книги / Обучение диалогической речи на английском языке

Graduate while thinking ahead. If you want to go to law school straight after undergrad, you'll need to be preparing during the entirety of your senior year. By the winter of your final year, you should have the LSAT taken and have your applications sent off. There's no harm in taking a gap year though, for the record!

Ask for recommendation letters months before you need time. Lots of professors and professionals are pressed for time and may need reminding to get around to your letter. Start working on your application materials and studying well before the deadlines can even be fathomed. You'll be less stressed out if you balance your time from day one.

Part 2 of 5: Applying for Law School

1.Register for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). It's a half-day standardized test required for admission to all ABA-approved law schools, most Canadian law schools, and many non-ABA- approved law schools. It provides a standard measure of acquired reading and verbal reasoning skills that law schools can use as one of several factors in assessing applicants. The test is administered four times a year, normally at various universities and colleges.

Many law schools require the LSAT be taken by December for admission the following fall. However, taking the test earlier (June or October) is often advised.

2.Study for the test. A 180 is a perfect score on the LSAT. Because of its importance, many students take a preparatory course to obtain the highest score possible. More information can be found on LSAC's website, including deadlines and fees (you'll be looking at around $300).

Although the LSAT is not often the best measure of a prospective law student's performance in law school, many law schools place substantial weight on scores on the LSAT, often approaching the weight given to college GPA. Take the LSAT very seriously. Some schools even give more attention to the LSAT than GPA.

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If your GPA isn't the best, you can score well on the LSAT and it will be heavily taken into account. Scoring higher is also a factor for financial aid with most schools.

3.

Apply to several ABA (American Bar Association)-accredited law schools. Certain schools are recognized by the state and certain schools aren't recognized at all -- don't consider these. They're not really worth your time. In today's job market, to stay viable, you'll need to go to ABA-accredited institution. Many candidates apply to three categories of schools:

Wish schools -- "Wish I could get in but probably too competitive for my credentials."

Middle of the road -- "My credentials are the same as the average student these schools admit."

Safety -- "Lower tier than I would like, but a safe bet I will get in if other schools don't come through."

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4.

Choose wisely. Application fees are high, so you can't just go around sending applications like you're giving out flyers. U.S. News and World Report publishes a widely-followed ranking of law schools that may be worth consulting before sending applications. To drill it in further, the better the school you go to, the more likely you are to have a sustainable career. Do your research before you commit to anywhere.

The job market for lawyers currently isn't pretty. In fact, across the country, twice as many people pass the bar as there are job openings. The only states that are producing fewer lawyers than they need are Wisconsin and Nebraska (and New York has the most).[4] In other words, competition is fierce.

5.

Resist the urge to apply to every school sending application fee waivers. Unfortunately, some schools are trying to generate a large base of rejected applicants by waiving application fees. Doing so makes their applied vs. accepted number seem higher and their school more selective. Although some schools may actively recruit you, you should apply with common sense.

Most applicants apply to at least four schools. If you don't get into the one you want, know that you're in good company. So many people are trying to get in, it's impossible for them to take even all the qualified candidates.

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Part 3 of 5: Going to Law School

1.

Form a plan for survival. Many respected full time law programs will not permit you to work your first year. Even if they allow you to, they will strongly advise against it since your program will essentially be a full-time job.

People will tell you that law school is crazy; that's an understatement. Law school will drive you crazy. It will wreak havoc on your sleep schedule, your social life, and your conception of reality. In order to make it, you cannot turn to alcohol or any other bad habit. In the three year program, only the strong will survive. Think of it as the educational Hunger Games. May the odds be ever in your favour?

2.

Take out as few loans as possible. For a top-notch education, you could easily spend $150,000, all things included. Having said that, here's a sad should-be-kidding-but-this-is-real-life fact for you: Avoid racking up as much debt as you can. Your financial stability and fiscal responsibility will be taken into account when you become part of the job market. Having triple figure debt to your name won't get you started off on the right foot.

This is why having awesome grades is so important. You want to be handed free money to make your way through these next three years. Sure, you'll eventually get summer internships and maybe a part-time job, but grants are where it is at. Get your education (at least partly) paid for, and you'll be sitting pretty.

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California currently requires the highest score (86), with many other states only right behind (19 require a score of 85). The lowest score acceptable (in a few states) is 75.

Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Nebraska require that you have the MPRE on file before you take the bar. Iowa requires it months in advance.

5.

Get professional experience. If you have time, get a position at a law firm while you are a student that involves serving as an assistant, messenger or file clerk. At the very least, do a summer internship program. This is a great way to gain experience and build contacts for when you do graduate.

As you meet people, you'll get immersed into more resources, propelling you along your path. You'll eventually find clerical work at a firm or other organization related to your interests (ideally speaking, of course). Your professors should lead you on your way and your friends will help keep your head above water.

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6.

Research the jurisdiction where you hope to practice. While in law school, research the requirements for bar admittance in the jurisdiction where you want to practice and fulfill those requirements. Every area is a little different, and if you ever plan on moving, you'll need to know those, too!

You should have a pretty good grasp on what type of work you want to get into about now. You could be a litigator, where time will actually be spent in the courtroom, or you could be corporate lawyer, mediator, or work for the government - where you'll be trying to stay away from the courtroom!

Part 4 of 5: Finding Work as a Lawyer

1.

Line up a job. If all goes according to plan, you'll have a job lined up prior to taking (and passing) the bar. A company you worked with or have interest in may tell you they'll offer you a job, contingent upon you passing the bar. Pass it and you're good to go!

Obviously, things don't always happen this easily. If you don't have a job lined up, you don't have a job lined up. But know that it is possible to start looking earlier rather than later -- you don't have to have all your ducks in a row before you hit the market running.

2.

Pass the moral character screening process. In addition to knowing your stuff and jumping through all the hoops, you've gotta have a clean criminal record. Nobody wants a criminal representing a criminal. To make sure you're of the stuff that it takes, you'll go through a process (that can take up to six months) verifying your ability to take on this job. The Committee of Bar Examiners’ Subcommittee on Moral Character is who takes care of this, for the record.

You'll have to provide references, give your fingerprints, and generally show you're honest, trustworthy, financially responsible (hence the need for lack of debt), and that you respect the law. If you haven't had any major run-ins with the law, don't sweat this.

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4.

Secure a job. Finding a position is the most difficult part of the process since the nation is flooded with attorneys. You will find this step much easier if you have made yourself known at a law firm by having worked or interned there, as mentioned above, and graduate with excellent grades.

The good news is that you're looking at a really well-paying profession! The bad news is that getting one of those well-paying gigs isn't super easy. It depends on the type of work you want to get into and what sacrifices you're willing to make. For many successful lawyers, career comes first, second, and third.

Part 5 of 5: Going Beyond Academics

1.

Maintain high ethical standards. History has taught that great opportunities and stellar reputations belong to those individuals who observe the highest of ethical standards. It is important to always abide by the Rules of Professional Conduct. Never compromise your integrity.

You know that moral screening process you had to go through? Well, that's gotta be kept up. If it comes to light that you're not maintaining these standards your career and reputation become at risk. Be smart and do the right thing. It's in your best interest.

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