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Written by Stacey Scorza
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Tuesday, 01 January 2008 08:45 |
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You will find that Pasha Law School Finder is a great tool as you begin your search for a law school that meets your individual criteria. Choosing the right law school requires just as much, if not more, self-analysis than choosing the right undergraduate college. Law school marks the beginning of your professional career. It is where you begin to make contacts and develop your legal mind.
The first step is to make a list of what is important to you personally in a law school. This would include such things as school location and class size. Next, think about what is important to you professionally, such as class offerings, internship possibilities, extra-curricular activity listings, local affiliations, etc. From these lists, you will find that Pasha Law School Finder is a great tool as you begin your search for a law school that meets your individual criteria. It allows you to narrow your search by LSAT score, class size, bar pass rate, location, tuition, part-time availability, and other important factors. You will find that law schools you have never heard of or that you would never have previously considered match your criteria. If nothing else, it will help you narrow your school choices by using the factors that are most important to you.
There are certain factors that I find key to any law school search. First and foremost you need to examine your LSAT score and see where it fits for law school admissions. Do not believe people who tell you that your score does not matter, it does. Some schools do recognize a high undergraduate GPA to balance out an average or low LSAT score, but that is not the norm. The LSAT is designed to test your ability to succeed in law school and your ability to pass a bar examination as compared with other students nationwide. As such, it is never completely ignored in the admissions process. Your score will narrow your list of schools to those that you match score-wise and those “reach” schools you may be interested in. Pasha Law School Finder is an easy way to get a list of schools which accept LSAT scores similar to your own.
A law school’s bar pass rate is also a critical number of which you should be aware. No one wants to spend tens of thousands of dollars and three or four years of study to realize that they are not well prepared to sit for a bar examination. You may find that some school pass rates fluctuate regularly depending on the year while others maintain a constant high percentage. So do not ignore the bar pass rates of the schools to which you are applying.
The location of the law school is also an important consideration. For example, if you are a city person, then a law school in downtown Boston could be perfect. For those who think it doesn’t matter where the school is located so long as the school has a good name, think again. Even if it is unconscious, you will find that you work better in an environment that is comfortable for you. Getting into a highly ranked school is wonderful, but not if it means spending three or four years in a city or town where you are unhappy.
If you have chosen a specialization prior to entering law school, you should consider narrowing your choices to schools that either offer more electives in that area of law or that have connections with outside organizations or law firms with available internship opportunities. The more exposure you have to that specialization, the easier it is to build your resume and target an entry level position in the field later.
Finally, never underestimate the law school career services office. Even if you never enter the office during your entire law school career, you will inevitably find yourself there upon graduation as you begin your job search. It is best to know beforehand what type of resources you have at your disposal. For example, does the career services office have contact with local and/or national firms who make yearly visits to the law school for interviews? This is something that may take a bit more research and maybe a little digging on your own, but it is something you should consider.
In the end, keep in mind that each step you take along the way to getting your law degree matters. So do not decide where to enroll without considering all your options. After that, just study hard and enjoy the journey!
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