Here are the 6 Factors to Consider Before Applying to Law School

By Meghen Jones

Have you ever found yourself spending hours online, examining famous court cases and thinking about what you would have done differently? Or maybe, you’ve squandered precious study time glued to the TV, watching your favorite law-based show because who are we kidding? We all know how addicting Law and Order, plus all its various spin-offs, can be. Either way, your indulgence in this type of media says something— you harbor a passion for law that has you seriously considering making a career out of it.

Well, the time has come to finally decide upon your post-undergraduate plans. So, what will it be? Three years of law school, or settling for another career path? Whereas some may encourage you to go all in and apply for law school immediately, others will suggest that you weigh your options carefully. While there is validity in both suggestions, it’s important to keep in mind that there are many factors to consider before pulling the trigger on law school—location, return on investment, and LSAT scores, just to name a few.

If you find yourself on the fence, don’t worry! uCribs is here to help you out. Read up on the top 6 factors to consider before applying for law school.

The Skillset 

When most people think of lawyers, they typically think of the sensationalist way lawyers are portrayed in the media: Judge Judy handling a bickering, former couple over who should get legal custody of their dog, a cheesy commercial featuring a local lawyer who promises to get you thousands of dollars after a car wreck, or a high-rated show, like ABC’s How to Get Away with Murder.

But, there’s way more to law than just courtroom dramatics and showmanship. Sure, it may be a reason you want to attend law school to begin with, but it’s far from the prepping of law school itself. Like every career, a lawyer needs a thoughtfully cultivated and polished skillset.

If you dream of being on the courtroom floor, you need analytical abilities, in addition to the capability to logically reason, write well, and communicate clearly. Any number of undergraduate programs, whether it’d be English, business, or political science, should help you achieve this highly sought-after skillset in four years’ time. Whatever program you choose, don’t forget the power of the all-mighty GPA, either.

The Scores

Whether you want to acknowledge it or not, law school admission committees heavily rely on LSAT scores while making admission decisions. Your score, along with your GPA, accounts for the first step in the screening process for potential students. Remember, law is a very academic field of study, so prospective universities want to know upfront whether or not you’ll make the cut.

Plus, if you’re a senior graduating in the spring semester, a high LSAT score may be your last shot to impress your potential alma mater. Let’s face it, now your GPA is pretty much set in stone, and your activities list can no longer be improved upon. Because the LSAT tests skills relevant to law school and the very practice of law itself— reading strategically, analyzing arguments, and making deductions—a good score on this test will highlight your talent for the study of law!

To be frank, the LSAT is probably unlike any other test you’ve taken in your academic career. While most standardized testing is content-based, the LSAT is skills-based. In other words, you won’t be expected to regurgitate any memorized information; instead, you must showcase all those skills we were talking about earlier. As for scoring? The average person scores around the 150-range, but if you’re hoping to get into a top-tier law school, you’ll want to shoot for a score well above 160.

The Activities

Once you put aside your hard-earned GPA and LSAT scores, those endless application essays, and the slew of well-written recommendations, there’s one facet of the law school application that everyone tends to forget about, and that’s extracurricular involvement. Students, who have been involved in activities throughout their undergraduate career, are able to better demonstrate their long-term commitment to a strenuous program, like law school.

The number of activities does not matter as much as the substance of your experiences. Whether you opt for a volunteer-based organization or an academic club, each selection equally demonstrates your commitment to your passion, your motivation to better yourself, and your matured responsible nature.

If you still have some time left before you earn that undergraduate degree, don’t hesitate to get involved in activities that spark your interests. We recommend joining organizations that give you the opportunity to grow your skillset relative to your chosen career field—Student Government, debate club, or the student newspaper might be your best bets as a future lawyer.

The Location

Geography may not be your favorite subject, but it is your best friend when it comes to choosing the right law school for you. Keep in mind that many lawyers tend to practice where they study. Of course, it doesn’t matter where you study law, but once you graduate, you will be required to take a bar examination, which will allow you to practice law in a particular state.

Location also means everything when it comes to studying the type of law you’re interested in. If you’re passionate about criminal law, then you may want to look at universities such as Duke University (Durham, NC), University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ), and Howard University (Washington D.C.). But, if you believe that business law is more your speed, it wouldn’t hurt to look into New York University (New York, NY), Harvard University (Cambridge, MA), or Stanford University (Stanford, CA).

So, if someone advises that you “don’t sweat the small stuff” such as the university you get into or the location it is in, be aware that location is most certainly everything.

The Return on Investment

The phrase, higher education, is typically paired with one other word: expensive. You most certainly cringe at the thought of how much money you’ll spend throughout your formal education. Yep, it’s true that you’ll most likely accumulate significant loans from your undergraduate program alone. Combined with the cost of a post-graduate program, especially one with a hefty price tag like law school, you’ll witness your debt climb anywhere from 20,000 to 35,000 dollars per year.

While it’s unfortunate that law school tuition is typically within a league of its own, it is clearly the reality of the world we live in. Being that most law school programs run for three years, it’s not uncommon for law students to have well over $100,000 worth of debt once they graduate. Like anything you want in life, it might be worth the large investment of money, and of course, time; however, if you truly don’t have a passion for law that will encourage a longevity in the field, then it may not be worth the investment, after all.

Whatever you decide, don’t let the colossal price tag get you feeling down. There’s always a way around student debt in the modern market. Many loan companies offer consolidation or complete forgiveness of your loans if you qualify. For example, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program forgives federal loans after ten years of employment with government entities or other nonprofit organizations.

The Job Market

So, finally, here you are. After all the self-talks, you’ve finally reached the light at the end of the tunnel after four long years in your undergraduate program. You’ve decided that law school is the best next step on your journey to a rewarding, fruitful career. But, you might want to hold your horses just a bit there, partner.

While it’s true that we often associate law with a practical career field where you can easily attain a job, the modern job market for lawyers is typically slim. Now, this isn’t to discourage you from conquering yet another milestone in your life, but again, it’s something to consider before submitting those costly law school applications or even registering for the LSAT.

Begin by examining where new Juris Doctors are securing their jobs and the salaries they are being paid. Next, evaluate the under-employment rates at the law schools around the country. Avoid attending a law school that has a low employment rate or a high rate for students securing a part-time job, which isn’t too helpful when it comes to paying back thousands of dollars in debt. Instead, you want to attend a law school that has a high rate of graduates securing full-time work within a few months of graduation. As you’ll learn during any case that you study, good research always pays off in the long-run.

There are many facets you must consider before committing to law school. While they may not seem like a big deal during the actual application process, a solid plan allows you to make the right decision for your economic future. In life, it’s never bad to weigh your options, and when considering the long-ingrained thought of being a successful lawyer, it’s one you may want to ruminate on a while, starting with these 6 factors provided by uCribs.

Share this article: