Welcome to the latest installment of Law Admissions Q&A, a monthly feature that provides law school admissions advice to readers who send in questions and admissions profiles.
If you have a question, email us for a chance to be featured next month.
[Get more tips on applying to law school.]
This week, I will discuss considerations when requesting letters of recommendation from summer school professors. I will also address tips for applicants with science, technology, engineering and mathematics — STEM — backgrounds.
I will be applying to law school this September and I would like some advice. During my first year of university, I took my mandatory courses (100–1,000-student lectures); as a result of this, there were rarely opportunities to participate and have the professors notice me.
I took summer school for the purpose of fast-tracking my degree — it runs from May–July — and I am working on building a relationship with the professors in summer school. I took small seminar courses for the purpose of having the professors notice me. I preferably need two academic letters of recommendation for September.
Would it be acceptable to ask a couple of my summer school professors for a letter of recommendation even though they do not know me well? Are they used to such requests? How should I approach this? I do believe they like me, but as mentioned they have only known me for approximately three weeks. Also, is there any guideline for length of recommendation letters? –Summer School
Dear Summer School: D istinguishing yourself in a larger lecture course can be challenging. A letter from th at professor may not be strong, since recommenders need to be able to personalize their letters to highlight your academic accomplishments and your individual contributions.
Taking smaller seminars create s opportunities to develop relationships with your professors. The noted challenge of a summer school course is that your professors may not feel they have known you long enough to draft a strong enough recommendation. But here are some tips that will help you.
[Learn three tips for managing law school recommendations.]
First, dive into the intensive summer school experience. Make sure to show up daily prepared to engage in the material.
Go beyond the course requirements. Talk to professors before and after class , visit during office hours , ask about research opportunities or extra credit assignments. Show that you are genuinely engaged with the materials.
Next, wait until you receive your final grade before requesting the recommendation. That way, you can highlight your success in the class as evidence that the professor is in a position to write you a strong recommendation. Explaining how the class has prepared you for law school can also predispose your professor toward granting your request.
Finally, continue to nurture your relationship with the professor following the course. Consider submitting your law school applications in October or early November to give you and the professors more time to get to know each other.
A letter of recommendation should contain detailed, concrete evidence of your academic strengths in one to two single-spaced pages.
I completed a Master of Science in biotechnology this year, and I want to shift into intellectual property law, hence I will be taking my LSAT this September and applying to law schools for the fall 2018 term.
I’ve listed out a few of the questions I had regarding this: 1. Is it necessary for me to have prior knowledge about law in order to apply, or is it okay that I am from a STEM background? 2. What is, on average, the minimum GPA required by top law schools? 3. Should I apply to law schools that have an overall higher ranking or those that are specifically known to be good for patent law? –Prospective Patent J.D.
Dear Prospective Patent J.D.: Unlike other graduate degree programs, you don’t need prior knowledge about the law to apply to law school. In fact, law schools welcome applicants from diverse fields of study.
That said, your graduate work will be considered an asset and boost your law school applications. Employers in the intellectual property field will also value this.
[Read about three challenges for law school applicants with STEM degrees.]
Highlight your STEM background in your law school personal s tatement and explain how that knowledge connects to your law interest.
Top law schools don’t have a strict minimum GPA requirement. Review median LSAT/undergraduate GPA scores online or compare your undergraduate GPA and LSAT score with those of past admitted students.
While your master’s degree grades will not be calculated into your cumulative undergraduate GPA in your law school report, you must submit those transcripts. Your graduate performance will distinguish you from peers.
Finally, consider how each program will help you achieve your career goals. If you know you want to become a patent attorney, research schools with strong IP programming. Don’t completely disregard overall rank, but open yourself to programs that may have competitive IP programming.
P ay attention to other resources , too. S ome schools have an entire department devoted to the study of issues with patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets , such as Texas A&M University‘s Center for Law and Intellectual Property. Clinical work and externship opportunities are also worth considering.
When building your list of schools, think about how you envision practicing , since the programs vary in their areas of focus.
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Maximize Summer Courses for Law School Recommendations originally appeared on usnews.com
