A message from our Pre-Law advisor, Britt Johnson:
Despite the ups and downs of the new lawyer employment picture, preparing for law school admission remains a very popular option among students at UCSB. If you are attracted to a career in law, I welcome you to the challenge.
Pre-law advising is available in the college
advising office (1117 Cheadle Hall). I am pleased to work with you
in an individual appointment, but please plan ahead, as I am sometimes
booked up for as much as two weeks. You can stop by the office or
telephone 893-3201 to schedule an appointment. If you have a brief
question, call me directly at 893-2656,
and we'll try to demystify the law school application process together.
Finally, brief questions that do not require a review of your individual
academic record may also be forwarded to me at my email address:
(bjohnson@ltsc.ucsb.edu).
If you want to find out more about whether
the legal profession is for you,
I encourage you to do the following:
- Talk to the career advisers in the Counseling and Career Services.
- Purchase a copy of the Official Guide to US Law Schools, which is available in most college bookstores as well as all leading book retailers.
- Make a point of talking to anyone and everyone you meet who has any connection with the legal profession. Be prepared to hear about both the advantages as well as the disadvantages.
- Pick up a copy of the prelaw reading list available from the pre-law advisor.
Basic Steps to Applying to Law School
While not particularly complicated, the process of applying to law school can be very time-consuming. The basic elements of the process include the following:
- Law School Admissions Test
- Letters of recommendation
- Personal statement
- Completion of an application
Registering for the Law School Admissions
Test and subscribing
to LSDAS
The LSAT/LSDAS (Law School Data Assembly Service) Information/ Registration Book is available, without charge, from the college advising office and from the Departments of Political Science and Law and Society. You should pick up a copy by May 1 of your junior year if you plan to attend law school immediately upon graduation. You may also register online at www.lsac.org, but the booklet contains some very useful information.
The LSAT is given four times each year:
early October
mid- December
early February and
the second week of June
The June test would be the best choice, if it were not for the fact that it is in the middle of the final exam period for spring quarter. For this reason, the majority of UCSB students take the LSAT in October, as it is still early enough to permit timely applications. You should submit your application by November 15th.
Additional elements of the application process
In addition to completing an application, most law schools require letters of recommendation, preferably written by faculty. The average number required is two, but schools vary. Law schools also require a personal statement of two to four pages in length.
Best wishes to you as you prepare for and apply to law school. It is an arduous yet exciting process. Please feel free to consult me if you have any questions about any aspect of the procedure.
