Why Now Is The Right Time To Apply To Law School

Four Reasons Not to Apply to Law School
You’ve been told since a young age that you love to argue. Maybe you come from a large family of lawyers – or perhaps your loved ones are a tad dysfunctional. Either way, none of these will help you in your law school application.
Understanding the law school application and having a strategic and self-aware approach is essential when applying. You need to prove to law admissions how critical experiences in your life demonstrate your identity and how they will help you succeed at said law school.
Julie Ketover, a law school admissions counselor at Stratus Admissions Consulting, has heard all the wrong reasons for going to law school. In a recent column in US News, she details four pitfalls in explaining why you are applying to law school:
1.) “I come from a family of lawyers”
Avoid simply using your family name as a means for admission, she argues. If you do actually come from a family of lawyers, showcase your individual uniqueness in your application. Demonstrate why you want to be a lawyer. Saying you simply come from a family of lawyers is “unconvincing and can be perceived as intellectually lazy” Ketover writes.
2.) “I love to argue”
This is the most common argument for why you should go to law school. While being able to defend your position may be important for a law career, it isn’t going to get you a ticket to law school. Highlight certain skills you have that go beyond simply a passion for arguing. Ketover urges students to showcase skills such as “keen analytical thinking and exhaustive research prowess.” These types of skills are more universally important in law and suggest a more realistic expectation of a law career than simply loving to argue.
3.) “My favorite TV show is Law & Order”
Saying you deserve law school admission simply because you were inspired by a TV show is a lazy and unrealistic tactic. Unlike lawyers on TV, many lawyers actually never see the inside of the courtroom. Rather than draw your inspiration and passion from a TV show, showcase your real-world experiences and achievements.

4.) “I want to help people”
This may seem like a noble reason to attend law school, but it is too vague of a statement. Take it a step further and demonstrate how you will use your law degree to improve the lives of others.
At the end of the day, a law school application takes time for self-reflection. The previous four tactics simply state your desire to attend law school. They are lazy and blank statements that aren’t supported with strong reasoning. Take it a step further. Be strategic, but more importantly, be self aware.
To read some successful law school essays, click here.
Sources: US News, US News