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What Else Can I do to Prepare?
- The right time to begin law school is when you know that you are intellectually, socially and emotionally ready. While there are no course pre-requisites or types of formal training required for admission to law school, there are other, unspoken factors that can make the difference in succeeding as a law student.
Experiential Learning
- As your pre-law advisors, we strongly feel that any student considering a career in law should have some exposure to the practice of law prior to beginning law school.
- An internship or a job in a law office is one of the best ways to gain experience and make contacts with attorneys. Job shadowing, mentoring and attending seminars on the law are other additional ways to expand your knowledge of the many and varied areas of practice.
- Along with helping students understand how the legal system works, it is possible that an internship or mentorship could lead to a lifelong relationship with an established attorney that could be a source of future professional development and career opportunities.
- There are many ways for students to get involved in law as undergraduates. The Career Planning & Placement Center coordinates internship opportuntites (see the Internship Advisor for more information), which assist USC undergraduate students in connecting with lawyers who are USC alumni for jobs, internships, mentorships, questions and events.
- There are also several student organizations on campus, including the pre-law honor society, Blackstonians , and the pre-law fraternity, Phi Alpha Delta , that work to bring pre-law students together and help them learn about the law.
- Practical experience in law helps students to make the best, informed choices as to what field of law to emphasize or not emphasize in, to explore career options available to attorneys, and to decide if law is in fact the right profession for you. Before you spend three years of your life and hundreds of thousands of dollars on law school, know if it's a good fit for you.
Graduating A Year Early - Good or Bad?
- "All other issues aside, graduating early will not affect your chances [of being admitted to law school] either positively or negatively. However, you should be aware that you will be presenting law schools with a shorter track-record (ie. fewer grades) to evaluate….Just as importantly, you are losing a whole year of emotional, social, and intellectual development." - University of Chicago Pre-Law Handbook
- Some of you will be presented with the possibility of graduating early due to AP units, summer school, or other factors. While we recognize that completing your undergraduate degree a year early has its financial incentives, it may not be in the best interest of all students.
- Those students who are older, have had work experience, or that are independent, strong of character, self-disciplined and mature for their age will most likely be able to make the transition from graduating early to going directly to law school without difficulty. For other students, continuing on in their undergraduate coursework another semester or year, or working for a year or two before applying to law school may give them the extra life experience and seasoning essential to doing well, not only law school but also in the practice of law.
- The median age of students entering law school today is 25, and most of those students have had several years of work experience prior to beginning their law studies.
- When you decide to attend law school, whether you choose to graduate early, and how you choose to get exposure to the profession you are considering is up to you. Use the resources available to you and consult with your pre-law advisor to aid in your decision making process.
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