Pre-Law Handbook

Washington University
College of Arts & Sciences

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 Introduction
This handbook is primarily for seniors and others who are applying to law school this year. It
should also be useful for juniors and younger students who are looking ahead toward the time
they complete their applications.

This book does not address the fundamental question of whether law school and a career in law
is a good choice for the reader. Although the question is vitally important, this issue is very
much an individual matter that does not lend itself to discussion in a book of this kind. Legal
education and a career in law can be challenging and satisfying, but law school and the practice
of law are not for everyone. There are books on reserve at the library that can help you to
explore this question, and we encourage you to talk to lawyers, law students, judges, law school
admissions officers, Career Center personnel, and anyone else who you think may give you
some insight as to whether a career in law is right for you.

Keep in mind the big picture: like any good employer, law schools are looking for smart, hard-
working, and interesting people to add to their communities. It is your job to become as strong as
possible in each of these dimensions; by doing so, you make yourself more appealing to many
different law schools.

Good luck!

Handbook Last Updated 08/2022

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 Table of Contents

Academic Preparation 1

Internships and Extracurriculars 2

LSAC, LSAT and CAS 4

LSAT vs. GRE 5

Waiting Until After Graduation to Apply to Law School 5

Where to Apply? 6

Completing the Applications 7

The Personal Statement 8

Dean’s Certification Forms 9

Letters of Recommendation 10

Choosing a Law School 10

Joint Degrees/Certificate Programs/Post-JD Programs 11

Law School Visits 12

Financing Law School 13

Conclusion and Contact Information 13

Appendix A – Checklist for Applying to Law School

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 Academic Preparation
The two most important factors law schools consider in deciding whom to admit are the
undergraduate grade point average (GPA) and the score on the LSAT or GRE. There is no
better preparation for law school than taking tough undergraduate courses and doing well in them.

Creating the undergraduate academic record starts in the first semester of the first year. It is
important to get settled academically and make your academic work your highest priority from the
beginning.

Select a major (or majors) in an area that interests you, and do well. Many law school
applicants have majors in political science, English, history, economics, or philosophy, but law
schools also welcome students with majors in science, engineering, the arts, or business. A
technical or scientific background can be helpful for lawyers who specialize in environmental
issues or patent law, for example. It is important to take courses that require lots of writing
and courses that train you to think analytically. If you repeatedly don’t fare well in these
types of courses, strongly reconsider whether law school is the right path for you.
Minimize your use of each of the following: pass-fail grading, course withdrawals, and
incompletes. Too many of these marks on your transcript will give the admissions committee
(and potential employers) pause.

Do not focus exclusively on law-related courses. It’s fine to take some of these as an opportunity
to test your level of interest, but save law study for law school. Use your undergraduate years as
a time to acquire a broad education. Particularly if you ultimately choose not to pursue a legal
career, you will be thankful for a well-rounded and practical curriculum.

Learning a foreign language and studying abroad are wonderful opportunities to pursue during
your undergraduate years. The law, like everything else, deals increasingly with global concerns,
and the ability to communicate in a language other than English can be valuable. Studying abroad
is often a student’s most memorable college experience. Do not choose to study abroad, however,
if your motivation is solely to enhance your chances of admission to law school – it won’t make
that much difference to the law schools.

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If you are eligible, consider completing an honors thesis in your major field. In addition to
graduating with Latin honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, etc.), you will have the
opportunity to work closely with a faculty member to conduct original research and create a
significant piece of writing.

But remember: know yourself. Honors theses are worthy projects to take on, but they are not
for everyone. You should be fully committed to the subject matter and effort of the honors thesis;
otherwise, it could hurt you in the application process. If writing a thesis detracts from work you
need to do in other classes, or if you end up writing a less-than-stellar thesis, your academic record
will be negatively affected. Thus, if you choose to write a thesis, be certain that you have the
motivation and time to be fully invested intellectually in the research endeavor. Otherwise, you
will be better served by taking an independent study (typically only one semester, instead of an
entire year) or a rigorous set of courses that interest you.

If you are entering your senior year and your GPA has been affected by a poor start at
Washington University (perhaps you began as a pre-med student and then changed direction after
first-year), consider waiting to apply until after you have graduated (see page 6.) Remember
that law school isn’t going anywhere, and your chances for admission could potentially be much
greater with an additional strong year of academic work on record.

If you want to convince admissions officers that you are indeed intellectually and emotionally
ready for the rigors of law school, waiting to apply until after you graduate gives you additional
“evidence” to support that argument – they will have more classes to view. It also gives you a
chance to raise your overall GPA (because the senior year grades will be factored in), and you will
have the opportunity to get to know more professors who might write you letters of
recommendation. At the very least, if you want to apply during your senior year, make sure you
send in fall grades to LSAC once grades are submitted in December.

Internships and Extracurriculars

Use internship opportunities to test your interest in law and to gain some experience in different
workplace settings. Well-chosen internships can help you learn what kind of working
environments you like, and whether law practice or other law-related work appeals to you. It’s
just as important to determine what you don’t like as it is to determine what you do like. Investigate
internship possibilities at the Career Center.

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As with study abroad, choose an internship for its value to you, not because you think it will enhance
your chances of being admitted to law school. How much will a law-related internship mean to the
law schools? One admissions dean’s answer: “As much as it meant to you.” One good guiding
principle is that if you have choices, you should select the internship that gives you the most
responsibility. It will undoubtedly lead to better future job choices, and it will give you more to
comment on should you apply to law school. It is also important to realize that for some people,
interning at a law firm may not be very interesting (see quotation below.) If you have no other means
of exposure to law firm life, however, it could be helpful to experience this before you apply to law
school.

Extracurricular endeavors can help you develop organizational, leadership, and public speaking skills
that are valuable to law students and lawyers. Law school admissions officials are interested in
applicants who have made a serious commitment to one or more activities and have taken on
significant responsibilities within organizations. The quality of your commitment is always of
more value than the quantity of your involvement. Being a leader of one organization is typically
viewed more highly than being a member of several. This is particularly true if that leadership role
overlaps with your intellectual interests and/or community service work. For example, if you direct
a campus organization that mentors juvenile offenders and you want to be a legal advocate for
children, then your law school application will likely be more focused.

Do not, however, participate in extracurriculars to the exclusion of your academic work. A long list
of community service work or extracurricular experiences cannot replace a strong academic
record. By the same token, pursuing a high GPA to the exclusion of any work, extracurricular, or
community service experiences can raise eyebrows. Remember that admissions committees are
looking for smart, hard-working, and interesting people. If you have a strong GPA but nothing else in
your file, you might be perceived as smart, but you will not be perceived as a strong communitarian
or particularly interesting. Find the right balance.

Think ahead to when you might be interviewing for jobs after law school. If you have proceeded to
law school immediately after graduating from Wash U, then potential employers will want to know
that you have had some significant work, internship, or other experiences. The person interviewing
you might be 20 years your senior, and to the extent that you have some record to comment and
reflect on, you will be perceived as more mature than your peers. This can only improve your
employability (see page 6 for more on this.)

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 LSAC, LSAT and CAS
The Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) is a corporation that coordinates and facilitates law
school admissions processes. Everything you need to know about the law school admissions
process is available on the LSAC web site at www.lsac.org. LSAC oversees the Law School
Admission Test (LSAT) and the Credential Assembly Service (CAS).

The LSAT tests the skills related to law school success including reading comprehension,
reasoning, and writing, and the test results help admission decision makers and candidates alike
gain valuable insight as to law school readiness. The LSAT score is very important to law school
admissions officers. Careful preparation for the test is essential. Plan to take it just once and
give it your best effort. How you prepare (by taking a test prep class or working on your own) is
up to you, but do not take the test without a lot of practice. There is no substitute for taking
previously used, real LSAT exams (available from LSAC or test prep providers) under realistic,
timed conditions. Do not register for and take the actual LSAT for “practice,” since all of your
scores within a five year period are reported to the law schools. Some law schools average multiple
scores, though a majority of law schools are now taking the highest score. All schools, however,
see all scores. Most schools post information about their policy on multiple scores on their
websites.
Summer after the junior year is probably the best time to take the test for those planning to
apply to law school as seniors. You will have your score before the summer is over, so during the
summer or very early in the fall you can develop a realistic list of schools. A good second choice
is to take the LSAT in the fall of the senior year (September/October), which still allows
applications to be filed well before the deadlines. Those planning to work or pursue other interests
between college and law school can put the test off a bit or take it during college (LSAC keeps
scores for five years).

CAS prepares a report of your academic record for the law schools to which you apply. Most
schools require that you register with CAS, and you must pay a registration fee that is separate
from LSAT fees. Law schools contact CAS directly for the report; you will indicate to CAS how
many reports you would like to pay for and to which law schools you would like reports sent. A
CAS subscription lasts for five years; if you take the LSAT during this time, your CAS period will
be extended for five years from the LSAT registration date.

Your CAS report includes copies of transcripts of your undergraduate, graduate, and professional
school. If you have taken any college-level courses for credit at another institution (e.g. summer
school or college classes taken for credit while in high school), you must arrange to have that
institution’s transcripts sent to CAS. Follow all instructions on the LSAC website. It is your
responsibility to ask each college or university you have attended to furnish transcripts to
CAS. If you have studied abroad, your credits should eventually be placed on your Washington
University transcript. We suggest, however, that you ask personnel in the Overseas Programs
office to send an authenticated copy of your transcript directly to CAS. CAS will not evaluate that
transcript or include those grades in the report it prepares; it should, however, include a copy of
that transcript in the report it sends to law schools, which will give those schools a more complete
picture of your academic record.

CAS will compute a GPA for you that includes the results of all academic work reported on a U.S.
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 or Canadian transcript. Trends in your grades – both positive and negative – will be evident. Check
the CAS report carefully when you receive your subscription confirmation letter. These reports
are prepared by human beings, so mistakes do occur. Contact LSAC and let them know about any
errors, even those in your favor.

You may wish to check the “Candidate Referral Service” box in the registration section of the
CAS application. This will result in certain biographical, academic, and LSAT data being
forwarded to law schools that request it. Some schools may then invite you to apply, perhaps even
waiving the application fee. Similarly, please check “yes” in the box seeking authorization
of release of data to the undergraduate prelaw advisor. Individual LSAT data are not released
to anyone, but having it in an aggregated form helps our prelaw advising program considerably.

At the end of the fall semester, ask the Office of the University Registrar to send CAS your fall
grades if you want to have them considered. CAS will add the new material and generate updated
reports for the law schools to which you have applied (at no additional cost to you).

If you are unable to pay the fees for the LSAT and/or CAS, complete the fee waiver application
that is available from LSAC on their website.

LSAT vs. GRE

While all American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law schools accept the LSAT, more than 80
ABA accredited law schools will accept either a GRE score or a LSAT score for the application for
admission. If your primary goal is to apply to law school, you should take the LSAT. When is it a
good idea to apply to law school with your GRE score? 1) If you already have a GRE score or 2) if
you plan to apply to both graduate schools and law schools. Note: If you take both the GRE and
LSAT, and plan to use the GRE for your law school applications - law schools will still be able to
see your LSAT score and may consider it during the application process.

Waiting Until After Graduation to Apply to Law School

Many undergraduates consider taking some time between college and law school to work, earn a
master’s or PhD, or pursue a fellowship, community service (e.g. Teach for America, AmeriCorps,
or the Peace Corps), or travel opportunity. Considering such options is a wise idea. Waiting a year
or more after graduating to apply is a popular option; at least half of the first year class at most law
schools will be people who have been out of college for one year or more. Some law schools
actively prefer applicants who have taken time off between college and law school.

What follows are some arguments, pro and con, on this issue.

Some reasons to wait to apply:

• You will have time to gain some added experience, self-confidence, and maturity.
• You can become more confident about law school and becoming a lawyer.
• Your senior year grades will be included in the GPA calculation.
• You’ll likely be a more interesting law school applicant.
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• Full-time work experience may make you more attractive to legal employers.
• You can earn money to pay for your law school education.
Some reasons to go directly on to law school:

• You are absolutely sure you want to become a lawyer, and you want to get an immediate start
on your career.
• You believe you may experience a loss of academic momentum by waiting.
• You do not wish to begin repaying educational loans accrued during your undergraduate
education.

We sent a survey to 250 Washington University alumni in law school. We asked each person
whether the respondent went immediately to law school from college or took time off, and whether
the respondent felt he/she had made the right decision. Here are the results from the 103 responses
we received:

• 29% of the respondents went straight from college to law school and had no regrets;
• 15% went straight through but wished in hindsight that they had taken a break;
• 56% waited a year or more after graduating from college to begin law school and had no
regrets;
• NO ONE -- not a single respondent – who took time off between college and law school
regretted it.

Our advice: if you find yourself thinking about taking a break from school to work, pursue service
opportunities, or travel before starting law school, listen to those signals and heed them. Law
school is a rigorous experience, and the first year is crucial. It is important to be ready, enthusiastic,
and prepared.

Where to Apply?
Most Washington University seniors apply to between ten and twelve law schools. A few apply
to only four or five, and some apply to fifteen or more. In general, you should choose a minimum
of one or two “reach” schools (where your odds of being admitted are less than 30%), two or three
where your chances of admission look at least reasonable, and one or two “safe” schools (where
your chances of admission exceed 75%). Be sure you would be willing to attend your safe schools
-- do research beforehand.

There are many resources available to help you calculate your realistic chances of being admitted
at various law schools including:

• The ABA-LSAC Official Guide to ABA-Approved Law Schools, available from LSAC, in
bookstores, and free via the LSAC website (www.lsac.org.) The on-line version includes a
feature through which you can enter your own LSAT/GPA figures and find the likelihood of
your admission to individual law schools.

• Our own data of how former Wash U students have fared upon application to most law
schools, by LSAT and GPA. You must meet with a prelaw advisor to access this data

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 (presented in chart form for any law school to which we had five or more applicants). This is
why it is crucial that you allow your data to be released to your undergraduate institution –
by releasing your information to us, we can construct a good Wash U database to balance
against national data for advising future Wash U students.

Consider geography in your decision, because you are likely to develop contacts for potential
careers in the area in which you are attending law school. Don’t, however, let geography be the
single controlling factor unless you have strong personal reasons for staying in a particular region.
Consider schools that will meet your needs in several parts of the country. Obviously, the greater
the national reputation of the law school, the less geography matters. Think about cost in your
selection of schools. Public institutions tend to be less expensive than private institutions
(especially in states where you are a resident or could become one), but some private schools are
generous with merit scholarships. Don’t let yourself end up with a set of choices that are all
unaffordable. Other considerations include size, reputation, diversity, opportunities to participate
in clinics or on law journals, placement opportunities, and areas of specialization.

Completing the Applications

When you complete the actual law school applications, do them carefully, preferably completing
them online. PROOFREAD EVERYTHING CAREFULLY. Follow all instructions to the
letter. Leave nothing blank -- if a question is inapplicable to you, put “not applicable” in the space
provided. Do not sign the application until you are sure you understand all aspects of the
application.

Look at the questions that seek a written statement, then tailor your answer to the question -- don’t
assume that one statement will suffice for every school to which you are applying. Don’t send a
personal statement to Law School “X” by mistake that explains why Law School “Y” is a great fit
for you.

Disclose any past “troubles,” including academic problems, discipline problems, arrests,
convictions -- anything the application seeks. These sorts of incidents will not automatically bar
your admission to law school. The law schools are looking carefully to see whether you have taken
responsibility for your actions and how you have responded to negative consequences. If you don’t
disclose them on the applications, they may catch up with you somewhere else in the application
process, triggering a misconduct inquiry. When you are ready to graduate from law school, the
bar of the state in which you wish to practice will conduct a very detailed review of your past, and
something may pop up then, causing you to have to explain not only the event, but also the failure
to disclose it during the application process. Please talk with a prelaw advisor if you have any
concerns at all about these questions on the applications.

It is a good idea to include a resume (one page preferred but not required) that outlines your
academic accomplishments, activities, work experience and other competencies in one place. Do

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not, however, fail to answer questions on the application itself by noting “see enclosed resume” -
- answer the questions AND include the resume.

Apply early! Most law schools have rolling admissions, so it is to your advantage to have your
application read as early as possible. Some law schools offer early decision and early notification.
Try to have all your applications completed as early in the fall as possible. If you’re taking
the fall LSAT, aim for early November. You want your file to be considered while most of the
seats in the class are still available. This also maximizes your chances for merit-based scholarships.

The Personal Statement

In many ways, the personal statement is the only part of the application that is completely within
your control. This is your opportunity to make the admissions committee remember you and to
distinguish yourself from other applicants. Imagine that it substitutes for a ten minute interview—
what would you want to tell your interviewer about you?

The personal statement is important both in its substance and its presentation. It warrants
numerous drafts. Show it to people you trust and ask for their comments. Take it to the Writing
Center and ask for a critique. Listen carefully to all of the comments you receive, but accept only
the advice that makes sense to you. Here are some thought-starters on writing the personal
statement from Don Asher, a nationally recognized expert on graduate school admissions who has
spoken at several Junior Jumpstarts:

• Has a course, independent research project, or other academic experience ignited your
intellectual passion?
• Have you overcome serious adversity in your life?
• What is unusual or unique about you?
• Have you ever received encouraging words from a professor, employer, or other person that
are relevant? What were they? How did they influence your choices?

Answer each question by making a list, and then take time to develop the thoughts fully.
Here is a list of “do’s and don’ts” that have been developed after listening to lots of law school
admissions deans and directors talk about how they read personal statements:

DO:
• Answer the specific question, if one is asked. Look at each school’s website to see if there
are any pointers on what that school likes to see in a personal statement, then tailor your
statement accordingly
• Let the reader know who you are – this is usually the only opportunity you have to “get
beyond the numbers”
• Be truthful, specific, and accurate
• Write about something you know and are comfortable with
• Write about adversity overcome, but emphasize the overcoming, not the adversity
• Focus rather narrowly . . . zero in on a subject and cover it well
• Write about attributes, achievements, and intellectual passions

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• Place the focus of your essay into the context of attending law school and your hopes for
your career
• Keep the writing style conventional
• Make sure any supplemental statements are written just as well as the personal statement
• Keep to the prescribed length; if none is given, keep to two pages
• Double space and leave adequate margins
• Put your name and LSAC number on each page
• Proofread carefully. Make spelling, punctuation, and grammar perfect

DON’T:
• Try to write what you think the law school “wants to hear”
• Summarize your experiences chronologically – let your resume do that
• Apologize . . . if you need to explain something, it is usually better to do so in a separate
statement
• Criticize the LSAT
• Strain to appear unique
• Use contrived formats . . . e.g. your obituary, a summation to the jury on why you should be
admitted, Q & A format
• Use long quotations – if you use them at all, keep them short, and be sure they are relevant
• Philosophize about the role of law in society, or other lofty topics
• Focus on another person, even if that person has been the most influential person in your life
• Talk about why you are not going to medical school
• Brag about your accomplishments. Instead, put your experiences into a context – what have
you learned? How have you grown?
• Send videos, senior theses, etc. unless they are requested . . . “The thickness of the file is
inversely related to the quality,” according to one admissions officer

Dean’s Certification Forms

A few law schools require that a Dean’s Certification Form be completed by a dean of the
undergraduate school(s) that the applicant has attended. These forms primarily function to certify
academic standing and to ask about any disciplinary or academic actions taken against the
applicant. A space on the form is occasionally provided for the dean to comment on scholastic
honors, extracurricular activities, employment and other experiences or qualifications of the
applicant.

If your application includes a Dean’s Certification Form, send it to: [email protected]

for processing by a prelaw advisor. The forms, once completed, will be mailed directly to law
schools. The Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards, which conducts a check of
your record once we’ve received a form, requests that you submit your form at least two weeks
before any deadline (more if you know there is an incident we will need to report). See
http://studentconduct.wustl.edu/student-conduct/dean-certification-and-various-background-
checks/.

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 Letters of Recommendation
Like the personal statement, strong letters of recommendation can make a positive difference in
situations where your GPA and LSAT/GRE score put you in the middle of the group applying to a
given law school. Seek a minimum of two letters from faculty members who know you well.
If you believe you can get a strong letter from a third or fourth faculty member, someone else on
campus, an employer, or an internship supervisor, request it as well.

The best and most persuasive recommendation letters are written by faculty members who can
comment in some detail on your intellectual capacity, your writing skills, your motivation, and
your overall academic experience here. You can enhance the chances of getting such a detailed
letter by letting faculty members get to know you. Participate in class. Use office hours to discuss
material you don’t understand fully. Take a second class with a professor from whom you learned
a great deal. A strong and detailed letter from a junior faculty member who knows you and
your abilities well is better than a terse letter from a senior faculty member or employer who
does not know you well and cannot comment in detail on your skills and attributes.

Ask for a letter of recommendation in person/via Zoom meeting, if possible. Ask if s/he can write
you a letter of recommendation that will be helpful to your application. If there is any hesitation,
thank the person and ask someone else. If necessary, ask your recommender if you can set up some
time to talk about your experiences and goals. Ask for these letters early to give your writers
plenty of time. Give the letter writers the tools they need to write a thorough, personal letter,
including a copy of your resume, an unofficial transcript, a copy of significant written work
completed in the letter writer’s class, and anything else that might help him/her supply details in
the letter.

Letters of recommendation can be held in The College Office and will be kept on file here for five
years, and may only be used for law school applications. Just forward letter to artsci-
[email protected] with your name and LSAC Letter of Recommendation in the subject line.

More often, students elect to have their letters sent directly to LSAC, using LSAC’s Letter
of Recommendation service. Read through the instructions on LSAC carefully. They’ve anticipated
most of your questions and have provided clear instructions.

Finally, remember to send your letter writers a thank-you note after the letter has been submitted.
People who take the time to write letters for you are interested in your plans; you should let them
know where you are accepted and which law school you will attend. This is courteous and will
help you stay in touch with them should you need another letter or reference when applying for
employment while in law school.

Choosing a Law School

You should consider a number of factors beyond the law school “rankings” in deciding where to
enroll. For your top choices, a personal visit is helpful.

When narrowing your choices and deciding where to visit, consider the checklist below:

• Re-read the school’s website carefully.

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• Consider where the faculty were trained and their areas of expertise.
• Consider faculty depth and advanced degree programs available. (If you are seriously
interested in intellectual property law, for example, a school with four faculty members who
teach in this area and an advanced (LLM) degree program in IP law should receive your
careful consideration. Some law schools will have just one faculty member who specializes in this
area.)
• Look for a bright and diverse student body. Legal education is highly dependent upon
discussion and argument with fellow students, and you will learn best in a setting where the
other students bring intellectual strengths and diverse experiences to the classroom.
• Consider what journals are available for students to work on. A school with three student-
edited journals may offer you a better chance of participating than one with a single law
review. The same can be said of moot court programs.
• Consider clinical opportunities – if you want to be a criminal lawyer, for example, will you
have the opportunity to get out of the library and work on real cases with real clients under
the supervision of attorneys BEFORE you become licensed to practice?
• Consider cost, as well – how much debt are you willing to incur to become a lawyer? Figure
out what you would need to borrow to finance your education at each school. What will the
monthly payments be like? How will they affect your lifestyle when you finish law school?
What kind of job do you want when you finish law school? Find out if there are part-time
work opportunities for second and third year students.

Law School Programs:

Joint Degrees/Certificate Programs/Post-JD Programs
Joint Degree Programs: Upon graduating from law school, students are awarded the Juris Doctor
(J.D.) degree. If you are considering a career in an area that spans academic disciplines, you can
consider obtaining a J.D. degree combined with other degrees. Some joint degree programs offer
the advantage of completing both degrees in less time than it would take to complete the degrees
independently. In most cases, you must apply separately to both programs. For detailed
information it is necessary to research individual schools. Some examples of joint degrees include:

J.D. with Masters Degree

Master of Business Administration Master of Public Administration

Master of Health Administration Master of Public Health
Master of Science in Criminal Justice Master in Public Policy
Master in Social Work Master of Marine Affairs

Other disciplines include Economics, East Asian Studies, Bioethics, and Sports Studies

J.D. with M.D.: Combination with a degree from an associated medical school

J.D. with Ph.D.: Combination with a degree from an associated graduate school

In deciding whether or not to pursue a joint degree program, think carefully about whether you
truly need two degrees in the career you plan to pursue. While joint degree programs may be
shorter than pursuing two degrees separately, they still involve extra time – and extra expense.

Certificate Programs: Some law schools offer Certificate Programs within their law school
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curriculum. Certificate Programs offer specialization in fields of study during the course of
study for a J.D. degree. These credentials may be attractive to future employers. Some
examples of Certificate Programs include:

Health Law Natural Resources Law

Family Law Tax Law

Post-JD Programs: Post-J.D. law degrees are for practicing lawyers and/or foreign lawyers
seeking to practice in the U.S. and they include:

Master of Laws (LL.M) Juris Master (J.M.)

Master of Comparative Law (M.C.L.) Master of Jurisprudence (M.J.)

Post-J.D. degrees for research and academic-based doctorate level work include:

Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.S.D.)

Doctor of Judicial Science (S.J.D.)
Doctor of Comparative Law (D.C.L.)

Law School Visits

Most applicants do not visit law schools until after they are admitted. When you visit a law school,
remember that you are looking for a place to continue your education AND a strong
professional placement service -- law school is a professional program, and you should expect
your law school to assist you in finding a suitable position in the legal field upon your graduation.

To assess what the educational experience at a given law school will be like, try to do the following:

• Sit in on some classes. Stop in the lounge and talk to students and faculty. The quality of
your fellow students is very important. Try to discern whether you will be challenged and
stretched intellectually and also whether you will feel comfortable there.
• Look at the library and computing facilities -- these will become very familiar to you. Law
students spend countless hours in the library. Are the facilities large enough for the student
body? Are they comfortable and well lit? Are they open at the times you will want to use
them?
• Talk to the administrators you will rely on -- e.g., the dean of students and the financial aid
administrator. Do they seem knowledgeable and supportive?
• Ask about clinics, journals, and moot court -- find out how students are chosen and
whether everyone who wants to participate is able to do so.
• Think about where you will live. Ask about housing, and be sure you will be able to live
safely and within reasonable commuting distance if you are not in campus housing.
To get a sense of the law school’s professional placement record, visit the Career Office. Ask
about the following:

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 • What sorts of positions do graduates take? What starting salaries do they earn? Where do
they locate?
• Look at interview sign-up sheets -- see which employers come to visit the law school to
interview students.
• How do those in the top 10% of the class do, and how do those in the middle and lower thirds
do in terms of finding jobs? Everyone can’t finish in the top 10%, and you will want to know
what your prospects are if you don’t do as well as you hope.

Financing Law School

The law schools to which you apply should be your primary source of information about the
availability of funds. In general, you will be considered independent of your family for the
purposes of determining federal aid eligibility. Law schools, however, will often require parental
income information in order to determine eligibility for institutional scholarships and loans.

Start the financial aid application process in December. Apply for a Personal Identification
Number from the U.S. Department of Education (www.pin.ed.gov), a prerequisite to filing for
federal financial aid. Once you have that (it may take several weeks), file the Free Application for
Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as you can after January 1. Copies are available in the
Student Financial Services Office and on-line. If you plan to apply for aid from the law schools
themselves, submit those applications as early as possible to be considered for scholarship money.
Each school has its own forms and deadlines -- be sure you submit the right materials. If you are
unsatisfied with the package offered you, ask whether there is an appeal process, and if so, use it.
Some schools offer Loan Repayment Assistance Programs (LRAPS) to their graduates working in
low-paying and/or public interest jobs. Look for this information on school web sites.

If you have current indebtedness, get some financial counseling. Save as much money as you
can before you begin law school. Pay off any outstanding consumer debt. Maintaining a good
credit record is critical to eligibility for federal loans.

More information on financing a legal education can be found in a brochure published by the Law
School Admission Council and available on their website.

Conclusion and Contact Information

A career in law can be wonderfully fulfilling but it’s not the right fit for everyone. Now you know
more about some of the important decisions you will need to make and about the nuts and bolts of
the application process. Let us know how we can be of help to you. Good luck!

Nicole Gore
Associate Dean, Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards
Appointments: via online appointment calendar

Paige LaRose
Associate Dean, Director of Undergraduate Programs
(WashU Olin Business School)
Appointments: via online calendar virtual or in-person
Email: [email protected]
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Ahmar Ursani
Assistant Director, Career Development
Appointments: via online appointment calendar
Email: [email protected]

Claire O'Brien
Director of Admissions
(Washington University Law)
Email: [email protected]

Stacie Reardon
Assistant Director of Placement
(Washington University Law)
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 314-935-5842

PreLaw Coordinator
ArtSci Dean's certification forms and recommendations
Office: 104 Cupples II
Email: [email protected]

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 Appendix A

Checklist for Applying to Law School

Prepare for and take LSAT/GRE no later than the fall prior to the year
you plan to matriculate in law school.

Register for CAS by the fall prior to the year you plan to matriculate.

Request letters of recommendation from professors who taught courses,

preferably during your junior or senior year of study, who know you and your
academic work well. Have the letters sent either to the Washington University
PreLaw Office or, more commonly, directly to LSAC’s LOR service.

Research law schools. Visit campuses if possible. Try to identify what

qualities you are looking for in a law school.

Consider attending a Law School Forum.

Attend prelaw information sessions held on campus. Notification occurs

via prelaw email list (sign up at [email protected].)

Request that official transcripts be sent directly to CAS from each

undergraduate and graduate institution you have attended.

Write your personal statement. The Writing Center will help you to refine your
work. PreLaw advisors will review personal statements as well, as time permits.

Write a resume and include it with your applications. The Career Center
can help you to refine your resume.

Check your CAS report for accuracy.

Send in your applications. TRY TO COMPLETE APPLICATIONS

BY EARLY NOVEMBER AT THE LATEST.

Provide the PreLaw Office with Dean’s Certification forms (see page .)

Review financial aid information for each school and apply as necessary.

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