Getting it Together: The Law School Application Process

CMU Pre-Law: Co-Curricular Support to Assist All CMU Students Pursuing

Law School Admission

Learning about LSAC

• Visit the Law School Admissions Council at www.LSAC.org during the spring of your junior year of college.– Register for the LSAT [June is the preferred test

date, but October can work.]– At the same time that you register for the LSAT,

also register for the Credential Assembly Service.

Keys to Success in Law School Admission

• Preparation for the Law School Admission Test– Take it during the summer before your senior year

of college.– Timing is important - law schools use rolling

admissions and begin admitting students by the end of October.

– Preparation for the LSAT is important!• Take practice tests.• Work on question types with which you have trouble.

Select a set of law schools

• During the junior year of college select a group of 5-7 law schools with which you would be comfortable if admitted. – Quality– Cost– Geography

Credential Assembly Service

• September of your senior year you should arrange to:– Submit all college transcripts to CAS – include

original for dual enrollment classes.– Arrange to have at least three references submit

letters to CAS – do this early or it will delay you.– Confirm that your CAS file is complete by the end of

October of your senior year.– Select the Law Schools which are to receive your file,

and then confirm receipt with each law school.

Apply Early

• Complete your application at each law school on your list by Halloween of your senior year of college – and not later than Thanksgiving.– Be ready for some rejection. About 150,000

applications are made each year, for fewer than 50,000 openings.

– However, CMU has an excellent track record of law school placement, so if you have a GPA of 3.25 or above and score 151 [50th percentile] on the LSAT, there is every reason to believe that you can be admitted to law school somewhere.