The Newsletter of the Carnegie Mellon University Pre-Law Program |
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Law schools in capital cities offer outstanding opportunities for students, including a wealth of high-profile externships. And who knows? The governor may even stop by and offer advice.
AccessLaw Infographic: Thinking About Law School?
Data on today’s law students; paying for law school; and outcomes from AccessLex Institute, a nonprofit organization committed to helping talented, purpose-driven students find their path from aspiring lawyer to fulfilled professional.
After an admissions cycle like no other, when many prospective students felt duped by a system overwhelmed with demand, what comes next? Normalcy or more chaos?
Law school acceptance rates dropped by 34% at most prestigious schools
More than half of ABA-accredited law schools lowered their acceptance rate by 10% or more this past year, according to new data released by the American Bar Association. The median acceptance rate for all law schools dropped by 10% from 45.3% to 40.8%. But the change was far more dramatic for the nation’s most prestigious schools.
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Opportunities
Penn Carey Law Outreach Program: Applying to and Succeeding in Law School 2022
Application deadline: Tuesday, December 21, 11:59 p.m.. EST
Applying to and Succeeding in Law School is designed to assist high potential undergraduate and community college students from ethnically diverse, first-generation college, and/or disadvantaged backgrounds with their preparation for admission to law school. This program targets students enrolled with community college status or freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior status at a tri-state area institution.
The program’s objective is to help these students acquire the skills necessary for successful completion of the bachelor’s degree, to produce competitive applications for applying to law school, and for successful entry into law school. The program begins in the second semester of the 2021 - 2022 academic year, and it concludes with the participant’s completion of a “J.D. Action Plan.”
University of Houston Law Center Pre-Law Pipeline Program
Application period for Summer 2022 is now open!
The UHLC Pre-Law Pipeline Program offers four study tracks: Scholar I, Scholar II, UH Cougar Law Program (for select current students and recent graduates of the University of Houston only), and Working Professionals Program. Additionally, the UHLC Pre-Law Pipeline Program offers a host of professional development workshops geared towards preparing its students for networking and internship opportunities and to improve overall the caliber of the student's academic career. Included in these workshops are speaker sessions with members of the legal community, introductory legal research methods, and effective study and networking techniques.
Two Free Resources for Aspiring Law Students
As you attend law fairs, craft your personal statements, ask for letters of recommendations and finalize your list of schools, we have two tools that can help!
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XploreJD by AccessLex® is a free, online search tool offering aspiring law students a data-based approach to finding law schools that best meet their criteria. They’ll answer questions regarding five primary factors in the law school decision-making process—location, cost, academic and student experience, diversity, and outcomes—and prioritize the attributes that will most impact their decision.
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Students can use the AccessLex Law School Scholarship Databank to find scholarship opportunities to help pay for law school and lower their debt burdens. The Databank houses more than 800 curated and vetted scholarship opportunities and writing competitions, with filters to help them find the ones best suited for them.
Summer Lex Fellowship in Italy, Spain and D.C. Now Available!
Lex is the only program truly tailored to pre-law; in Lex’s “360 Law Immersion” model, you rotate to different law firms each day and get hands-on experience with diverse cases, fields, and lawyers, guided by someone from a U.S. JD background. This lets you understand the life of a lawyer across legal fields so you can make the most of law school (and confirm you want to go), and stand out in law school applications with a condensed, unique experience (that can also replace common extracurriculars, letting you focus on GPA back at home).
Marshall-Motley Scholars Program
Deadline to apply: February 11, 2022
Named in honor of the legendary civil rights attorney and LDF founder Thurgood Marshall, and iconic civil rights litigator Constance Baker Motley, the Marshall-Motley Scholars Program (MMSP) a groundbreaking commitment to endow the South with the next generation of civil rights lawyers trained to provide legal advocacy of unparalleled excellence.
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Events
Virtual Pre-Law Program CLEO: College Scholars Program
Saturday, January 22, 2022 - 9 a.m.to 4 p.m.
Hosted by Golden Gate Law University School of Law
The Ultimate Preparation to Help You Become a More Competitive Law School Applicant!
Designed to identify, motivate and prepare students for a career in the legal profession. Committed students can learn how to successfully navigate the law school admission process and underwrite their success in law school by participating in the College Scholars program.
For Sophomores: The Sophomore Super Saturdays seminar aims to help students further develop logical reasoning, reading comprehension and writing skills - the skills needed to become a competitive law school applicant.
For Juniors, Seniors/Post Graduates: Juniors Jumpstart the LSAT seminar aims to help participants understand the importance of systematic and timely preparation for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT)
Save the date: Finding Justice: How Attorneys Help Victims and Survivors of Human Trafficking Across the U.S.
Tuesday, January. 25, 2022, 3:30 to 5 p.m. ET/12:30 to 2 p.m. PT
In observance of Human Rights Month - January 2022, Montclair State University’s Pre-Law Program, Pre-Law Society, Global Center on Human Trafficking, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Career Services (CHSS) invite all human rights supporters and aspiring attorneys to participate in a virtual roundtable discussion with five experienced legal professionals about their work finding pathways to justice for their clients. The discussion will be led by Ali Boak, Director, Global Center on Human Trafficking.
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Oklahoma City University School of Law
Oklahoma City University School of Law has embarked on a new era. It’s moved to a new location downtown, in the historic and architecturally praised former Central High School.
Yes, it adds a serious dash of class. But, more importantly, it puts the school in the heart of the city, the state capital.
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Five tips for learning the law
To succeed in law school and pass the bar exam, you’ll need to learn the law. To learn the law, you’ll need a game plan. If you’re unsure how to begin, you’ve come to the right place. Whether you’re starting law school or preparing to take the bar exam, these tips for learning the law will help you achieve success!
How to save money on law school application fees
It can cost upwards of $1,000 just to apply to law school. And that’s before you even begin to think about tuition. But if the cost of applying to law school is scary, there may be ways to reduce those costs. There are several ways to potentially not have to pay application fees for all of the schools you plan to apply to.
Breadth v. depth: choosing your law school classes after your first year
Three approaches to choosing your law school classes: the “I already know what I want to do” method; the experimental method; the bar prep method.
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Pre-Law Advising Office
Dr. Joseph E. Devine
University Pre-Law Advisor
Thomas M. Kerr, Jr. Student Pre-Law Society
Mahima Aggarwal
Senior, Ethics, History & Public Policy
President, Thomas M. Kerr, Jr. Student Pre-Law Society
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