Applying to law school starts with reading LSAC.org

The two most important considerations for applying to law school are the applicant’s undergraduate grade point average (GPA) and the law school admission test (LSAT) score. The higher these scores, the better.

A completed application typically includes:

• A good GPA

• A good LSAT score

• A personal statement

• A one-page resume

• 2-4 letters of recommendation

• Transcripts

• An application from the law school

Most of the application process is facilitated by LSAC.org. If you are interested in going to law school, visit LSAC.org and consume all the information on this website. The information needed to successfully apply to law school is on LSAC.org. You are also encouraged to contact the admissions office of the law schools you would like to attend.

LawHub is a resource available through LSAC.org “to help you explore, prepare for, and succeed in your legal education journey.” There are two LawHub avenues, a free version and a premium version that costs $120 for 1-year unlimited access.

LawHub (free!) includes:

• 4 full official LSAT practice tests with answer keys and explanations

• LSAT argumentative writing practice

• LSAT prep videos, articles, and examples of prelaw success

• LSAT drill sets with 100s of questions, hints, and explanations

• Authentic test interface

• Self-paced and simulated exam modes

LawHub Advantage includes:

• 55 additional full official LSAT practice tests with answer keys and explanations

• 2 additional argumentative writing practice prompts

• Included LSAC fee waiver

• Works with all official LSAT content licensee commercial prep or 1:1 coaching services

• Authentic test interface

• Self-paced and simulated exam modes

LawHub (free!) provides free courses, topics include:

• How do I pay for law school?

• How to write a personal statement

• How do I apply to law school?

• Mapping your legal career

• Intro to the 1L study skills toolbox

• Intro to legal reasoning and analysis

• Intro to law school case briefing

• Intro to law school note taking

• Finding your community

• How will I be graded in law school?

• The U.S. judicial system

• The U.S. legal system

• And more!

LawHub Advantage has all the free courses, plus:

• KnowB4UGo

• Legal Analysis Bootcamp

• How do I create an outline?

• How do I answer a personal jurisdiction question?

• Types of formative assessments for law school success

• Memory techniques for legal study

• Building effective study habits

• Recognizing your personal learning style

• Seeking and using feedback effectively

I am the law Podcast:

I am the law podcast is available wherever you listen to podcasts.

• Feb 10 — Digital, JD-focused

• July 22 — Washington, D.C.

• Sep 23 — Digital, LLM only

• Sep 28 — Toronto

• Oct 3 — Houston

• Oct 9 — Atlanta

• Oct 13 — Digital, JD-focused

• Oct 16 — New York

• Oct 17 — New York

• Oct 24 — Chicago

• Nov 7 — Los Angeles

• Nov 14 — Boston

• Nov 18 — Digital, JD-focused

• Feb 4 — Digital, JD-focused

Financial Aid FAQs

LawHub.org/trends

A major challenge with the law school application process is the LSAT exam. There are three ways to approach this test.

1. Self-study

2. Pay a business to train you

3. Hybrid of both self-study and paying a business

My advice is to pay a business to train you to take the LSAT. Plan to take the exam the summer before your senior year of college. If you find a reputable company and do what they tell you to do, and if you study 2-3 hours a day, 5-6 days a week, for 6-8 weeks, then you should be ready to perform at your best on the date of your LSAT exam.

Everyone wants their LSAT score to be higher, unless they earned a 180. Those people are rare and probably make a career training people on how to take the LSAT. The rest of us mere mortals ought to pay a company to train us, work hard preparing to do well on the LSAT, and then take the exam and live with the score.

As long as the score is within five points or so of your practice scores, then that is your LSAT score. Live with it and move on with your life. While you are allowed to take the LSAT more than once, why would you want to do that? The LSAT is hard work. Taking it only once shows the admission committee that you can perform when called upon. This is useful, because in law school, most of your classes will only be one final exam, and it is important to be able to perform when called to perform.

That said, if you need to re-take the LSAT, then go for it. You are the one in charge of your own application.

If you take your LSAT exam the summer before your senior year of college, let’s say in July, then that allows you to use August to write your personal statement, resume, and collect on your letters of recommendation. You can also request your transcripts be sent to LSAC.org.

Law schools take applications on a “rolling” basis, which means as applications roll in, law schools may make admission decisions.

Accordingly, there is a strategic advantage to being early in the admissions process. If you can apply in October or November of your senior year in college, then you increase your odds of being accepted and getting more generous scholarship offers.

You do not need to be the first person to apply, but the sooner in the application cycle you can apply, the better, because the application process gets more competitive as time goes on; the GPA and LSAT numbers that might look good in October might look less competitive by the following March. Law schools have fewer seats and less scholarship money to offer later in the application cycle; so, apply as early in the cycle as you can.

Here are some key moments in each year’s law school application cycle to consider:

• Summer before senior year: Take the LSAT

• Fall of senior year: apply to law schools by October or November

• Spring semester: enjoy your final term in college and watch (hopefully) all the law school acceptance letters arrive in your mailbox