A message from our Pre-Law advisor, Britt Johnson:
Despite the latest ups and downs of the legal employment picture, preparing for law school admission remains a very popular option among students at UCSB. If you are attracted to a career in law, I welcome you to the challenge.
Pre-law advising is available in the college advising office (1117 Cheadle Hall). I regularly schedule no-appointment-needed walk-ins during the regular school year and am available on Tuesday afternoons and Thursday mornings. If these times are not workable for you, an individual appointment can be arranged, but please plan ahead as I am sometimes booked for as much as two weeks in advance. You can stop by the office or telephone (805) 893-3201 to schedule an appointment. If you have a short question, call me directly at (805) 893-2656, and together we will try to demystify the law school application process. Finally, brief questions that do not require a review of your individual academic record may also be forwarded to me at my email address: (bjohnson@ltsc.ucsb.edu).
If you want to find out more about whether the legal profession is for you, I encourage you to do the following:
- Talk to the career advisers in the Counseling and Career Services.
- Purchase a copy of the Official Guide to US Law Schools, which is available in most college bookstores as well as all leading book retailers.
- Make a point of talking to anyone and everyone you meet who has any connection with the legal profession. Be prepared to hear about both the advantages as well as the disadvantages.
- Pick up a copy of the pre-law reading list available from the pre-law advisor.
Basic Steps to Applying to Law School
While not particularly complicated, the process of applying to law school can be very time-consuming. The basic elements of the process include the following:
- Law School Admissions Test
- Letters of recommendation
- Personal statement
- Completion of an application
Registering for the Law School Admissions Test and subscribing to LSDAS
By May 1 of your junior year (if you are planning to attend law school immediately following graduation), you should be familiarizing yourself with all the relevant information about the LSAT and LSDAS found at the official website for the Law School Admissions Council: The URL for LSAC is www.lsac.org. Much of your application process will be conducted through this website.
The LSAT is given four times each year:
- early October
- early to mid- December
- early February and
- the second week of June
The June test would be the best choice, if it were not for the fact that it is in the middle of the final exam period for spring quarter. For this reason, the majority of UCSB students take the LSAT in October, as it is still early enough to permit timely applications. If at all possible, you should submit your applications by November 15th.
Additional elements of the application process
In addition to completing an application, most law schools require letters of recommendation, preferably written by faculty. The average number required is two, but schools vary. Law schools also require a personal statement of two to four pages in length.
Best wishes to you as you prepare for and apply to law school. It is an arduous yet exciting process. Please feel free to consult me if you have any questions about any aspect of the procedure.
