Not too long ago, when applying to law school, your LSAT score and GPA were the most important parts of your application and could predict with a high degree of certainty which schools would admit you.
An excellent personal statement could also move the needle, so while it is becoming increasingly important, it’s a component that is rarely overlooked by applicants.
In recent years, however, an increasing number of law schools are emphasizing admitting students with significant work experience over those applying straight from college.
[Read: Pros, Cons of Applying to Law School as an Undergrad.]
When former Harvard Law School Dean Martha Minow took office in 2009, she directed the admissions committee to “give extra weight to applicants with experience since college.” Consequently, the percentage of law students matriculating at Harvard straight from college dropped from around 40 percent before 2009 to 19 percent for the Class of 2020.
Echoing the sentiment, the dean of Northwestern University’s Pritzker School of Law, Daniel B. Rodriguez, told Fortune magazine that the school puts “a strong emphasis on work experience,” as confirmed by an incoming fall 2017 class in which 86 percent of students possess at least one year of post-college experience.
Now almost a decade in the making, this trend is unlikely to dissipate. The recent increase in applicants — a 10.6 percent rise between January 2017 and January 2018, according to the Law School Admission Council — allows schools to be more selective when evaluating applicants.
And with more applicants having similar scores, work experience might well be the difference maker.
This application volume increase, often referred to as ” the Trump Bump,” is attributed in large part to a reaction to President Donald Trump’s policies, prompting those interested in getting involved in relevant legal disciplines such as civil rights law, international law, immigration law and even national security law to submit law school applications.
A 21.4 percent increase of December LSAT takers between 2016 and 2017, per LSAC data, indicates that upcoming cycles could be even more competitive, making matriculating straight from college even more challenging.
[Read: 5 Traits That Help People Get Into Top Law Schools.]
Having said that, not every applicant wants to spend a few years in a workplace they have no intention in committing to long term or maintain that academic-focused state of mind without taking a gap year. So how does such an applicant level the playing field with the more experienced competition?
First, you should emphasize whatever experience you have. Anything from jobs before or during college, through summer internships and teaching or research assistant positions, to leadership positions held while in school, such as chairing the prelaw society or holding mentorship roles, should be put on your law school resume and highlighted as much as possible.
Integrating such experience into your personal statement would not only bring it to the reader’s attention, but also offer insight into what the experience looked like and what skills you developed through it.
More importantly, doing so would provide specific examples of meaningful events you were a part of, displaying diligence, maturity and leadership — all skills that schools value and one of the reasons they encourage applicants to have work experience in the first place.
Additionally, including an addendum discussing your lack of experience could contextualize it for the admissions committee, thus improving your chances. Addenda are generally appropriate when a part of an application might make the school apprehensive about a prospective student, which that student would like to explain.
Pointing out your relative lack of experience while imploring the admissions committee to focus on other stronger parts of your application, such as your GPA or LSAT score, would show the school that you’re mature enough to recognize this perceived deficiency and will draw its attention once more to your stronger skills.
Moreover, to the extent you have not done so in your personal statement, an addendum provides another opportunity for you to discuss the chances you had to gain important skills, such as internships, in lieu of post-college employment.
[Read: Evaluate Pros, Cons of Gaining Work Experience Before Law School.]
Note, however, that this advice comes with a couple of caveats.
First, although a growing trend, not every school values work experience to the same extent. Before discussing your lack of experience, do a bit of research on the school to which you intend to apply and determine whether it’s worth pointing out your lack of experience. The percentage of incoming 1Ls matriculating within one year of graduating is usually a good indicator.
Similarly, if you choose to highlight nonwork experiences, it would be much more effective if there is some nexus between those and your career goals. For example, if you state in your personal statement that you’re interested in working in immigration law, having interned with an immigrant help or service center could be more valuable than, say, working for a high-tech company after graduation, so make sure to emphasize that connection.
Finally, remember that law schools will still consider your candidacy even without work experience, so don’t be shy about submitting an application without it. The better your scores are, the less emphasis will be put on your resume — so go ahead and take that shot.
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Why Work Experience Matters for Law School Applicants originally appeared on usnews.com
