Law Student

Throughout life there are certain tests that are critical to your career path. These include the LSAT and bar exam for law students, the GMAC for business students, and the MCAT for medical students. The outcome of these exams often determines whether you are eligible for a particular career track and able to get into the schools you want. The test score may have an impact on your finances worth hundreds of thousands of dollars over your life. So preparing for these exams is critical.

Here are a few tips that I have learned can be helpful for these monumental exams. Although these tips may be useful for small tests, the ideas suggested here may be overkill for small exam situations.

Three Months before the Exam

At least three months before the exam, you should identify everything that needs to be done for the exam. This includes registering for the exam, knowing what topics will be on the exam, buying or loaning from the library a book on preparing for your particular exam, obtaining practice exams and scheduling on your calendar days you will do them, and possibly making a list of Read the rest of this Law Student article »

Most people, including lawyers, believe that law school is an excellent investment in yourself, regardless of whether you eventually practice law or use your legal education in another career. Of course, you must balance the cost (time and money) of law school with the benefits.

One article makes the case that you should seriously reconsider your motives if you are planning to attend law school: Applying to Law School? Please Reconsider! The article notes that the cost of law school is rising and law firm jobs are increasingly difficult to get, making it difficult for law school graduates to get jobs that pay their six-figure student loan debt.

This is a great video providing tips to those who are applying to law school. The video covers the importance of a “personal statement,” which is an essay attached to a law school application and why law schools require a personal statement.

Read the rest of this Law Student article »

Most law schools have opportunities for law students to work on actual legal matters. This “real legal work” may be through local nonprofit organizations, working with professors, or volunteering in pro bono legal agencies.

Here is one example of how a law student’s work made a difference.

Read the rest of this Law Student article »

What is law school like for a law student? The law students in this video describe their experiences.

According to a survey by Kaplan, 40 percent of pre-law students say the current economic crisis is motivating their decision to apply to law school.

Registration for free Kaplan LSAT practice exams spiked more than 20 percent as students and professionals explored law school as a safe haven option.

The survey also noted that among aspiring lawyers, political aspirations still run much higher for men.

Read more from the Kaplan press release: Read the rest of this Law Student article »

The art of writing a personal statement for law schools that will both get their attention and get you accepted has been polished over many years.  Here are some pointers that may help.

When it comes time to write your personal statement don’t go crazy and try to be the next F. Scott Fitzgerald.  Likely you will get no points for length or originality; it is content that matters.  Trying to do something out of the box may only lead to admission representatives misinterpreting your meaning, and that’s the last thing you would want to happen.

Do your homework.

Cliché I know, but if you are fortunate enough to get into law school this will become your own personal mantra.  So why not get started early and Read the rest of this Law Student article »

If you’re in law school, you probably know what a “gunner” is. In short, it’s a person who frequently raises their hand to talk in class.

Gunners seem like they just want to hear themselves talk. They seem to want to impress their classmates and the professor with their knowledge.

Most law students are annoyed by gunners. But not every student who talks a lot has the same motives as a gunner. Sometimes students who are very interested in the subject matter can get the reputation of being a gunner.

There is an impression for new law students that someone who talks a lot in class must be more knowledgeable or smarter. However, as law school progresses, you quickly learn that the smartest kids in the class are often the quietest kids in the class.

This video interviews law students about their impressions of gunners in law school.