prepare for law school

• Select a major that you enjoy and that challenges you. Law schools have no preference for particular majors, so choose a major that is a good fit for you, not one that you think will look good for law school. You may also wish to select a major that prepares you for alternative career paths if you decide not to pursue a career in law after graduation.
• Begin to explore careers in law through various resources: readings, informational interviews with attorneys, externships (shadowing), and internships in a legal environment.
• Although there are no required courses for law school, it is important to take courses to continue to develop the types of skills that will be necessary in law school and in your legal career such as reading, writing, critical thinking, and analytical reasoning.
• Review the Pre-Law website.
• Focus on your academics; undergraduate GPA is one of the top factors in law school admission.
• Get to know your professors (e.g., utilize their office hours, actively participate in class discussions). You will need academic letters of recommendation when you apply to law school and these professors will then be in a better position to write a strong letter of recommendation if they get to know you and your academic skills.
• Get involved in activities that interest you – student organizations, study abroad, research with faculty, leadership, community service, etc. While UF has several pre-law organizations, you should get involved in activities and organizations that interest you, not necessarily just pre-law related organizations and activities.
• Connect with a UF pre-law advisor to begin exploring law and whether it is a good fit for you, to discuss the basic timeline for pre-law students, and to discuss questions about the application process.
• Join the Pre-Law Email List to stay updated on pre-law news and events.

• Continue to explore careers in law to confirm your interest in law.
• Continue to maintain a strong GPA and continue your involvement on campus and in the community, possibly through leadership opportunities within your organizations of interest.
• Read messages posted on the Pre-Law Email List to stay updated on pre-law news and events. updates and announcements of upcoming events for pre-law students, particularly those related to the application process, personal statements, mock admission panels etc.
• Connect with a pre-law advisor again now that you have an established academic track record to begin talking about your GPA, target law schools for which you’d be competitive, and ways to continue to enhance your undergraduate experiences.
• Begin to prepare for the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). While there are numerous ways to prepare for the LSAT, the key is to leave yourself ample time to prepare. A good way to begin evaluating how much preparation you need is by taking a practice LSAT, preferably a full-length/timed test so that you can get a baseline score and become more familiar with the LSAT to determine your preparation strategy. Pre-law advisors can help you identify various resources and then you can decide which preparation strategy is best for your individual situation.
• Attend pre-law events to learn more about topics such as the overall law school admission process, what law school is really like from a law student’s perspective, what law schools are looking for in competitive applicants for their law school, how to write a strong personal statement etc.
• Research law schools and make arrangements to tour their campuses if possible. Attend an LSAC Law School Forum to speak with law school representatives from all over the country in a one-stop environment.
• Register to take the LSAT in summer between your junior and senior years. Continue to prepare for the LSAT.
• Start identifying faculty, employers, and other individuals who you want to ask to write your letters of recommendation for law schools. Ask them if they would be willing to write a positive letter of reference for your law school applications.

• Continue to study for the LSAT and take it in the summer if you feel prepared.
• Register and pay for the LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service (CAS) at least 6-8 weeks before you plan to submit your first law school application.
• Confirm with recommenders who you have previously asked to write letters of recommendation and provide them with copies of your resume, personal statement, and any other materials that would be helpful for them to write a strong letter. Enter the recommenders’ contact information into your Credential Assembly Service (CAS) account.
• Begin to write drafts of your law school admission essays (personal statements). Remember, you must format each statement according to each law school’s individual specifications, so review each school’s website to determine their guidelines. You may have multiple essays to write for certain schools. Talk with a pre-law advisor about the purpose of an addendum if there is something about your academic record that you would like to explain.
• Even though it is your personal statement, have several others read your statement and give you feedback. Several offices on campus offer personal statement feedback: Pre-law Advising Office in Farrior Hall, the University Writing Program in Turlington Hall, and the Career Connections Center in the Reitz Union.
• Prepare your resume for law schools. Visit the Career Connections Center if you need assistance with your resume.
• Begin to research financial aid options for law schools. The LSAC’s Financing Law School is a good place to start. While there are some scholarships available for highly competitive applicants, many law students utilize student loans or personal resources to finance law school so carefully consider cost factors when researching individual law schools. Other useful financial aid resources can be found at U.S. Dept of Education, Finaid, and AccessLex.
• Speak with a pre-law advisor again to discuss your law school questions and to help you develop a good application strategy based on your GPA and June LSAT scores.

• Attend additional pre-law workshops offered on campus related to the application process, writing personal statements, mock admission panels etc. These will be announced via the Pre-Law Email List and on the pre-law events calendar.
• Attend the Graduate & Professional Schools Fair, sponsored by the Career Connections Center, early in the Fall semester to meet with law school admissions representatives on campus. Attend a LSAC Law School Forum to connect with even more law school representatives.
• Request that official transcripts be sent to LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service (CAS) from the registrar’s office of each college or university you have attended.
• Finalize your personal statement(s) for each school to which you are applying.
• Register for and take the LSAT in early fall (Aug/Sept/Oct) if you didn’t take it in June or if you plan to retake the LSAT to improve your score. You may wish to consult with a pre-law advisor before making your final decision on whether or not to retake the LSAT.
• Apply to your target law school(s) as soon as their applications are available (usually in September or early October for most schools). Applications are submitted through the LSAC website. Apply as early as possible (ideally in September/October/early November) since law schools have a rolling admissions process and your application may be more competitive if you apply early. Once the law schools receive your completed applications, they will contact the LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service (CAS) to have your law school report sent which will include your transcripts, letters of recommendation, and LSAT score(s).
• Continue to research financial aid options. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible after October 1 of the year before you plan to start law school.
• Make decisions regarding law schools to which you are accepted and/or other career options.
• Send thank you notes to your recommenders!

• IDS4930: Special Topics in Interdisciplinary Studies: Intro to the Pre-Law Process
• IDS4930: Special Topics in Interdisciplinary Studies: Industry Insights: Legal Professions
• IDS4930: Crime and Time

There are over 1000 student organizations at UF. Let your own interests guide you to explore what might be a good fit for you.

To search all UF student organizations, visit Gator Connect (search “law” for a list of law-related organizations).

Organizations featured by Criminology and Law program.

Internships and shadowing are among the best ways to gain exposure to the practice of law. Internships can be full-time or part-time positions; paid or volunteer positions. Internships can be found in various legal contexts from law firms to law-related posts with organizations, companies, and government. For tips on how to pursue law internships for undergraduates, see below.

Tips for finding internships

The potentially challenging part of seeking legal internships (at least as an undergraduate) is that they are rarely advertised to the same degree that internships in other career areas are advertised (e.g., Accounting internships). Law firms more frequently advertise internships for *law students* but don’t advertise positions for undergraduates as often. In fact, the types of “internships” that undergraduates typically do at law firms tend to be much more clerical in nature (perhaps assisting at the front desk, answering the phone, making copies of files, assisting with other behind-the-scenes activities, etc.). This is definitely a great experience, nevertheless, especially for students who really want to gain additional insight regarding what really goes on at a law firm, learn about the field, make career connections, etc.

We recommend contacting law firms directly to inquire about internship/job opportunities at their firm. To do this, prepare a professional, polished resume (the Career Connections Center in the Reitz Union can offer assistance with this), use your networking contacts (take some time to brainstorm a list of any family members, family friends, friends of friends, etc. who may work in the legal field), target firms/organizations of interest by using such resources as the online phone book/directories and websites such as www.lawyers.com, etc. Many of these will allow you to look up attorney profiles, areas of specialization, etc. After identifying law firms of interest in your area, call their office to speak with them or visit in person with your resume (dress professionally), and inquire about the possibility of volunteering or doing an internship with their office.

Be sure to be prepared to market yourself effectively in your brief intro, as you want to immediately help them realize why you would be an asset to their organization. Even if they do not have immediate openings, you can likely leave your resume with them for consideration for future positions. You may also wish to see if there is an opportunity to shadow an attorney for a few hours or a few days. Sometimes after they have gotten to know you a bit more after shadowing, they may be willing to discuss internship opportunities. It may take several visits or emails to different law firms to find a good fit, but your hard work should pay off.

The Career Connections Center may have additional internship postings. In addition, you may also wish to explore internship opportunities through the Alachua County Courthouse or UF Student Legal Services, as they have a more structured programs (Student Legal Services has research positions, as well). Information is traditionally accessible on their website when applications become available.

Another excellent resource that we strongly recommend is the Bob Graham Center for Public Service. They have an experiential learning component that includes public service internships at the local, state, and federal level. Be sure to subscribe to their email updates where lots of internships are posted.

And, finally, we occasionally receive postings from law firms or other organizations who are looking to hire undergraduates for law-related positions. Whenever we receive those types of postings, we advertise them on the Pre-Law Email List, so subscribe.

Community service provides an opportunity to prepare students to become productive citizens and take on roles of leadership and service. It also encourages students to develop positive character traits such as respect, responsibility and citizenship, all of which are pertinent to law school. Two specific resources for opportunities in community service or service learning:

• Brown Center for Leadership and Service
• Bob Graham Center for Public Service

Study abroad is an enriching experience where learning extends to the world beyond college. As a prelaw student study abroad can help in the following areas: personal growth and development, new perspectives on world affairs, enhanced vision and possibilities in career path. Please see the Study Abroad Office to explore study abroad opportunities.

*Students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences should explore our Global Engagement section of the Beyond120 program.

According to the Law School Admission Council, the legal profession is still a relatively non-diverse profession. Minorities are still under-represented. These resources are engineered to help prospective students prepare for the first year of law school and develop adequate study habits that will ease this transition. They are dedicated to ensuring that, once admitted into law school, students will successfully complete their respective programs of study.

Some useful resources:

• American Bar Foundation Summer Research Diversity Fellowship
• Florida State Summer for Undergraduates Program
• University of Iowa – Law School Preparation Program

LSAC is a non-for-profit organization designed to enhance law and justice by promoting access, equity, and fairness in law school admission and supporting the learning journey form prelaw through practice. LSAC provides products and services that support candidates and schools throughout the law school admission process, and innovative solutions to expand and broaden the range of prelaw students, enhance student outcomes in law school, and support legal professional throughout their legal careers.

LSAC offers the following services and programs to ease the application process:

• Law School Admission Test (LSAT)
• Official LSAT Resources
• Credential Assembly Service (CAS)
• LSAC Law School Forums
• Access and Opportunity Initiatives
• Candidate Referral Service (CRS)
• LSAC Ambassadors Program