APPALACHIAN LEGAL PREPARATION SCHOLARS

(ALPS)WORKSHOP #1: THE DECISION

SPONSORED BY THE HONORS COLLEGE AT APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY

ABOUT ALPS

• The Appalachian Legal Preparation Scholars (ALPS) program works with students who are considering a legal education to evaluate the process and the legal profession in an objective and informed manner.

• ALPS accomplishes this in part through its monthly Workshop Series, designed to educate students on admission to law school and prospects within the legal field.

Other resources on campus

• Government and Justice Studies• Provides individual advising for majors• Pre-Professional Legal Studies concentration

• Sociology• Offers a concentration in Legal Studies

• Career Development Center (JET Hall)• Internship resources• Career counseling (is law school right for you?)

• Practice LSATs/Commercial Programs

Workshop #1

• What we will cover in tonight’s workshop:• Factors on whether to attend law school• How the legal market has changed since the

recession of 2008• How to apply to law school

• LSDAS (now CAS), LORs, transcripts, fee waivers

• Creating your initial list of prospective schools• GPA• LSAT• Regional preferences• Scholarships

• Questions

Law school – who can go?

• Law schools admit students from a wide variety of majors and work experiences• Many are political science, history, etc., but there

is no set curriculum to prepare for law school• Not being a traditional major will likely not be a

disadvantage; in fact, it may be a slight benefit• The important concept is that you study

something you enjoy and something in which you will do well (with a high GPA)

• Some schools like to see work experience from their applicants; it depends upon the law school

ABOUT LAW SCHOOL

• The vast majority of law schools have three-year full-time programs.

• Some schools permit part-time students. They usually finish their studies in four to five years.

• All but a few law schools grade on a strict GPA curve• At least for the first year

• The first year curriculum is largely the same regardless of the school attended

ABOUT LAW SCHOOL

• The job market• The “1L” job

• Often low-paying or unpaid summer internships with public interest organizations, government work, etc.

• Frequently supported by law school funding initiatives

• Top students may get high-paying work with law firms

ABOUT LAW SCHOOL

• The job market• The “2L” job

• This is the summer job that traditionally leads to permanent offers

• Often with a law firm (for private practice)• Achieved through OCI (on-campus interviews) and

through student initiative• Students who do not receive an offer will have

another round of interviewing during their 3L year (on-campus interviews, mass mailings, etc.)

ABOUT LAW SCHOOL

• Finding a Career• Often based on class rank and extracurriculars

• Cutoffs at Top 10%, Top 25%, Top 33%, etc.• The higher-ranked school (in theory), the farther into the

rankings a firm or potential employer is likely to go• Law review is strongly preferred for some positions

• Secondary journals, moot court, trial team also important depending on the chosen career

• Ex: trial team experience could be useful for a prosecutor

• When not based on class rank/extracurriculars, career outcomes are often based on networking/prior contacts

• The message here: it’s not enough to do well in undergrad and get into a top law school

SHOULD I ATTEND?

• Have a career in mind (and not just “lawyer”)• See U. Texas website on eight career fields

http://www.utexas.edu/law/career/• Ex: law firms, inside counsel, government, public

interest• This should help you find schools that meet your

strengths (and that you can afford)

• Don’t go because you don’t know what else to do• Law school is a major intellectual, emotional, and

financial investment• Explore other career options (teaching, business,

health, etc.)

SHOULD I ATTEND?

• Understand that law is a career, not usually a way to get rich quick

• Recent law graduates were, on average, $93,000 in debt upon graduation

• Many lawyers start at $160,000 (“BigLaw” salaries), but they are most often the top graduates from the top schools

• Many lawyers also start at $40,000 if doing public interest work

• Take a look at the Bimodal Distribution Curve published by NALP: http://www.nalp.org/salarydistrib.

PAYING FOR LAW SCHOOL

• Scholarships• May be relatively small to full tuition• Often come with stipulations (must stay in top 33%,

top 50% of class, or have a 2.5, 3.0, etc.)• Research where a school’s median GPA – find out what

a 3.0 GPA really means• Find out how many students retain/lose their

scholarships after the first year

• On-campus COL opportunities• Hall director/RA for residence life• Graduate Assistantships (especially through higher

education departments)

CHANGES IN THE JOB MARKET

• The recession of 2008 led many high-paying firms to let go of attorneys• Many firms also cancelled or reduced their

incoming summer classes

• Other firms have also reduced their hiring

• Public interest firms have been affected by the economy• Many, in fact, are closing

Changes in the job market

• Bottom line: law school is much more competitive in the current economy• Strong law schools remain good choices, but firms are often less

willing to go deeper gradewise into a class• For example: a firm interested in the top 33% of a school may now

only interview the top 20%

• As a result, it is important to attend a law school that retains excellent job prospects

• Caveat: the job market may improve by the late 2010s• Hopefully it will not worsen

• If you choose to attend law school, make yourself as competitive as possible• Good grades, extracurriculars like Moot Court/Law Review/Trial

Team, connections within the legal community

Changes in the job market

• One good way to insulate against the economy’s job prospects is to earn scholarships• Having less debt to manage may make a wider

variety of jobs feasible• Many law schools give a large percentage of

their students half-to-full tuition scholarships• Especially to those students who have competitive

GPA/LSAT numbers that are well above that school’s averages

• Make sure to have a contingency plan – if you do not get your “dream job” upon graduation, what would you do?

PLANNING AHEAD

• Build a study/application strategy• Try to write out your career goals (“with my law

degree, I want to do (career) in (location)”)• Private firms/public interest/non-practicing• See previous note on the Texas Law website

• Plan to spend at least six months of study for the LSAT• Can be done in a shorter amount of time• Really depends upon your learning preferences

Know what lawyers actually do

• Experience the law• Internships and externships in a law-related

office (law firm, judge’s chambers, public interest organization) are a great way to watch how lawyers actually practice law

• At the very least, make sure to “shadow” an attorney during a school break or after school

• The reality of law practice is very different from the myth

HOW TO APPLY

• Register for the LSAT (LSAC.org)

• Register for the LSDAS/CAS service (LSAC.org)

• Study for the LSAT like you’ve never studied before• Ideally, you should prepare months in advance• Practice tests are very important• Try to take the exam in either June or

September/October of your senior year• You can then retake the exam in either September/October

or December if you are not satisfied with your score• It’s highly recommended that you only take the exam once

or twice (you can take the LSAT a maximum of three times every two years).

How to apply – other materials

• Letters of Recommendation• You will want to have three letters of

recommendation to send to CAS/LSAC• These letters should come from people who can

comment (IN DETAIL) on your academic abilities, work ethic, and how you would generally be an asset to a law school community

• These people could be professors, supervisors, community members, etc.

• They should NOT come from family members, people you barely know, etc.

How to apply – other materials

• Transcripts• LSAC/CAS will require you to send in transcripts• The transcripts MUST be sent by the school

• NOT you

• Transcripts must be sent from each institution attended• They just have to be sent once, though• This includes community colleges, high school classes

taken for credit, and some study abroad

• Check the LSAC website guide for more information

• Visit the Registrar’s Office to learn more about how to get your transcripts sent to LSAC/CAS

ADMISSIONS PROCESS

• The two main criteria in law school admissions are the GPA and the LSAT.• The LSAT is the part of the process that you can

control now by studying (GPA generally shifts only a little over time).

• Extracurricular activities become important if you have average-to-competitive numbers• Being “On the Bubble”

Diversity and the admissions process

• Law schools will seek to enroll a highly diverse student body

• This can include many types of diversity: ethnic, socioeconomic, military, work experience

• Many schools will encourage applicants to write a Diversity Statement

• The statement may answer the question, “What does this applicant uniquely add to our student body?”

School selection

• Choose at least 1-2 “reach” schools for your GPA/LSAT

• Choose at least 2-3 schools for which your numbers are competitive

• Choose at least 1-2 “safety” schools

• Fee waivers• voluntarily offered• requested

School selection

• Geographic preference• Outside of the top 10-15, job prospects are largely regional• Some public schools will have a preference for in-state

applicants (UVa. and UNC are two examples)

• Employment statistics• Review lawschooltransparency.com (Class of 2009 data)• Ask schools for specific details on student employment• Examine the data for your career

• If you want private practice, you will want to check on law firm placement (small, medium, large firms)

• If you want to work in Nashville, for example, you will want to make sure that your school has connections to Nashville or places students in Nashville

applying

• Many schools will grant fee waivers based upon your GPA/LSAT• Some will notify you by mail or email• Some will do it automatically through CAS

(“hidden” fee waivers)• If your numbers are competitive, many schools

will grant you a fee waiver if you ask them (politely)

• Still have to pay the $16 processing fee, though

Online resources

• Top Law Schools• Forum• TLS School Profiles

• Law School Numbers

• Law School Transparency Project

• CAUTION: These websites have user-generated content that may vary in quality, tone, and helpfulness. They are still some of the best resources available, though.

Important notes to remember

• Focus on your GPA and your LSAT• GPA is a long-term measure of your abilities• LSAT is the criterion that can be most easily

changed• It’s one test score• Study for the LSAT like you’ve never studied

before, even if you’re unsure about whether you want to attend law school• A one-point difference could mean an admission or a

scholarship

• Select a school in part based on where you want to practice

WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW

• Freshmen: keep a strong GPA; explore the legal profession; take classes that will build law school-related skills (logic, ethics, etc.)

• Sophomores: keep the GPA going; look into law-related externships/internships/shadowing opportunities; build connections for LORs

• Juniors: STUDY for the LSAT; aim to take it in the summer before your senior year

• Seniors: APPLY to law schools; retake the LSAT if needed; consider financial impact

Questions?