Prepare for Law School

Introduction

Once you've defined your academic and legal career goals, and identified the field and degree that align with them, it's time to research available programs, evaluate your competitiveness, and develop a strategic application timeline.

Researching Programs

US News Best Law Schools is a great place to start your law school research. US News publishes the official rankings for all ABA-accredited law schools each year. You can see the ranking and some basic information for each school for free, and pay for a subscription to access full details. All of this information can be found on the law school’s admissions website as well, so the US News Best Law Schools rankings are a good way to get an idea of which schools you want to research more, and then you can use the schools to do the remainder of your research. Another means to get basic information about each school is to review its Standard 509 report, which contains data submitted by law schools to the ABA. The website will include important details about their curricula, faculty, and bar passage rates.

Another great tool is the Undergraduate Grade Point Average (UGPA) and LSAT Score Search tool on the Law School Admissions Council’s (LSAC) website (Search for Law Schools – LSAC Official Guide | The Law School Admission Council or their Law School Transparency tool in LawHub). You can enter GPAs and LSAT scores to see how increases or decreases in those can affect how generally competitive you may be at each school. It’s important to remember that these numbers don’t guarantee acceptance or rejection at a certain school. Your personal statement, resume, and letters of recommendation all have a huge impact on your application. However, this tool is a great way to get a general idea of which schools you may be competitive at if you are having a hard time choosing which ones to apply to.

Law School Fairs

Consider attending our annual Graduate and Law School Fair at UC Davis, a public event where attendees can explore graduate and law programs and speak directly with admissions staff. Attendees can learn more from the program representatives about their application process, the program’s faculty, culture, curriculum, and financial support (including scholarships and fellowships).

LSAC maintains a calendar to inform aspiring law students about various recruitment events throughout the year. These events include law school fairs, like the one hosted by UC Davis annually, and the LSAC Law School Forums. These events provide opportunities to learn about law schools, their financial aid processes, connect with law school representatives and admissions officers, and much more. Visit LSAC’s website for an updated schedule and additional details.

Rankings

School rankings can potentially matter, depending on the area of law you think you want to go into. For example, if you have your eye set on big law, huge international firms with hundreds of attorneys, your school’s name and ranking may help you get a foot in the door and get an interview for a summer or post-bar position (a high-class ranking is also usually necessary to get big law jobs). Other areas of law may not place as much emphasis on the law school’s ranking. Law schools publish statistics on their graduates’ employment, including how many students went into areas such as firms (usually broken down into large, middle, and small-sized firms), public interest, government, judicial clerkships, etc. If you have an idea of what type of law you want to practice, these statistics can give you an idea of whether that school is a good stepping stone to get into that particular area.

ABA Accreditation and the Bar

Every three years, law schools can apply for American Bar Association (ABA) accreditation, which is in place to set uniform standards for law schools across the country. In some states, you must attend an ABA-accreditation law school to be eligible to take the bar exam. California is an exception to this. However, many unaccredited schools in California have a lower bar passage rate.

Attending an unaccredited school can be a good option for someone who only needs a Juris Doctor degree and does not need or want to become an attorney. This can be the case for someone who wants to go into a “JD Advantage” career, such as compliance. These jobs prefer candidates with juris doctor degrees, but there is no requirement to sit for or pass the bar exam.

Overall, attending an ABA-accredited school is considered the more prestigious route and will allow you more opportunities in the future, such as the ability to move to other geographic and/or career areas.

For detailed information about bar admission requirements, please visit the official website of the state bar in your chosen jurisdiction (e.g., State Bar of California website).

Location

Location can be an important factor when choosing a law school. If you're planning to practice in California, attending a California law school can be a strategic advantage. These schools often tailor their curriculum to align with the California Bar Exam, helping you build a strong foundation in state-specific laws and statutes. This is especially relevant in California, where bar passage rates highlight the importance of targeted preparation (see the California State Bar website for current and past bar passage rates).

That said, it's absolutely possible to attend law school outside of California and still practice within the state. If you go this route, be prepared to study California law independently and pay close attention to bar passage rates. It's also a good idea to speak with law school admissions officers about how their graduates perform on out-of-state bar exams, including California’s.

If you know what area of law you want to practice in, see if law schools offer certificates, clinics, or other experiences in that area. Many students have no idea what type of law they’re interested in until they start law school, and many more change their minds throughout their academic career, so don’t worry if you don’t have a particular area of law in mind. 

Part-Time v. Full-Time 

The most common route to the practice of law is attending school full-time. However, some circumstances may make attending school part-time a more feasible option. Usually, attending school part-time will lengthen law school out to four years, whereas a full-time degree is obtained in three. However, attending part-time allows your schedule to be much more flexible, giving you time for work or other responsibilities. A couple of law schools even offer weekend-only degrees.

One big drawback of part-time programs is that part-time students often have to take classes during the summer, while their peers in full-time programs are working or interning in the legal field. Legal work experience is a big factor for employers, so this may limit employment opportunities later down the line unless you can work legal jobs part-time while you take classes. Additionally, some schools may limit part-time students’ participation in activities such as moot court, mock trial, and law review, all of which help students gain employment after graduation.

Finally, part-time programs can be more lenient with admissions; however, this may affect post-bar employment, as some employers may view these programs as less impressive. There are a few top law schools that offer part-time programs in addition to full-time, but many part-time law schools are less prestigiously ranked.

Becoming Competitive

During undergrad or gap years, there are many different things you can do to boost your law school application. There is no magic number of internships/jobs/student involvement activities, etc. that will get you into law school, but anything and everything can help. You don’t need to do everything you could possibly fit into your schedule to be competitive when the time to apply to law school comes. Pick a few activities or involvements that interest and motivate you. No legal experience is required to get into law school, so your involvement doesn’t even need to be law-related. Law schools are looking at your resume to determine if you have certain characteristics that make you compatible with their law school, such as motivation and time-management skills. They want you to show that you have gone above and beyond your basic education requirements, either by excelling in your studies, demonstrating a commitment to service and to your community, or both. Still, prioritize grades and academic performance while you are an undergraduate. You can always take a gap year to get additional experience, but after you graduate, you cannot change your GPA.

Choosing a Major

There is no particular major required to get into or attend law school. Your main goal should be to major in something that interests and motivates you and maintain a high grade point average. Law school application committees will look at the difficulty level of each class you took, noting any upward or downward trends.

The exception to this rule is if you want to go into patent law, a hard science major is preferable and sometimes required. A hard science major is strongly preferred for patent property litigation and required for patent prosecution. If you are interested in patent prosecution, you will need to pass the patent bar, in addition to that state’s bar exam. Many patent litigators will also need to pass the patent bar to represent clients at the Patent Trials and Appeals Board (PTAB). Learn more about the requirements to sit for the patent bar.

You should also try not to take more than one or two P/NP classes. A “P” (Pass) will not be calculated into your GPA for law school admissions purposes, but a “NP” (No Pass) will be translated into an “F” and calculated into your GPA as a zero.

Internships and Working During Undergrad

Internships and working are great experiences and can look good on your law school application. These do not need to be law-related, as legal jobs can be hard to get if you’re not in law school. Check with the Career Center, Handshake, and student organizations to see what opportunities there are.

Extracurricular Activities

Engaging in internships, employment, community service, and school activities can demonstrate initiative and a commitment to service, which are qualities that law schools highly value in applicants. Here are a few common activities.

Gap Year Options

If you’ve decided to take a gap year (or years) in between your undergraduate years and law school, there are several things you can do during that time. When deciding what you want to do, remember that applicants who took law-related jobs during time off are not at an advantage in the application process over applicants who took non-legal jobs. A non-legal job that is going to provide you with greater career and skills development is better than a legal job that doesn’t.

For someone who is still deciding whether or not law school is even a good idea, working in a non-legal job can help see what other options are out there. Or, if you know you want to do law but have no idea which area of law interests you, you can work at non-profits or for government entities that are related to different areas of law to see what sparks your interest.

Legal jobs can be hard to come by for those without a law degree or who are not currently in law school. This is even more true in areas that have a law school. Law students will also be applying to those positions and have certain legal research and writing skills that others do not, which often makes them a better applicant for those positions. However, there are some ways to get yourself into a legal-related position that is not a specifically legal position. Firms often hire administrative staff without law degrees. These types of positions provide a way into the legal realm, and often the attorneys in the office will be more than happy to discuss the legal issues of a case or give smaller assignments to prospective law students. The other option is to network your way into an internship or job. Networking is an incredibly valuable skill to have in law school. Reach out to attorneys in the area and ask them if they would be willing to set up a phone call or coffee meeting to discuss their practice and the area of law they specialize in. One of these may turn into an internship or job if you connect and keep in touch.

Some students decide to volunteer for organizations such as the Peace Corps or Teach for America in their time off. These jobs show a demonstration of service and can be a nice addition to your law school resume.

Suggested Application Timeline

One important thing to consider is whether or not you want to take a gap year. Many pre-law students assume that you have to go straight to law school from undergrad, but in reality, only about one-third (⅓ of applicants) do. The rest take a year or more off to work and gain career experience, and save money. Others are still on the fence about going to law school and need a few more years to determine the best route.

Once you’ve determined when you want to begin law school, you can build the timeline for the application process. Often, it is easier to start from the end of the process and work your way backward. Law schools begin classes in the fall, and applications for that year will open during the fall prior. If you don’t plan on taking a gap year, the application period will open in September/October of your senior year. Most law schools accept applicants on a rolling basis, so it is important to apply early in the application cycle, even though most law schools have application deadlines in late spring. Law schools typically open their applications in late September and early October.

Next, you want to determine when you plan to take the LSAT. Most applicants take the June or September LSAT because those two dates allow you to apply early in the application cycle. However, dates earlier than the June or September exams are fine too, but note that law schools generally like to see more recent scores on applications. Technically, your LSAT score is good for five years, but it is better to take the LSAT closer to when you plan on applying. Also, consider your schedule and how it will impact studying for the LSAT when deciding which date to choose. For example, if you’ll be working or interning during the summer, the September date might be better than the June one.

Then, determine how long you plan on studying for the LSAT. Study methods are laid out in greater detail in the “Preparing for Law School” section of this guide. Once you have your application date and LSAT study schedule figured out, you can begin fitting in the other parts of the application (letters of recommendation, resume, transcripts, and personal statement/other essays) into your timeline.

Letters of recommendation are also discussed in greater detail in the “Preparing for Law School” section of this guide, but generally, you want to give them at least a month or two to write and submit the letter. If you are taking a gap year, it may be worthwhile to meet with any professors before you graduate and preliminarily ask for a letter. Explain that you plan on applying to law school in the next year or two and ask if it would be acceptable to come back at that point to ask for a letter. This puts them on notice and won’t make your request a year or two down the line seem so out of the blue.

Transcripts can be requested as soon as you purchase CAS from LSAC. LSAC takes up to two weeks to process submitted transcripts, so this is an easy step to get out of the way early on.

Your resume and personal statement/essay timeline largely depend on your personal schedule and the timeline you’ve set up for yourself. Some people choose to wait until after taking the LSAT and use the 3-4 weeks they are waiting on scores to nail down the rest of the application materials. If this is you, it can be helpful to spend a few hours before LSAT studying begins looking at personal statement examples online, so that it’s in the back of your head as you study, in case you think of any topic ideas during that time. You can also meet with your pre-law advisor about any ideas during this time, so that when the LSAT is over, you can get right to writing the statement.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is a pre-law major?
  • There is no pre-law major, and law school does not require a specific major while getting your undergraduate degree. You can major in any field that is interesting to you and that you believe you can excel in. However, common majors can include political science, English, history, psychology, philosophy, linguistics, or economics.
  • How do I research and choose a law school to apply to?
  • The general website where you can find information on the different law schools is lsac.org (see Law School Transparency). You can also look at average GPAs and LSAT scores for those schools when looking at your percentage chance for acceptance. Factors to consider are the program's location, specialization options, financial support, and what academic and professional opportunities the program offers outside of the classroom. Another tool you may utilize is AccessLex’s XploreJD tool.
  • What kinds of courses should I take?
  • There are no required courses to take before law school; however, there are different law-related courses offered at UC Davis that can help you explore your interest in law, and possible specializations you might want to pursue. If you are in certain majors (political science, philosophy, sociology), there are some recommended courses you may consider--there may be some crossover across all three majors. 
  • What skills should I develop?
  • Reading and reading comprehension are two skills that help in law school, and developing your writing skills is also important. Consider the University Writing Program (including UWP 104B) and writing-focused courses across a variety of majors. Logical and critical reasoning also help with the LSAT as well as with law school. You may also consider reviewing the list of skills described by the American Bar Association.
  • Which extracurriculars should I pursue?
  • Extracurricular activities are important, but not to the detriment of your GPA. Extracurriculars such as internships and jobs, as well as significant roles in clubs and organizations, add to the uniqueness of your application.
  • Which exam(s) should I prepare for?
  • Before law school, you must take the LSAT (Law School Admissions Test). The LSAT is a test with logical reasoning, logic games, and reading comprehension. To prepare for the exam, there are a variety of courses and/or books that will help you study. LSAC provides resources on its website and LawHub, including free practice tests.

Let's move on to the law school application process.