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Pre-Law FAQ
Major Selection and Course Recomendations
What should I major in if I am contemplating attending law school?
The American Bar Association, in its publication, "Preparation for Legal Education," does not recommend any particular major for law school. In addition, there are no specific majors which law schools tend to prefer. Law students can major in anything from engineering to history to vocal performance. The important thing is to major in something you enjoy. Chances are, if you enjoy the subjects you are studying, you will do better than if you choose something just because you think it will get you into law school. Comment: a particular major is not important to a law school admissions committee, but good grades are! Incidentally, you should double-major only if you want to. Double majoring has no bearing on your acceptance into law school.
What courses should I take to prepare me for law school?
Law schools have no prerequisite courses for admission. However, while you are in college you may want to take courses which will help you hone the skills which will be important to you as a law student. Such "lawyering" skills include: Analytical thinking and problem solving, critical reading, writing, oral communication, research and task organization and management. Some things may want to consider when choosing courses are; the most important tool in any profession is language, thusly, courses in English Composition, and Speech ( or other courses that emphasize oral or written communication) will help you master this tool; the legal profession finds its basis in the formation and operation of governmental institutions; creative thinking is an important skill in the legal profession, so courses in math and specifically logic are recommended and because law is a social science which focuses on human behavior, courses in psychology, sociology, religion and philosophy, provide a good foundation.
Some suggested courses for the first year of college without prerequisites which may satisfy General Education requirements include PHI 2100 (Introduction to Logic, GE-M); introductory courses in History (GE-H), Political Science (GE-S), Psychology (GE-S), Sociology (GE-S), Religion (GE-I), Philosophy (GE-H), Criminology (GE-S), English (GE-C or GE-H). Electives from the Center for Written and Oral Communication such as SPC 2300 (Introduction to Interpersonal Communication) or SPC 2600 (Introduction to Public Speaking) are also useful for pre-law students. In general, any course which requires reading and writing is good for the pre-law student, but no particular course is required.
Upper-level courses (which have prerequisites) that teach about the law include courses in Political Science and Criminology. Specifically, courses taught by Professor Stafford in Political Science are considered useful because he uses the Socratic method of teaching--just like in law school. Other courses include BUL 4310 (Business Law), PHM 3400 (Introduction to Philosophy of Law), PHM4440 (Philosophy of Law), ANT 4273 (Anthropology of Law), and many others. Remember, just because you take courses as an undergraduate in law, this does not make you a stronger applicant nor a better law student.
Law School Admissions
What does a law school focus on for admission purposes?
Your undergraduate grade point average(GPA) and your Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) score are the two primary factors used to determine law school admission. Secondary factors include; part-time work, extra curricular activities, and diversity issues. These areas are given slight weight, but they are not as important as the numbers.
How important are extracurricular activities for law schools admissions?
Although extracurricular activities are not viewed as very important as your g.p.a and LSAT score, law schools do look for "well-rounded" applicants and one way to become "well-rounded" is to get involved in campus or community activities. Choose organizations that interest you because those are the ones that will make your collegiate experience more meaningful. However, you need to keep in mind that your g.p.a. is more important than campus involvement, so never sacrifice your grades by becoming over-committed with extracurricular activities. The University of Florida's pre-law student organizations are; Pre-Legal Honor Society , and Phi Alpha Delta.
What are the parts of a law school application?
Law school applications consists of the following: The application itself which can be obtained from each individual law school, your LSAT score and undergraduate transcript which will be sent to law schools by Law School Data Assembly Service(LSDAS), your letters of recommendation from professors and if you have any, employers and your personal statement , which plays an important part in rounding out your application and is considered your interview on paper.
How should I go about obtaining letters of recommendation?
You should plan to get at least two academic references from professors, and the third letter should be from either a professor or another source (employer, advisor, clergy, etc.). You should ask them, "would you be comfortable writing me a strong letter of recommendation?" Hopefully the answer is honest--if they say no, do not be offended but ask someone else. The actual content of the letter is much more important than the status of the letter-writer to the law school admissions committee. Be sure to give your recommender a copy of your transcript, a resume, and your personal statement, along with the cover sheet from the LSDAS Letter of Recommendation service.
My professor asked me about the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) letter service, what is that?
The letter of recommendation service is offered as a convenience to LSDAS subscribers, recommendation letter writers, and the LSDAS-participating law schools. The LSDAS fee includes up to three letters of recommendation to be received and processed by LSAC. The service is designed for general letters; some schools accepting letters through LSDAS may prefer that letters be sent directly to them, particularly letters attesting to a candidate's specific qualifications to study at their school. Please consult law school application materials regarding letter instructions. Please review the LSAC web site for more information..
Individual letters may be sent directly to the law schools (or can be included with the student’s application in a sealed, signed envelope). Law schools suggest that faculty include the student’s identification and a cover sheet from the law school application if possible. Some law schools will review the student’s file even if the letters have not arrived, so faculty should be prompt with sending these letters.
The Office of Health and Legal Professions Advising (OPHLA) does not send applicants' letters of recommendation to law schools. Applicants must use the LSAC service or send letters directly to laws schools
On the application, the law school asks for my class rank. What do I put on the application?
The Registrar's Office no longer provides class rank for graduating
students
What is the Dean's Certification form and who fills it out?
Dean’s Certification forms which ask questions about the student’s disciplinary record should be brought to the Dean of Students office in 202 Peabody Hall, to the attention of John Dalton, the Director for Student Judicial Affairs. Do not bring them to your college office. Although these forms often ask questions about rank of the student or other academic topics, these questions are usually answered “N/A” at a large public institution. In fact, the Registrar’s office does not rank a student until after he or she has graduated.
Law School Admission Test (LSAT)
How about more information on preparing for the LSAT?
You can find links to commercial courses, an online workbook and other materials such as past LSAT tests from the The Internet Legal Resource Guide and Law Services . Private review companies have information about the LSAT preparation, including Kaplan and Princeton Review, which have offices located in Gainesville. Another option is with Home LSAT , a full video program for LSAT review.
When should I take the LSAT?
Since law schools have a rolling admission acceptance policy, it is to your benefit to get your application in as soon as law schools start accepting them (usually around October 1st for fall applicants and May 15th for spring applicants). Therefore, taking the LSAT exam before your senior year or as early into your senior year as possible is preferable. However, because law schools average LSAT scores, it is important to be as prepared as possible the first time you take the exam. Do not choose an earlier test date if you are not prepared. You should take the LSAT exam the calendar year before you plan to start law school. If you plan to begin Fall 2001, you should take the June or October 2000 administration of the LSAT.
How do I prepare for the LSAT?
Since all LSAT testing attempt scores are averaged, you need to be as prepared as possible the first time you take it. There has been no statistical evidence that shows students which take review courses do better than students who don't. These courses can be expensive ($1000+), therefore, you may want to buy several LSAT preparation books first to evaluate whether or not you can improve your score by studying on your own. However, if it would make you feel better just knowing you took a review course then, by all means, take one. The important thing is that you feel as prepared and confident as possible when exam day arrives. A good resource is the ability to order old LSAT exam from Law Services (with answers!).
Choosing
How can I find out what schools offer a particular area of law, like patent or international?
The best place to start is the directory of US American Bar Association Approved Law Schools . You may also try The Internet Legal Resource Guide , which has some areas of law listed with the appropriate schools. In addition, the Book of Law School Lists is available in our OHLPA library located in Room 206 Academic Advising Center or by seeing the pre-law advisor.
How can I find out which schools I am likely to be accepted by?
Law Services also provides access to materials such as the Official Guide to US Law Schools which contains admission profiles to most US law schools (upper tier schools i.e. Yale and Columbia do not provide profiles.) You may purchase this book for $19.50 from Law Services. Also, the Boston College Online Law School Locator has a matrix by median GPA and median LSAT score as reported by law schools. You just click on the category in which your scores fit, to view schools which fall within your range.
How do I learn more about individual law schools?
One source to find links to home pages from law schools (and law-related programs), is through the ABA . You can learn more about each school and often request admission material online. One other great source to learn more about students' opinions of law school rankings is through UF's survey of alumni attending law schools , which is available on our web page.
I am interested in looking at some rankings for law schools.
There are many types of rankings for law schools, ranging from personal rankings to the US News and World Report Standings. Comment: It is very important to understand that all rankings are subjective and there is a large problem with the methodology in most rankings. View this validity report which assesses the flaws in ranking systems.
Office of Health and Legal Professions Advising (OHLPA) Services
How can I find out additional information about the law school application process?
View the Workshop Calendar for upcoming Pre-Law workshops. One on one appointments with the pre-law advisor are unnecessary until the junior year of undergraduate study, but you can read much information on this web site.
How else can I stay informed with pre-law activities and information?
The UF pre-law listserv is the best way to be a part of the pre-law community. Pre-law student groups advertise their meetings, the pre-law advisor answers questions, professors make course announcements, and pre-law issues are discussed. To sign up for this free service, please see the listserv instructions .
How can I find out more about the UF Levin College of Law?
UF undergraduates are more than welcome to take a tour of the UF Levin College of Law , which are given daily by law students. Please call 392-0421 to find out the exact time of the tour or to arrange to sit in on a law class.
Where should I go if I have additional questions about law school?
If you have additional concerns or questions regarding law school after you have read the information provided on this web site, you may schedule an appointment with the Pre-Law Advisor by calling 392-1521 or stopping by the AAC front desk. Be sure to read all of the information on this web page, such as the handbook and personal statement information, before seeing the pre-law advisor in order to make your appointment the best use of your time.
PLEASE NOTE ALL INFORMATION IS BASED ON THE UNDERGRADUATE CATALOG AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. FOR QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW STUDENTS UNDER DIFFERENT CATALOGS MAY BE EFFECTED, PLEASE CONTACT AN ADVISOR OR YOUR APPROPRIATE CATALOG!
If your CLAS question is not answered at any of these sites you may ask The CLASSY Advisor
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