Information for OSU students interested in pursuing a legal career
Table of Contents
Exploring:
Law School overview - is it for me?
Law school is very different than most undergraduate institutions. While law school students learn to become better thinkers, writers, and speakers, law school is not an extension of an undergraduate degree program.
Here are a few ways that law school differs from undergraduate education:
There is no standard curriculum for all law schools. Although most law schools cover similar topics within the first year of schooling - civil procedure, constitutional law, contracts, criminal law and criminal procedure, legal methods, legal writing and research, property law, and torts - all have unique faculty and research emphasis.
How to Choose a Law School?
Many students rely on national rankings and or regional proximity when choosing a law school. However, it is also important for students to research all appropriate law schools and consider their own career aspirations when making this important decision.
Gather information -
Decide where to apply -
Consider the following factors when making your application decisions.
Academic Preparation for Law School
The "Major" Question
There is no required major for law schools. Law schools accept majors from all majors. Find a major you like and excel in it. Grade point average is such a strong determining factor in the admissions process you want to major in something you will succeed in. What counts is the intensity and depth of your undergraduate program and your capacity to perform well at an academically rigorous level.
What courses to take?
There is no prerequisite coursework for law school. Plan on taking courses which challenge you and develop strong skills in writing, reading comprehension, analytical reasoning, systematic problem solving, and oral presentation and/or debate.
Grade Point Average (GPA)
GPA is one of the most important determining factors in applying to law school. Law schools will review your overall cumulative GPA from all undergraduate institutions you have attended and will also calculate a yearly GPA. All courses completed at the college level will be calculated into the GPA, not just those taken within the major.
If your GPA is not as high as you would like it to be, all is not lost. Demonstrating continued academic success will help you in the admissions process. Improvement over time reflects your ability to work hard and also grasp increasingly difficult material throughout your college career.
S/U Grading
Be selective when using the S/U option and whenever possible choose courses that engage your interests and take them for letter grades.
The LSDAS converts "U" to an "F" and calculates it into your GPA as a zero.
An "S" is given no value and is not factored into the GPA.
Applying to Law School:
The OSU Profile
Who applies to law school at OSU?
At Oregon State University, students from all undergraduate colleges on campus apply to law school and are successfully admitted. The typical student has a 3.23 gpa and receives about a 153 on the LSAT. More males apply to law school than females (61% versus 39%) and this statistic is opposite of what you will find in most law school entering classes. Women comprise the majority of most law schools these days.
Approximately 63% of students that apply are admitted to a law school and these students tend to have at least a 3.3 gpa and obtain a 156 or higher on the LSAT. The majority of applicants come from the College of Liberal Arts, followed by the Colleges of Business and Science. The five most common majors for applicants from Oregon State University are political science, history, sociology, psychology, and business administration.
Anticipated Timeline for a 4 year academic plan
First and Second Years:
Third Year:
Fall/Winter Fourth Year:
Winter/Spring Fourth Year:
Applications
What makes up a complete law school application?
Individual law school applications
Almost all law schools' applications are accessible online. You can either download the application directly from law schools' websites or request that they send you one. Usually, if the application is available online, law schools would like you to use it rather than a paper application.
Another option for obtaining applications is to use the Law School Admission Council's LSACD on the Web. All LSDAS registrants with LSAC online accounts have free access to electronic applications for all ABA-approved law schools.
The LSACD on the Web is a time-saving way to apply to multiple law schools. The LSACD's common-information form can save you time by allowing you to answer basic questions only once - the program will place your answers in the appropriate spot in every application you select. The LSACD allows you to attach your personal statements, resumes, and other written information electronically
LSAT
All law schools approved by the American Bar Association require applicants to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), a 3.5 hour standardized test. Law schools use the LSAT score as an integral part of the application, weighting it either equal to or heavier than cumulative GPA. Comprehensive information regarding the LSAT exam, its components, and scores can be located at: http://www.lsac.org/
Oregon State University students are recommended to take the LSAT exam in October of their fourth (or senior) year. This test date is very amenable to the quarter-based academic calendar and allows students to retake the exam the following February if necessary. Please note: students are encouraged to take the LSAT once if possible. Many schools will average multiple scores and/or only take the second score if it is significantly higher than the first. Prepare for the exam and do well on it the first time.
Since the LSAT is a very important factor in admissions decisions, preparing in advance for it is crucial. Most students start preparing for the LSAT at least 4-6 weeks prior to their test date. People prepare in different ways, depending on the manner in which they learn best and their financial situation. The LSAC does not recommend students enroll in a particular review course, or even that a course be taken. This is an individual matter. Many take a review course; others do not. There is extensive study material provided through www.lsac.org including suggested approaches to questions, explanations, and LSAT Prep Tests.
Register for the LSAT online at www.lsac.org
LSDAS
LSDAS stands for Law School Data Assembly Service. It is a service administered by the Law School Admission Council (the same organization that administers the LSAT) that standardizes your grades and sends them as a part of a report to the law schools you want to attend. Almost all American Bar Association approved law schools require applicants to use the LSDAS. Your LDSAS subscription is good for 12 months, so sign up for it just in advance of the time period in which you will apply to law schools.
Sign up for LSDAS at www.lsac.org
The LSDAS report
The LSDAS facilitates the law school admissions process by compiling and disseminating most parts of the law school admission application. The LSDAS report contains:
What is a LSDAS GPA?
Because of the wide range of grading systems used by US colleges and universities, the LSDAS converts records into a standard format. Your LSDAS GPA may be different from your OSU GPA especially if you took classes at other colleges or universities.
Transcripts
Send all college transcripts to the LSDAS. Once you send a copy of all transcripts to LSDAS, it sends a copy of your transcripts to each law school you apply to. Each transcript you send to the LSDAS must be accompanied by a LSDAS transcript request form, available through the LSAC.
To request your official OSU transcript, contact the Office of the Registrar. For transcripts from other institutions, contact their Registrars.
Start your LSDAS subscription without your senior year fall grades. Once your fall grades are posted, forward a copy of your updated transcript to the LSDAS that will send a new report to the schools to which you've applied.
Letters of recommendation
Letters of recommendation are required for almost every law school application and are considered a very important part of the application process. Although LSAT score and GPA are weighted more heavily in the admissions decisions, excellent letters of recommendation could be a deciding factor between you and another similarly ranked student. Letters of recommendation can strengthen your application and help to defuse potential weaknesses. Most law schools require two or three letters of recommendation.
Choosing your references
Getting a good letter of reference
Personal Statement
Your personal statement is a crucial part of your application, displaying your ability to write clearly and intelligently. It is also an opportunity to tell the admissions committee something about yourself beyond your LSAT score and GPA. Most law schools have their own guidelines and topics for the personal statement, but most require that you draw upon information from your academic and personal background, work experience, and extracurricular activities.
Getting Started
What to say
The best statements follow the school's instructions but are also tied together by a theme and a logical progression of ideas. They employ perfect grammar and are written in a clear, direct fashion that avoids pretentious language. The statement should not be a list of your accomplishments but an essay that describes a unique episode or two from your experience that demonstrate your motivation for pursuing a legal career along with positive and interesting aspects of your personality.
Unless otherwise indicated, a personal statement should be no more than 2 pages, double-spaced.
Including a resume
Do not include a resume if the application expressly says not to. If there are no instructions regarding resumes, only include one if the resume includes relevant information that is not addressed somewhere else in the application. If you decide to include it, tailor the resume to the law school, highlighting relevant work and extra curricular experiences as well as appropriate skills.
The addendum
Addendums are used my applicants to clarify weaknesses in the application. This allows a student to provide additional information to the admissions committee without having to include the information on the personal statement. Students often use an addendum to explain why their GPA or LSAT score is not an accurate representation of their abilities or aptitude in law school. If using an addendum, be brief and sincere, focusing on how a similar weakness would not occur again.
Resources:
On-Campus
College of Agricultural Sciences
College of Business
University Honors College
College of Liberal Arts
Student Affairs
Online
Webapage and research funded by The L.L. Stewart Faculty Development Fund, OSU Foundation, Corvallis, Oregon.