What interests should I have for law school application?

Asked by: Duncan Johnson  |  Last update: October 25, 2023
Score: 4.1/5 (35 votes)

Activities That Cultivate Legal Skills
Law school applicants should highlight law-related activities like mock trial, public speaking, political activism or assisting with research for a professor working in law or policy.

What hobbies should I put on my law school application?

I often push my clients to search for extracurricular activities that build relevant legal skills. For example, social activism, volunteering in campus or local politics, or providing research assistance for a faculty member in a law-related field can stand out to admissions officers.

What is an interest statement for law school?

The personal statement is your chance to REFLECT upon your life and show the law school admissions committee who you are as an INDIVIDUAL. Tell the Admissions staff something about yourself, your experiences and your life. Use vivid, descriptive prose with the intent to draw readers in and keep them interested.

What makes you stand out in law school applications?

Extracurricular Involvement

Law schools want to admit motivated, energetic students who get involved and try to improve the campus—and world—around them. The admissions committee will be looking at your undergraduate extracurricular activities to get a sense of how involved you might be on their campus too.

How do you express interest in law school?

Generally, a good LOCI tends to express the following basic attributes:
  1. Expression of gratitude.
  2. Helpful, professional tone.
  3. Degree of interest.
  4. Update on candidacy.
  5. Offer to provide additional information.

LAW SCHOOL ADMISSIONS | my personal statement

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Do law schools care about interest?

Thus, law schools carefully consider applicants' backgrounds, perspectives and interests as expressed through their personal statements, diversity statements, resumes and other materials.

Should you include interests on law school resume?

While it's not mandatory to include an Interests section, many employers note that this is a part of the resume they like seeing to help get to know a candidate. It is fairly common to include for private sector focused resumes — especially for BigLaw.

How do I make myself stand out for law school?

Be sure to include every relevant activity you participated in during and after college in your résumé too. Whether you were a college athlete and/or a volunteer at the local soup kitchen, you should highlight those activities. Even your hobbies can be helpful in making your application stand out.

What skills law schools look for?

The following core skills, values, knowledge, and experience are essential to succeed in law school and the practice of law:
  • Problem solving.
  • Critical reading.
  • Writing and editing.
  • Oral communication and listening.
  • Research.
  • Organization and management.
  • Public service and promotion of justice.

What motivates you to attend law school?

Studying law gives you the opportunity to make a difference to people's lives for the better. You'll defend the truth and bring justice, and you'll give those who need to be heard a voice.

What should a statement of interest include?

Ideally, the statement will address (1) your interest in the field/industry/employer, (2) how the shadow will help your career exploration process, and (3) provide a general idea of your travel plan for the job shadow.

Can a good personal statement get you into law school?

Law school personal statements are important because they can turn what would have otherwise been a certain rejection into an offer of admission. They help admission committees get to know you in a way they couldn't from other pieces of your law school application.

How to pick a topic for a personal statement for law school?

Picking What to Write About

Consider spending time jotting down every idea that falls into the following categories: Life events or experiences that motivated you or changed your perspective. A meaningful personal achievement and what you learned from it. How you became interested in the law.

What hobbies do most lawyers have?

2019 Attorney Compensation Report states that traveling, physical activities, and reading are top choices for spending free time among lawyers. How do these things boost your lawyer skills? Out-of-office activities develop soft skills, strengthen empathy, or increase concentration.

What hobbies should I put on my application?

2. What are some good hobbies and interests to put on my resume? Some of the best hobbies or interests you can put on your resume are community involvement, writing, blogging, learning languages, photography, traveling, doing sports, reading, and art.

What do law schools want on a resume?

Work Experience: Include post–high school employment and internships whether paid or unpaid—your titles, dates of employment, hours per week at each job, a brief summary of your employers (if not obvious from name), and detailed information concerning responsibilities and accomplishments at each job.

What GPA do law schools like?

Among the 191 ranked law schools that submitted grade data to U.S. News in an annual survey, the average median GPA of entering law school students in 2021 was 3.55. But at the 20 highest-ranked law schools, the average median GPA is much higher – 3.86.

Which GPA do law schools look at?

Some people do well in their major GPA but have a low overall GPA because they performed poorly in their required general education courses. Unfortunately, law schools largely care about your overall GPA.

What is the average LSAT score?

Data Summary. The average LSAT score for first-time takers was 151, according to scores tracked from 2006-2013. During this period, second-time test takers had the highest LSAT average score of about 152. The average national LSAT score for full-time, first-year JD enrollees for fall 2022 was about 159.

How to be #1 in law school?

  1. Memorize the law, even if you have an open-book exam. Some students approach an open-book exam totally differently than a closed-book exam. ...
  2. Make your own outline (and start early) ...
  3. Avoid low-yield, time-consuming study habits. ...
  4. Be okay with being different.

Can introverts go to law school?

For example, introverted law students and lawyers can choose to focus on types of practice that don't require a lot of court appearances, like tax law or estate planning, and also learn to be more comfortable making arguments when needed.

Can a shy person go to law school?

Yes definitely. See, you may be shy by nature; however, this trait itself does not and should not define your entire personality. Whether you can or cannot, should or should not become a lawyer depends more on whether or not you like the stream enough - are passionate enough - to pursue it as a career.

Do extracurriculars matter for law school?

Yes! While they don't matter as much as other components of the law school application, they still tell the admissions committee more about your character and interests. Extracurriculars can also substantiate any claims you make about your skills and accomplishments!

Do law schools ask about extracurriculars?

Some law schools ask specifically for how many hours you dedicate to an activity in a typical week. If the answer varies, provide a range. But a well-crafted resume should provide enough context for readers to understand how much work went into an activity.

Should I put my GPA on my law school resume?

As a general rule, if your GPA is in the top half of the class, or starts with a "3," include it. Otherwise, you may want to consider leaving it off. Employers will assume your grades were lower than top half if they see no mention of grades or rank.