How to Think About Law School: A Handbook for Undergraduates and their Parents

by Michael R. Dillon

Overview

This Handbook provides a comprehensive guide for college students and high school seniors considering law school. It teaches how to build an undergraduate resume, how to gather information about law school and legal careers, how to prepare for the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) and how to navigate the pitfalls of the law school application process.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781475802450
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	02/21/2013
Pages:	150
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	3 Months to 17 Years

About the Author

Michael R. Dillon, PhD, JD, is Chair and Professor of Political Science as well as Coordinator of the Pre-Law Program at La Salle University in Philadelphia. He previously practiced law for twenty-two years in the Litigation Section of Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP, one of the largest law firms in the United States.

Table of Contents

Preface—-About this Handbook 1. Pre-Law Undergraduates - Majors, Majors Everywhere 1.1. Follow Your Passion I 1.2. No One Right or Wrong Choice of Majors 1.3. Dual Majors Are Not Necessarily Better 1.4. Follow Your Passion II 1.5. Save Your Successes 1.6. It’s OK to Decide “No” 2. Your Mission Freshman and Sophomore Years 2.1. GPA Foundations 2.2. A Myriad of Options 2.3. It’s Not on TV 2.4. Ask, Interview, Shadow and Visit 2.5. Pre-Law Programs and Advisors 2.6. Disciplinary Disclosures 2.7. Question 1 – How much will it cost and how do I pay for it? 2.8. Question 2 – Why such high levels of lawyer dissatisfaction? 3. The Time Table Junior Year 3.1. Counting Backward 3.2. The Friday Before Thanksgiving 3.3. Test Prep, Test Prep and More Test Prep 3.4. Timing of the LSAT 3.5. LSAC Accounts 3.6. Letters of Recommendation 3.7. Resumes 3.8. Personal Statements 3.0. Waiting for a Year or Two 4. The LSAT Examination 4.1. Prep Courses – Do I Need One 4.2. Test Day – It’s Not as Short as You Think 4.3. The Nature of the Questions 4.4. How Much Preparation is Enough? 4.5. But, Can’t I Take it Again? 4.6. What to Know About The Scores 4.7. The Night After the Test 5. Choosing a Law School – “Know Thyself 5.1. What Not To Do 5.2. Areas of Emphasis 5.3. Law School Rankings 5.4. Web-sites to Know 5.5. All the Same But Different 5.6. Careers Can Change 6. How Do I Pay for It? 6.1. Don’t Count on Scholarships 6.2. Tuition, Books, Living Expenses Equal? 6.3. Like Buying Your First House 6.4. Interest Rates on Loans 6.5. Your Debt Limits How and Where You Can Practice 7. Application Process 7.1. LSAC Account 7.2. LSAT Score 7.3. Undergraduate Transcript(s) 7.4. Personal Statement 7.5. Letters of Recommendation 7.6. Resumes 7.7. Early Decision 7.8. Addendum Do’s and Don’ts 7.9. Disclosures Advertent and Inadvertent 7.10.How Many Applications? 7.11.First, Second, Third Tiers 7.12.Forget Rankings Most of the Time 7.13.The “Wait” List 8. Acceptance – The Holy Grail 8.1. I Can Breathe Now 8.2. Visiting Schools - Stay the Day 8.3. What Is My Long Term Goal? 8.4. Where Can I Flourish? 8.5. The Summer Before Law School 8.6. Proposal for a Legal Reading Plan 8.7. Proposal for a Non-Legal Reading Plan 9. The First Year – There Are No Second Chances 9.1. Transition and Success – Starting Fast 9.2. Curriculum and Briefing 9.3. The Reading Load 9.4. Socratic Method 9.5. Study Groups or Not 9.6. “Thinking Like a Lawyer” 9.7. Outlines – Do Your Own 9.8. Examinations 9.9. Law Review 9.10.Second Year Interviews 9.11.Clerkships 9.12.Summer After First Year 10. The Second Year 10.1. The Curriculum 10.2. Law Review 10.3. Interviewing for Summer Associates 10.4. Clinical Programs 10.5. Moot Court and Mock Trial 10.6. Elective Courses - Winnowing Down Your Options 10.7. Competitive, Confident and Cordial 10.8. Summer After Second Year - Summer Partners 11. The Third Year 11.1. Waste of Time? The Unnecessary Year? 11.2. Electives - Has Your Passion Changed? 11.3. Still Building Resumes 11.4. Networking and Faculty Support 11.5. Employment within 150 Mile Radius 11.6. Remember: Your Debt May Limit Your Job Prospects 11.7. Summer After Third Year - You Are Not Bar Exam Ready 11.8. Your Are Also Not Practice Ready 12. Lessons To Carry With You 12.1. Learning Every Day 12.2. Continue to Pursue Your Passion 12.3. Thinking Problems Through and Tracking the Details 12.4. Respect, Civility and People 12.5. A Profession, Not Merely a Job 12.6. Doing “Good” while Doing Well 12.7. Stress, Success, Failure and Family Appendices A. A Four Year Undergraduate Check List B. Letter of Recommendation Form for Faculty C. A Successful Law School Application Strategy D. Additional Readings and Resources Afterword

What People are Saying About This

Grant W. Keener

Dillon succeeds where few have: he cuts through the plethora of misinformation about law school admissions, the law school experience and legal careers to author a candid, insightful and eminently readable guide that is a ‘must have’ for anyone considering law school. Only someone with Dillon’s decades of experience in practice and academia could write with such clarity on the subtle nuances that define successful applications.

Linda R. Singer

Michael Dillon's useful and engaging book provides both law school-bound students and their parents an honest and practical analysis of the pros and cons of entering law school and lawyering. Inspiring in this era of lawyer-bashing, Dillon, a gifted teacher who spent 22 years in law practice (I know first-hand that he was excellent at it) advises would-be lawyers to 'follow your passion.' Particularly helpful is a check-list for each of the four years of college that should help undergraduates get into law school, with extended advice to carry them through into practice.

Michael W. Steinberg

Anxious pre-law students (and their parents) will devour this book. Professor Dillon explains–calmly and honestly–how to get in, how to get through, and how to get hired. I wish I’d had this book when I applied to law school!

Editorial Reviews

Michael Dillon's useful and engaging book provides both law school-bound students and their parents an honest and practical analysis of the pros and cons of entering law school and lawyering. Inspiring in this era of lawyer-bashing, Dillon, a gifted teacher who spent 22 years in law practice (I know first-hand that he was excellent at it) advises would-be lawyers to 'follow your passion.' Particularly helpful is a check-list for each of the four years of college that should help undergraduates get into law school, with extended advice to carry them through into practice.

Linda R. Singer

Anxious pre-law students (and their parents) will devour this book. Professor Dillon explains–calmly and honestly–how to get in, how to get through, and how to get hired. I wish I’d had this book when I applied to law school!

Michael W. Steinberg

Dr. Dillon succeeds where few have: he cuts through the plethora of misinformation about law school admissions, the law school experience and legal careers to author a candid, insightful and eminently readable guide that is a ‘must have’ for anyone considering law school. Only someone with Dillon’s decades of experience in practice and academia could write with such clarity on the subtle nuances that define successful applications.

Grant W. Keener