Law School Admission Requirements

Once you have made the decision to become a lawyer, the hard part begins.  Law school admission requirements are not meant to be a cakewalk, and will require diligence and perseverance.  The competition for admission to law school is fierce and the battle is long.  The good news is that there are a lot of resources to help you sort through the law school admission requirements and become a good candidate. There is a general list of law school admission requirements. However, it is important that you research each potential school since there may be additional requirements. 

The first general requirement is a good GPA, although, this is more complicated than it first appears.  Law schools will look at your GPA and take into account what your coursework and course load is.  The average GPA that most schools look for is about a 3.6 GPA.  It is possible to find schools that allow as low as a 3.3, but there is only a handful.  Majoring in pre-law with a good GPA does not guarantee you as a shoe-in for this requirement.  Schools want to see that you have a good command of math, social sciences, and rhetoric.  Many times, a school will choose a candidate with a higher GPA in a major other than pre-law because there is more depth and variety to the coursework.  

The next major hurdle to jump in the list of law school admission requirements is the taking of the LSAT.  You are allowed to retake the LSAT 3 times over a 2 year period.  For this reason, it is highly recommended that you first attempt the LSAT during your junior year.  Doing so will give you plenty of time to reevaluate and retake the LSAT if necessary.  There are many ways to prepare for the LSAT including self-study, practice tests available online, and enrolling in an LSAT prep course.  The test is given 4 times a year in September, October, December, and February.  Enroll as early as possible for your desired testing day and site as the spots will fill up quickly.  You will also need to check with the schools you are applying to in order to make sure the test date you choose falls in line with their admission deadlines. 

A competitive LSAT score for the majority of law schools will be in the range of 160-165.  However, if you are aiming for an Ivy League law school, a minimum of 166 is required.   The LSAT test will score you on 4 major areas:  Logic, reading comprehension, analytical thinking skills, and your writing skills.  This is another reason a variety of coursework is beneficial to helping you meet demanding law school admission requirements.  A study by Texas economist concluded that students whose majors involved math and physics, on average, scored the highest.  The lowest LSAT scores belonged to those students whose majors were pre-law and criminal justice.  This is not to say you have to major in Physics, but you should be familiar with many different fields of study. 

The next law school admission requirement is your personal statement.  When writing your personal statement, keep in mind just how many statements the admissions committee has to read.  Writing a memorable personal statement will increase your chances of getting accepted.  Remember to write about what makes you different from everyone else that is applying.  It may be that you have a special talent or a unique hobby.  Including this type of information will help your personal statement stand out among the hundreds of others being read that day.

Recommendation letters is the fourth law school admission requirement.  Most schools request 3 recommendation letters from faculty or employers.   Making a good impression with your teachers and your employer will be key during your undergraduate years to ensure memorable recommendation letters that will impress the admission committee. 

With a lot of hard work, meeting the law school admission requirements is an attainable goal.  Good luck!