If you are interested in learning more about law school directly from the schools, consider attending a recruiting event. Both the the Law Admissions Workshop Series and the Law School Admission Council’s Law School Forums are free and give you the opportunity to speak with law school representatives and ask questions about their programs.
While L.A.W.S. is a more intimate workshop setting that the top 14 law schools attend, the LSAC Law School Forums are larger and more schools participate. To make the most of your time, keep these do’s and don’ts in mind.
[Learn smart ways to leverage law school forums.]
Do plan ahead: Recruiting conventions can be overwhelming. You and many other eager, aspiring law students will be gunning to speak with prospective schools.
One of my clients attended an LSAC Law School Forum in the District of Columbia and reported that there were so many people, the convention room got hot. Still, he found the event valuable because we developed a game plan ahead of time.
You probably won’t be able to talk with every school representative. Review the list of represented schools beforehand.
Research their programs — courses, clinical opportunities, certification programs, journals, career counseling and so on. Determine the questions you still have and target those schools.
Prioritize your top choices. Representatives can be admissions deans, alumni, staff or faculty. Some may host roundtable discussions while others will speak to prospective applicants one on one. Regardless of format, come prepared with thoughtful questions.
[Find out how to make an informed decision when considering law school.]
Don’t ask obvious questions: One pet peeve of law school representatives is when prospective applicants ask a question with an answer that is readily available on the schools’ websites. Application deadlines, for example, are easy to find out.
Instead, demonstrate that you are interested in each school by asking questions with substance. This is where researching beforehand is useful. But even if you are unfamiliar with a school, you can ask an open-ended question like, “What new developments are happening on campus that I should know about?”
The goal is to have an interactive conversation with the representative, not to receive a summation of facts and figures.
Do keep an open mind: While you will want to prioritize speaking with programs you are most curious about, keep an open mind. Law school representatives are wonderful resources. You may learn something that makes a program an ideal fit.
Schools might even offer you a fee waiver to encourage you to apply. I’ve worked with plenty of applicants who decided to apply to schools they had not previously considered after learning more about what the programs had to offer.
In contrast, you may speak to a top-choice school representative who makes an underwhelming impression. Again, keep an open mind.
Did the individual rub you the wrong way , or did you learn something about the program itself that is unappealing? Take care not to discount a school based on one interaction.
Don’t ask about your admissions chances: The last thing a law school representative wants to do is predict whether you will be admitted. In fact, the majority will not take resumes. Many won’t even have a sign-up sheet to track prospective applicants.
They are not there to evaluate applicants. Rather, they are enthusiastic about their school and want to help you decide if their program is a good fit.
[Know the deciding elements in law school admissions.]
Use your time more wisely by discussing how your interests in law align with their programs. You’ll also make a more positive impression this way.
If you want to gauge your admissions chances, the LSAC website offers a search tool to compare your undergraduate grade-point average and LSAT score against the averages of admitted students.
Do network and take notes: Use this in-person opportunity to start forging relationships. Make connections and aspire to be memorable.
And while law school representatives may not write down your name, you should keep track of the individuals you spoke with and the topics and information you discussed. You may be able to reference that conversation in your personal statement, an interview or a letter of continued interest.
If you plan ahead and network effectively, you will talk with a lot of people. Avoid confusion later by jotting down the person’s name and a quick note or two about your conversation once you’ve parted ways. Your future self will thank you.
Planning to attend a recruiting event? You can reach me at lawadmissionslowdown@usnews.com.
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Make the Most of Law School Recruiting Events originally appeared on usnews.com
