Make sure the school you choose is accredited. To ensure that the school you choose is accredited, check the U. S. Department of Education’s (“DOE”) Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs for a listing. You do not need to major in “criminal justice” as an undergraduate. In fact, criminal justice majors are admitted to law schools are admitted at a lower rate than those who majored in journalism, philosophy, or economics. [1] X Research source Although you will not be penalized for majoring in criminal justice, there is no automatic benefit in law school admissions for having done so.
You will also want to strengthen your research and writing skills, so you should take classes that allow you to write long research papers.
The higher your undergraduate GPA, the more selective you can be about what schools to apply to. Even if you do not care about the rank of the law school you attend, a higher GPA makes scholarships easier to get.
A great way to build relationships with faculty is to work as a research or teaching assistant.
Because of the recent decline in law school applicants, law schools are giving away more scholarships than ever before. A high LSAT will help you qualify for free money from your law school of choice. [3] X Research source
Create a free account at the Law School Admission Counsel’s (“LSAC”) website. Find a test date and location. To do this, start on LSAC’s Law School Admission Counsel’s website Dates and Deadlines page.
Your local library or bookstore should have copies of old LSAT exams. Find the most recent to take as practice exams.
Follow the rules for test day very carefully. If you fail to follow any of the test day rules, you may not be allowed to take the test.
On average, test takers are able to increase their score only two to three points on a re-take. [6] X Research source
Now might be a good time to think about how you will finance your legal education. The cost of a legal education has exploded in the past decade. Students routinely pay over $30,000 a year in tuition alone, which does not include additional costs for living expenses. [7] X Research source If you are not careful, you could graduate law school $200,000 in debt. The dramatic rise in tuition coincides with a slow-down in hiring of attorneys. According to the American Bar Association, less than 60% of law graduates were employed in full-time, long-term jobs that required a law degree. [8] X Research source Other graduates are trying to piece together part-time legal jobs or working out of the legal field altogether.
Register early and make sure to get your transcripts to CAS in a timely manner.
If you didn’t build strong relationships with faculty, don’t despair. You can also ask for recommendations from present and past employers, as well as from people associated with church or volunteer organizations. Some recommenders may need to be prompted to complete the letter. Send a friendly email reminder, or stop in to chat.
Follow the directions. If the school wants you to write on a specific topic, write on that topic. Also, if they give you a word limit, stick to the limit. Going over, by even a few words, can harm your chances of admission. Feel free to write about your interest in criminal defense law. Note, however, that law schools do not offer majors, not even in criminal law. Consequently, don’t say you want to apply to a school to “major” in something. Instead, state why you think the school will help you fulfill your dream of practicing criminal defense.
An addendum might clarify why one LSAT score is much higher than another, or it might explain why your grades were low one semester. Remember to explain, not make excuses.
You should always ask any prospective law school for its job placement statistics. Over the past few years, a sea change has occurred with respect to the way schools collect job placement data. Now schools must include much more detailed information about the employment rates of recent graduates. Pay attention to the number of students who get “full-time jobs requiring a JD” after graduation. Other employment statistics will fold in people who are working part-time or who are working in a field that doesn’t require a law degree.
If you want to move to a state and hope to qualify as an in-state resident, contact the law school’s admissions office for information.
Visit the website for each lawsuit and check to see what clinical opportunities they have. Criminal law clinics are fairly popular with law schools, since there is no shortage of clients in need of assistance. Some magazines or websites rank law school clinical programs. Do not get too caught up in ranking. You are unlikely to get a job because you participated in a “ranked” clinical program. Instead, ask schools about: the number of students who can take the criminal defense clinic, what kinds of tasks they do, whether they can participate in trials, and whether they can take the clinic as a 2L (or even as a 1L).
Curriculum. The basic curriculum for first year students is pretty much the same at any law school, but after the first year, the classes available might be very different. Look for a curriculum with plenty of criminal law cases. Library and other facilities. You will likely be spending a lot of time in the library while attending law school, so be sure that the library has quality resource materials and hours that will work with your schedule. Accreditation. You want to be sure that the law school you choose to attend is accredited by the American Bar Association (“ABA”), as you might not be able to sit for the bar examination if your school is not. To check that the law school you wish to attend is accredited, check the ABA’s ABA Approved Law Schools page. Trial advocacy programs. More than other lawyers, criminal defense attorneys must be effective trial attorneys. Many law schools offer trial advocacy programs. These programs teach students the ins and outs of the entire trial process, from creating effective exhibits and questioning witnesses, to delivering effective opening and closing statements. Law schools often field trial advocacy teams that compete in national competitions. Solo practitioner incubators. Some law schools have realized that many of their students become solo practitioners. Therefore, they have created programs designed to help students hit the ground running as solos once they graduate and pass the bar. Since many criminal defense lawyers work as solo practitioners, you may be interested in a school that offers an incubator program.
You can gauge your likelihood of gaining admission to specific schools by using the LSAC calculator. Enter your undergraduate GPA and LSAC score to see your chances. If you have a 3. 5 GPA and a 155 LSAT, then you have a 25% chance of getting into Arizona State, a 50% chance of getting into Michigan State, and a 75% chance of getting into the University of Miami.
For some great tips on completing law school applications see the University of New Mexico’s Tips on How to Make your Application as Competitive as Possible.
Most criminal defense attorneys work in small firms. However, some do white-collar criminal defense work for wealthy individuals or corporations. White collar criminal defense attorneys are employed by some of the largest firms in the country. If you want to do this type of work, then you will need to do very well in your first-year classes, finishing near the top of your class. Visit your career services office and ask if they have information on the GPA required to be competitive at the large firms in your market.
If you join a study group, stick with it. No one likes people who join a group only to drop out after a month.
As a judicial extern, you will get an up-close view of how judges decide cases, and you will understand what arguments they find persuasive and which ones they don’t. As an extern, you will research case law, draft portions of memos or bench orders, and watch oral arguments. [14] X Research source You can also intern with a public defender’s office. This is a great way to begin building your reputation and gaining experience in criminal law. You will work closely with a public defender on his or her cases and probably go to court with them as well.
You might get paid, but money should not be the primary purpose of a summer job. Instead, you should begin building your reputation. Be sure to do top-notch work, no matter how boring the assignment. Once you graduate law school, you might not have a job. If you did good work as a summer associate, however, you can reach out to the attorney and ask for work after you graduate. You may only get piecemeal overflow work, but it can help pay the bills and give you additional experience. Be sure to get writing experience in your summer jobs. Employers usually ask for a writing sample when you apply for a job, and it is best to have a “real world” writing sample, such as a motion or brief, than a writing assignment you did for a legal writing class in law school.
The bar exam is typically offered twice a year—once during the summer (June or July) and once the winter (usually February). If you have to take the bar exam over, you have to pay each time you take it.
If costs are a concern, then you can seek out old study guides published by bar prep companies. Many people sell old guides on eBay and other online retailers.
Common problems with character and fitness include criminal convictions, financial irresponsibility (such as bankruptcy), and accusations of plagiarism. These may not completely block you from admission, but be prepared to discuss them with the character and fitness committee. Always be honest when filling out the background survey. Often the attempt to hide something is worse than the offense in the first place.
Expect to wait several months to receive your score. In Illinois, for example, those who take the exam in July will not receive their results until the first two weeks of October. [21] X Research source
Large law firms. They typically hire students to work as summer associates after their 2L year. Often, they come onto campus and interview immediately before the start of the 2L year (or during that fall) and extend an offer shortly thereafter. After you work as a summer associate during your 2L summer, the firm will decide whether to extend an offer to join the firm full-time. These jobs are very difficult to get, and you will need a high GPA to be competitive. District attorney offices and public defenders. In addition to prosecutors, both the state and the federal governments have public defender offices that provide free legal defense for indigent defendants. Both district attorneys and public defenders will often come onto your campus for interviews. These agencies are also quite selective. Medium and small firms. Smaller firms may also come onto campus for interviewing, but most cannot forecast their employment needs in advance. Therefore, they probably won’t hire many summer associates, if any. When a job opens up, these firms will advertise, and they probably will want you to already have passed the bar before you apply. You probably won’t apply to these jobs until after you graduate law school.
In the letter, explicitly state that you are not asking for a job. You will get a better response this way. Develop a list of questions (at least five) and take notes. Be engaged. [22] X Research source Ask the attorney if she knows anyone else you can talk to, and be sure to send a thank you note afterward.
You can also cold call other criminal defense attorneys and ask if they have any overflow work. If you do not have a job, you should be most focused on building your reputation and not be picky about how much you get paid. If you do good work for low wages (or even for free), then the attorney may come back to you with additional work.
Unless you work as a prosecutor, you can seek out pro bono criminal defense work on your own. Many states maintain databases of organizations seeking pro bono assistance. Religious charities and immigration organizations often seek criminal defense attorneys to counsel clients.
Even some areas with public defenders often need a panel of private attorneys in case the public defender has a conflict. [24] X Research source You should ask your local court about this possibility as well.
You can also seek board certification in criminal law if your state offers it. You may have to take an exam and meet minimum practice requirements, such as practicing for a number of years and dedicating a certain percentage of your practice to criminal law.
