Pre-Law

Contact: Professor Judith Holmes

Office: 602A Goodell Building

Phone: 545-5343

For Students Interested in Attending Law School

Each year over four hundred current and former University of Massachusetts students go through the highly competitive law school application process. The Pre-Law Office is an advising office that assists students and graduates of the University in getting accepted at the law schools most suitable for them. There is no academic component to the Pre-Law Office.

A. Entrance Requirements

The only requirement for admission to law school is receipt of a bachelor's degree by the starting date of law school. There is no prescribed course of study or required major for admission. The best guide in choosing a major is to follow your personal and academic interests so that you will be motivated to excel.

Law school admissions committees look for applicants with a broad, liberal arts background.

Your General Education requirements will start you off with a good distribution, and you should continue this diversity with challenging upper-level courses. Your performance in various disciplines will give admissions committees a better idea of your overall academic potential. Students in technical or professional programs will have to work harder to develop a liberal arts base to their studies.

College study should help prepare you for law school by developing skills in analytic reasoning, problem solving, critical reading, writing, and oral communication. Since law deals with a wide variety of human conflict, a broad understanding of history, economics, sociology, and legal institutions is also helpful.

B. Grades

Good grades are very important. Do not apply to a law school with any incompletes on your record. It is also best to avoid using your Pass/Fail option in order to give the law schools a better indication of your abilities in diverse areas.

C. Foreign Languages

The study of a foreign language is not required for acceptance into law school but it is viewed as an important part of a liberal arts education. Fluency in any language other than English is viewed positively, especially for those considering international law.

D. Computer Literacy

Since the practice of law is becoming more dependent on computer technology, the more comfortable you are using computers and conducting on-line research, the better prepared you will be for law school.

E. Other Considerations

Law schools are seeking well-balanced students who have proven their ability to be successful both inside the classroom and beyond it. They are interested in what you have learned and will bring to law school from your extracurricular activities, work experiences, internships, and unusual educational experiences such as national or international exchanges. If study abroad appeals to you, you should be aware that application to law school while you are outside the U.S. is difficult and requires pre-planning before you leave. The Pre-law Adviser can help you with the necessary paperwork.

F. The Law School Admission Test (LSAT)

The LSAT is a half-day standardized test. It consists of five sections of multiple-choice questions that test you on reading comprehension, logical reasoning, and analytical reasoning.

The LSAT is designed to measure skills that are considered essential for success in law school: the ability to read and comprehend complex texts, the ability to manage and organize information, and the ability to process this information to reach conclusions. For complete information about the LSAT, ask for the LSAT Bulletin in the Pre-Law Office.

We recommend you take the LSAT in June of your junior year if you plan to go directly to law school after graduating. If you are planning to take some time off after your undergraduate studies, you should keep in mind that most schools require that you take the LSAT within three years of applying.

G. Law School Applications

Although law school applications have decreased over the past five years, it is still difficult to gain admission to law school. It is therefore critically important that students seek advising, begin planning for the application process early, and choose their law schools carefully. The Pre-Law Faculty Adviser will be happy to help. To make an advising appointment, call 545-2191.