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Are you fascinated by law? Then you should consider law school. There is stiff competition for slots, especially at the most popular universities, but you should be able to get into a good school if you play your cards right. Build up your credentials by obtaining excellent grades as an undergraduate and a high score for the LSAT.
Pre-law Degree
Before you can study law, you must complete a 4-year degree in virtually any field of study. Most people try to take a course that is related to their projected specialization. For instance, those who wish to practice corporate law might want to finish a course on business management. Those who want to enter politics may study public administration. This isn’t necessary, though. Plenty of law school students started out as engineering or math majors. Others took up literature or philosophy. Each of these add different skill sets to the table and will help lawyers achieve success in the profession, however they may define it.
The LSAT
The Law School Admission Test is just another way for university admissions committees to gauge applicants aside from the GPA. It is a standardized test that has been used for decades. Scoring highly in the LSAT enhances a person’s chance of getting accepted into an Ivy League institution. It may be taken multiple times although there is a limit of three takes every two years. There are 5 multiple choice sections that deal with reading comprehension, logical reasoning, and analytical reasoning. One of them is experimental and not scored but test takers will not be informed as to which section this is. An essay type writing sample is also featured at the end of the test.
Economic Realities
Many have become critical about law schools in the past few years due to their high cost and lower returns. They say that the expenses place a heavy burden on young lawyers who are often forced to take jobs they don’t like just to pay the loans. The Great Recession certainly did not help at all. Starting salaries today are significantly lower than pre-recession rates. This means that fresh graduates need to work harder for longer to pay up their debts.
For reference, the average annual cost of studying law during the 2010-2011 academic year was $39,765 for a resident at public state universities. A non-resident will have to pay $52,331. Meanwhile, the average for a private university is $58,109. These figures include both the tuition fees and living expenses. They come from a survey that was commissioned by the American Bar Association.
Some have risen to defend the practice of law and its economic benefits. Studies have routinely shown that a law degree enables a person to collect a higher starting salary compared to someone who only has a bachelor’s degree. Earnings potential is also much greater with the maximum being nearly double. They also argue that lawyers tend to pay their student loans more diligently than others with defaults being extremely low.
Student Aid, Scholarships and Work
The costs can be reduced by applying for student aid and scholarships. There are a large number of these available specifically for law students. Do not hesitate to avail of them if given the opportunity. Many can be found online so do a thorough search and read about all of the requirements. Some may be found exclusively on campus. Drop by the student affairs office to ask for assistance in locating suitable scholarship openings. Many have found it more financially viable if they work during the day and go to class during the night. The schedule will be very difficult to manage but those who can pull it off will have the satisfaction of being debt-free.
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Author Bio
Andrew Deen is a writer who creates informative articles relating to the field of law. In this article, he offers Thomas Jefferson LLM Program.