|
Preparation for Law School
There is no single path that will prepare you for a legal education.
Students who are successful in law school, and who become accomplished
professionals, come from many walks of life and educational backgrounds.
There is no recommended “pre-law” major; however, regardless
of your major, a multi-disciplinary background is recommended. The following
websites provide a wealth of information for prospective law students,
including information regarding the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT)
and LSAT Study Aids, guides to applying for law school, links to law
schools, law school rankings, financial aid information, and expert
critiques of your law school personal statement. The ABA Young Lawyers
Division "Choose Law: A Profession for All” is dedicated to
high school students of color who may be interested in a career in law.
The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) is a nonprofit corporation
whose members are more than 200 law schools in the United States and Canada.
All law schools approved by the American Bar Association are LSAC members.
The Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) is a half-day, standardized
test designed to measure some of the skills considered essential for success
in law school: the reading and comprehension of complex texts with accuracy
and insight; the organization and management of information and the ability
to draw reasonable inferences from it; the ability to think critically; and
the analysis and evaluation of the reasoning and arguments of others. The test
consists of five 35-minute sections of multiple-choice questions. Four of the
five sections contribute to the test taker's score. These sections include
one reading comprehension section, one analytical reasoning section, and two
logical reasoning sections. The un-scored section typically is used to pretest
new test questions or to pre-equate new test forms. The placement of this section,
which is commonly referred to as the variable section, varies for each administration
of the test. The LSAT is scored on a scale from 120 to 180, with 180 being
the highest possible score. A 35-minute writing sample is administered at the
end of the test. LSAC does not score the writing sample, but copies are sent
to all law schools to which a candidate applies. While a LSAT review course
is not required some believe that successful course completion may increase
one’s score and thereby one’s choice of schools.
The Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS) provides a means
of centralizing and standardizing undergraduate academic records to simplify
the law school admission process (for US law schools only). Nearly all American
Bar Association-approved law schools (and some non-ABA-approved schools) require
that applicants use this service. The LSDAS prepares a report for each law
school to which you apply. The report contains information that schools use,
along with your application, personal essay, letters of recommendation, and
other criteria, to make their admission decisions.
LSAT Review Courses:
THE PRINCETON REVIEW -www.princetonreview.com or
call 1-800-2REVIEW.
KAPLAN -www.Kaplan.com.
1- 800-Kap-Test
TESTMASTERS - www.TestMasters. net or
call 1- 800-696-5728.
POWERSCORE - www.PowerScore.com or
call 1- 800-545-1750
PREPMASTER -http://www.prepmaster.com/ or
call 1-800-325-5728
There are several study guides one can purchase from the aforementioned review
courses. Alternatively, there are books like “ Law School for Dummies,” which
some claim to be the fun and easy way to maximize scores on the LSAT (http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/DummiesTitle/productCd-0764525484.html).
The book contains two complete practice exams with explanations for each answer,
and test-taking tips, including time-management strategies and special guidance
with the Logical and Analytical Reasoning sections of the exam, arguably the
LSAT’s most troublesome sections.
There are also books that include CD-ROMs for additional test prep, such
as The Master Series LSAT , by Thomas
H. Martinson.
“LSAT Secrets” is available as an instantly downloadable
e-book from a web site and does not require any special software. Or, if one
prefers, a hard-copy book may be ordered. The content of this coursework is
supposed to address the difference between merely knowing the material and
knowing how to use the material to perform on test day. More information is
available at www.mo-media.com/lsat/.
Other useful sites include:
back to top
|
