Deciding to go to law school is a big decision with far-reaching consequences. It’s important to do your research and really understand what you’re getting into!
Read on for lots of useful blog posts and podcast episodes to help you make your choice and to get ready for law school. We’ve also got advice about the decision to go to law school, getting ahead of the curve, and on acing the LSAT, so you’ll have the most possible options at your disposal.
Best of luck in your law school decision making! If you have any questions, feel free to drop us a line and ask.
Should You Go to Law School?
- How to Work on Your Personal Statement When Applying to Law School Do you have trouble talking about yourself and your achievements? Here are some of the things that you should focus on in order to make your personal statement shine!
- How to Know If You Should Really Go to Law School: Questions to Ask Yourself If you are thinking about going to law school, there are a few questions you should ask yourself before taking such an expensive and time-consuming step.
- Everything You Need to Know About Law School Scholarships Law school is expensive, so you should find out more about scholarships and if they're an option for you!
- What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up? Even before you head off to law school, you should be thinking about what kind of job you want to have after you graduate. Here are some factors you should consider when trying to make that decision.
- Everything You Need to Know About Finding Your Law School Wondering about getting the right fit in law school? Here are some things you should do before choosing a school.
- How to Get Strong Law School Recommendations there are several things you can—and should—do to ensure you get the strongest possible letters, and we're talking about what they are.
- Scholarships for Law School: Where and How to Get Them Struggling with how to pay for law school without racking up massive amounts of debt? Believe it or not, there are scholarships and grants that exist for law students, and here are some ways to find and access them!
- Resources for Deciding Where to Apply for Law School It's important to make an informed decision when you apply to law schools. Do you want to know what information you need and where to get it? Here are some resources for you!
- What You Should Be Reading to Prepare for Your 1L Year Are you hoping to get a jump on things for your 1L year? Here are some suggested reading materials to prepare you for the challenge ahead!
- Choosing the Best Location for Law School We want to talk to you about a very important factor in choosing a law school: location! Read on to learn why you should take location into consideration and what kind of experience you can expect to have in different regions of the country.
- Community College Students: Is it Ever Too Early to Start Thinking About Law School? There are many reasons why people go to community college, and being a community college student should never be considered an automatic death sentence. With perseverance, drive, and careful planning, a person can get anywhere. If you are considering law school but feel a bit overwhelmed, here are answers to three common pre-law questions.
- Can You Risk Attending a Mid to Low Ranked Law School? Choosing a law school is very different than choosing many other types of professional or vocational school. Law school rankings are, to a certain extent, the most important factor to consider when deciding which school to attend – or are they? Is there a way this dreaded fact is actually fiction? Isn’t there a more individualized approach that will liberate perspective lawyers from applying within the select T-14? There certainly is, and we will help you!
- 10 Books to Read Before Starting Law School Before the required reading begins, consider reading these ten books to prepare yourself for your new professional education!
- Law School Prep: How to Prepare for Law School as a 0L Are you gearing up for law school? Here are some important things you should (and shouldn't!) do before you start.
- Should You Take Time Off Before Starting Law School? If you’re a rising college senior (or obsessively planning freshman) thinking about going to law school, you might want to consider taking time off before starting law school and diving straight into three more years of intimidatingly mysterious academia.
- 6 Factors For Choosing the Right Law School Once you’ve made the exciting decision to attend law school, you’re faced with another dilemma: where should I apply? You may be tempted to apply to certain schools based solely on their ranking, but there’s more to having a successful law school experience than being admitted to a highly ranked school. To increase the likelihood that you’ll have a successful (and enjoyable) law school experience, there are 6 factors you should consider when choosing a law school.
- How (and Why) You Should Work With a Pre-Law Advisor There’s a big disconnect between students and advisors: advisors always say they wish students would come to them more often and students say that they wish they had more resources. Students, your advisor is right. Here's why you should work with your Pre-Law Advisor.
- How to Decide Which Law School is Right For You Congratulations! You’ve been accepted to law school! As the acceptance (or rejection) letters start rolling in, now is the time to think seriously about some chief considerations before making the big decision. Which law school is right for you? If you’re choosing between several options, consider the following.
- Everything You Need to Know About Law School - Law School Terminology While the beginning of your law school career can be confusing, your transition can be made easier by becoming comfortable with legal terminology. Here are some basic terms that should help you navigate the application process and the start of law school.
- Breaking Down Law School Statistics - What Does It All Mean? A lot of information is thrown at 0Ls: LSAT scores, rankings, tiers, and passage rates. How do you know what’s important when deciding on a school? How do you even decide if a school would be a good fit? Let us help you put together all the pieces and break down some law school statistics.
- Podcast Episode 113: Life as a First-Generation College and Law Student (With Shirlene Armstrong) If you're considering law school, but would be the first in your family to do so, this podcast is for you! Shirlene Armstrong is talking about her experience, including some of the particular challenges she encountered as a first-generation law student.
- Podcast Episode 119: Navigating the Law School Application Process (With Admission Logic) Are you thinking about applying to law school? Listen for information about how to approach your law school (and LLM!) applications.
Ahead of the Curve
- Ahead of the Curve: What Should You Be Doing to Prepare for Class as a 1L and How Long Should It Take? Are you concerned about being adequately prepared for your first year classes? Here are some tips for making the most of your prep time and being ready for that first class!
- How to Take Advantage of Admitted Student Days Admitted student days are often packed chock-full with events from morning to night, so it’s a good idea to make a plan coming in about how to make the most of this opportunity.
- Ahead of the Curve: What Are Big Law Recruiters Really Looking For? Are you thinking ahead to getting that dream job in big law? Here are some tips from a former big law recruiter that might help set you apart from the pack.
- Ahead of the Curve: Take the Money or Take the Gamble? Should a Scholarship Determine Which Law School You Attend? Law school is expensive, but money shouldn't be the only factor when you're deciding where to go. Want some help? Here are four factors you should consider when deciding among acceptance letters!
- Ahead of the Curve: It's All in Your Head: Cultivating Success and Overcoming Setbacks With a Growth Mindset Believe it or not, our ability to succeed is directly linked to the way we think about and react to our successes and failures. Read on to learn how you can harness this information to improve your performance on your path to a legal career.
- Ahead of the Curve: The Power of Negotiation: When Should I Negotiate My Law School Scholarship Offer? Did you know that it's possible to negotiate for a higher scholarship? If you have multiple offers on the table, here are some ways that you can use them to negotiate for a better offer from your first choice.
- Ahead of the Curve: What to Wear to Law School and How to Dress to Impress Why should you worry about your appearance when going to law school? Professionalism! Read this post to learn more about navigating the dress code of this new (scary) legal world.
- Ahead of the Curve: Time Management in Law School As a 1L, not only do you need to go to class, and of course, prepare for class, but there are so many other items on your to-do list that it can be difficult to make time for everything and prioritize what matters most. In this post, Ariel Salzer talks about the kinds of activities that you should make time to do, and some tools for helping you keep track.
- Ahead of the Curve: Financial Aid 101 So you got into law school, but now you need to pay for it. Here's how you might be able to ease your burden by obtaining and understanding financial aid.
- Ahead of the Curve: From Undergrad to Law School -- Making the Transition, Part One The learning environment in law school is very different from what you probably encountered in undergrad. Here are some things you should think about as you make this transition!
- Ahead of the Curve: What is the Socratic Method? Are you nervous about the dreaded Socratic Method? Here, we'll demystify this law school rite of passage and help you face it with confidence.
- Ahead of the Curve: Get a Head Start on Your Career Today, I want to encourage you to spend some time thinking about your career this spring and summer. Yes, you read that right—before you even spend a single day in law school, I want you to start learning about and planning for your legal career.
- Ahead of the Curve: Reading Cases: From Syllabus to Exam -- Read the Case Cases make up the bulk of your assigned law school reading, and it takes some effort to master the skill of reading and interpreting court opinions. Here is one approach you can take to attack your next assigned case.
- Ahead of the Curve: Reading Cases: From Syllabus to Exam -- Brief the Case After you read a case, you should consider briefing it. This post will help you develop a briefing strategy that will help you master your assigned cases!
- Ahead of the Curve: A Guide to Essential Law School Supplies This post is a guide to the best tech today and some recommended supplies for starting law school right! Read on for our advice on how to get the right gear at the right price.
- Ahead of the Curve: From Undergrad to Law School -- Making the Transition, Part Two One of the most challenging parts of moving from an "undergrad" to a "law school" mindset is adapting your writing style. Here are some things to consider as you start your 1L year.
- Ahead of the Curve: Time Management -- The Value of Valuable Work Throughout the Semester Preparing for class alone is not enough. You need to incorporate key tasks after each lesson, chapter, and (ultimately) semester in order to survive and ultimately thrive in law school! Here are some ways to improve your performance throughout your entire law school career.
- Ahead of the Curve: Your First Month of Law: What to Do Week by Week Let's face it. The first month of law school is hard, and that's not even taking the subject matter into consideration. Here's a week-by-week guide to what you should be doing in your first month of law school.
- Ahead of the Curve: Tips for Beating Procrastination Given all the work in law school, many law students struggle with time management and procrastination. Here are some effective tips for beating procrastination.
- Ahead of the Curve: How to Save Money When Starting Law School No matter where you go to law school, it can be expensive! If you're in the majority of students who don't work during their 1L year, you might benefit from these cost-saving tips!
- Ahead of the Curve: Reading Cases: From Syllabus to Exam -- Prepare the Case for Class You've done your reading, you've briefed your cases, you're ready for class, right? Maybe not. Here is an approach for effectively following-up on all of your reading and briefing efforts that will have you as prepared as possible for class.
- Ahead of the Curve: Reading Cases: From Syllabus to Exam -- Prepare the Case for the Exam On top of reading and briefing cases, after class discussion, you will have notes capturing your professor’s take on a case. As you work on drafting your outline and thinking about how cases could factor into your exam, keep the following advice in mind.
- Ahead of the Curve: Setting Up Your Social Media - Getting a Fresh, Professional Start to Law School Did you know that your social media accounts can make a difference to you professionally? Here are some ways for you to get your social media into shape - and why you should do it!
- Ahead of the Curve: How to Ensure You're Getting Things Done in Law School Are you feeling lost or falling behind? Here are some tips and tools to help you stay productive.
- Ahead of the Curve: So You Want to Transfer Law Schools... Do you think that the law school you've started with isn't quite the right fit for you? He are some ways you can set yourself up during your 1L year to make a change.
Getting Ready for the LSAT
- LSAT 101: Everything You Need to Know About the LSAT Thinking about applying to law school? Get information on the LSAT and what you need to do to prepare.
- How to Get into a Top Law School With a Low LSAT Score If your LSAT score isn't what you want it to be, don't lose heart! It's still possible to get into a good school -- if you focus on the rest of your application.
- Top LSAT Mistakes to Avoid There are countless ways to go about preparing for the LSAT, but there are some mistakes that most students should try to avoid.
- How to Prepare for the December LSAT With summer in full swing, it’s hard to believe that the December LSAT is only a few months away. That means that if you’re planning on that exam, now is the time to get started. Here’s a rough guide to what you should be doing.
- How to Avoid an LSAT Test Day Disaster If you’re taking the September LSAT, by this point the bulk of your hard work is done. But the the last few days before the LSAT might actually be the hardest part of the entire process. While much is out of your control at this point, here are some things you can do in order to make test day go as smoothly as possible.
- Tips For Self-Studying For the LSAT For any number of reasons, self-studying may be a better option when preparing for the LSAT, and there are a number of things you can do to ensure that you effectively prepare for the LSAT while studying on your own.
- Understanding the GRE Phenomenon in Law School Admissions Planning to apply to law school? A growing number of law schools are now accepting the GRE, an exam most commonly associated with applying for MBA programs. If you are considering your options, take the time to make an informed decision. Hopefully we will provide you with some understanding of the GRE phenomenon in law school admissions.
- The Real Story of the February LSAT Planning your LSAT test date is an important first step in the admissions process. The best times to take the LSAT are in June or September/October. However, what if you’ve started your planning later? Is it a good idea to take the LSAT in February for admission fall of the same year?
- How to Ace the LSAT Without Spending a Fortune Are you preparing to take the LSAT? If so, you've probably seen the wide range of LSAT prep options and are wondering which one is the right fit for you. Here's a summary of what's available, and some tips for choosing the best option for you.
- Tips for Studying for the LSAT While Working Full-Time Are you looking for more advice on studying for the LSAT while working full-time? Here are some more time-tested ways to ensure success, even when your life is hectic.
- Maximize Your Final Month of LSAT Prep It’s the final month before the June LSAT. If you’re not quite where you want to be yet, don’t panic: you can do incredible things in 30 days. In fact, most students see their biggest score improvements during the last weeks of prep. Here are a few ways to maximize your final month of LSAT prep.
- Podcast Episode 97: The Future of the LSAT (With Nathan Fox) The founder of Fox LSAT is here to talk about the future of the LSAT, including some upcoming changes, and how you can use your LSAT study process to make important decisions about your future!
Podcasts: Pre-Law School Choices
- Podcast Episode 34: Which Law School Should You Go To? In this episode, we discuss one of the most important decisions you will make as a lawyer - which law school to go to.
- Podcast Episode 38: Can You Really Afford Law School? If you're thinking about taking out law school loans, or you already have, this one is for you! Today's episode is about a very important topic: financial considerations before, during, and after law school.
- Podcast Episode 46: 4 Myths About the LSAT from Expert Nathan Fox In this podcast we are talking about some surprising LSAT myths with Nathan Fox, founder of Fox LSAT.
- Podcast Episode 49: Will Law School Be a Disaster? (With Jeremy Blachman and Cameron Stracher) Today, we're talking with Jeremy Blachman and Cameron Stracher, authors of "The Curve," a new novel set in a sinking ship of a law school. It addresses a number of critical issues in legal education today (and might make some people think twice about signing up to pay full tuition at a low-ranked law school offering limited job prospects!).
- Podcast Episode 74: Should You Go to Law School? Today we are talking about a very important topic — who should go to law school? People have a variety of reasons for going to law school, but the real question is — should YOU go? We’ll help you figure that out.
- Podcast Episode 92: Top 1L Questions: The Money Edition Today, we’re answering the top questions we get from incoming 1Ls and we’re talking about the bottom line: money. Listen for suggestions about factoring finances into your decisions, negotiating scholarships, budgeting, getting loans, and seeking alternate sources of income.
- Podcast Episode 97: The Future of the LSAT (With Nathan Fox) The founder of Fox LSAT is here to talk about the future of the LSAT, including some upcoming changes, and how you can use your LSAT study process to make important decisions about your future!
- Podcast Episode 119: Navigating the Law School Application Process (With Admission Logic) Are you thinking about applying to law school? Listen for information about how to approach your law school (and LLM!) applications.
- Podcast Episode 122: How to Transfer Law Schools (With Mihal Ansik) Are you unhappy with your law school? Or wondering whether you can do better? Tune in for information about why and how you might want to try transferring to another law school after your 1L year.
- Podcast Episode 217: Choosing a Law School (with Dr. Shirag Shemmassian) We talked with Dr. Shirag Shemmassian about the process of deciding which law schools to apply to, and choosing the one to attend.
- Podcast Episode 256: Tips for Applying to Law School (w/Anna Ivey) We have admissions consultant Anna Ivey back with us to talk about the expectations and reality of the law school application process.
- Podcast Episode 335: Things to Consider if You're on a Law School Waitlist (w/Anna Ivey) We have admissions consultant Anna Ivey back with us to discuss some timely admissions topics, including how to deal with being on a law school waitlist.
- Podcast Episode 338: Talking about Law School Admissions (w/Sydney Montgomery) We’re excited to have college and law school admissions consultant Sydney Montgomery with us to talk all about law school admissions.
Podcasts: Getting Ready for Law School
- Podcast Episode 40: Preparing for Your First Semester of Law School In this podcast we talk about what incoming law school students should be doing or thinking about this summer to get ready for law school (if anything!).
- Podcast Episode 43: Getting Mentally Prepared to Start Law School In this podcast we discuss how to get mentally prepared for the challenges of starting law school. These challenges might be academic in nature, or more personal. Luckily, there are techniques you can use on any type of challenge to ensure you’re moving forward and keeping things under control.
- Podcast Episode 57: Tips for Surviving Law School Orientation Today, we’re talking about law school Orientation. If you’re getting ready to start law school, tune in!
- Podcast Episode 89: The Leap From Undergrad to Law School (With Keri Clapp) Today, we’re talking with Keri Clapp, professor and tutor for the Law School Toolbox and Bar Exam Toolbox, about important considerations to keep in mind as you make the transition from undergrad to law school. Keri, who teaches at both the undergraduate and law school levels, offers her unique perspective on the key differences so you'll know what’s in store in law school.
- Podcast Episode 98: Top 1L Questions: Non-Traditional Law Students Are you nervous about going to law school with an unconventional background? We have some tips that might help you feel more comfortable!
- Podcast Episode 104: Law School Essentials - What to Buy (And Not to Buy) Beforehand Are you gearing up to start law school? Listen for a discussion of law school must-haves, as well as some ways to save time and money as you plan your shopping.
- Podcast Episode 113: Life as a First-Generation College and Law Student (With Shirlene Armstrong) If you're considering law school, but would be the first in your family to do so, this podcast is for you! Shirlene Armstrong is talking about her experience, including some of the particular challenges she encountered as a first-generation law student.
- Podcast Episode 151: Our Top 10 Podcast Episodes for Incoming 1Ls Today we’re counting down our top ten episodes for incoming 1Ls. This list is good listening for anyone, but especially for those getting ready to start law school in the fall. If law school’s coming up soon, here are some episodes we recommend you check out!
- Podcast Episode 193: Books to Read Before Law School We’re talking about books related to the legal system that you might want to read during the summer before starting law school. These books are interesting, and you might even learn something in the process!
- Podcast Episode 195: What To Do the Summer Before Law School We’re talking about what to do (and what not to do) over the summer to prepare for your 1L year.
- Podcast Episode 198: Pre-1L Life Logistics We’re talking about ways to minimize the hassle of moving and handling other life logistics as you get ready to start law school.
- Podcast Episode 249: Changes to the LSAT Due to COVID-19 (with Steve Schwartz) We’re chatting with guest Steve Schwartz — founder of the LSAT Blog — about changes happening to the LSAT because of COVID-19.
- Podcast Episode 289: Starting Law School in 2021 We are talking about getting ready to start law school this year, and specifically, how to frame it for yourself during a time affected by pandemic restrictions.
- Podcast Episode 307: Kicking Off Your 1L Year Right (Even in a Pandemic) It looks like the COVID pandemic will continue to be a factor at the beginning of this school year. What can you do to get into the mindset for starting law school, considering the ongoing issues due to COVID? Join us for this episode as we share some tips for a successful 1L year.
- Podcast Episode 340: Getting in the Right Headspace to Start Law School We’re talking about what to do – and what not to do – the summer before law school.
- Podcast Episode 345: Getting Ready for Starting Law School (Life Logistics) We’re talking about life logistics as you prepare to start law school. We share tips for organizing yourself during this process so your transition to law school happens as smoothly as possible.
- Podcast Episode 349: Common Questions From Incoming Law Students We’re talking about some scenarios that people often ask about if they’re incoming law students. We address concerns related to finding your motivation, fitting into law school, succeeding academically, and more.
Want to get off on the right foot in law school? Check out our flagship Start Law School Right course!