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IU's Law Day
QUESTIONS TO ASK LAW SCHOOLS
Law Days, Law Forums and law school open houses provide excellent
opportunities to talk personally with law school representatives about
your credentials, as well as their admission criteria, special programs,
financial aid, and career services. Unfortunately, many students fail
to take full advantage of these events because they are unsure about
what to ask. We hope this guide helps you to prepare as effectively as
possible for your conversations with law school representatives.
Find basic information such as average GPA's and LSAT scores from
sources such as MAPLA PROFILES, THE OFFICIAL GUIDE TO US LAW SCHOOLS,
and other guidebooks available at the HPPLC office. Think beyond
numbers for law forums and open houses. Ask questions about topics not
fully covered in books. Among other things, you can learn more about
admissions policies, curriculum, specialties, housing, financial aid,
job placement, and the general ambiance of the school. Knowing about
these things will help you make a more educated decision about where to
attend law school.
Following are some suggested questions:
ADMISSIONS--Focus on ways to interpret the data you collect beforehand.
For state-supported schools--what bearing does state residency
have on the admissions process?
When do admission decisions begin? Is there a "rolling
admission" process? When does the school begin mailing admission
decisions? Do advantages exist for students who apply before a certain
date?
How does the school interpret multiple LSATS?
Is a GPA/LSAT formula used?
How might you bring special circumstances (e.g., you worked 30
hours a week) most effectively to their attention?
What kind of recommendations are most helpful?
How do they deal with the more generic recommendations students
might have if they attend a large undergraduate school?
What does the admission committee look for in the personal
statement or essay?
What skills/abilities/qualities does the school look for in a
candidate? How can applicants communicate these in their applications?
What can the school tell you about the evaluation process?
Are students active and voting members of the Admissions
Committee?
CURRICULUM--Find out all you can about the curriculum, particularly
beyond the first year.
How are first-year classes organized and taught?
Is there more of an emphasis on the theory of law or practical
application of state law?
Do most professors teach law using the Socratic method? Even
after the first year?
Is there an emphasis on clinical experience? What are the
available clinical programs?
How much room is there for elective courses in a student's
program?
Are there any opportunities for a dual program?
How is legal writing/research taught? By whom? 3L=s? Adjunct
personnel? Full-time faculty?
Does the law school recognize classes taken outside the law
school (e.g. other departments, other law schools, or abroad)?
Is there an advising system for students? How accessible are
professors and instructors?
Are there special collections in the library which cover your
areas of interest?
How are students chosen for law reviews/moot court/trial teams?
How are classes graded (i.e., at what level is a curve set)?
SPECIALTIES--Investigate what the school means when it says it offers
special programs.
If a special area of law is highlighted (energy, environment,
entertainment, etc.), how many courses are offered in that area?
How often are these courses offered? Every year, every two
years?
How many faculty teach in that area? Do they teach full-time?
Is participation in specialty-areas and organizations open to all or is
it limited? What are the bases for selection?
What are the available clinical experiences in the area of
specialty?
If a law school considers itself outstanding in a particular
area, how does its program specifically differ from other schools'
programs?
Are there special relationships with firms who might be
interested in employing graduates with these special skills?
HOUSING--Investigate the housing situation on- and off-campus.
Is graduate/law student housing available?
Is off-campus housing available near the law school?
Does the law school help students to find housing?
What is the average cost of off-campus housing?
Does the law school provide a roommate-search service?
Is parking difficult? Is there a public transportation system?
FINANCIAL AID--Determine how much law school will cost and what
assistance is available.
What should I anticipate that it would cost over three years to
attend your law school? (include cost of living and potential tuition
increases)
How do most of your students pay for law school?
How much scholarship money is available? What criteria are used
to award merit-based and need-based scholarships? Is parents' income
considered? How many awards are continued throughout the three years of
law school? If continuation of the scholarship is based on maintaining
a certain GPA, how many students maintain the GPA?
How does your school handle financial aid awards? Can I expect
to know your aid award and proportion of loans/scholarships before I am
required to pay a deposit?
Are stipend opportunities available for summer jobs in public
interest/public service law? What loan assistance/repayment programs
does your school offer to students who work in public interest law?
AMBIANCE--Encourage the representative to go beyond generalities, to
talk about specific qualities of the school.
Does the representative see ways in which the school differs
from other schools? (This question really gives them the opportunity to
talk about the wonders of their schools.)
What is the growth potential for the city/region where the law
school is located?
What schools/areas do students typically come from?
What percentage of the students worked between college and law
school?
Is there a part-time, summer, or night program?
What percentage of the faculty and student body are women?
Minorities?
How safe is the area surrounding the law school? The whole
town?
What is the priority of the administration in terms of class
makeup?
What complaints do your students have about your law school?
What student groups are active at your school?
What sort of student government is in place?
How competitive are your students with each other?
When your students say what they like about your law school,
what things are frequently mentioned?
When students turn down your school in favor of another, what
reasons do they cite for doing so?
CAREER SERVICES--Investigate placement opportunities for graduates of
the law school.
Where do the students find employment? (locally, regionally,
nationally)
Do students go to large, small, medium firms? Government?
Corporations?
Is the school committed to those students who are interested in
public interest careers? How does it serve those students?
How may firms interview at the school and from what parts of the
country?
Do students participate in any job fairs?
Is there a network of contacts which could help you obtain jobs
in a particular geographical area or in an area of law in which you are
interested?
Is there a support network for students seeking judicial
clerkships? What percentage of students seek and get clerkships?
Are clerking opportunities available in your city for students
during the school year?
What percentage of your third-year classes have jobs lined up by
winter break?
What resources do you provide for minority students?
What percentage of jobs does the career placement office secure
for students, and how many students find jobs on their own?
Finally, if you have specific questions, ask them. This shows that you
have already invested some time and energy in learning about their law
schools. Remember that you will meet a variety of representatives:
some professors, perhaps a dean or two, a few recent grads, and many
professional admissions officers. You'll meet those who love their
school and maybe even one or two who don't like their job on that
particular day.
Many of them will be in the middle of long and tiring recruiting trips.
Your thoughtful preparation, genuine interest, and engaging personality,
as well as your intelligent questions, will be appreciated. In
exceptional cases, a positive review from a recruiter (yes, these people
are also paid to recruit bright and capable students) can make the
difference in admissions.
We hope these suggestions help you prepare appropriately. If you need
assistance as you prepare, please come in. We specialize in helping
students prepare for admission to professional schools.
We encourage you to use e-mail to ask questions, check your
recommendations, and to communicate with our prelaw advisors. Send
e-mail to an individual prelaw advisor or to udivhpp@indiana.edu.
Please check the HPPLC Web site for notices of upcoming meetings, campus
visits by admission representatives, and other items of interest.
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