There is no best major for law school. The best preparation is a challenging and well-rounded undergraduate education. Law schools do not list specific courses as prerequisites for admission, but they do look for rigors of academics and proficiency in the use of the English language. Because the practice of law is so multi-faceted, law schools welcome applications from students with diverse academic backgrounds.

No. A double major is fine if you would do it regardless of going to law school but it is not relevant in terms of law school admission.

Law schools are interested in the traits of the applicant more than the reputation of the undergraduate institution. Students should choose a college or university that will provide the learning environment and educational opportunities that are best suited to their needs and comfort level.

​Law schools look for trends in students’ academic record. A few low grades in introductory courses taken during your freshman year offset by high grades in demanding advanced courses may stand you in good stead as a strong candidate. Law school admissions committees, however, will be concerned about a candidate who starts out strong and then continues on a downward trend for the remainder of their undergraduate education.

Grade Replacement Opportunity (GRO) is not a good option for pre-law. CAS factors in both grades so even if the new grade is an “A”, your cumulative reported GPA will be lower than it appears on your UA transcript.

An integral aspect of a well-rounded person is your involvement in social and service activities within the community. A complete focus on academics will result in a one-dimensional personality that will be incapable of working with clients who are often facing crisis situations. You develop common sense by working with people from various ethnic, racial, and socio-economic backgrounds in diverse settings.

The UA Pre-Law Chapter of Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity International is a co-ed law fraternity that offers great networking and information opportunities for Pre-Law students. There is also a UA Mock Trial Club. Other law-related clubs and organizations can be found through the ASUA Student Clubs and Organizations website.

The LSAT or Law school Admission Test is a half-day standardized test that is administered four times each year throughout the world. The test consists of five 35-minute sections of multiple choice questions: one reading comprehension, one analytical reasoning, two logical reasoning, and one un-scored experimental section. A 35-minute writing sample is administered at the end of the test. This sample is not scored but copies are sent to law schools to which you apply.

Regular registration deadlines are typically about one month before the LSAT test date and are listed at www.lsac.org. Some locations, especially at UA, fill well before the regular deadlines so the sooner you register, the better your chances are of being assigned to your first or second choice test center. You can check test center availability when you register on-line.

Consider whether your first LSAT score is within your practice range. If you were consistently obtaining timed practice scores above your actual test score, it may be worth trying again.

You may take the LSAT more than once, but no more than three times in two years (including tests for which the score is cancelled). All LSAT scores will be reported.

​CAS is a central clearinghouse for processing academic records, LSAT scores, and letters of recommendation for law school. Most all American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law schools require that applicants use the  CAS for transcript and LSAT reporting.

No. However, your application is not complete until both your CAS report and your completed electronic application have been received by the school(s) to which you are applying.

Yes. Those documents must be attached to your application before you send it.

A transmitted application is one that has been sent to the law school, and is ready for review. A submitted application is one that has been saved on your account, but has not been transmitted. Clicking the “submit” button will save your application, and allow you to go back and edit it. However, once the application has been transmitted, you may not edit it.

No, but it will save you time if you do so. The Common Information Form save generic information that most law schools will ask (LSAC #, SSN#, Date of Birth, etc.), and automatically fills it out on every application you start. This will save you time, and will also reduce the risk of typos.

Supplementary forms are additional documents that need to be printed out and mailed to the school. Some examples are forms regarding residency, and Dean’s Certification forms.

That is fine. Many schools have supplementary materials that only apply to a small number of applicants.

No. It is very important that you print these forms out prior to transmitting, because they are not accessible once the application is transmitted.

The link that LSAC created says this for every school, even if the school doesn’t require a Dean’s form. It is very important to check the school’s website, and contact them if necessary to see which supplementary forms they require.

If you don’t click on that box, you will have to attach them from the hard drive for each separate application. However, some schools have different length or format requirements for the personal statement. If you use the same file for each application, you might violate their requirements.

Once you have transmitted your application, LSAC will take you to the shopping cart. You must go through the cart for every application you complete. If your fee has been waived electronically, the cart will charge $0. If you are sending in a check, the cart will charge $0. This also applies if you are sending in a hard copy fee waiver. Otherwise, you must pay by credit card through the shopping cart.

Unfortunately, LSAC does not accurately let you know which schools require checks and which ones take online credit card payments. The best place to get this information is on the school’s website.

If you have sent your letters of recommendation in through CAS, the school will get the letters. This feature is for students who want to send their letters directly to the school.

Print the final page of the application that asks for your signature and date. Sign it and mail it to the school.