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.
This week, I will discuss what to look for if you’re seeking a collaborative law school environment, as well as the pros and cons of joint letters of recommendation.
[Read about four factors for picking the right law school.]
I am in the process of looking around at law schools, and I recently came across your article. I graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in anthropology and peace studies and a master’s in sociology with a focus on social movements and immigration.
I am interested in studying immigration law, and upon graduating I would like to work for a firm while assisting immigrants pro bono. I am fluent in Spanish.
I am confident I can get a high LSAT score and generally tend to test well. I am looking for a school that is philanthropic and has a more team-driven vs. individually driven atmosphere, since I enjoy working alongside my peers rather than against them. Do you have any suggestions or resources that could help narrow my search? -Looking to Collaborate
Dear Looking to Collaborate:
Thank you for reading our article, ” Pick the Right Law School for Immigration Law Career.” Campus culture can vary at law schools both from year to year and within each course.
For most schools, your 1L curriculum is standardized and can be competitive because everyone is taking the same courses and grades affect employment prospects. To identify schools with a philanthropic and team-driven approach, look for alternative curricula and grading, pro bono programming, the image schools attempt to cultivate and student perception of campus life.
If you are looking for schools with alternative programming, one example is Georgetown University Law School. Its Curriculum B takes a more integrative and interdisciplinary approach to foundational legal courses, including a fall seminar that meets in small groups. Georgetown likewise has a strong Human Rights & Immigration program.
[Find 10 law schools with small classes.]
You can also look for schools that forgo traditional grades, like Northeastern University Law School, to foster an environment of teamwork and collaboration.
The University of California–Berkeley School of Law does not rank or grade students and emphasizes a pro bono culture of experiential learning. Schools that stress the importance of supporting the community will attract students with a philanthropic mindset like yours.
In addition to targeting schools with strong immigration programs, pay attention to marketing. For example, the University of San Diego School of Law promotes itself as a very supportive environment. With 70 percent of students receiving scholarship support, the university says it attracts students who are both diverse and equally committed to teamwork and excellence.
Northwestern University’s Pritzker School of Law also actively cultivates a noncompetitive environment, saying it considers itself a community and not simply a law school. As the only major law school that encourages all applicants to interview, Northwestern says its commitment to shaping a harmonious student body begins with the admissions process.
One of the most effective ways to evaluate whether you’ll fit into the campus culture is to visit. Tour the campus and talk to enrolled students. Don’t limit yourself to students working for the admissions office. Approach students who may be taking a study break to get their unfiltered impressions.
If a tour is not feasible, contact the admissions office and ask it to put you in touch with enrolled students. Contact your network to find students and alumni who can answer your questions candidly.
[Consider the benefits of law school visits at each stage of admissions.]
I’m a legal secretary at a big New York City law firm applying to law school this fall. My question is whether an associate and a partner supervising me can write a joint letter of recommendation. What are your thoughts on that? -Two Birds, One Stone
Dear Two Birds, One Stone:
I have worked with applicants who have submitted joint letters of recommendation in the past. Here are some considerations.
One pro is that a joint recommendation letter can avoid overlap, since you are likely working on the same projects. This joint letter also gives you room to submit a second or third letter from a different source.
On the negative side, a joint recommendation can feel disjointed — how will the drafters unite their impressions? This type of recommendation can also be unnecessary if one of the signers didn’t really contribute to the letter.
In a case where a partner or associate is drafting the letter, my guess is that the associate will do all the writing. If that’s the case, why bother to have the partner sign it?
Applicants are often too concerned about name recognition and status. But law school admissions committees know that partners are super busy and that applicants may have worked more directly with a junior or midlevel associate.
Think about why you are considering a joint recommendation. If there’s a legitimate reason, then go for it. If your motive is simply to put another name on the letter, consider opting for just one signer.
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Law School Q&A: Campus Culture, Joint Recommendation Letters originally appeared on usnews.com
