There are several college prerequisites law school applicants must fulfill.
Aspiring lawyers must spend three years in law school earning a JD (Juris Doctor) degree. But before students are admitted to law school, they must fulfill certain prerequisites at the undergraduate level, including the completion of a bachelor's degree, maintaining a high GPA, earning competitive LSAT scores and participation in extracurricular activities.
Bachelor's Degree
Law-school applicants are required to have a four-year bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. They don't have to earn degrees in any particular major; students are accepted into law school with degrees in education, business, philosophy, dance, writing, economics, psychology and biology. Students should maintain good grades; law school admissions review boards take the applicant's GPA into consideration. During their undergraduate tenure, students should seek out a pre-law advisor to guide them towards courses and activities that provide students with the skills law schools expect, including problem solving, critical reading, writing and researching.
LSAT Scores
During their undergraduate degree programs, future law-school applicants are required take the LSAT (Law School Admissions Test). Admissions review boards weigh LSAT scores just as heavily as an applicant's GPA, if not more so. The test measures reading comprehension, analytical reasoning and logical reasoning. Students typically sit for the examination during their junior year so that if their scores are unsatisfactory, they have time to try again.
Personal Statement
Applicants are required to submit essays detailing their personal, academic and professional achievements, as well as their reasons for wanting to practice law. It will be important to be able to display leadership and decision-making skills, as well as focus, dedication and exceptional study habits. Demonstrating leadership in college extra-curricular activities is helpful.
Letters of Recommendation
Most law schools also ask applicants to submit letters of recommendation from academic or professional sources. Undergraduate students should form strong connections with professors and advisors, so that when the need arises they can be counted on to provide glowing recommendations.
Graduation Requirements
In order to graduate from law school with a JD (Juris Doctor) degree, students must successfully complete all course requirements. During the first year, students take core classes in civil procedure, constitutional law, contracts, legal writing, criminal law, professional responsibility, ethics, torts and property law. In the second and third year, students focus on specialized courses, law firm internships, practice trials and mock court sessions, and extensive reading, research and writing.
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