Law School Applicant Guide 2010 Application Cycle
LAW SCHOOL ADVISING OFFICE OF THE DEAN OF THE COLLEGE
LAW SCHOOL ADVISING AT BROWN UNIVERSITY
The Office of Dean of the College provides support to students and alumni interested in and/or applying to law school. We offer many resources, including information sessions, campus recruiting events, forums on law school and the field of law, guidebooks, admissions data, and direct advising. Advising consultations with Dean Dunleavy and Dean Simmons are available on a walkin basis several times a week. Please check our website or call the office for the open office hours schedule. Alumni not near campus are welcome to call in during these times. When you meet with Dean Dunleavy or Dean Simmons, please bring your resume, a draft of your personal statement, and a copy of your unofficial transcript. Check our website for upcoming information sessions, law school visits, and other law-related events. L aw S cho o l A dv is i ng O f fi ce o f t he D e a n o f t he C o l leg e D ea n L i nda D unle av y D ea n A nd rew S i mmo ns 2 1 3 U niv ers it y H a ll P h: ( 4 0 1 ) 8 6 3 - 2 5 3 9 F ax : ( 4 0 1 ) 8 6 3 - 1 96 1
www. b ro wn . ed u / co l l e ge/ p re la w
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
3 Self Assessment 4 Law School Admissions Timeline 5 Law School Admission Council Law School Data Assembly Service 6 Application Components
Individual School Applications LSAT Transcripts GPA Resumé Letters of Recommendation Personal Statement Institutional Action and Dean Certifications
12 Deciding Where to Apply 14 Financing a Legal Education 14 Application Fee Waivers 14 Deferring Admission 15 International Applicants
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Self Assessment
Before embarking on the law school admission process, you should take a moment to ask yourself: Is this the right choice for me at this time? This might sound like a trite question, but given the major commitment of time, effort, and money it will take to get through law school, it is a question well worth asking yourself. If you wish to discuss any of these or other questions, feel free to drop So how do you know that you are ready? A good place to start might be the websites for some of the law schools that interest you. Are you excited about the course descriptions, clinical opportunities, and special academic programs? You might also ask yourself: Are you feeling a bit burned out on school? Are there some things you would like to try before beginning law school and embarking on a legal career?
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Do you think that some work experience might help clarify your reasons for going to law school? Have you been trying without success to write your admissions essay? Are your credentials strong enough for admission to the schools that interest you the most?
in during the law school advising deans’ open hours The open hours schedule can be found on the Law Advising Website at www.brown.edu/college/prelaw
Law School Admissions Timeline
SUMMER
FALL
WINTERSPRING
SUMMERFALL
LSAT (June) Register with Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS)
LSAT (Sept) Write Essay Gather recommendations
Complete financial aid applications Schools make their decisions
Matriculate to law school
Determine where to apply
When admitted, pay seat deposits
Research potential schools
Complete school applications
Attend accepted student open houses at law schools
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LAW SCHOOL ADMISSION COUNCIL
LAW SCHOOL DATA ASSEMBALY SERVICE The LSDAS is a centralized application service for all law schools. In order to apply to law school, you must register with LSDAS. You will then submit all of your undergraduate transcripts to LSDAS along with other information
The LSAC is a non-profit organization that coordinates the admission process for law schools in the United States and Canada. The LSAC is responsible for developing and administering the LSAT and runs the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS). In addition, the LSAC provides information and data related to law school admission and legal careers. Information about the LSAC and related programs can be found on their web site at www.lsac.org.
about yourself. Letters of recommendation can also be submitted through LSDAS (though it
is also possible to submit letters to the Career Development Center, which works with an external electronic dossier service to hold letters for students and alumni) LSDAS then
distributes all of this information, including your LSAT scores, to the law schools to which you apply. Subscribe to LSDAS in the summer before you apply or early in the fall semester. For more information, visit the LSAC website at www.lsac.org.
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APPLICATION COMPONENTS
INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL APPLICATIONS
In addition to LSDAS, each law school will also have its own application form. You are responsible for reading these forms and their instructions and understanding the admission policies and procedures for the schools to which you are applying. You will need to order transcripts from the Registrar’s Office at Brown University and from the registrar at any other postsecondary school at which you have pre-test items for use in future LSATs. Registration booklets for the LSAT are available in 213 University Hall and registration information can also be found at www.lsac.org.
TRANSCRIPTS
LSAT
Applicants to law school must take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). This exam is offered four times per year, usually in June, late September/early October, December, and February. The latest exam that we recommend for 2010 admission is September 29, 2009. Your scores are sent to law schools as part of your LSDAS report. The LSAT consists of four sections: reading comprehension, analytical reasoning (or logic games), logical reasoning, and a writing sample. In addition, there is an unscored section to
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taken courses or earned either an undergraduate or graduate degree. Your transcripts must be submitted to LSDAS.
Study Abroad or Foreign Transcripts Transcripts from academic work abroad are required if (a) your foreign academic work is equivalent to a year of undergraduate study in the United States or Canada or (b) you have a degree from a foreign institution. In such cases you may need to participate in the JD Credential Assembly Service for Foreign-Educated Applicants (JD CAS). More information about JD CAS is available on the LSAC website.
GPA
Brown’s Office of the Registrar reports our grading standards each year to LSAC, including the fact that letter grades at Brown do not bear numerical equivalents. LSAC nonetheless will calculate a GPA for law school applicants based on the transcript. Brown does not validate LSAC’s computation of the GPA; however, experience has shown that LSAC uses the following rubric in assigning quality points: A=4.0, B=3.0, and C=2.0. We do not know how they interpret grades of S, but believe that these are left out of the calculation of GPA.
the GPA by LSAC, though individual law schools may have different policies. All applicants to law school are encouraged to educate themselves about the various admission policies regarding grades, grade point averages, and transcripts. More information is available from LSAC and from the various law school admission offices.
RESUME
You will need to have a polished and up-todate resume, to submit with your law school applications. For help preparing your resume consult the Career Development Center website or meet with a counselor at the Career Development Center. http://careerdevelopment.brown.edu/resour ces/resumeprep.php
Grades in courses taken at other U.S. universities or colleges will be calculated into the overall Grade Point Average by LSAC. Brown students should be aware that if they take courses at RISD and select the S/NC option at Brown, the letter grades assigned at RISD will appear on the RISD transcript they are required to submit to LSAC. These grades will be calculated into their GPA. Grades in courses taken at nonU.S. institutions will not be calculated into
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LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
Before requesting letters of recommendation, consult the application instructions for the law schools to which you will apply. Letters of recommendation should address the quality of your academic work in your concentration and other areas of interest. If you are a graduate with work experience, you should consider submitting a recommendation from your employer. Most schools require a minimum of two academic recommendations, though some allow for as many as three. Law schools prefer that you not send more than the number of letters they request.
PERSONAL STATEMENT
Most law schools require you to submit a “personal statement,” usually limited to 500 words or fewer. Do not tailor your essay to specific schools; rather, write a general statement that you can submit to all of the schools to which you apply. The instructions are generally quite broad: “Write a statement about yourself,” or “Tell us something about yourself.” Though the vagueness of the prompt can be daunting, the personal essay offers an opportunity for you to introduce yourself to a committee on a more personal level, allowing them to learn about you beyond the information presented in other parts of your application. It gives you the chance to show a committee that you are more than your LSAT score, GPA, and list of activities and experiences. An effective personal statement offers a clear and memorable portrait of you—your interests, experiences, personality, skills, and ambitions. Because personal statements are personal, there is no one format or approach that will work well for everyone; however, we do offer a few tips.
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Tips on Writing the Personal Statement
Be Original. Guess the top 3 most common personal statement topics and avoid them. In particular, skip the "Why I want to be a lawyer" dissertation; instead, tell an original story or relate an original experience that is not inconsistent with a desire to attend law school. In other words, "Show don't tell." Law schools receive hundreds of personal statements about how the applicant wants to go to law school because law is a force for change, law can make a difference in people's lives, underserved communities need lawyers as champions, public interest law is a noble form of service, etc., etc. Do not write one of these statements. The only exception to this rule is
as your personal statement; do not write in stream-of-consciousness style; and do not write a short story in which you're on trial and the admissions committee is the jury. Keep it personal. It's called a "personal" statement for a reason! Many, many students try to impress admissions officers with essays on philosophy, Russian politics, or the need for prison reform. Avoid this tactic. An extremely well-written essay on current events or an academic subject might win awards, but it will NOT get you into law school. Stick to subjects that are personal to you. Do not recycle your resume. Some students make the mistake of devoting their personal statement to summarizing their accomplishments. Your personal statement can certainly concern something impressive you've done, but should not just recycle your resume. Think of your personal statement as an opportunity to add something new to your application file. Use your personal statement to give the admissions committee an idea of who you are beyond your resume.
alumni/ae who have been away from academia for many years and may wish to address the "why law?" question directly. Avoid corny or flashy tricks. Some candidates will try to be clever in order to make their application stand out, but this is a strategy to assiduously avoid. Do not write an epic poem about your quest to enter law school; do not draw a picture
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Contribute to the law school community. Remember: Law school admissions officers are looking for interesting students who will help make their school a vibrant community for other students and staff. They're looking for diversity in interests, backgrounds, and experience. Think about your personal statement as a chance to step outside of the GPA/LSAT numbers in your application and illustrate why admitting someone with your background and experiences that will make their school a better place for other students. Make it easy to read. Write clearly. Use declarative sentences in the active voice wherever possible. Organize each paragraph around a topic theme or idea, as you would in a closely argued paper. Do not try to distinguish your essay with its physical features -- use a regular font (e.g., Times New Roman), ordinary margins, white paper, etc. Note that admissions committees care about typos, grammar, topic sentences, and transitions. Proofread your essays very carefully. Elegant writing meets rewards while sloppiness earns negative attention.
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Some questions that might be helpful to consider as you begin to draft your essay:
What sorts of things have you done outside of the classroom? What have you learned from your extracurricular or work experiences and how have those experiences contributed to your growth?
When does time disappear for you? Have you had to overcome any unusual obstacles or hardships (economic, physical, familial, etc) in your life? If so, what were these obstacles and how did you face them?
What might be unique, special, or distinctive about your life story or experiences?
INSTITUTIONAL ACTION AND DEAN CERTIFICATIONS
Applications to law school will ask you to report and explain institutional action, including your involvement in infractions of University codes of conduct as well as any semesters in which you were not in good academic standing or the subject of suspension for unacceptable academic performance. Deans Dunleavy and Simmons strongly recommend that you report such institutional action when you are asked to do so even if it does not appear on your academic transcript, did not result in separation from the University, and/or if you believe the offenses to be minor. In addition to asking you to report institutional action, some schools and programs will require you to have a dean at Brown University either certify that you have not been the subject of disciplinary action or state in writing the facts of any procedure and/or sanction against you.
In most cases, reporting disciplinary action will not jeopardize your chances of admission as long as you have taken full responsibility for your actions and demonstrate self-reflection and personal growth.
Truthfulness is integral to being a successful attorney. It is therefore essential that you take seriously your responsibility to report institutional action. Failure to report institutional action on your applications may be regarded by the law schools as a lapse in ethical judgment. Moreover, you will be asked once again to report institutional action on applications to the bar after you have completed law school.
Failure to report even minor infractions on your law school applications could later jeopardize your admission to the bar.
Deans Dunleavy and Simmons are available to consult with you about the process of reporting institutional action.
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Submitting Your Dean Certifications
Please submit your dean certification forms along with a stamped envelope/s to Janice Rego in University Hall 213. Please anticipate 1-2 weeks for your certifications to be sent to the school requesting it. If you are reporting institutional action, include a statement describing the incident in question.
DECIDING WHERE TO APPLY
Choosing a Law School
Many students approach this question by immediately thinking of a few top-rated schools (e.g Harvard, Stanford, Yale) and then deciding that those schools are the ones they want to attend. Instead, try to think about what kind of experience you actually want from a law school. Small classes? An urban campus? An emphasis on public interest law? A focus on the law of a particular state? You might start by determining which schools accept students with GPA’s and LSAT scores similar to yours since these numbers inform much of the admissions process. You can determine which schools you might be most qualified for based on your LSAT score and grade point average on-line at: http://officialguide.lsac.org/UGPASearch/S earch3.aspx and http://www.bc.edu/offices/careers/gradscho ol/law/lawlocator.html
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Mailing Address: Pre-Law Advising Attention: Janice Rego Brown University Box 1828 Providence, RI 02912
For FedEx/UPS/DHL Deliveries Pre-Law Advising Attention: Janice Rego Brown University 1 Prospect Street University Hall 213 Providence, RI 02912
Beyond the numbers, you might consider location as well as particular areas of the law in which you are interested. While all law schools teach essentially the same curriculum, some specialize in certain areas of the law (e.g. public interest, government, corporate law, etc.). Some law schools also have special clinics or combined degree programs that might be of interest. Finally, law schools disclose the rates at which their graduates pass the bar and find employment. Research these rates before deciding where to apply.
Good printed resources include the ABA/LSAC Official Guide to ABAApproved Law Schools and The NAPLA/SAPLA Book of Law School Lists. These and other guide books are available in University Hall 213. The LSAC also has a searchable version of the Guide to ABA-Approved Law Schools on their Web site at: http://officialguide.lsac.org/ONLG_Default .aspx
To how many schools should I apply?
This is obviously a matter of individual preference. Some students choose only 2 or 3 schools, especially if they are certain of the geographical area where they want to be, while others apply to 12 or more. We recommend that students apply to six to ten schools across a range of options -typically a dream school or two, two good safety schools, and then several solid choices for their GPA/LSAT range.
How can I find out about different schools?
There are several good sources of information about different schools. The first option should be to visit several different school’s websites. Most of them will have extensive information about the school, the faculty, the courses, and special programs or clinics. Also, the ABA offers an online searchable database of law schools. You can search by keywords, geography, average LSAT, you name it. You can also go straight to the home pages of law schools that interest you.
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FINANCING A LEGAL EDUCATION
The cost of attending law school (tuition, fees, books, living expenses, etc.) can be as much as $50,000 per year. You may qualify for scholarships at individual schools based on need, merit, or other criteria. However, financial aid comes mostly in the form of loans. Therefore you should expect to borrow money to cover the majority of your costs (at most schools $80,000-$100,000). Financial aid and scholarship information is available on law school admission websites.
DEFERRING ADMISSION
Generally, deferrals are allowed for specific reasons such as fellowships, enriching work, academic opportunities, or compelling personal circumstances. Deferrals must be requested in writing shortly after you have been admitted and are decided on a case-by-case basis. Criteria and rules for deferral vary from school-to-school. Thus, before requesting a deferral from any law school, be sure you fully understand their deferral policy. Deans Dunleavy and Simmons do not recommend applying to law school with the intention of asking for a deferral. If you believe you will need an additional year or two before attending law school, we strongly advise you to postpone your application until you know that you are ready to start your legal education. Consult with Deans Dunleavy or Simmons if you have questions about deferral or about when you should be applying for admission to law school.
APPLICATION FEE WAIVERS
Applicants with a high level of financial need may qualify for application and LSAT fee waivers through LSAC and the law schools. Information about the LSAC fee waiver program can be found on the LSAC website. Schools will have differing policies about application fee waivers, though some may apply the same standard as the LSAC. You should check the policy for each school to which you are applying.
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INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS
of students graduate with some amount of debt (according to U.S. News & World Report, often in the range of $80,000$100,000). Finally, foreign applicants are strongly encouraged to apply as early as possible to ensure that visas and other immigration documents are completed prior to matriculation to law school.
Law schools vary in their admission policies for international applicants. Check with each of the individual schools in which you are interested to learn about their policies. In general, if you are not a native-speaker of English, you may be required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). If you have more than a year’s worth of course-work from a foreign university, you may be required to submit a transcript from that institution. (Your grade point average will depend upon the particular system used by the school you attended.) In addition, you may be required to demonstrate the ability to pay for your legal education. Note that legal education in the United States is financed largely through loans backed by the federal government. Foreign applicants are not eligible for these loans. Some school-based grants and scholarships are available, though these often do not cover the entire cost of legal education. At most schools, 80% or more
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We hope that this guide will make the experience of applying to law school easier. Our office is committed to providing you with the support you need to achieve your goals. Good Luck!
Law School Advising Office of the Dean of the College Dean Linda Dunleavy Dean Andrew Simmons 213 University Hall Ph: (401) 863-2539 Fax: (401) 863-1961
www.brown.edu/college/prelaw