In General
Law school professors insist that students do three things well: read, write, and think critically.
Pre-Law Basics
- There is no "pre-law" curriculum equal to "pre-med" curriculum.
- There is no "pre-law" major at Saint Anselm College. Pre-law is an advising category or career-related label. Students who are interested in pre-law intend to enroll in law school for the study of law.
- Pre-law courses simply encompass a broad array of liberal arts courses.
- Law schools prefer you reserve your legal study for law school and prefer you engage in challenging and diverse courses.
- As a pre-law student you will receive advice on how to be a competitive law school applicant (curricular and extra-curricular) and guidance on selecting law schools and the application process. You will also receive important law school information and invitations to events and workshops throughout the year.
Making the Most of Your Undergraduate Education
Course Selection
Your GPA is a number, which may or may not reflect the extent to which you challenged yourself. Admissions will look beyond the raw number and evaluate the depth and rigor of the courses you selected. A high GPA through non-challenging courses will not help you develop the appropriate skills or study habits and will be a strike against you in the admission office.
Law schools want evidence that you can master the basic skills required of a lawyer. The goal is to be a better thinker, writer, and reader. Saint Anselm College recommends you choose a program of study based on your interests while developing the requisite skills to prepare for law school: reading comprehension, analytical thinking, and effective written and oral communication.
Major
At Saint Anselm College there is no specific pre-law program of study nor are there any specific courses required for students planning to attend law school. Moreover, law school admissions officers inform us that no one major is any more attractive in terms of gaining admission to law school than another. The business of lawyers covers all fields and they recommend only that students pursue challenging courses in an area of interest to them. Almost any course of study that engenders mental discipline and intellectual curiosity can lay the foundation for a successful legal education and professional career.
No one major guarantees success than any other major in being accepted to law school. The American Bar Association provides further information on academic majors and law school in the Preparing for Law School section.
GPA and Trends
Along with numerical average, trends are evaluated. A student who started out average but finished strong may be favored over a student who started out strong and then faltered over time.
Extra-curricular Activities
Get involved. Law schools are looking for evidence that you spent time in activities outside of academics. Leadership activities in organizations is looked upon favorably.
Here are some tips for thinking about extra-curricular activities for law school applications:
- Activities need not be law related.
- Activities like student government, political groups, and the debate team are great, but not required.
- Law schools look for quality not quantity.
- Assume leadership positions among a few.
- Law schools look for depth over breadth.
- Community service activities can be a great way to demonstrate involvement.
- Dive into activities, but not at the expense of your grades.
Faculty Relationships
Develop relationships with faculty early, particularly those who will stimulate you intellectually and who are in a position to observe your best work. You will need at least two letters of recommendations for law school, which means you will need two recommenders. It is best to ask someone with whom you have taken at least two classes. Developing a relationship is not something that can be put off.
The two most important factors in law school admission decisions are your undergraduate GPA and your LSAT scores. To find out if you have a reasonable chance of getting into law school, you should look at the median GPAs and LSAT scores of selected schools.
In general, you need around a 3.0 GPA and an above average LSAT score (150+). This does not mean that if you have a GPA under 3.0 or a low LSAT score that you won't get into law school, many do, but these are numbers to shoot for. All grades will be factored into a GPA, including summer school courses and courses transferred from another institution. Although your Saint Anselm cumulative GPA does not include grades from other institutions, the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS) will factor in all grades from all undergraduate classes you have taken.
For many law schools, your score on the LSAT will be as important as your undergraduate GPA-if not more important. If you are serious about getting into law school you will take this test seriously and prepare for it diligently. A good LSAT score can dramatically improve your chances for admission. A poor LSAT score can likewise severely damage an otherwise strong application. Visit the FAQs: LSAT Web page for answers to some of the most frequently asked questions concerning the LSAT.
Freshman Year
- Make an appointment with Liana Pennington, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice, or Lauren Burrows, Director of the Career Development Center.
- Take core courses and courses that interest you – there is no need to take law-focused courses.
- Get involved in extra-curricular activities. Volunteer. Law schools want to see involvement outside the class and evidence of varied talents beyond academics. Show your leadership skills. Focus on a few organizations as opposed to many (depth not breadth). Lay the foundation to obtain leadership status. See the Campus Life web page.
- Get to know your faculty members.
- Work hard. Your GPA is 50% of your law school application.
Sophomore Year
- Take courses that will develop your communication skills, reading comprehension, logical reasoning, and analytical skills. There is no pre-law curriculum other than taking a wide array of liberal arts courses.
- Pick a major that you will enjoy. The more technically inclined your major is (math or science), the more important it is that you take courses that force you to write. Do not pick a major because you think it will increase your chances of acceptance at a law school. Law schools seek diversity in majors.
- Seek leadership positions in selected student organizations. Remember: depth not breadth.
- Develop strong relationships with faculty members.
Junior Year
- Research law schools and think about the law schools which may be the best fit for you. The LSAC website is a great place to start.
- Take challenging courses. Not only do law schools look at your overall GPA, they also evaluate your transcript to see evidence that you challenged yourself (i.e. you avoided "easy" courses).
- Register for the June LSAT (the deadline is generally in early May).
- Prepare for the LSAT. Take full length practice exams. Research LSAT prep courses if you intend to enroll in one. Purchase prep materials. Invest 150-200 hours of study time because the LSAT is the other 50% of your law school application.
- Identify who might write your letters of recommendation.
Senior Year
September-October
- Register with the Credential Assembly Service (CAS). CAS is a clearinghouse which summarizes academic records, LSAT scores, and letters of recommendation for law schools. Law school applicants are required to use CAS.
- Give the transcript request form to the Registrar's Office. Send transcript request forms to any other undergraduate schools you have attended.
- Write a draft of your personal statement.
- Update your resume – make sure that you see the Career Development Center for help here.
- Decide on safety, competitive, and reach schools.
- Schedule an appointment with the faculty members writing your recommendations.
- Attend a Law School Forum organized by LSAC – this can be the in-person Boston forum or one of the virtual forums.
- Take the October LSAT if you need to (if you did not take it in June or if you want to improve your LSAT score).
- Visit schools if you have a chance.
November - January
- Make final revisions to your personal statement.
- Remind recommenders, if necessary.
- Complete and submit your applications (November 1 - December 1 is recommended).
- Send first semester grades to the law schools via the Transcript Request Form to LSDAS (transcripts must come directly from the institution).
- Submit any financial aid applications due early to the schools that request them.
February - April
- Wait for decisions.
April
- Complete all applications for financial aid several weeks before the due date.
- Visit schools to which you have been accepted – you can attend classes and speak with current students.
- Compare financial aid packages between schools you’ve been admitted to.
- Review financial aid notices from law schools and project your resources and costs.
- Decide which law schools offer to accept.
- Send in acceptance of admission and financial aid.
Financial Aid is available for law schools. Federal loans are available, and most law schools offer at least some aid in the form of scholarships, grants, and work-study programs. Contact each law school individually to see for which type of financial aid package you qualify. Different law schools will give different awards. You should start this process early for the most opportunities.
LSAC’s page on Financial Aid Options is a great resource to start thinking about the financial side of applying to and attending law school. The AccessLex Institute is a nonprofit organization focusing on law school financial aid.
Most law schools require two or three letters of recommendation. These should be written by professors who can speak well about your academic abilities. You should choose professors from your major field of study who you have had for more than one class so they can write detailed letters.
Therefore, you should not ask for letters of recommendation from:
- Professors from freshman year with whom you have had no contact since
- Professors who don't know your work very well
- Influential friends of the family.
When you ask a professor to write you a letter, you should offer to provide them with the following:
- An unofficial transcript.
- A personal resume (remember to visit the Career Development Center for help with this)
- A list of courses you have taken with the reference. It’s helpful if you indicate the grades you earned for these courses and details about particular work you did for the class.
A personal statement is usually two-to-three pages long and explains why you want to go to law school. Schools take these seriously and a poorly written personal statement can be one of the reasons why your application is rejected.
For more information on writing personal statements, you can visit the personal statement section on the Pre-Law website in Canvas or reach out to one of the Pre-Law Advisors. The Pre-Law Advisors can help you with ideas on writing a strong personal statement and review drafts.
The following Web sites will be helpful to you in researching and identifying law schools to apply or prepare for taking the LSAT.
General
- Law School Admission Council Online
- Information on the LSAT and law school admissions, including online registration and links to home pages of law schools
- American Bar Association (ABA)
- ABA Preparation for a Legal Education
- Equal Justice Works
- Training and developing lawyers to provide legal assistance for low-income and other underserved people and communities.
Deciding on Where to Apply and Rankings
- LawHub – Find the Right Law School for You
- U.S. News and World Report Law School Rankings
Princeton Review: Best Law Schools Ranked
LSAT Prep
The following Web sites are helpful when preparing for the LSAT. However, there are many different methods and companies out there, including self-study.
The Law School Admission Test (LSAT)
The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is a standardized test used by most law schools in the United States as part of their admissions process. The major of ABA-accredited law schools require the LSAT, although a few will accept the GRE as a substitute. The LSAT can be taken at an official test center or remotely on your own computer at home.
LSAT Overview
The LSAT is a four-section, multiple-choice test. There is also a writing component that you can take a different day. The four multiple-choice sections are separately timed at 35 minutes apiece, with a ten minute break between the second and third sections. One section is unscored and will not be part of your final LSAT score. You will not know which of your four sections is unscored.
There are two different question-types:
Reading Comprehension (one scored section)—This section generally tests your ability to read and answer questions concerning a longer passage. Typically, a section of this type will include about 26-28 questions, arranged into four sets, each containing a passage followed by 6-8 questions.
Logical Thinking (two scored sections)--Typically, a section of this type will include around 24-26 questions that are not for the most part grouped into sets. These sections use shorter reading passages.
The Analytical Reasoning (also known as Logic Games) section was discontinued on August 1, 2024.
The LSAT score is a three-digit number ranging from 120 to 180, determined by the number of correct answers on the four scored sections. A score of 150 or 151 is considered average.
When Should I Take the LSAT?
You should take the LSAT in either June after your junior year or in the early fall of your senior year. Although some students take the LSAT in December of their senior year, they often don't know what their test scores are when selecting schools to which to apply.
Researching law schools is relatively easy; evaluating them and seeing how they fit into your long range plans is more time consuming. The LSAC website is a great place to start learning about different law school options. Choose the “Discover Law” tab and then “JD Degree Programs.” You should also plan to attend a LSAC Law School Forum.
Evaluating law schools requires more time. Many factors should go into your decision to attend a law school, including: academic reputation, geographic location, cost and financial aid package, faculty-student ratios, course offerings, specialty programs and joint degree programs, library facilities, internships, and job placement rates.
Relying on ratings or general notions of prestige or reputation is not sufficient. You should attempt to determine which schools offer the type of environment most conducive to your success. As important as educational quality, employment prospects, total cost, and location are, the intangible elements of campus atmosphere and sense of community within a school are also significant.
If given the opportunity, visit a law school, especially when you are making a final decision. As you decide where you will apply, consider your selections in these three categories:
Realistic Choices
These are schools for which you have a better than reasonable chance of being accepted. Your GPA and LSAT should meet the minimum requirements.
Back-Up Schools
Your GPA and LSAT should more than exceed the minimum generally required for admission to your safety schools.
Long Shot or Dream Schools
These schools may interest you considerably, but you may not meet either the minimum GPA or LSAT. Students generally select one or two of these schools as schools to which to apply.