Law Career

When considering a career in law, deciphering seemingly interchangeable terms such as attorney, solicitor, lawyer and barrister can be difficult. In the UK the terms Solicitor and Barrister are used rather than attorney. Although both Solicitors and Barristers are called lawyers, they are not interchangeable terms. If you are considering becoming a lawyer and going to law school, it’s important to consider what kind of lawyer you want to be.

The Role of a Solicitor

A solicitor is generally similar to an attorney in that they represent a client directly and speak on their behalf. Solicitors generally represent clients in lower criminal court cases and civil cases. They also deal with more general areas of law such as wills and property.

The solicitor is the first person the client converses with about their case or legal issue. They will meet with a client, discuss their needs, litigate and then represent the client from then onwards.

The Role of a Barrister

A barrister does not work directly with a client, but instead they act as an independent figure in the case. The solicitor will consult the barrister about their client and the barrister will then advise the solicitor.

A barrister differs from a solicitor in that they work on cases inside the courtroom, and present the case to the judge and jury, whereas the solicitor works with the client outside of the courtroom. A barrister will also be able to work in higher courts. Additionally, a barrister does not litigate on behalf of the client, except when specifically told to by the solicitor.

The role of a solicitor and a barrister does vary greatly, and this is something that must be considered before you begin your journey into the field of law. If you would like to work more directly with clients, then a career as a solicitor is ideal. However, if you want to spend more time in court presenting cases then a becoming a barrister is a better option.

Barrister or Solicitor, a career in law is a very rewarding one full of hard hork and great achievements. Whether you are in your undergraduate as a prelaw student or rethinking your career, law school and the career beyond is a challenge so you need to know what life as lawyer will be. You may even consider shadowing or trying to get a job in a law office before committing yourself.

Application Checklist

For those graduates that decide to go to law school, there is a small hurdle of the many and varied pre-requisites that law schools like to see. A good undergraduate degree is only the starting point. The Law School Admissions Test, (LSAT) personal qualities and extra-curricular activities are all taken in to account by admissions teams. Before applying to law school, make sure you have the following in place:

1. A good LSAT score

Even once you have proven your academic prowess through the assignments and exams set during your undergraduate degree, law school admissions teams like to set more academic barriers when it comes to entering law school. The LSAT is commonly used by most law schools as a multiple-choice and multiple-format entrance test. This is a test that has to be as well prepared for as any other test you sit. You do have the opportunity to re-sit, but these opportunities are limited and your previous test scores may even be looked at.

2. Brush up on your writing skills

Of course, once you have made it past the LSAT, you still have to prove that you have what it takes to become a lawyer. A growing number of pre-law courses are available to aspiring lawyers, but most law schools accept a variety of majors. Just to stretch your capabilities further, you will find that your prospective law school will want to get to know you better through the wonderful world of essay writing.

3. Show off your personality

So once you have achieved a great degree, an astounding LSAT score and proved your capabilities further through essay writing, you have to show law admissions teams what a well-rounded person you are. Before applying to law school, think about how you can show the admissions team at your prospective university that there is more to you than your ability to pass their myriad of tests. Extra-curricular activities are taken into account by admissions teams to get an idea of what kind of person you are, so make the most of your hobbies and let yourself shine.

4. Consider admissions counseling

It would be easy to think that law school admissions teams want nothing short of perfection when it comes to their application processes. However, all those tests and hurdles are there to ensure they get a great demographic for their course. All you need to do is let yourself shine, but if you want to make your attributes stand out, consider law admissions counseling. With law admissions counseling, you can work through the maze of tasks set by your chosen universities admissions team and make your way to law school.

Court Room

Decision time has arrived. You are almost at the conclusion of your undergraduate studies; your pre-law classes have raised an awareness in your very soul that cannot be denied. With law school admission paperwork stacked on your right and the sample LSAT questions piled on your left, the time to decide is now. There are many reasons students choose one career over another, and to help you sort out your reasons, here are the top five reasons you should make the leap to law school.

Reason #5: You do not have to face the LSAT alone! High-quality test prep materials are available to ready you for this important exam. Use them.

Reason #4: Job security! As long as you are an honest and hardworking employee, you will have work. Working at a law firm is very secure employment, and there will always be a need for lawyers.

Reason #3: Great salary and advancement opportunities! On average, a lawyer earns a starting salary that begins above the $65,000 a year range. You can work your way up to partnership status, become a judge or own your own firm.

Reason #2: You now know things you didn’t know before! You have the knowledge of right and wrong, fair and equitable. Your passion for the law has been lit and cannot be extinguished. You cannot ignore it; you cannot deny it; it has become part of who you are.

Reason #1: You can make a difference! You will be the reason justice is served. Not only in the lives of the people you help, but in precedent setting cases. You are the bridge that connects people to justice, and though you haven’t met them yet, they are waiting for you.

So go ahead, order your LSAT prep materials, choose the law schools where you wish to study, and start your adventure in a amazing career in law. Your destiny is upon you.

LSAT

Almost done with your pre-law studies? Ready to take the next step? Great! Sign up for the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT), practice with your test prep program and choose the schools you would like to attend. Here are some facts about the LSAT that you can share with fellow test takers as you chat nervously in line.

1. For the last 20 years there has been an interesting trend. The number of students that take the LSAT increases when the United States economy, as measured by the gross domestic product (GDP), goes down; when the GDP rises during good economic times, the number of individuals taking the LSAT decreases.

2. The LSAT is administered to 100,000 to 150,000 test takers each year. Tests are only offered four times a year, one day during the following months: February, June, October and December. For the last 20 years, October has been the most popular month to take the test. Why? No one knows.

3. The LSAT is not a knowledge test, but rather a skills test. It measures reading and critical thinking. Skills can improve with practice. So practice, practice, practice but keep in mind a significant change in your LSAT score is very unlikely given it is an aptitude test.

4. While it is true that high-tier law schools usually prefer candidates within a specific score range, exceptions can be made by law school admissions if you have an outstanding resume and a glowing undergrad transcript that reflect high grades. So take your chances and apply at your dream school; it just might happen for you.

5. If you do not get accepted into your law school of choice, and you attend a lower tier school, you still have a shot at your first choice. You may be able to transfer schools after the first year if you have high grades to prove you have what it takes to succeed. The LSAT is a tool to measure the skills needed to be successful in law school; your transcript proves you have what it takes.

LSAC Headquarters

Some college graduates and pre-law students may think that getting into a good law school is easy. Law schools don’t just look for a great LSAT score when choosing students to fill the limited number of seats available each Fall. Once a student understands admissions criteria for entering a good law school, their chances of getting in multiply tenfold.

Admission Committees

Most law schools have a limited number of seats available for each new freshman class. Because of this, the committee that decides who gets in needs to be extra careful when evaluating applicants. Admission committees want to choose freshman classes that will have the best chance at graduating. In order to simplify evaluations, most committees break down admissions criteria into two categories, objective and subjective.

Objective Admissions Criteria

Evaluators use objective criteria to predict how first-year law students will do in school. Committees take a good look at the criterion, which includes Law School Admission Test (LSAT) scores, undergraduate grade-point average (GPA), and undergraduate coursework.

LSAT

All law school applicants must take the LSAT before applying to law school. The test itself takes half of a day to complete, and the student’s scores are sent directly to the designated law school for review.

GPA and Coursework

Admission committees evaluate official transcripts, which show the student’s undergraduate work. GPAs are important, but coursework is also equally important. Committees look at what cousrses contributed to the student’s GPA, giving more weight to advanced coursework

Subjective Criteria

Admission committees use subjective criteria to take a look into the student’s character and to see how well the student communicates their ideas.

Personal Statement

The applicant’s personal statement tells admission committees why they should admit the student into their program. Evaluators look for a strong, well-written statement, which helps them figure out who the applicant is. Applicants should revise their personal statement, and have a professional review it before submitting to make sure all grammar is correct.

Letters of Recommendation

Most law schools require applicants to submit letters of recommendation from professors, employers or other professionals. Letters should give committees a bit of insight into the applicant’s character and personal strengths.

Work Experience

Pre-law students who work in the legal industry have an advantage when admission committees look at an applicant’s experience. Evaluators search for abilities relevant to the legal profession when evaluating this subjective criterion. For applicants who have no work experience, evaluators can take a look at a student’s extra-curricular activities and internships to fill this criterion.

Yale Law School

Knowing what the best law schools are may not help you get into law school but it’s good to have dreams.  The list is composed from the US News list and is based on their criteria to rank the law schools.  Yale Law School is not only the #1 law school based on these rankings but has also got the title of the most difficult law school to get into. Another interesting thing is when looking at the tuition costs of these top law schools,  it seems as though admissions are restricted to only the most affluent. There is one thing that contradicts this though, according to the Yale Law School website about eighty percent of students receive need-based financial aid. So if you have big dreams and want to go to one of these top law schools, you will still have to put the hard work in but the prohibitive tuition costs may not be that prohibitive.

1. Yale University, New Haven, CT

• Tuition $50,275/yr
• Enrolment: 205, Applicants: 3,200
• Application deadline is February 15th
• GPA 75th / 25th percentiles: 3.81-3.96
• LSAT 75th / 25th percentiles: 171-176