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Legal Ease - Choosing a School Is the Easiest Part of Your Legal Career

Applying to law school has been likened to having root canal surgery. The LSAT is impossible, the first year is described as "hell" and the only sure way to land a great job is to hit the books hard starting on Day One. So it seems that the only easy aspect of becoming a lawyer is choosing the law school that is best for you. Compared with all the rest, this part's a regular walk in the park. Here are some tips to keep it that way.

 Some students know what they want to specialize in, where they want to live, or even where they want to go to school--all great starts to narrowing down your choice of schools. If you haven't made up your mind on those particulars, you'll need help. There are important factors about yourself and about each school to keep in mind as you consider programs.

Also, keep in mind that there are some key questions you should ask before randomly selecting schools from around the country or submitting your application to a bunch of schools that a magazine has declared are the Top 10 law schools. If you're serious about attending law school, go for it. Many would-be law students end up in business or graduate school simply because they weren't accepted at their first-choice law school. If you aren't accepted by a Top 10 school, you might well find a school that meets your needs better, without the competitive hassle. Here are some questions to think about as you consider your options:

Where to Practice
If you were born and raised in the state of Nebraska, wish to practice law there and want to be Governor someday, then your best bet is to go to a Nebraska law school. A school's reputation is usually greater on its home turf than anywhere else (except for some of the internationally known schools, like Harvard and Yale). If you aren't going to a Top 10 school, apply to the schools in the state or region where you might want to practice law.
 

Similarly, don't apply to schools in cities or regions where you think you wouldn't, under any circumstances, wish to practice law. A big part of many law programs is participating in local law clinics. If you're integrated in the community, through clinics, professors or roots, you'll find it easier to get interviews upon graduation, because you're positioned as someone who already knows local culture. That could be anywhere, even in Nebraska.

Fields of Law
Law schools do have specialties, just as practicing lawyers do. These range from environmental law to corporate law and more. By determining what is important to you and what type of career you want to have, you can choose a specialty. Having a specialty in mind can assist you in deciphering what schools will best fit your needs. For instance, if you are very interested in environmental law, it might be better to attend the Vermont Law School rather than New York University. Vermont is one of the most highly regarded schools in the country when it comes to environmental law. So remember to look at what you want to do in addition to where you want to do it.

Your Chance of Acceptance
Most prospective law students think the correct answer to the question "What law school would you like to attend?" is "The best school I can get into." Wrong. Many, many people apply to Harvard. Very, very few get in. Go right ahead and apply to any school dreamed of, but unless you have got killer scores and some unbelievably impressive life experiences to tout (it's O.K. if you haven't, honestly it is), your chances are, well, slim.

 Apply to a few "reach" schools, but make sure they are schools you really want to attend. Look at the acceptance rates for each school, the average LSAT scores and GPAs of their current classes and assess your chances. If you're realistic about your chances, you'll save yourself from emotional letdowns. And if you do apply to schools that are out of your league academically and, by some fluke, actually get in, you may spend the next three years living in sweat-drenched terror.

Personal Appeal
What if you decided to go to Stanford, got in, went to Palo Alto, California, and decided you hated it? The weather was horrible! The architecture was mundane! There's nothing to do nearby! Well, maybe Stanford isn't a good example, but you get the point. Go to the school and check it out. Talk to students and faculty. Walk around. Kick the tires. Then make a decision.

An important part of any graduate program is enjoying those moments in life when you're not studying. If you aren't comfortable in the environment you choose, it's likely to be reflected in the quality of work you do and your attitude.

Network with Graduates
Where do alumni work? What do alumni have to say about their educational experiences? If you can talk to someone who has recently graduated from each law program, do it. These people will be able to tell you all about the school--both academic and social aspects--that can significantly help you in narrowing down your search. Not only will you get insight into the particular program, but you may find out which professors to seek out, which to stay away from, and you may even make a contact that will come in handy in a few years--when you're looking for a job.

Job-Placement Ratio
Contact the career placement offices of the schools you are interested in attending. Request information from them regarding how many graduates get jobs right out of school, the average salary of a graduate from that particular school, and what kind of recruiting they have on and off campus. Also, if it is important to you to gain hands-on experience during your education, find out if the school offers externships, clinical programs, field studies, etc.

Cost
Last, but certainly not least, the cost of law school will always play a role when looking at schools. In most cases, you will probably not be able to simply cut a check for the total amount of tuition, fees, room, board, books and other expenses. Therefore, if you are looking at expensive schools of law, immediately begin looking into available scholarships, as well as loans. But, with loans, keep in mind that you may be paying the banks back for years to come. If this makes you uncomfortable, either because you do not want to be in debt after school or because you are nervous about your debt load influencing your career decisions, your best bet is to look at state law schools. These tend to be less expensive than private law schools.

The List
Knowing what you want, however, is only half the game. Now you have to figure out if you've got what the schools want, which mostly boils down to numbers (LSAT score and undergraduate GPA). While you should apply to any schools you would like to attend, you should also be sure you apply to schools that will accept you; otherwise it's a waste of your application fee (not a small number) and your time (which you would better spend perfecting the applications to schools that may accept you).

Once you have gone through these criteria and determine kind of direction you are going in, you can begin  drawing up a rough list of the schools in which you have become interested. The easiest way to begin creating this list is to use our Advanced Law School Search. From here, your goal will be to create a list that divides your prospective schools into three types: reach, strong possibility and safety schools. As you add to this list, assign a level to each new school. You can save all the schools that interest you in Your Schools.

Reach: At "reach" schools, the average LSAT and GPA scores of students are higher than yours. Based on the numbers alone, you will probably not be accepted. Don't be discouraged from applying to one of these schools if it's your dream; just be prepared for a rejection letter.

Strong Possibility: "Strong possibilities" are the schools that accept students with about the same LSAT scores and GPA as yours. Combined with a strong application, you have a decent shot at gaining acceptance at one of these schools.

Safety: At "safety" schools, the average LSAT scores and GPAs of their current students are below yours. They aren't called "safety" schools for no reason--you should be accepted at these schools.

How Many Schools Do I Apply To?
The number of schools to which you apply in each of the aforementioned categories depends on your approach to, and budget for, the application process. Most prospective law students apply to seven to 15 schools. Some apply to 10 "reach" schools with the hopes that they will gain acceptance to one. Others load up on "strong possibilities," and even more on "safety" schools, with hopes of having the greatest number of options available at decision time. In the process, don't forget to ask yourself if you would actually attend each school if you had no other choice.

Your best bet is to apply to a minimum of two "reach" schools, two "strong possibilities" and three "safety" schools.

Why seven? Better safe than sorry. (Most admissions experts agree with the 2-2-3 or 2-3-2 ratios. If you feel as if you must really play it safe, apply to three in each category.) It is not uncommon for students who do poorly on the LSAT and have an extremely low undergraduate GPA to apply to 15 or 20 schools that admit students with those marks.

Summary
Remember, as you compile the list of schools you may apply to, keep in mind the important criteria that we discussed above to fit each school comfortably into your 2-2-3 or 2-3-2 scheme:

Chance of Acceptance: it's always best to err on the side of caution and go strictly by the numbers when placing a school into a specific level on the list.
Geography: follow your geographic limitations as a way of dramatically reducing the list of schools.
Quality: of course you want to attend the best school possible. However, it's important that you define honestly the criteria for judging law schools.
Specialty: If you know you want to practice a specific type of law, research and locate schools that specialize in your desired field of study and also fit within your numerical parameters.
Job-Placement Ratio: in today's competitive environment, it's not a bad idea to check out a law school's place ratio in various specialties, such as environmental law, corporate law, or whatever type of law you might like to practice, before applying.
Where You Want to Practice: Consider how a degree from a specific school will help you obtain a job within a certain state or part of the country.
Cost: Most law students graduate with a heavy debt load, so don't let cost alone dictate where you go to school, but do make sure your potential expenditure fits with your overall goals and personal comfort level.

As you can see, with adequate thought and research, applying to law school doesn't have to be the painful part. Just wait for the next three years - the truly painful part of becoming of a lawyer that may have you wishing for a root canal!