How To Prepare for Law School

LSAT preparation
·Obtain a copy of the LSAT & LSDAS Registration and Information Book from the pre-law advisor’s office (2210 Coleman Hall).
·LSAT exams are offered at EIU four times each year: February, June, October, and December.
·Register to take the test early. If you hope to attend law school the fall following your graduation, consider taking the June exam prior to your senior year. October is cutting it close, and the December of your senior year is too late for many law schools.
·Study hard for the LSAT: plan to take it once and only once, and do well. If you do poorly and are considering retaking the LSAT, discuss this with the pre-law advisor.
·For many students, taking multiple practice LSATs is the most effective way to study for the real LSAT
·Excellent preparatory material can be purchased through LSAC (Law School Admission Council), especially the “TriplePrep Plus.” (Order form is available in the LSAT Information Book or on-line at www.LSAC.org)
·Take the Mock LSAT and the LSAT Prep Course offered Spring semester by the Pre-Law Honorary Society.
·Consider taking a commercial LSAT prep course, especially if you are not a self-motivated studier or your scores on sample tests are not good.

Deciding where to apply for law school
·Visit Law Day held at EIU and meet with law school admissions representatives and learn about what their universities have to offer
·Consult the ABA-LSAC Official Guide to ABA-Approved Law Schools (copy available in the pre-law advisor’s office, or on-line at www.LSAC.org. To determine where you have a realistic chance of being admitted, consult the grids based on LSAT and GPA.
·Think about the region of the country where you would prefer to practice law
·Arrange to visit the law schools that interest you the most; attend some classes, talk with students and professors. The Pre-Law Society takes some group trips to regional law schools

Gaining experience before attending law school
·Legal internship- Decided whether or not the legal profession is for you is a difficult decision. A legal internship at EIU will give you the legal experience and fulfill credit hours.
·Moot Court- Moot Court is an excellent way to learn and practice legal argument in an exciting environment. During the Fall 2006 semester, Moot Court meets weekly on Mondays at 4:00. See the Pre-Law Advisor for more information. For more information about intercollegiate Moot Court in general, vist the American Moot Court Association homepage at http://honors.uta.edu/mootcourt. Phi Alpha Delta/ Pre-Law Honorary Society- This is Eastern’s pre-law fraternity, which offers a variety of benefits to pre-law students at EIU ·Take at least one public law class to see if you like reading appellate court cases; this is most of what you will do in law school ·Consider the Pre-Law Minor

Preparing for Law School Timeline

Freshman Year
·Get to know the pre-law advisor, Dr. Karen Swenson (2210 Coleman Hall)
·Begin the process of selecting a major
Inquire about undergraduate legal internships, Mock Trial, and the Pre-Law Honorary Society
Your GPA is cumulative - do your best from the beginning

Sophomore Year
Choose courses that offer skills in critical reading, analytical and logical reasoning, and technical writing. Take at least one public law class.
Begin to establish a relationship with professors who will write your letters of recommendation

Junior Year
and the
Study for the LSAT, and take sample tests
Think about taking an LSAT prep course, especially if you are not a self-motivated studier or your scores on sample tests are not good
Register for the LSAT and plan on taking the LSAT June of Junior year of October of Senior year
Consider if law school is really best for you: discuss your career options with the pre-law advisor and your major advisor, take a pre-law internship to have contact with lawyers and legal work
Begin choosing law schools to which you may apply (use the ABA-LSAC Official Guide to ABA-Approved Law Schools)
Visit law schools that interest you

Senior Year
Take LSAT by October
Register with the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS) at least 6 weeks prior to sending your applications off to law schools
Narrow down which law schools to apply to (students typically apply to 5)
Obtain applications from prospective law schools
Write your personal statements and obtain letters of recommendation
Apply to law school (the earlier the better - November is the beginning of many law schools early review processes)
Check out financial aid opportunities
Wait for acceptance letters

For More Information:
Obtain a copy of LSAT & LSDAS Registration and Information Book
Visit the LSAC website at www.LSAC.org
Look into pre-law courses in the Pre-law Minor and other pre-law activities listed on the Political Science Department web page

Contact the pre-law advisor,
Professor Karen Swenson, Ph.D.
Department of Political Science
Phone: (217) 581-6964
Email: kbswenson@eiu.edu
Office: 2321 Coleman Hall