Are you an NEIU student thinking about pursuing a career as an attorney at law? Do you want to learn the ins and outs of how to guide yourself towards law school, during and after Northeastern? Are you wondering how good of a student you have to be to attend law school, and how you’re going to pay for it? Then look no further. The NEIU Pre-Law Advisory Committee (http://www.neiu.edu/~casdept/pre-law/pre-law.htm) and the NEIU Pre-law Society (http://www.neiu.edu/~casdept/pre-law/prelawsociety.htm) have the answers to these questions and many more.
How Do I Prepare For Law School?
Once you’ve made the decision that law school is something you want to pursue, you can begin the law school application process. A frequently asked question is, “How do I prepare for a law school education?”
Law schools want students who have developed good critical thinking and writing skills. That means taking courses that develop critical analysis, logical reasoning, and written and oral expressions skills. That also means preparing for the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT).
The Law School Admissions Council recommends taking the following courses (regardless of major) in order to do well on the LSAT:
– In Philosophy: Critical Thinking (101); Logic (201); Introduction to Ethics (213); Philosophy of Law (361C); and Human Rights (361P);
– In English: Argumentative Writing (377);
– In Political Science: American National Government (216); and Constitutional Law (320);
– In Justice Studies: The Criminal Justice System (201); and
– A commercial LSAT prep course, such as those offered by KAPLAN, Princeton Review, or Power Score.
According to the Law School Admissions Council, the range of acceptable college majors is very broad. What really matters is the intensity and depth of your undergraduate program as well as your capacity to perform at an academically rigorous level.
How and When Do I Apply?
In order to apply to law school, in addition to taking the LSAT exam – administered four times a year: in June, October, December, and February – one must submit an application to the law school(s) one plans to apply to. In addition, your transcripts and pertinent college records must be forwarded to each school, according to the NEIU Pre-law Advisory Committee website (http://www.neiu.edu/~casdept/pre-law/pre-law.htm). This process is basically done for you by the LSAC, the Law School Admissions Council, via the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS). The NEIU Pre-law Advisory committee website describes the process like this: “LSDAS prepares a report on you. It includes their own calculation of your GPA, how your GPA compares to other NEIU graduates, a list of colleges you attended, photocopies of all of your college transcripts, etc. Essentially, the LSDAS service puts together the data package for you and sends it to your chosen law schools.” There is a fee for this service.
A personal statement is also required as a part of the application process. The personal statement is generally regarded as the third most important aspect of your law school application (after your LSAT score and GPA), say sources familiar with the process.
Letters of recommendation are another important element of your application. Most, if not all, laws schools require at least one letter of recommendation. Remember to follow the instructions of the law school(s) you’re applying to, due to varying requirements regarding letters of recommendation. There are also various publications available on how to prepare letters of recommendation available at your local book store or library.
How Do I Pay For It?
The cost of a three-year law school education could run well over $80,000 (even at a public law school!). Tuition alone can range from a few thousand dollars to more than $25,000 a year, sources say. There are various sources of financial aid including scholarships, grants, and work-study. Most students, however, will require some form of a loan from either government or private entities. Contact the financial aid office of the school you plan to attend for more information. Also, http://www.fastweb.com is a good place to start for all forms of financial aid and assistance.
Contact Carlton Lawson at: Lawson_executive@hotmail.com or David Nissim-Sabat at: D-NissimSabat@neiu.edu for information or to register as a Pre-Law student/Pre-law Society member.