Applying to Law School FAQs
Here are some of the questions we often hear from people interested in applying to law school:
How do I get into law school?
There are only three basic requirements for getting into law school, they are:
You must have a bachelors degree. What your bachelors degree is in does not matter.
You must take the law school admissions test or LSAT.
You must apply to the law school through the LSAT portal. You will submit transcripts, LSAT scores, letters of recommendation, and a personal statement. Some schools have optional essays you can submit to help your chances of acceptance. These optional essays include diversity statements and
What is a personal statement?
The personal statement is a way for law schools to understand your character and personality outside of your grades and LSAT score. The length of your personal statement will vary by law school but should usually be no more than 3 pages double-spaced. Your personal statement should include a small background on who you are and how you came to be who you are today. You should also include why you want to become an attorney and how you think the school you are applying to will help you become an attorney. Lastly, you should include how you will benefit the school if accepted and how you will benefit the profession after graduation. Download an example of a personal statement HERE.
Can I still get into law school if I don’t do well on the LSAT?
Yes! Each school accepts a different range of LSAT scores. While top schools usually only accept students with an LSAT of 170 or higher, other schools may except someone with an LSAT score as low as 140. Law schools tend to look at the whole picture of the candidate including undergrad grades, graduate school grades, and information you include in your personal statement. If you are just not a good test taker or had circumstances that affected your performance on the LSAT, be sure to include that in your personal statement as well as how you plan to overcome that in law school.
I didn’t make good grades in undergrad, can I still get into law school?
Yes! Again, law schools tend to look at the whole picture of the candidate. However, if you did not do well in undergrad you want to make sure you strive for a higher score on the LSAT to help your chances. If there were certain circumstances that impacted your grades, be sure to include that in your personal statement.
My Bachelor’s degree is not in the legal field, will that affect my chances?
No. Law students come from a wide-range of backgrounds. You can get into law school with an education or social work degree just as easy as someone with a degree in criminal justice. Everything you need to know about the law and being an attorney will be taught to you once you get there. The courses in law school do not build off of any other courses you have taken. Even students with criminal justice degrees in my law class admit to being taught something different in undergrad than what we learned in law school. Law schools do not care what your bachelors degree is in, they only care that you have one. However, they do want to make sure you are serious about pursuing law, so it wouldn’t hurt to include why you are making the career change in your personal statement.
Who should I use as a reference for my law school application?
The first people you should turn to for a law school application are people who can speak to your academic work and characteristics. This includes previous or current professors and academic advisors. If you have been out of school a while and no longer have contact with these individuals, the next group of people you want to look to are previous or current supervisors and co-workers who can speak to your character and ethics as an employee. Law schools want your recommendations to tell them that you are easy to get along with in a professional setting and that you have a strong work ethic. For this reason, you should avoid having family and friends write your recommendations. If all else fails, you can also seek recommendations from people you have worked or volunteered with at church or other professional organizations.
