoundationsofJurisprudence:CJUS3510,4521;POLS3219,POLS4212,4405,4504

d. TheoreticalFoundationsofJurisprudence:PHIL3411,3511,3514,3516,

4551;POLS3401,3402,3405 UNIV3580

e. CriticalReadingandThinking:any4000levelENGLliteraturecourse(4230‐

4461);ENGL4602ifnottakenaspartoftherequiredcore;anyupperdivisionPHILcoursenotlistedabove


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LegalCareerChecklist FreshmanandSophomoreYears*********************************************************

Selectamajorthatyouareinterestedinanddowellinit. Begintoformrelationshipswithprofessors,advisors,supervisors,etc.so

thattheywillknowyourworkwellenoughtoserveasrecommendationwritersinthefuture.

Expandyoureducationbyseekingsummerjobsorinternshipsinfieldsofinterest.

GetinvolvedinstudentorganizationsincludingthePre‐LawSociety. MeetwiththePre‐ProfessionalAdvisoronceayeartodiscussyouracademic

goalsandprogressinrelationtolawschooladmission.JuniorYear*********************************************************

MeetwiththePre‐ProfessionalAdvisortoassessyouracademic,extracurricular,andworkexperiencesandtodiscusstheapplicationprocess.

BeginpreparingfortheLSAT;ifyouareready,registerfortheJuneadministration.

Secureasummerjoborinternship,ifpossible,inalaw‐relatedfield. Researchlawschoolsandcompilealistoftentativeschools.

SeniorYear(orYearPriortoEnteringLawSchool)*********************************************************

Attendlawschoolfairsandprogramsofferedontheapplicationprocess. RegisterfortheCredentialAssemblyService(CAS)throughLSAC.org. Havetranscriptsfromallundergraduateinstitutionsyouhaveattendedsent

toCAS.ViewyourAcademicSummaryReportoncealltranscriptshavebeensummarized.

Askpotentialrecommendationwritersiftheyarewillingtowritelettersonyourbehalf.

TaketheSeptember/OctoberLSATifyoudidnottaketheLSATinJune. Begindraftingandrevisingyourpersonalstatement. ApplytolawschoolselectronicallythroughyourLSAC.orgaccount. TaketheDecemberLSATifyouareretesting. CompletetheFAFSAandotherneedanalysisformsaswellasany

institutionalfinancialaidapplicationsassoonafterJanuary1staspossible. Takeappropriateactiononacceptances,wait‐liststatus,andfinancialaid

offers.


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DeterminingWheretoApplyWith2accreditedlawschoolsintheUnitedStates,theprocessofdecidingwheretoapply,andultimatelywheretoattend,mayseemdaunting.Tomaketheprocessmanageable,beginassemblingalistofschoolsbasedonthecriteriathatareimportanttoyou,andthenreviseyourchoicesaccordingtoyourchancesofadmission.Donotletthesearchfor"longshots,goodchances,andsurethings"governyourselectionprocess.Selectingschoolscarefullywillhelpreducethetimeandexpenseofapplyingtoanexcessivenumberofschools.TworesourcesthatwillhelpyoudetermineyourcompetitivenessforschoolsaretheOfficialGuidetoABA‐ApprovedLawSchoolsandtheBostonCollegeOnlineLawSchoolLocator.Reputation*********************************************************Anumberoffactorscontributetoaschool’sreputation,includingfaculty,facilities,andcareerservices.Therearemanytypesofrankingsforlawschools,rangingfrompersonalrankingstotheUSNewsandWorldReportStandings.However,itisveryimportanttounderstandallrankingsaresubjective,andthemethodologyinmostrankingsisnotverysound.Therefore,itisbestforyoutovisitlawschools,talktoadmissionrepresentatives,andmakeaninformeddecisionaboutwhichschoolsbestmeetyourindividualneedsandinterests.Selectivityatlawschools,however,isonefactorwhichcanbequantified.Youcangaugeaschool’srelativeselectivitybycomparingthenumberofapplicantsacceptedtotheoverallnumberofapplications.TheOfficialGuidetoABA‐ApprovedLawSchoolscontainschartsandtablesofrecentadmissionscyclesatmostschoolsthatreflectselectivity.Schoolscanbedividedroughlyintothreegroups:

Schoolswithnationalreputationstendtoappearinvarious"topten"lists.Theseschoolsdrawstudentsfromanationalpoolandoffergeographicmobilitytograduates.

Schoolswithgoodregionalreputationsareattendedprimarilybystudentsfromtheregion,whomaywanttoremainintheareafollowinggraduation,butwhomayalsoseekpositionsthroughoutthecountry.

Localschoolsdrawstudentsprimarilyfromtheimmediateareawhowanttoremaintheretopracticelawfollowinggraduation.

Foramoredetaileddiscussionoflawschoolreputationandtheprocessforevaluatingschools,refertotheOfficialGuidetoABA‐ApprovedLawSchools.


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CriteriaforSelection*********************************************************Location:Istheschoolinanurbanareaorinasuburban/ruralsetting?Arethereothergraduateschoolsnearby?Istheschoollocatedsomewhereyouwouldbecomfortablelivingandwhereyouwouldpossiblybewillingtoworkfollowinggraduation?Doestheschoolattractapplicantsfromacrossthecountryorprimarilyfromthatregion?Costs:Whataretuition,housing,andtransportationcosts?Isfinancialaidexclusivelyneed‐based,oraremeritscholarshipsavailable?Doestheschoolofferaloanforgivenessprogramforpublicinterestlawyers?Whatistheaveragedebtburdenforgraduatesfromthisschool?Faculty/Classes:Whataretheacademicandexperientialbackgroundsoffaculty?Howaccessiblearethey?Whatisthefaculty‐studentratio,thenumberoffull‐timevs.adjunctfaculty,andthenumberoffemaleandminorityfaculty?Howmanystudentsareineachcourse?AreclassestaughtintheSocraticmethodorlecture?FacilitiesandResources:Istheschoolaffiliatedwithauniversity?Dostudentshaveaccesstocoursesfromarangeofacademicdisciplinestosupplementtheirlegalcurriculum?Isthelibrarylargeenoughtoaccommodateholdingsandpermitstudentstoconductresearchandstudy?Ingeneral,dothefacilitiesprovideacomfortablelearningenvironment?SpecialPrograms:Whatcoursesareavailableinspecializedareas?Whatjointdegreeprogramsofinterestareavailable?Whataretheopportunitiesforpracticalexperience,includingclinics,internships,etc.?Canyou“write”ontolawreviewsinadditiontobeingselectedbasedonclassrank?Whatspecializedinstitutes,journals,ororganizationsexistinyourareasofinterest?StudentBody:Whatisthesizeoftheenteringclass?Whatdoestheadmissionsprofiletellyouaboutthequalityofthestudentbody?Wheredidstudentsstudyasundergraduatesandwhataretheirgeographicbackgrounds?Istherediversityin

interestsandpersonal/culturalbackgrounds?Isthestudentbodyfriendlyoroverlycompetitive?Istheremuchinteractionwithfellowstudentsoutsidetheclassroom?

StudentLife:Istheschoollocatedinasafearea?Whatisthecostofliving?Whattypesofculturalopportunitiesarethere?Doestheschoolproviderecreationalfacilities?Whatisthegeneralambiance?

CareerServices:Whatadvisingandresourcesareavailabletohelpstudentsfindajob?Iscareercounselingavailable?Howmanyemployersrecruitatthelawschoolandwhoarethey?Whatpercentageoftheclasshaspositionsatgraduation?Inwhattypesofpositionsandgeographicareasaretheyemployed?Whatisthepercentageofgraduatesholdingjudicialclerkships?Howinvolvedarealumniincareeractivities?


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UnderstandingAdmissionsCriteria ObjectiveCriteria*********************************************************Lawschoolsconsidertheobjectivecriteria,GPAandLSATscore,tobethefactorsthatmostaccuratelypredicthowapplicantswillperformintheirfirstyear.

LawSchoolAdmissionTest(LSAT):ApplicantstaketheLSAT,ahalf‐daystandardizedtest,duringoneoffourtestadministrationsofferedannuallybytheLawSchoolAdmissionCouncil.Scores,whichrangefrom120to180,areusedbymostlawschoolsasacommonmeasurementofpotentialforsuccessinlawschool.

UndergraduateGradePointAverage(GPA):Applicantssubmit

undergraduatetranscriptstotheCredentialAssemblyService(CAS),whichconvertsgradestoacumulativegradepointaverageusingasetofconsistentvalues.TheGPAoffersadmissionscommitteesanothernumericalbasisforcomparingapplicants.

ApplicantIndex:ManylawschoolsasktheCAStocombineapplicants’LSAT

scoresandGPAswithweightedconstantstoproduceasinglenumberwhichcanbeusedtoassessandcomparepotentialfordoingwell.

SubjectiveCriteria*********************************************************AlthoughyourGPAandLSATscoreareaverylargepieceoftheadmissionspuzzle,lawschoolsalsotakeintoaccountsomesubjectivecriteria.

PersonalStatement:Applicantssubmitapersonalstatementaspartoftheapplicationprocessforalmostalllawschools.Admissionscommitteeslookforaconcise,detailed,well‐writtenstatementrevealingtheapplicant'sindividuality.Theywanttolearnfromthestatementwhotheapplicantisandwhatmakeshim/herqualifiedtostudyattheirlawschools.

LettersofRecommendation:Mostlawschoolsrequireapplicantstosubmit

lettersofrecommendationfromprofessorsoremployerstogainadifferentperspectiveontheapplicant’sacademicstrengthandpersonalqualities.Admissionsofficersfindmosthelpfulspecificexamplesofapplicants’motivationandintellectualcuriosity,anassessmentofcommunicationskills,andacomparisonwithpeers.

Experience:Thisfactorincludesundergraduatecurricularand

extracurricularactivities,internships,part‐timeandfull‐timeworkexperience.


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ApplyingtoLawSchoolAfterreachingthedecisiontopursuealawdegree,youwillwanttofileastrongandcompleteapplicationtoincreaseyourchancesforadmission.ThefirststepintheapplicationprocesswillbetomeetwiththePre‐ProfessionalAdvisororFacultyAffiliateAdvisor,whocanhelpyoucreateastrategyformaximizingyourchancesforsuccess.NextyoushouldopenanonlineaccountwiththeLawSchoolAdmissionCouncil(LSAC).LSACiscomprisedofthe205AmericanBarAssociation‐approvedlawschoolsintheU.S.and15Canadianlawschools,andwasfoundedtocoordinateandfacilitatetheprocessofapplyingtolawschool.ApplicationCosts*********************************************************Beawarethatapplyingtolawschoolisanexpensiveendeavor.Basiccostsinclude:

CASregistrationfee LSATregistrationfee LawSchoolReports Applicationfees(perschool)

YoumightneedtoaddothercostssuchasLSATpreparation,traveltovisitlawschools,etc.LSACoffersfeewaiversforthosewithademonstratedinabilitytopayforessentialpartsoftheapplication.ThewaiverscovertwoLSATspertestingyear(JunethroughFebruary);theCASregistration,includingatotaloffourCASLawSchoolReports;and,acopyofTheOfficialLSATSuperPrep.FilingYourApplications*********************************************************Rememberthatyourfileisnotcompleteuntilallparts,includingtherecommendationlettersandtheCASreport,havebeenreceivedbylawschools.Completingapplicationformsisafairlystraightforwardprocess.Schoolswillbeseekingbasicinformationaboutyou,includingyouracademicbackground,extracurricularactivities,andemploymenthistory.Youmaybeaskedtolistotherschoolstowhichyouareapplying;respondingtothisquestionand/orindicatinganinterestinfinancialaidwillnotaffectyourchancesforadmission.Betruthfulandforthrightasyoucompletetheapplications.Enclosearesumewithyourapplication,butbesuretorespondtoallofthequestionsontheapplications.Dean’sCertifications*********************************************************Adean’scertificationisrequiredbysomelawschoolstoconfirmthatapplicantshavenotbeeninvolvedinacademicordisciplinarytransgressionsasundergraduates.AttheUniversityofMemphis,thiscertificationishandledbyTheOfficeofStudentConduct(359UniversityCenter;[email protected]).


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LawSchoolAdmissionTest(LSAT) TheLawSchoolAdmissionTest(LSAT)isrequiredforadmissiontoallAmericanBarAssociation‐approvedlawschools.ThetestisadministeredfourtimesperyearbytheLawSchoolAdmissionCouncil(LSAC).Detailedtestinformationregardingdates,sites,registrationforms,fees,anddeadlines,aswellasregistration,isavailableonline.LSATtestsitescanfillquickly,especiallyinoraroundmajorcities.Itisadvisabletoregisterseveralmonthsinadvanceofatestdatesothatyoucantakethetestinaconvenientlocation.SchedulingtheLSAT*********************************************************TheoptimaltimetotaketheexamisJuneoftheyearyouapply,buttakingthetestinthefallwillstillallowyoutoseeyourLSATscorebeforeapplying.ScoresfromtheDecemberadministrationwillreachlawschoolsintimetocompleteapplicationdeadlinesatallschools.IfyoutaketheDecembertest,plantosubmityourapplicationsaroundthetimeofthetest.Youmay,however,decidetowaittoseeyourscorebeforesubmittingyourapplications.ApplicantsshouldnevertaketheLSATona“trialrun”andshouldbethoroughlypreparedforeachattempt.ContentandScoring*********************************************************TheLSATisdesignedtoprovidelawschooladmissionscommitteeswithacommonmeasureofapplicants'aptitudeforlegalstudy.Thetestconsistsoffivemultiplechoicesections,eachthirty‐fiveminutesinlength:

Onereadingcomprehensionsection Oneanalyticalreasoningsection Twologicalreasoningsections Oneexperimentaltestquestionsection(notscored)

A35‐minutewritingsampleattheendofthetestisalsonotscored;copiesofthewritingsamplearesenttoschoolswhereyouapply.Yourscoreiscomputedonascaleof120to180,basedonthenumberofquestionsyouanswercorrectly;thereisnodeductionorpenaltyforincorrectanswers,soitisadvantageoustoguessifyoudonothavetimetoansweraquestion.


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LSATPreparation*********************************************************BeginyourpreparationwithLSACmaterialsandthenassessyourprogress.Ifyoufeelyouwouldbenefitfromamorestructuredprogramofstudy,youmaywanttoconsidertakingacommercialtestpreparationcourse.ThereareanumberofcompaniesthatoffertestprepincludingKaplan,PowerScore,andPrincetonReview,aswellasvariousprintedstudymaterials.TheUniversityofMemphisdoesnotsuggestanyoneparticularmethodoftestpreparationoveranotherandencouragesstudentstoresearchalloptionsanddeviseastudyplanthatworksbestforeachindividual. Commercialcoursesareexpensiveandthequalityofinstructioncanbeuneven,soitisimportanttolearnwhowillbeteachingthecourseandwhatmaterialswillbeused.TalkwithotherswhohavetakentheLSATtolearnfromtheirexperience,especiallyconcerningtheeffectivenessofcoursesyoumaybeconsidering. MoststudentsconsiderthelogicalreasoningsectionstobethemostdifficultpartoftheLSAT.StudentsarestronglyencouragedtocompletePhilosophy1611:ElementaryLogicasameansofdevelopingskillsrelatedtoapproachingquestionsofthisnature. Ifyouareregisteredforatestbutfeelyouarenotfullypreparedorinaframeofmindtoperformwell,itmaybebetternottotakethetest;lawschoolswillnotviewyourabsenceonthetestdatenegatively.Plantobewell‐preparedandtotakethetestonlyonce,butifyoudonotbelieveyourscoreisrepresentativeofyourabilities,forexample,youwerescoringconsiderablyhigheronpracticetests,youmaywanttoconsiderretakingthetest.ScoreReporting*********************************************************LawschoolsarerequiredtoreportthehighestscoresforstudentsintheirenteringclasstotheAmericanBarAssociation.ThosescoresarethenreportedtoorganizationssuchastheLawSchoolAdmissionCouncilforuseintheironlineandprintinformation.Schoolsvary,however,inhowtheyconsidermultipleLSATscoresinmakingadmissionsdecisions.Thoughmanyschoolsusethehigher/highestscoreinreachingdecisions,someofthemorecompetitiveschoolsusetheaverageofmultiplescoresunlessthereisacompellingreasontousethehigher/highestscore.Mostschoolswelcomeanaddendumexplainingthepointdifferenceinscores,includinganyextenuatingcircumstancesandahistoryofperformanceonstandardizedtests.LSACwillreporttheresultsofallLSATsyouhavetakenwithinfiveyears;however,youmayfindsomeschoolswillingtoconsideronlyscoresreceivedwithinathree‐orfour‐yearperiod.


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CredentialAssemblyService(CAS)Tocentralizeandstandardizetheobjectiveapplicationinformation(GPAsandLSATscores)ABA‐approvedlawschoolsrequireapplicantstosubscribetotheCredentialAssemblyService(CAS).Thisserviceorganizesandanalyzesapplicantinformationinawaythatallowslawschoolstocompareacademicrecordsfromundergraduateschoolsthatusedifferentgradingsystems.CASRegistration*********************************************************YouregisterfortheCASthroughyourLSACaccount.Onceregistered,youwillthensendortaketranscriptrequestforms,availablethroughCAS,toeachcollegeoruniversityfromwhichyouhaveearnedacademiccredit.CASReport*********************************************************ThereportpreparedbyCASwillincludethefollowing:

Ayearbyyeargradeandcreditsummary. Photocopiesofallyourtranscripts. YourGPAforeachacademicyear,yourdegreeGPAforyourhomeinstitution,

andyourcumulativeGPAreflectingworkatyourhomeinstitutionandallotherinstitutionsyouhaveattended.

Adescriptionofyouroverallgradedistribution. ThemeanLSATscoreandGPAofstudentsatyourundergraduateschoolwho

havesubscribedtotheCASandyourpercentilegraduationrankamongthosestudents.

Upto12LSATscoresfromthepastfiveyears,includingcancellationsandabsences.

AnaverageLSATscore,ifyouhavemorethanonescoreonfile. CopiesofyourLSATwritingsample.

TheCASreportmayalsoincludeanapplicantindexdescribedintheAdmissionsCriteriasection.


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PersonalStatementsPersonalstatementsarerequestedbymostlawschoolsandprovideyouwiththeopportunitytogobeyondtheobjectiveaspectsoftheapplicationtodiscusswhoyouareandwhatisimportanttoyou.Yourpersonalstatementiscrucialsincethemajorityoflawschoolsdonotconductinterviewsaspartoftheapplicationprocess. Personalstatementsprovidelawschoolswithachancetoreviewyourwritingskillsandyourabilitytofollowinstructions.Personal Statement Content *********************************************************Schoolswillbeseekinginformationaboutyourbackground,personalqualitiesandleadershipskills,andmotivationtolearnwhatisuniqueaboutyouandwhatdistinguishesyoufromothercandidateswithsimilarGPAsandLSATscores.Yourgoal,then,willbetowriteaconcise,detailedstatementestablishingyourselfasanindividual.Aninterestingandpersonaldiscussionaboutyourself,onethatrevealsyourpersonalityandcharacter,willhelpyoucomealivetotheadmissionscommittee.Yourpersonalstatementisyouropportunitytohighlightyouraccomplishments,addressanyseriousobstaclesyouhaveovercome,andtouchonnoteworthypersonalexperiencesandhowthesehavebeenimpactful.Itisimportanttorememberthatyourpersonalstatementshouldnotbeanexpandedversionofyourresumeandthatithighlightsyouandwhatyoulearnedfromtheexperience(s),ratherthanjusttheexperienceitself.Someschoolswillaskyoutorespondtoaspecificquestionorsuggestatopicforyourpersonalstatement,butmostwillleaveitopen‐ended.Ifyouareapplyingtoaschoolwithaspecificprompt,itisimportanttoclearlyaddresswhattheyareaskingfor.Manyapplicantswillwriteonepersonalstatementandthenadaptittomeettherequirementsofeachschool.Thisisperfectlyacceptable,however,makesureyoudonotsendanessaydetailingyourexcitementaboutSchoolA’scurriculumtoSchoolBbymistake.Yourstatementshouldbeserious,honest,andsincere,andthetoneshouldbeconfidentandpositive;anynegativeinformationyoufeelcompelledorarerequiredtodiscussshouldbeaddressedinotherpartsoftheapplicationorinanaddendum.PersonalStatementFormat*********************************************************Personalstatementsaretypicallytwodouble‐spacedpages,thoughyoumayfindthatsomeschoolswillgivemorelatitudeinlength.Ifschoolsdonotprovideguidelinesonlength,itisadvisabletosubmitastatementthatisapproximatelytwopagesinlength.Afewschoolswilllimitthenumberofwordspermittedandyoushouldabidebytheirguidelines.


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Lawschoolswillbelookingforevidencethatyoucanwriteacoherentstatement.Followgeneralguidelinesforwritingessays:thereshouldbeintroductoryandconcludingparagraphs,eachparagraphshouldbeginwithatopicsentence,andthereshouldbeaclearlineofdevelopmentthroughthestatement.Supportyourideaswithconcreteexamplesanduseactionwordstoshowthereader,ratherthanjusttellthem.Allowthereadertodrawinferencesfromyourdescriptionsratherthanexplicitlystatingyourpositivequalities.Listingyourstrengthsisnevergood;rather,youwanttodevelopanessaythatshowcasesthosequalities(character,values,commitment,passion,etc.).Proofreadcarefully,asanytypographicalorgrammaticalerrorswilldetractfromthefavorableimpressionthestatementmightotherwisemake.Donotuselargewordsinanattempttoimpressreaders;instead,usesimplelanguagecorrectly,andrelyonwell‐organized,interestingcontenttomakeanimpression.Seekadviceandinputfromvariouspeopleonceyouhavewrittenyourpersonalstatement.Addendum*********************************************************Asmentionedabove,youtypicallydonotwanttodiscussnegativeinformationinyourpersonalstatement.Ifthereisaweaknessinyourapplicationandyouthinkyourexplanationwillhelpyourcause,youshouldaddressitintheaddendum.Yourdiscussionintheaddendumshouldbebriefandtothepoint;identifytheissue,describehowyoudealtwithit,andstatetheoutcome.Remember,anaddendumisnotasecondpersonalstatement.


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LettersofRecommendationMostlawschoolsrequestthatoneortwolettersofrecommendationbesubmittedonbehalfofapplicants.Eveniflettersofrecommendationarenotrequired,youarestillstronglyencouragedtosubmitthem.Admissionscommitteeswillbeseekinginformationnotprovidedelsewhereintheapplications.Recommendationlettersshouldincludeconcreteexamplesofintellectualstrength,judgment,motivation,andleadership,alongwithanappraisalofcommunicationskillsandacomparisontopeers.AppropriateLetterWriters*********************************************************Recommendationletterswrittenbymembersoftheacademiccommunitycarrythemostweight,sincetheycanaddressyourperformanceinanacademicsettinganddiscussyourpotentialforsuccessinlawschool.Lawschoolsvaluelettersthataddressastudent'swriting,classparticipation,research,analyticalskills,andotheracademicabilities.Theyareespeciallyinterestedinaprofessor'sassessmentofastudent,ascomparedtootherstudentsheorshehastaughtovertheyears.Atleastonelettershouldbefromaprofessorinyourundergraduatemajor,ifpossible.Asyouconsiderwhomtoask,rememberthatitisbettertohaveanin‐depthletterfromateachingassistantorlecturerwithwhomyouworkedcloselythantohaveacursoryletterfromarenownedprofessorwhobarelyknowsyou.Lettersfrompeopleoutsideacademiamaycarrylessweight,sincetheymaybeunabletoaddressthetopicofgreatestinteresttoadmissionscommittees:youracademicpotential.However,ifyouhavebeenintheworkforceacoupleofyearsormore,lettersfromsupervisorscanbehelpful.Lawschoolsaretypicallylessimpressedwithlettersfromwell‐knownpoliticianssincetheletterstendtobedemonstrativeinpraisebutcontaininglittletonoessentialinformationabouttheapplicant’sacademicskills.AskingforaRecommendation*********************************************************Makeanappointmenttomeetwithletterwriterswellinadvanceoftheapplicationdeadline.Askthem,"Doyoufeelyouknowmyworkwellenoughtowriteapositiveletteronbehalfofmyapplicationtolawschool?"Provideinformationaboutyourbackgroundtoassisthim/herinwritingadetailedletter:

Acopyofyourtranscript. Adraftofyourpersonalstatement. Aresume. Copiesofexamsorpaperswritteninhis/herclass. RecommendationformsfromCASorthelawschools. StampedenvelopesaddressedtoLSAC. Alistofdateswhenrecommendationsaredue.


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Besuretodiscusswaivingyourrightofaccesstoyourletters.Youmaywanttowaiveyourrightsinceyoumayfindsomewritersunwillingtowritelettersifapplicantshaveaccesstothem,andsomeadmissionscommitteemembersmaydiscountdisclosedletters.Ifyouhavenotbeennotifiedthatyourapplicationiscompletebyaboutonemonthbeforeadeadline,contacttheschooltoseeifyourrecommendationshavearrived.Speakwiththosewriterswhohavenotsentlettersyettoremindthempolitelyoftheapproachingdeadline.Afteryouhavereceiveddecisions,sendthank‐youletterstoyourrecommenders,andletthemknowwhereyouhavebeenacceptedandwhereyouintendtoenroll. NumberofRecommendations*********************************************************Youcansubmitadditionalletterseventhoughaschoolasksforonlyoneortwo.Threeletterswillbeacceptableatmostschools,andfourshouldbeconsideredtheabsolutemaximum. LetterofRecommendation(LOR)Service*********************************************************LORservicesareofferedasaconveniencetoCredentialAssemblyService(CAS)registrants,recommendation/evaluationwriters,andlawschools.Aletterdiscussesthequalitiesandcharacteristicsoftheapplicant'sability,academicandotherwise,tostudylaw.Lettersmaybesubmittedelectronicallyoronpaper,dependingontherecommender'spreference.UseofLSAC'sLORserviceisoptionalunlessalawschooltowhichyouareapplyingstatesthatitsuseisrequired.TheseservicesallowyoutouseyourLSAC.orgaccounttohaveyourLORsandevaluationssenttolawschoolsbasedoneachschool'srequirementsorpreferences.LetterswillbemaintainedforfiveyearsfromthetimeyouregisterforCASorfromthetimeyoutaketheLSAT,whichevercomeslast.

AdmissionsDecisions Thetimetableforreviewinglawapplicationsandinformingapplicantsofadmissionsdecisionsvariesfromschooltoschool.NotificationscancomeanytimebetweenDecemberandlatespring/earlysummer.Applicantsareinformedbye‐mailorletteroftheschools'decisions;candidatesareeitheraccepted,denied,orwait‐listed,whichmeanstheapplicantisconsideredadesirablecandidateandmaybeadmittedlater.Lawschoolsoftenplaceapplicantson"hold"or"reserve"priortoreachingadecisionandfrequentlynotifycandidatesofthisstatus.Applicationsofthoseonholdorreservearereconsideredatalaterdate,usuallybeforethefilesofthosewhohavebeenwait‐listed.


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EnhancingYourApplication*********************************************************Thereareseveralthingsyoucandotoimproveyourchancesofadmissionifyouareonreserveorhavebeenwait‐listed:

Writealettertothedirectorofadmissionstoinformhim/herofyourstronginterestintheschoolandtoprovideanupdateonyouractivitiessinceyousubmittedyourapplication.

Iftheschoolisyourfirstchoice,statethatyouwillattendifaccepted.

Ifyouareasenior,informtheschoolofaccomplishmentssinceyouapplied.PerhapsyouhavecompletedyourhonorsthesisoryouwereacceptedintoPhiBetaKappa.

Ifyouarecurrentlyworking,describeyourprofessionalresponsibilitiesandincludeanupdatedresume.

Sendanadditionalletterofrecommendationfromaprofessororemployer;however,thetotalnumberofrecommendationlettersonyourbehalfshouldnotexceedfour.

Visitthelawschooltodemonstrateyourstronginterest.Contacttheadmissionsofficetoarrangeatourandsitinonaclassortwo.Someadmissionsofficerswillagreetomeetwithapplicants,butgenerallythesediscussionsarenotevaluative.

MakingaDecision*********************************************************Anactualvisittothelawschoolsyouhavebeenadmittedtocanbeinvaluablewhenmakingyourfinaldecision.Notonlywillyoubeabletotakeatourofeachschoolandattendclasses,youhavetheopportunitytomeetfacultyandstaffandspeakwithcurrentstudentsabouttheirperspectiveonfactorsimportanttoyou,suchasaccessibilityoffaculty,careerservices,competitivenessofstudents,etc.Followupwithathank‐youlettertotheadmissionsofficestatingwhatimpressedyouabouttheschool.Ifyouareunabletovisittheschool,contacttheadmissionsofficetoinquireaboutcurrentstudentsandalumniwhomaybeavailabletospeakwithyou.Costandfinancialaidawardsshouldalsobeconsideredwhenmakingadecision.Ifyouwillbeenteringlawschoolwithdebtaccumulatedasanundergraduate,financialfactorscanplayanevengreaterroleinyourdecision.Ultimately,youneedtodecidewhichschoolisbestforyouandwhereyoucanthriveasalawstudent.Yourperformanceinlawschoolwillhaveasignificantimpactonthetypeofemploymentopportunitiesavailabletoyouaftergraduation.


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Youwilltypicallyberequiredtosubmitadeposittoeachschoolyouareacceptedto,toholdyourspace.Depositsmaybeduebeforeyouhearfromallschools.Contactschoolsthatacceptyoutoexplainyoursituationandaskiftheywouldbewillingtoextendthedepositdeadline.Onceyouhavereachedafinaldecisiononwhichschoolyouwillattend,notifyallschoolsyouwereacceptedtosothattheycanofferyourseattosomeoneelse.ReapplyingLater*********************************************************Ifyouarenotacceptedatalawschoolyouwouldliketoattend,considerretakingtheLSATifyoufeelthatyoucanimproveyourscore,orrevisingyourlistofschoolsifyoudecidetoreapply.Workingforafewyearscanmakeadifferenceintheadmissionsprocessandcanalsoprovideexposuretoanothercareerfieldthatmightengageyourinterest.


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Financing Law School Lawschoolisanimportantinvestmentinyourfuture.Considerthefinancialaidprocessasseriouslyasyoudothelawschoolapplicationprocess.Beforeyouapplytolawschool,spendmoneywiselyandpayyourbillsontimetoensureagoodcreditrecord.Badcreditwillaffectyourabilitytoborrowmoney.Ifpossible,payoffcreditcardsandotherconsumerdebtbeforelawschool.Thinkaboutyourpost‐lawschoolgoals.Salariesforlawyersvarywidely,dependingonthetypeofpracticeandregion.Lawschooldebtmayclaimasignificantportionofyourincomeasalawyer,soconsiderwaystokeepdebtataminimum,suchasstate‐supportedschoolsorschoolsthatoffermerit‐basedaid.Ifyouareconsideringacareeringovernmentorpublicinterestlaw,investigateloanrepaymentassistanceprograms(LRAPs)thathelplawschoolgraduatesrepaytheireducationdebt.FundingSources*********************************************************Itisoftensaid,“Ifyoulivelikealawyerinlawschool,youwilllivelikealawstudentonceyougraduate.”Frugalitycanbeyourbestfriendwhenpreparingforlawschool.

PersonalSavings/FamilySupport:Ifpossible,setasideyourownfundstohelppayforlawschool.Talkwithfamilymembersaboutwhethertheycanhelpwithlawschoolexpenses.Somestudentschoosetoliveathomeduringlawschooltoavoidpayingrent.

FederalLoans:Manystudentsrelyprimarilyonfederalloanprogramsto

financelawschool.Totalfederalaidisavailabletocover(butnotexceed)thelawschool’sstudentexpensebudget,whichincludestuitionandfees,roomandboard,booksandsupplies,transportation,andotherexpenses.Becauseyouareapplyingforgraduatestudy,youareconsideredindependentofyourparentsfortheseloans.

PrivateLoans:Creditisanimportantfactorinsecuringprivateloans.

Interestrates,fees,andtermsofrepaymentvarysignificantly.ItisbesttoworkwithyourlawschoolfinancialaidofficeBEFOREmakingadecisionaboutloansforlawschool.Bewareofdirectmarketingfromprivatelenders.Itispossibletofinanceyourlegaleducationentirelythroughfederalfinancialaidprogramswhichareregulatedbythefederalgovernmentandtypicallyhavelowerinterestrates.


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GrantsandScholarships:Grantsandscholarshipsareofferedbylawschoolsbaseduponcriteriasetbytheschool,whichcanincludeacademicmerit,financialneed,ethnicity,specifictalents,residencyorotherqualifications.Checkwitheachlawschoolearlyintheapplicationprocessformoreinformation.Lawschoolsmayoffermeritscholarshipstohighlyqualifiedapplicantswithanofferofadmission.Whenlawschoolsconsideryourfinancialneed,theymayrequirefamilyincomeinformationevenifyouareconsideredindependentfortaxpurposes,orforfederaleducationloans.Somestatesprovidelimitedgrantsforlawschool;therearenofederalgrantsforlawstudents.Certainnationalfoundationsandorganizationsoffergrantsandscholarshipsforlawschoolthroughacompetitiveapplicationprocess.

Earnings:TheAmericanBarAssociationsetslimitsonthenumberofhoursa

first‐yearlawstudentcanworkperweek.Afterthefirstyear,manylawstudentsobtainsummeremploymentandpart‐timeemploymentduringtheschoolyear.Thiscanhelpreducetheamountofmoneyborrowed.

ApplyingforFinancialAid*********************************************************Beforeyoubeginthefinancialaidprocess,checkyourcredit.Youcanorderafreecopyofyourcreditreportfromannualcreditreport.com;onceyoureceiveyourreportyoushouldreviewtheinformationforaccuracy.Certainloansmaynotbeavailabletoyouifyourcredithistorydoesnotmeetminimumstandards.Itisveryimportanttoapplyearlyforfinancialaid.Checkeachlawschool’swebsitefortheiraiddeadlines.Someschoolshaveprioritydatesforsubmittingfinancialaidinformation;studentswhoapplyearlierhaveabetteropportunitytoobtainlimitedgrantmoney.CompleteyourFAFSAassoonaspossibleafterJanuary1.CompletionoftheFAFSA(FreeApplicationforFederalStudentAid)isrequiredforallfederalstudentloanprograms.TheFAFSAisalsousedbysomelawschoolstocollectinformationfortheirowninstitutionalaid.BecausetheFAFSArequirestaxinformationfromthepreviousyear,itcannotbecompletedbeforeJanuary1.Someschoolshaveseparateapplicationsforfinancialaid,whileothersusethelawschoolapplicationortheFAFSA.Schoolsalsovaryinhowtheydistributetheirownfunds.DonotwaittocompletetheFAFSAuntilafteryouareadmittedtoalawschool.Youcanlistuptosixlawschoolswhereyouwantreportssent,andupdatethislistwithadditionalschools.Ifyouhavespecialcircumstances,providethisinformationtothelawschoolfinancialaidoffice.Thiscanbecriticalforlawstudentswhohavebeenworkingfull‐timeintheprioryearorwhohaveunusualmedicalorfamilyexpenses.


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FinancialAidDecisions*********************************************************Onceyouhaveprovidedallrequiredinformation,lawschoolscanofferyouafinancialaidpackage.Todetermineyourfinancialneed,schoolstaketheestimatedcontributioncalculatedbythefederalgovernmentonyourFAFSAandsubtractitfromtheschool’sstudentexpensebudget.Indecidingwhichlawschooltoattend,itisimportanttobalanceyourfinancialconsiderationswithothercriteria,suchasreputation,location,size,faculty,programsandplacementsuccess.Comparethenetofyourprojectedcostsateachschoolyouareconsidering,offsetbyanyoffersofgrantsorscholarshipsfromtheschool,todeterminetheamountyouwillneedtomakeupthroughloansorpersonalfunds.Onceyouhavechosenalawschool,expecttoreceiveimportantadditionalfinancialinformationfromtheschool.EventhoughyouhavealreadycompletedtheFAFSAandlawschoolfinancialaidforms,youmuststillapplyfortheloans.Yourlawschoolfinancialaidofficewillhelpyouidentifythecorrectprocessforsecuringfederalloans,and,ifneeded,privateloans.Doyourhomeworktocomparefeesandrepaymenttermsforallofyourloans,usingloancalculatorsavailableonfinancialaidwebsites.Keepgoodrecordsofallloantransactions.Borrowonlywhatyouneed,andnotmore,tokeepyourdebtlowandyourmonthlyrepaymentamountmanageable.FinancialAidResources*********************************************************

FederalStudentAid

Informationonpublicinterestlawprogramsandlawschoolloanrepaymentassistanceprograms(LRAP)

Studentguidetofinancialaid

Financialaidsearchengine


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LegalCareerResourcesTheLawSchoolAdmissionCouncilprovidesacomprehensivelistingofresourcestohelpprospectivelawstudentsexplorelegalcareers,considerlegaleducation,applytolawschool,andfinancetheirlawschooleducation.LawRelatedOrganizations*********************************************************AmericanBarAssociation(ABA)isthenationalorganizationofthelegalprofession.TheCounciloftheSectionofLegalEducationandAdmissionstotheBaroftheABAisidentifiedbytheU.S.DepartmentofEducationasthe“nationallyrecognizedaccreditingagencyforprofessionalschoolsoflaw.”CouncilonLegalEducationOpportunity(CLEO)assistseconomicallyandeducationallydisadvantagedapplicantsinpreparingforlawschool.LawSchoolAdmissionCouncil(LSAC)isanonprofitcorporationcomprising210lawschoolsintheU.S.andCanadathatprovidesservicestothelegaleducationcommunity.TheAssociationforLegalCareerProfessionals(NALP)isdedicatedtofacilitatinglegalcareercounselingandplanning,recruitmentandretention,andtheprofessionaldevelopmentoflawstudentsandlawyers.HEATHResourceCenterisanationalclearinghouseforpersonswithdisabilities.Thefollowingorganizationscanprovideadviceandhelptominoritycandidatesapplyingtolawschool:

ABACommissiononRacialandEthnicDiversityintheProfession HispanicNationalBarAssociation MexicanAmericanLegalDefenseandEducationFund NAACPLegalDefenseandEducationFund NationalAsianPacificAmericanBarAssociation NativeAmericanRightsFund

2016-2017 Pre-Law Student Guide - University of Memphis€¦ · NAPLA Pre‐Law Guide/University of Memphis Updated August 2017 3 Pre‐Law Advising Contact Information Jessica Kelso,

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