Notes

What You Need to Know About Law School

Law school is among the most challenging and rewarding experiences a student might have. The popularity and demand on law schools has grown at a rapid pace. If you have ever seen the "Devil's Advocate", Al Pacino (during his dramatic closing monologue) says that there are more people in law school than there are actual lawyers. I've done some research and I haven't had the opportunity to verify whether or not this is true, nonetheless it wouldn't be considered a total shock if it was valid. Television programs like "Law & Order", "Boston Legal" and "Shark" have glamorized the practice of law making it more attractive to adults. Furthermore, the potential big salary you can obtain by way of a law career helps it be even more enticing. Actually, the average starting salary for a co-employee at a mid-sized law firm is $93,000. But take into account, a career in law is usually not centered around high-drama court cases and big paychecks. The truth is, it requires discipline, plenty of research, and strong written/oral skills. Let me explain...

This may shock you, but most lawyers never step foot in a courtroom. This is because of the fact that significantly less than 10% of most motions and cases make it to trial. So, if you dream about being the new Denny Crane (Boston Legal) or Samantha Cabbot (Law & Order) you have to specifically concentrate on trial law during your tenture at law school. About salary, yes, a lawyer can make a lot of money. But keep in mind that the big-salary jobs are predominantly in the private sector dealing with corporate clients. Furthermore, associates and partners at law firms work, on average, 60 hours weekly. So, you'll earn that phat paycheck as an attorney.

Here are a few basic facts and guidelines that you will need to know if you are serious about attending law school:

(1.) In order to get accepted to an excellent law school, you'll want a higher GPA and a higher LSAT score. Most law schools have a formula concerning how they determine who they accept. Yes, your essay and letters of recommendation are important, but the mix of a higher GPA and LSAT score are essential if you want applicant reviewers to even consider you. To get into a high 25 law school, you will need at least a 3.0 GPA (at the very least a 3.5 for top-10 schools) and an LSAT score of at least 152 out of 180, but much higher for a top-10, at the very least 165 out of 180.

( Grow With Meerkat .) Law school is expensive. Most law schools charge $20,000+ per year just in tuition and fees. Private law schools charge a lot more. For instance, Harvard Law School charges $53,000 per year for tution...just tuition! That isn't including books, a laptop, housing, and miscellaneous expenses. So, if you are seriously interested in law school, you will most probably need to obtain a good student loan. Or, try your hardest to win a scholarship grant. Here is a helpful resource for loans, scholarships, and grants...

(3.) Law School is 3-years in length and you will be working non-stop throughout that period. Law School is really a time consuming and difficult endeavor, especially in the first year. Some law school graduates and professors have even said that the initial year is specifically designed to be extremely challenging so those not truly committed will be weeded out. So, understand that in the event that you attend law school you won't be a cakewalk. You need to read a huge selection of cases, write lengthy papers, do copious levels of legal research, and argue in front of a judge in a mock trial. If you don't like to create or speak in public, law school isn't for you.

(4.) Even after you graduate law school, you'll still not a lawyer! That's right, even after 3 years of hard work, you're still not technically an attorney. You need to pass the bar exam and obtain your license in order to legally be considered a lawyer (nice play on words, ey)
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