Law School LSAT Exam May Be More Achievable Than I Once Thought

There are a few points you might want to consider before you totally discount any possibility of law school. First, we can make sure that one point is established at the outset. I did not want to go to law school and never pursued it while in college. I thought that the LSAT, the entrance exam for law schools, was more than I would want to attempt, and don't even mention the state bar exam. I envisioned high level math, science, vocabulary, and comprehension in reading questions on the LSAT. I was wrong. I was totally wrong. I always thought that the students accepted by a law school would have a 3.5 GPA at a minimum. I was wrong. I was totally wrong.

Apparently law schools are not looking for scientists, mathematicians or spelling bee champions. The LSAT is evidently designed to discover if the student has the potential to take in a vast array of information, is capable of reasoning well, and is "bright" enough to quickly uncover meaning, subtleties, and significance from all that is available. It would appear that law school is more than memorizing case law. It is studying a large volume of laws, court cases, and legal procedures that will enable the student to apply the information in a constructive way in the real, legal world. It all made sense once I saw the sample tests and related the test to the profession.

Make no mistake. The LSAT appears to be very difficult. If it were not that difficult there would probably be many music and theatre arts students becoming lawyers because it pays better. It is possible to improve your chances on the LSAT. Universities offer courses that will helpyou with the LSAT but taking the courses will not necessarily ensure that you do well. The LSAT will still challenge the smartest and the brightest. Most universities have courses titled "Critical Thinking", "Logic" and "Math Modeling". These courses and possibly others should be of some assistance in preparing you for the test. Find a book of sample tests or search for sample tests on the Internet.

You do not have to obtain a Pre-law degree or take a series of legal courses before you go to law school. In fact, you can major in business, history, political science or communications as an undergraduate. The critical factors that law schools are apparently considering are GPA, LSAT score and some indication that you will stand out as a student and in future life. Every law school wants to claim a future Secretary of State as their own and they consider all current graduates as future "contributors", so they want you to succeed.

Many law schools have students coming in with a 2.75 GPA. This does not necessarily include top tier law schools. Your GPA as an undergraduate is not really the only issue. The question is "Can you now study with enough discipline and effort that you learn the material well enough to pass the state bar exam?" You need to know what the entrance requirements are for each school you are considering but you also need to know how successful the school's graduates are in passing the bar the first time they attempt it. If you are very confident in your abilities and think that this is not going to be a problem just check out Hillary Rodham Clinton's bar exam history. For the record, she failed Washington D.C.'s bar exam and later took the Arkansas bar exam where the "pass rate" was higher. Hillary had attended what most consider the top law school in the country, Yale. The 500+ law school graduates who did pass the Washington D.C. bar exam were surely from less prestigious schools, making her failure a significant event in her life.

Usually there are books available in your local library or bookstore that will assist you in learning about the LSAT exam and the different law schools in this country. Be very cautious investing your money and time in a law school that will not adequately prepare you for the bar. Years ago there was a small law school near my home that had none - I repeat, none - of its students passing the bar on the first attempt (no, I will not tell you which one it was). If a law school does not challenge you and prepare you for the bar exam, the school should be avoided.

You will need to apply to various schools to improve your chances of being accepted by at least one law school. A lawyer once advised that you apply to two schools you consider a real reach, two schools that you consider likely, and two schools that you almost consider a "sure thing". You're right; this is going to require many application fees to apply to all these schools. This will improve your chances, though, and possibly prevent a post-undergraduate crisis because the one law school where you applied was not accepting you for some reason.

Deciding to pursue a law degree is a major career decision but the benefits can be enormous if you also apply yourself appropriately after law school. Whatever your decision, please make it an informed decision.