What Will Law Schools Do To Stay Afloat?

Is This The Right Time To Apply To Law School?

“There’s never a right time.”
You hear that phrase attached to nearly every life-changing event. Whether you’re starting a family or switching jobs, you’ll rarely reach a point where you have the time, money, or experience to make a smooth transition. That’s life: It’s messy, and it rarely runs on your schedule.
Why should picking a school be any different, right? That’s the central point of Shawn O’Connor’s recent column in US News and World Report. A Harvard Law and Business School graduate and President of test prep and admissions consulting firm Stratus Prep, O’Connor answers some questions common to students who aren’t quite ready to take the plunge.
Q: Does taking time off between college and law school hurt my chance of being admitted?
A: “Admissions committees do not factor time off into their decisions – instead, they focus on your fit for the school, GPA, LSAT score, essays, recommendations, background and what you accomplished during your time off after college … If you know you want to go to law school but want some time to work—perhaps as a paralegal—to confirm your legal aspirations and save up some cash, that will not reflect negatively on your applications and can benefit you in the long run.”
Q: What if I’m not ready for classes?
A: “Your first year, known as the 1L year, will be the most important of all three years spent attaining your law degree … This is because your 1L grades are the only grades that hiring firms will be able to evaluate when you apply for 2L summer internships. Your 2L summer internship can determine your employment after graduation—many firms end up hiring their interns and consider the 2L summer internship a dress rehearsal for the job … Because your 1L grades are so important, you need to ensure that you are prepared for the challenge before you fill out your law school applications.” (Note: O’Connor took four years off between graduation and law school to gain experience and prepare himself for law school.)
Q: When should I take the LSAT?
A: “I recommend taking the LSAT during college. You will probably have more time as a student than as a professional to study for the exam, and you are already in an academic mode so it may be easier to focus. Your LSAT score is good for five years, so you can take it during college and apply years later if desired.”
Source: US News and World Report