Every applicant's approach to law school and process to get there is different; there is no "right way" to do it. Among Ohio State applicants, approximately 40% start law school right after college (applying during their senior year), 40% start law school 1-3 years later, and 20% start 4 or more years after they graduated from college! If you hear or see the phrase "gap year" that's a misnomer here. Taking a "gap year" suggests a person is deviating from a norm, not following a standard path. But when there is no standard path, how can anything be considered a deviation? What matters is working through a timeline that makes sense for you, not trying to follow what makes sense for someone else.
The timeline below is based on a four-year college degree plan followed immediately by law school. It serves as a starting point but be sure to adjust as needed - speak with a Pre-Law Advisor to build a timeline that works for you. Throughout your college career (and beyond) ask yourself what should/could you be doing; acdemically? professionally? logistically?
Year by Year example (adjust as needed for your situation!)
The primary goal in your first year should be to focus on the transition to college - a strong start to your college career is important!
Biggest priorities this year:
- Do well academically (the single best piece of advice for any first year).
- Figure out your study habits - if your old habits from high school aren't enough now that you're in college, be sure to talk with your academic advisor or reach out to the Dennis Learning Center.
Also important:
- Settle into your major or determine if you'd rather switch to another major.
- Design a degree plan that will challenge you academically (click here for information on academic pathways to law).
- Identify your academic strengths and areas you want to improve.
- Introduce yourself to your professors and get to know them so they get to know you.
- Get into the habit of making well-informed decisions and meeting deadlines.
- Engage with your communities, however you define them - campus community, local (Columbus) community, the community of people who like eating pizza while watching old movies, etc.
Notice that nothing up to here has anything to do with law school! All of the above will help you regardless of what you ultimately decide to do. In fact you
Optional steps you can take in your first year:
- Ask your academic advisor to add "LAW-PRO" as an Academic Plan so you can be added to the Pre-Law email listserv (for many people this was already done by/at orientation).
- Join any of the pre-law focused student organizations to meet classmates who share similar interests.
- Attend pre-law workshops and volunteer for the annual law fair.
- Read about the practice of law - the real practice of law, not what you see on tv or in movies.
You're not going to be able to do everything you want to do right away - ask yourself in your first year, "what can I do to position myself for future success?"
The contemplative year! By now hopefully you've figured out your study habits and are settling further into your major (especially if you switched or added a second major). This is the year to start thinking specifically, not just abstractly, about the practice of law and whether law school is right for you. It's a significant investment of time, energy, and (eventually) money - be sure it's what you want to do!
Important steps to take:
- Continue your academic progress.
- Continue getting to know your professors - later on you might ask one of them for a letter of recommendation.
- Introduce yourself to the pre-law advisor in your college (click here for the list of pre-law advisors) and schedule a meeting to discuss your ideas and how best to prepare yourself to be a competitive applicant.
Addtional steps this year:
- Observe, engage, and otherwise explore the legal profession (click here for a partial list of ideas).
- Volunteer and/or attend the annual Law Fair in the fall.
- Continue getting involved at Ohio State and/or in your communities, with a focus on activities that will provide you with leadership responsibilities or allow for future leadership roles.
This semester is the calm before the storm.* By now you've established yourself academically. Continue pushing yourself by taking challenging courses and stepping into roles that give you a chance to develop leadership and professional skills. If your degree plan allows it, take courses that will hone the skills necessary to do well on the LSAT.
Tasks you should complete this Autumn:
- Take a practice LSAT to familiarize yourself with the test and the different types of questions (click here for additional information on the LSAT).
- Attend the Ohio State Law Fair in October.
- Meet with your pre-law advisor to discuss the law school application process.
- Be thinking about what you want out of your law school experience - cost, location, profile, any particular programs, etc.
- Start to familiarize yourself with LSAC.org, THE primary website for the entire law school application process. Learn it, live it, love it.
*remember this is the timing for those planning to apply to law school as a senior and enroll shortly after graduating from college. If that is not your plan then adjust this timeline to fit your needs!
This is the semester when sh...er, stuff gets real! The calendar year which includes Junior year Spring semester and Senior year Autumn semester is when all the logistical steps to apply should happen.
Tasks you should complete this Spring:
- Create your free JD account with the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) - free
- Register for LSAC's Credential Assembly Service (CAS) - there is a cost
- Register for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) via LSAC - there is a cost
- Contact professors to inquire about letters of recommendation.
- Build a preliminary list of schools you might apply to.
- Meet with your pre-law advisor to discuss the law school application process and your list.
Additional steps to take in your third year:
- Study/prepare for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) - when, how, and how much will depend on your personal study habits and when you plan to take the test (see the LSAC webpage for more details).
- Continue getting to know your professors.
- Determine what criteria you will use to decide where to apply and research schools based on your criteria.
- Attend prospective student days at law schools or arrange an individual visit.
Just because it's summer doesn't mean there aren't things to do! If anything this may be your best time to get a lot done if you're not taking summer courses or have a relatively light job/internship, etc.
Priorities this summer:
- Register for the LSAC's Credential Assembly Service (CAS) if you have not already done so.
- Register for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) if you have not already done so.
- Order all college transcript(s) to be sent directly to LSAC from each institution you have attended (if you are taking summer courses at Ohio State or elsewhere, wait to submit that institution's transcript until all grades have posted at the end of summer).
- This includes any courses taken at any other college or university at any time for any reason, including any college-taught courses taken while in high school as part of a post-secondary option ("College Credit Plus" in Ohio). Transfer credit awarded by Ohio State is not sufficient for purposes of applying to law school - they require a transcript directly from the institution which offered the course.
- This does NOT include AP scores as those are high school-taught courses.
- Request letters of recommendation from your letter writers.
- Update your resume.
Additional steps to take in the summer:
- Start working on your personal statement and any other essays you may need to write.
- Attend prospective student days at law schools or arrange an individual visit.
- Confirm you are on track to graduate.
Do no get senioritis! In addition to completing your law school application and related tasks, you should continue to push yourself to excel in your final year of college. Law Schools require a final transcript to prove you have graduated from college and they will not be impressed if your grades suddenly decline sharply. Tasks you should complete in your final year of college:
Tasks you should complete this Autumn:
- Complete any tasks you did not finish over the summer.
- Write and upload your personal statement.
- Register for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) if you have not already done so or if you plan to take it again.
- Finalize the list of law schools you will apply to.
- Meet with your pre-law advisor to discuss your law school list.
- Double-check that your CAS file is complete.
- Submit your applications to law schools!
- Law schools operate on a rolling basis, reviewing and making decisions as the admissions cycle progresses. Unless you have a reason to wait (and some people certainly have good reasons to wait), try to apply by the end of October/beginning of November. That said...
- Make sure to follow any deadlines set by the law school!
Additional steps to take in your fourth year:
- Attend prospective student days at law schools or arrange an individual visit; ask to sit in on a class and/or take a tour of the facilities.
- Consider how to plan your finances to pay for law school.
It's coming down to the end!
- File your financial aid application in January or as soon as possible.
- If you receive offers of acceptance from multiple law schools, decide which school to attend (click here for additional information).
- Pay your seat deposit on time - the deadline varies by law school.
- Be sure to inform your Pre-Law Advisor of your decision!
- Complete your graduation requirements!
Additional steps to take in your fourth year:
- Attend prospective student days at law schools or arrange an individual visit; ask to sit in on a class and/or take a tour of the facilities.
- Consider how to plan your finances to pay for law school.
You're on the law school's clock now! Be sure to take care of everything they tell you to do before the semester starts. This could be anything from submitting a final transcript (to prove you did indeed graduate and earn your bachelor's degree, a requirement before starting law school) to reading homework assignments before the first day of class. This is law school - don't expect a "we'll take it slow and just cover the syllabus today" - you will hit the ground running on day 1!