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Law School

To be admitted to law school, you must have a bachelor's degree and scores from the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). The application process also requires an essay, letters of recommendation, and answers to questions about your extracurricular activities, work experience, and interest in the legal profession. Search for great law exam study tips here.

Admission to law school is very competitive, especially at prestigious law schools such as Yale University, Harvard University, or Columbia University. Most students apply to multiple schools in order to boost their chances of acceptance. Attending a highly ranked law school is considered important because these schools are where major firms go to in order to find their new associates.

Law school requires three years of full-time study to complete. It is possible to attend law school on a part-time basis, which is an option for students to consider if they need to work full-time or have family commitments. However, you must keep in mind that law school coursework can be very demanding.

The curriculum in law school covers civil procedure, constitutional law, contracts, criminal law, property, torts, legal research, and legal writing during the first year. During the second and third years, students are allowed to choose their own courses and can specialize in areas such as tax law, international law, intellectual property law, or corporate law. Most schools grade on a curve, which means that students are competing against each other for the best grades.

In addition to completing the required coursework, most law school students participate in moot court, law review, or mock trial. These extracurricular activities are considered important because they help build up the type of impressive resume a law student will need to secure employment after graduation.

Law schools award a Juris Doctor (JD) degree, which is considered a professional doctorate. However, a degree alone is not enough to practice law. You must also sit for the American Bar Association (ABA) bar exam in your state.

Last Updated: 04/01/2013