Law School and Beyond: What You Need to Know About

The Law School Admissions Process and Law-Related Career Opportunities

Choosing Where To Apply to Law School

David A. ReichardProfessor of History and Legal StudiesDivision of Humanities and Communication (HCOM)dreichard@csumb.eduTel: 831-572-3117

Preparing for the LSAT Tuesday October 14, 1-2 PM, Student Center

The Law School Application ProcessTuesday, October 21, 1-2 PM, Student Center

Choosing Where to Apply to Law School

Tuesday, October 28, 1-2 PM, Student Center

What Makes a Good Personal Statement?Tuesday November 4, 1-2 PM, Student Center

The Law Related Career Landscape: Just Out of Law School and

AlternativesCo-sponsored by the Center for Advising, Career & Student Success

Tuesday November 18, 1-2, Student Center

Today’s Agenda Law school options Factors to look for Doing a self-evaluation Final questions—check in

Choosing Where to Apply

Types of Law Schools Research oriented law schools with

international reputations for scholarship as well as solid teaching, accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA)

Mid-range law schools, solid teaching and research by faculty, also accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA)

Community-based law schools, staffed by part-time faculty—mostly working lawyers—which are not accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) but which are accredited by the state bar

Unaccredited law schools

Choosing Where to Apply

EXAMPLESHarvard, Yale, Columbia, Chicago,

Wisconsin, NYU, Cornell

In California: Boalt Hall at UC Berkeley, UC Hastings Law School,

Stanford, UCLA

Types of Law Schools Research oriented law schools with

international reputations for scholarship as well as solid teaching, accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA)

Mid-range law schools, solid teaching and research by faculty, also accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA)

Community-based law schools, staffed by part-time faculty—mostly working lawyers—which are not accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) but which are accredited by the state bar

Unaccredited law schools

Choosing Where to Apply

EXAMPLESUniversity of New Mexico School of Law, Villanova University School of Law, Pace University School of Law

In California: Santa Clara Law School, Golden Gate Law School, University of San Francisco Law School, Loyola Law

School, Whittier Law School, McGeorge School of Law of the

University of the Pacific

Types of Law Schools Research oriented law schools with

international reputations for scholarship as well as solid teaching, accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA)

Mid-range law schools, solid teaching and research by faculty, also accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA)

Community-based law schools, staffed by part-time faculty—mostly working lawyers—which are not accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) but which are accredited by the state bar

Unaccredited law schools

Choosing Where to Apply

EXAMPLESIn California: Monterey College

of Law, Lincoln Law School of San Jose, John F. Kennedy School of

Law

Types of Law Schools Research oriented law schools with

international reputations for scholarship as well as solid teaching, accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA)

Mid-range law schools, solid teaching and research by faculty, also accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA)

Community-based law schools, staffed by part-time faculty—mostly working lawyers—which are not accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) but which are accredited by the state bar

Unaccredited law schools

Choosing Where to Apply

AVOID!

Some Factors to Consider

in Selecting Where to Apply: ABA accreditation Student composition Quality of the faculty Overall reputation Learning environment Curriculum offered Clinical opportunities Academic support programs Cost and financial aid Career services Alumni networks

Choosing Where to Apply

Sources for suggestions on the next slides include the Law School Admissions Council, the ABA, and the State Bar of California

What is ABA accreditation—sometimes called “ABA approval”?

What are the benefits of attending an ABA accredited school?

What are the consequences of not attended an ABA accredited school?

Choosing Where to Apply

• Accreditation process reviews aspects such as• Curriculum• Quality of faculty• Financial aid processes• Student services• Library resources• Bar passage rates

• Revisions in 2014-15 include:• more attention to assessment of student

learning outcomes—to include bar passage rates and employment

• Now will require at least 50 hours of “experiential” learning—such as a clinic experience as well as encourage 50 hours of “pro bono” community service

Source: ABA

What is ABA accreditation—sometimes called “ABA approval”?

What are the benefits of attending an ABA accredited school?

What are the consequences of not attended an ABA accredited school?

Choosing Where to Apply

• Can sit for the bar examination in any state

• Ensure that school has gone through rigorous review process—and constantly monitored for quality

• This includes “law school's responsibility to assess an applicant's character and fitness qualifications and to advise applicants that such qualifications exist for admittance to the school and for admission to the bar.”

Source: ABA

What is ABA accreditation—sometimes called “ABA approval”?

What are the benefits of attending an ABA accredited school?

What are the consequences of not attended an ABA accredited school?

Choosing Where to Apply

• In many states, a candidate “cannot sit for the bar examination unless that person holds a J.D. degree from an ABA-approved law school.”

• Some states “have additional requirements that a student must meet in order to qualify to sit for that state's examination”

• Check the requirements of state(s) where you wish to sit for the bar (see this ABA guide).

Source: ABA

Key Requirements for Admission to the Bar in California: General education requirement: completion of at least 60 hours/90

quarter units college credit in good standing (Bachelor’s degree fulfills this)

Determination of “good moral character” (see more about the requirement here)

Required legal education—graduation from an ABA approved school, State Bar of California accredited school, four years of study in law office/judge’s chamber’s program (more here), or certain number of hours completed with unaccredited program

Passage of Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam Passage of the California Bar Exam (see here for what is on the exam)

Source: State Bar of California

Choosing Where to Apply

Some Factors to Consider

in Selecting Where to Apply: ABA accreditation Student composition Quality of the faculty Overall reputation Learning environment Curriculum offered Clinical opportunities Academic support programs Cost and financial aid Career services Alumni networks

Choosing Where to Apply

• Choose a school where you will be challenged• The diversity of student body• Check on class size—both individual classes

and “years” (for example, how many students in the first year class-sometimes called 1L-and how many in your course sections?)

• Types and number of student organizations

Some Factors to Consider

in Selecting Where to Apply: ABA accreditation Student composition Quality of the faculty Overall reputation Learning environment Curriculum offered Clinical opportunities Academic support programs Cost and financial aid Career services Alumni networks

Choosing Where to Apply

• The diversity of the faculty• Ratio of full time to part time faculty• Academic reputation of faculty in terms of

their research• Availability of visiting faculty and other

scholarly events

Some Factors to Consider

in Selecting Where to Apply: ABA accreditation Student composition Quality of the faculty Overall reputation Learning environment Curriculum offered Clinical opportunities Academic support programs Cost and financial aid Career services Alumni networks

Choosing Where to Apply

• Rankings—not used by ABA—but commonly available. Examples include:• “Find the Best Law School” site• US News and World Report

• Explore bar passage rates for schools you are considering

Choosing Where to ApplySchool February 2014 July 2013 February 2013 July 2012

Golden Gate 52% (15/29) 56% (101/179) 50% (12/24) 70% (106/152)

Stanford 78% (7/9) 91% (111/122) 60% (3/5) 94% (104/111)

Santa Clara 63% (17/27) 73% (206/282) 57% (12/21) 73% (184/253)

UC Berkeley 80% (8/10) 85% (185/217) 100% (7/7) 86% (195/226)

UC Hastings 70% (14/20) 76% (258/339) 39% (7/18) 77% (303/394)

UCLA 67% (4/6) 88% (253/287) 67% (4/6) 89% (250/281)

Whittier 76% (13/17) 65% (119/184) 55% (6/11) 70% (99/142)

Monterey CL(Not ABA, CA Accredited

75% (6/8) 0% (0/11) 50% (4/8) 50% (6/12)

Overall Passage Rates

69% CA ABA42% CA Accred35% CA Unaccr

76% CA ABA36% CA Accred21% CA Unaccr

61% CA ABA25% CA Accred33% CA Unaccr

77% CA ABA31% CA Accred22% CA Unaccr

Recent first time passage rates, California Bar Exam by rate of passage and numbers of exam takers

Source: State Bar of California

Some Factors to Consider

in Selecting Where to Apply: ABA accreditation Student composition Quality of the faculty Overall reputation Learning environment Curriculum offered Clinical opportunities Academic support programs Cost and financial aid Career services Alumni networks

Choosing Where to Apply

• Facilities—classrooms, library, information technology

• Curriculum—especially beyond the first year• Support for legal research and writing skill

development• Moot Court programs• Clinical programs and internships• Law Reviews and other journal

opportunities• Areas of specialization available (not

necessary in law school)• Joint degree programs• Full-time and part-time programs

Some Factors to Consider

in Selecting Where to Apply: ABA accreditation Student composition Quality of the faculty Overall reputation Learning environment Curriculum offered Clinical opportunities Academic support programs Cost and financial aid Career services Alumni networks

Choosing Where to Apply

• Tutoring• Mentoring programs• Student Disability Services

Some Factors to Consider

in Selecting Where to Apply: ABA accreditation Student composition Quality of the faculty Overall reputation Learning environment Curriculum offered Clinical opportunities Academic support programs Cost and financial aid Career services Alumni networks

Choosing Where to Apply

• Be prepared—at ABA accredited schools students cannot work the first year and law school is expensive!

• Most law students pay for school through loans—both subsidized and private

• Explore loan programs, scholarships, veteran’s benefits, specific to each school

• See the LSAC for more information about how to finance law school (see this video tutorial)

• Explore loan forgiveness programs—for example, public interest (see here for ABA information on this topic)

• Prepare a budget—how much to borrow to cover tuition, room and board, books, transportation etc.

Choosing Where to Apply

FIRST YEAR STUDENTS

  FALL SPRING TOTAL

Full Time 21,675 (15 units)

21,675 (15 units)

43,350 (30 units)

Part Time 17,340 (12 units)

15,895 (11 units)

33,235 (23 units)

Registration Fees 175 175 350

Room and Board 7,425 7,425 14,850

Book Allowance 600-700 600-700 1,300-1,400

Transportation 675 675 1,350

Health Insurance 1,167 1,625 2,792

Personal/miscellaneous 2,700 2,700 5,400

Total COA Full Time 34,517 34,975 69,492

Total COA Part Time 30,082 29,095 59,177

Example: Golden Gate University School of Law—Estimated Costs for Academic Year 2014-15

WHAT?? Yes! But this “sticker price” can be offset by grants, scholarships

Some Factors to Consider

in Selecting Where to Apply: ABA accreditation Student composition Quality of the faculty Overall reputation Learning environment Curriculum offered Clinical opportunities Academic support programs Cost and financial aid Career services Alumni networks

Choosing Where to Apply

• Placement Center resources • Career development opportunities—panel

discussions, workshops on skill development

• On-campus interviewing opportunities?• Support for seeking summer positions?• Placement statistics—what are alumni of

program doing? • Availability of career advising after

graduation?• Alumni association—how active and

involved with school?

How To Research and Decide

Which Law Schools Might Be for You ABA Disclosures database—search by school

Search the LSAC website by LSAT and GPA or browse schools at this Boston College law school locater site

Explore individual law school websites or visit law schools in our region (for example, see Golden Gate, Santa Clara, UC Hastings, and McGeorge law schools)

Attend a law school fair. Upcoming ones include—

November 7: LSAC Law School Recruitment Forum (San Francisco) (pre-registration required)

November 8: West Coast Consortium of Private Law Schools San Francisco Law Fair (pre-registration required)

Choosing Where to Apply

Ask yourself the following questions:

How will law school contribute to my professional goals? Is law school the best choice for meeting those goals? Do my LSAT scores and GPA align with the schools I want

to attend? What are my geographic preference/limitations? What

law schools are located in that area? How do I plan to finance law school? Is an ABA accredited school my preference? Am I willing

to entertain another option?

Choosing Where to ApplySelf Evaluation

Questions or Comments?

Choosing Where to Apply