Welcome back to another post! Today, we’ll explore some things I found helpful to do BEFORE applying to each law school.
This list might be a bit extra for some. When the goal is law school, why would you want additional stress when the LSAT is already stressful enough? However, where you attend law school might change whether you even continue studying law. The environment you’ll be in, the people you’re surrounded by and how your school is set up can help you all play into your success. As a forward-thinking person, I’ve looked into many things before starting the application process. For context, all law school applications in Canada open by mid-September and all will be closed on or before December 1. I will also be taking the LSAT in October to give myself the chance for improvement in November or January. That said, I take everything I choose to spend my time and money on very seriously. And three years in a long time to be in a place you don’t like. Imagine being in high school all over again, except it’s even harder to transfer and if you fail, there are no alternate pathways such as a GED.
Law school is serious business. Besides figuring out why law and why law school, here’s what I’m doing before I select a school to apply to:
Attend school-specific info sessions/workshops. They’ll tell you what’s unique about their program, the make-up of the staff and faculty, the resources available for students and pre-students, the courses you’re taking, and what may/may not stand out on an application to their school. I’m documenting my experiences on my YouTube channel of the sessions I think were most helpful in my application journey. I would even check the websites of schools you’re not interested in to see if they have free sessions you can attend that will help you in the process.
Review each law school’s website. Do they have clubs? Do they have mental health services? Mentoring? What types of waves have they made in the field of law? If it’s important to you, do they have some dedicated to diversity and equity and can you see this in their photos or their application categories?
Attend LSAC info session/Forums. I didn’t even know these existed until I saw them on a university’s website. According to the LSAC, you’ll usually be able to interact with people from many or all the law schools in your country. I would suggest you come up with questions specific to each school, and my blog post concerning those is here (it will be posted next week). Make a good impression and present yourself as you wish to be remembered; you never know who you’ll see there. The one I’m attending should also give us law school application tips and access to free resources on the LSAC website. Again, my experience will be documented in as much detail as I’m comfortable giving on my YouTube channel.
Tour the schools you’re interested in. This will be difficult for some people, especially if you’re like me and some of the schools are in a different province. I would advise checking on YouTube if other students or the school have put up tours of the buildings and the layout of the campus. Here, you will see what the professors are like and what the students are like. Are they stressed out, or knowledgeable and what do they say about school/life balance? Is the location of the school convenient? Is it a campus you imagine yourself in? How far are classes from each other? How does distance play into walking to classes or the library in the winter? Do you feel safe there? What about commuting? All of these questions are important to your law school experience.
Email their JD Admissions or Student Ambassadors for any questions you may have. For example, my undergraduate program was three years online, and I needed to ensure they would accept this as their academic requirements. I also sought help on which avenue to apply and advice regarding my references. My next step, once I’m about to select schools in my application, will be to email students about their 1L experience. Ask as many questions as you need, and don’t be afraid to. People are there to help.
Have enough money saved for the application/studying process. Here is my blog post on the hidden costs. As I go through the process of applying on the OSLAS website, I will also be writing and updating this blog post on the actual costs of attending law school.
Have basic business/professional things accessible and available. These will be needed for in-person forums, applying to law school and general preparation. I would propose (a) professional photos; Mine aren’t professional, but they meet the basics of most applications/photo requirements. (b) your updated resume – a version where the school is at the top (for the law schools) and a version where your work experience is at the top if you start applying for jobs/mentors. (c) your mission statement or 2 key things you want to hit on when people ask you why law.
Finally, celebrate little wins. and big wins. And your decision to even start this challenging journey, because why did you even choose this life? LOL
The next post will be what I asked of each law school before choosing them. It’ll be a list of things important to me. As a Black, first-generation female immigrant, what are the things that would be vital for my experience to go smoothly? Again, applying to law school is expensive and time-consuming. I would hate to waste my own time and the time of those who read my application.
Take care,
Trudi
