Contrary to popular belief, law school applicants represent an extremely diverse set of academic and professional backgrounds. Many people think that a successful law school applicant must have studied the humanities or social sciences in college and, if one has work experience, that experience must be in the legal field or closely connected to it.
In fact, not only does a background outside the humanities or social sciences not disqualify you for law school, admissions offices value diversity of academic and professional experiences when constructing their incoming classes. One of the most common academic backgrounds I encounter among students is in the so-called STEM fields: science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Although applicants with STEM backgrounds are at no disadvantage when applying to law school, there are a few challenges that apply particularly to STEM applicants — but there are ways to overcome them.
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1. A lack of academic reading, writing and research experience: Most STEM applicants have focused their academic careers primarily or entirely on STEM subjects. This is caused in part by the demanding requirements for majoring in STEM subjects, often including time-consuming laboratory-oriented courses and prerequisite courses for higher-level STEM classes. This is also caused by a — perhaps cultural — intellectual and academic divide between “words” and “numbers” people. Students who excel in math and the sciences in high school tend to be comfortable in those subjects and may be less apt to venture into subjects that are reading and writing intensive.
If you are still in college, the best way to address this issue is to seek courses in the humanities and social sciences that interest you. Taking a few such courses will strengthen your reading, writing and research skills, all of which are essential to being a successful law student and lawyer. Taking these courses will also allay any concerns admissions offices may have that you might struggle with a totally different method of learning and evaluation than the method you are used to in STEM courses.
If you are out of college, consider pursuing volunteer work that involves reading, writing or academic-style research. Many nonprofit organizations focused on policy welcome volunteers who are willing to do such work.
2. A lower undergraduate GPA: Although any applicant can hav e a low undergraduate GPA , there tends to be less grade inflation in these subjects than there is in majors in the humanities and social sciences. This can result in a lower undergraduate GPA than that of an applicant who has majored in a subject in the humanities or social sciences.
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If you are in this situation, first know that admissions offices are very sophisticated in the way they interpret undergraduate GPAs. They will have your transcript, which will tell them what courses you took and what grades you received in them. They will also have information about average GPAs within each department at your specific school, which will enable them to better understand your true academic abilities.
For example, one of my recent clients was worried about the dip in her GPA during the semesters in which she took organic chemistry — a prerequisite to take higher-level major courses. She earned a B, but the class average was significantly lower. We wrote an addendum to explain that while that grade lowered her overall GPA, it was a strong grade compared with the other students in the class.
3. A lack of professional experience that directly relates to a career in law: For STEM applicants who are applying to law school with some post-undergraduate work experience, a common challenge is creating a connection between their work experience and a desire to become a lawyer.
When you address your work experience, focus less on the content of the work and focus more on the skills you used and developed at work. STEM applicants often use and develop skills such as attention to detail, linear thinking, organization and approaches to vast, complex problems that are valuable both as a law student and as a lawyer.
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Another way to connect your professional experience with the law is by displaying an interest in areas of law that benefit from training and knowledge in STEM subjects. An understanding of biology and chemistry is valuable in the practice of environmental law, and intellectual property law is a common practice area for those well versed in technology. For example, I recently worked with a client who was an engineering major, and together we selected schools that have strong intellectual property programs.
Are you applying to law school with a STEM background? Let me know in an email or tweet me.
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3 Challenges for Law School Applicants With STEM Degrees originally appeared on usnews.com
