Thinking about Law School?

Are you thinking about law school? Here’s some advice to get you started:

·       Ask yourself how law school fits into your career plans.

If you’re planning on practicing law, talk to current and former lawyers and find out what you’re signing up for. Talk to a variety of people if possible. Big firms, small firms, solo practice, government, they’re all different.

·       A law degree is versatile.

Even if you don’t practice law or only practice for a little while, a law degree can be an asset to almost any career. Many law graduates work in government, international fields, and in the business world. Lawyers are skilled at researching, writing, and logical reasoning. Those qualities are important no matter where your career takes you.

·       Follow your passions.

Don’t choose a major, an internship, or a job just to have a better chance of admission to law school. Successful applicants come from every academic background. What really matters is pursuing your interests and making a difference wherever you go.

·       Interest in law school is increasing, which makes admissions more competitive.

The number of applicants is up 40+ percent from just two years ago, which means that it’s even harder to get accepted at the most selective schools.

·       Grades and LSAT scores are extremely important.

Every aspect of the application matters, but law school admissions is, to a large extent, a numbers game. If you look at the GPAs and LSAT scores of admitted students, you’ll find that most students have GPAs and LSAT scores within a very narrow range. Other factors matter, but GPA and LSAT score make the biggest difference.

·       GPAs tend to be extremely high.

If your GPA is high, that’s great, but it may not be as much of an advantage as you think because so many others have similar GPAs. If your GPA isn’t what you’d like it to be, you really need to nail the rest of the application.

·       LSAT scores are going up.

For example, a 165 used to be about the 91^st percentile, but now it’s about the 86^th, which means that more students are earning top scores. This makes admissions even more competitive.

·       The #1 thing you can do to improve your chances is to do well on the LSAT.

Chances are, your GPA won’t change much, but the LSAT is an open opportunity. If you’d like help doing your best on the LSAT, please reach out to me at ben.paris@gmail.com.