During my time on Instagram believe it or not, the main source of my DMs come from people considering going to law school. The general gist of my DMs is typically something asking me what my main advice is I have for people in their position. Since I have literally spent countless hours DMing, calling and texting people asking me this I have decided to summarize my advice for future law students. Good luck during your process!
FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT STARTED LAW SCHOOL
-
Your undergrad GPA matters a lot
What major should I choose? Most law schools to my knowledge do not require a specific major to gain entry. That being said my best advice is to major in something that will give you practical skills as a lawyer and/or will ensure that you have a high GPA. Practical skills may be obtained in majors/classes such as English (reading and writing), public speaking (litigation), pre-law and others. Having a high GPA will give you access to higher ranked schools and more scholarship money.
-
Please take the LSAT seriously!
The LSAT, though I personally don’t think it has anything to do with being a lawyer, can seriously impact the schools you are admitted to and the scholarship money that you receive. This test can seriously affect the next ten or more years of your life.
-
Research and take part in law programs in undergrad
Consider doing a program that can give you the law school feels without going to law school to confirm that this is what you want to do with your life. My law school, FSU, has a FREE (tuition/room and board/etc) program that does just that entitled Summer for Undergraduates.
-
Network During Your Time at Law School
You will hear this word over and over and over again. Start as early as you can and do this as much as you can. Hopefully while networking you will find quality mentors who will stick by you during law school and beyond. During law school there are many opportunities to gain valuable networking experience such as: attending meetings with distinguished panelists, interning for the State Attorney’s Office or the Public Defender’s Office, local happy hours with professionals of various sorts, membership in local legal organizations that are relevant to your interests and volunteering for causes of interest to you to name a few. It is easy to simply want to go home or relax when you have free time but building these relationships will prove to be a valuable asset to you when you are seeking employment. -
Law School Location matters
There is an advantage to going to a law school in the state where you want to practice. The location of your law school will potentially be one of the most important decisions you make. The location is important because the laws are different by state, so it is easier to pass the bar in your state when you have been learning the laws that will be on your bar exam. Additionally, you will be networking with people in the area that you want to live in upon graduation, which will make finding an ideal job easier. -
Going to Law school is expensive
From my observations, the job market is generally tough regardless of the school you go to. Obviously, it is somewhat easier for people in Tier 1 as opposed to Tier 4. Unless you can attend a T14 school you may want to consider going to a lower tier school if you can get a substantial scholarship. If you don’t get the financial aid you will likely end up with a large number of loans.
For more insight on career advice for those entering the field of law check out more of our law articles.
