Class has come to order!
I honestly cannot pinpoint an exact time in which I told myself that I was going to try going to law school. It was not a gradual process for me; more so, it was always lingering in the back of my head because my father attended law school. I have always had a passion for reading, writing in particular, and a general interest in public speaking and communication. Because of this, law school was always an option for me. At the beginning of the fall semester of my Junior year of college, I started seriously thinking about the possibility of going to law school. I knew that my grade point average (GPA) was fairly high and my transcript was in solid shape, so I needed to tackle the other aspects of the application process. I was planning on studying abroad in Sydney, Australia during the spring term, so I decided that I was going to start studying for the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT).
Studying for the LSAT
Study strategies in regards to the LSAT vary greatly from person to person, but I can give my recommendations based on my personal experience with the beast that is the LSAT. I know that I would not have been able to succeed without the help of a study service. In my particular case, private tutors were very pricey so I opted for a group course. Most test prep companies offer similar quality services, so the specific company is less important than the type of course. For example, law school test prep companies have accelerated review courses for those who may have already taken the LSAT. Since it was my first time taking the LSAT, I desired a semester-long course that taught me all of the different question types from a beginner’s level. This way, I would be prepared for my first time taking the exam in a comprehensive manner. Some people prefer to take the LSAT first to gauge where they stand and then, depending on the score, sign up with a tutor or a learning course. In my opinion, taking the LSAT with some knowledge was a better choice because law schools may be able to see all of the scores if they require complete score disclosure. In addition to the LSAT, letters of recommendation are an important part of the law school application process.
Choosing who Writes Recommendation Letters
While I was deciding what professors I wanted to write my letters of recommendation, I first considered how many letters I wanted to submit. From my experience applying to law schools, the average number of recommended letters ranges from one to four depending on the school. Due to this, I decided to request three letters of recommendation from my English professors. I would advise that it is more beneficial to request letters from professors that know you inside and outside of the classroom, regardless of the department in which they work.
Locating your Desirable Setting
Lastly, I would highly recommend considering the locations of the schools in which you choose to apply. This may seem less important than track specializations and course offerings, but I really believe that location should play a major role in a person’s final decision of where to attend law school. For me, I prefer the warm weather because my mental health is significantly better when I can sit outside in the sun. I would highly encourage each and every person applying to law school to heavily weigh the location of the school as a contributing final deciding factor.
With all of these different facets, the law school application process is a daunting one, but it can be done with time, patience, and perseverance.
WRITTEN BY
Hannah Lamberg
University of Miami School of Law
Hannah Lamberg is a recent graduate from the University of Florida where she pursued a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology on a Pre-law track. She was very involved on her campus as a U Matter We Care Ambassador and Public Relations Coordinator within the Dean of Students’ Office, as well as involved on the leadership boards of the English Society and Relay for Life at UF. She is now a student at the University of Miami School of Law. You can most likely find her talking to new people or writing poetry in her free time.
