Binghamton University students have long been known to follow their undergraduate educations with impressive secondary degrees, many doing so in the law field. The pre-law students at BU, who make up more than 20 percent of liberal arts majors, surpass the law school acceptance rates throughout the country ‘ perhaps due to the unending string of resources available to such students. Still, students on campus who have undergone the law school application process recommend timely planning for things like the Law School Admission Test, a high grade point average and a well-established rapport with BU’s Pre-Law Advising office.
STUDENT RESOURCES
The Pre-Law Advising office at BU, located at Harpur Advising, allows students to meet with advisers, attend informational meetings on law school preparation, learn about the LSATs, get involved with pre-law student groups and, in some cases, contact alumni at potential law schools.
Similarly, BU’s Pre-Law Guide allows students to read up on how to choose a school (rankings, location, size, costs, prestige, etc.) and offers information on how to finance a second education. The booklet also covers BU’s annual Law Day and other instructive sessions.
As far as student activities are concerned, the Mock Trial Club and the Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity are only some of the groups in which students may participate. Groups like Phi Alpha Delta do not necessarily offer assistance in the admissions process as much as hold informational meetings and professional events.
‘Phi Alpha Delta in itself does not offer any specific aid to students applying to law school, but through our network of members and alumni, we have a vast amount of contacts who are applying to law school, and students who already applied and are in law school,’ said President Laura Kennis.
Mark Goldstein, a history and political science major and member of Phi Alpha Delta, advises his peers to ‘start planning early’ if they are interested in the law profession.
Still, some students prefer to concentrate less on extracurricular activities and more on their academic transcript.
‘It’s good to do extracurricular activities, but they don’t have to be law-based,’ said Tanisha Jordonne, a senior philosophy, politics and law, and history major, who plans to attend Cornell Law School after applying to 21 different law institutions. ‘I think for the most part, focus on the LSAT and your GPA, and you should be set with that.’
EXPERIENCE
According to Heather Struck, director of Pre-Law Services, the first step in the process is to positively decide on the pre-law path.
‘I would say to use the college years to explore possible career options through internships and classes, and talking with people in the profession,’ Struck said. ‘You want to make sure that this investment you’re going to make is right for you.’
A significant percent of BU’s law school applicants do participate in internships ‘ and almost a fifth of the students who apply for positions through the Off Campus College are interested in law, government or political fields.
‘Graduate schools and professional schools, such as law schools, like to see that students have had the opportunity to participate in structured, supervised internships with an academic component,’ said Tanya Robinson, assistant director of Academic Programs for OCC.
Likewise, Struck’s office has the capability of connecting a current BU student with alumni at a potential law school, hence allowing the student to further examine his or her choice.
APPLYING
While students are encouraged to apply to law schools before Thanksgiving break their senior year, Struck advises interested students to ‘connect’ with her office as early as sophomore year. Students are then advised to engage in some sort of work experience to solidify their decision.
After students have had that experience, pre-law applicants are advised to focus on their grade point averages and their LSAT scores.
‘Probably the two most important indicators are the undergraduate grades and your LSAT score,’ Struck said.
According to BU’s Pre-Law Guide, which can be picked up in the Pre-Law program office, the average BU student completes nine to 10 applications.
The booklet also directs students to take the LSAT at least 15 months prior to the student’s planned entrance into law school. When planning for the LSATs, students have the option of enrolling in a preparation course, but regardless, the guide suggests ‘a solid undergraduate program with emphasis on reading, writing and reasoning skills.’
An application is only complete once the student’s LSAT scores are sent in addition to the letters of recommendation an institution requests. Recommendations may be written by relevant employers, past or present, as well as University faculty. References should be given generally a month to complete the task.
A completed application usually requires a personal statement, in which the applicant has the chance to ‘weave a more complete and personal picture of yourself, highlighting areas of your file that deserve more emphasis or explanations,’ according to the Pre-Law Guide.