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So You Think You Want To Be A Lawyer?

So You Think You Want To Be A Lawyer?. Pre-Law Advising Alejandro Mendoza | Jerry Thomas | Mai Nhia Xiong. Introductions. Alejandro Mendoza Academic Advisor & Pre-Law Advisor mendozaa@uwosh.edu Student Success Center, Suite 202 Jerry Thomas Faculty Advisor & Pre-Law Advisor

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So You Think You Want To Be A Lawyer?

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  1. So You Think You Want To Be A Lawyer? Pre-Law Advising Alejandro Mendoza | Jerry Thomas | Mai Nhia Xiong

  2. Introductions • Alejandro Mendoza • Academic Advisor & Pre-Law Advisor • mendozaa@uwosh.edu • Student Success Center, Suite 202 • Jerry Thomas • Faculty Advisor & Pre-Law Advisor • thomasj@uwosh.edu • Sage 4631 (Department Office) • Mai Nhia Xiong • Career Advisor • xiongma@uwosh.edu • Student Success Center, Suite 125

  3. What do lawyers do? • Lawyers work in various capacities and affect the lives of people in many ways: • Help prevent or solve legal problems • Advise those seeking a divorce • Prepare mortgages and other loan documents • Draft wills • Prosecute and defend

  4. Why do you want to be a lawyer? • Reasons I often hear as an Advisor: • My family member is a lawyer • I want to make a lot of money • I want the recognition of being a lawyer • I want to help people

  5. Why do you want to be a lawyer? • Reasons I’d like to hear as an Advisor: • I enjoy helping people with significant events or issues affecting their lives • I have the ability to objectively analyze issues or problems • I am able to express in a clear and concise manner my analysis of a problem to others, both orally and written • I like reading, writing, and problem solving.

  6. Choosing a major • There are no prescribed majors or coursework for admission to law school.

  7. Judge Jeff LaVicka • UW Oshkosh Alumnus • Radio TV Film (major) • Business Administration (minor) • Obtained his law degree from University of Arkansas Little Rock School of Law • 2010 Young Outstanding Alumnus

  8. Top law student myths dispelled • I don’t need to apply to other schools, I’ll go to law school at UW-Madison • Law schools won’t look at what I did my freshman year • Lawyers make a lot of money • I want to run my own law firm when I’m finished with law school

  9. Skills undergraduates should obtain • Analytic / Problem Solving • Critical Reading • Writing • Oral Communication and Listening Abilities • Research • Task Organization and Management • Serving Others and Promoting Justice

  10. What else should I be thinking about? • Academic issues • Repeating classes: how will this affect my GPA for admission? • Plagiarism • Non-academic indiscretions • Underage drinking tickets • OWI / DWI: Operating/Driving while intoxicated • Drug paraphernalia • Other brushes with the law • Financial issues • Credit card debt • Library fines

  11. Building the application Resume Letters of Recommendation Personal Statement Law School Application LSDAS Report LSAT and GPA

  12. LSAT • Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) • February, June, October, December • Optimal: June after junior year • Do NOT take as a practice! • Best preparation • Take baseline test (see www.lsac.org) • Make a study plan and stick to it • Buy a workbook and work through it (entirely) • Taking many LSATs (only real ones) • Pre-Law office resources • Register for the test: $160.00

  13. Budget • LSAT Study Materials: $50 (minimum) • LSAT: $160 • Credential Assembly Service: $155 • Law School Application Fees: up to $100 each • Transcripts: $8 (plus $2.25 online fee) • Visiting Law Schools: travel budget • Ask for waivers, ask for waivers, ask for waivers • Bare minimum: $423

  14. LSAT • Full LSAT range = 120-180 • 163-180 = 10% of test takers • 144-163 = 70% of test takers • 120-143 = 20% who might consider retaking it • Law School Locator (lsac.org) • UW Madison median LSAT: 161 • Marquette median LSAT: 157 • There’s a law school for (almost) everyone

  15. Credential Assembly Service • Information sent by LSAC to law schools • Your entire college experience (transcripts) • All GPA information • All LSAT test dates and scores • All unmet financial obligations / holds • LSAT Writing Sample • All letters of recommendation • Personal Statements • Makes application process easier on student.

  16. Personal Statement • The interview you won’t have! • FIVE CRITICAL ERRORS • Recapping your resume. • I really, really, really, really want to go to law school! • I’m not as dumb as my LSAT and GPA make you think I am. • My life has been full of tragedies. • Everyone tells me I will be a great lawyer because I like to argue.

  17. Letters of Recommendation • Start Early! • Anticipatewhat your recommendations will say • Should include concrete examples of: intellectual strength, judgment, motivation, leadership, communication skills, and academic abilities • Writers should be honored to write on your behalf • Hesitation from recommender? Walk away. • Monitor the status of your letters • Send thank-you letters to your recommenders

  18. Resume • Significant number of law schools require a resume attached to application. • Not the same as applying for a job! • Note specifics: • # hours worked per week, not what you did • Overall GPA, major GPA • Extracurricular, Honors, Service, Hobbies • Demonstrate time management

  19. Being a Professional starts now! • How do you present yourself to others in person? Through email? In large groups? • If you needed references today, who would you ask? What would s/he be able to say about you?

  20. Job Shadow • There are various types of lawyers • Ask questions! • What does s/he enjoy about his/her job? • What would s/he change if s/he could? • What suggestions would s/he give a student thinking about law school? • Use Career Advisors to help you set up job shadowing opportunities

  21. Ways to get involved on campus • Pre-Law Society • College Democrats | College Republicans • Model United Nations • Student Governance (OSA, MEC, USRH, RAC) • Please visit the Student Leadership and Involvement Center (SLIC) in Reeve Union 105 for additional involvement opportunities • http://reeve.uwosh.edu/involvement/slic

  22. Additional Resources • Law school brochures and information • LSAT preparation materials • Kaplan Test Prep • The Princeton Review • Professional Affiliations • American Bar Association (www.americanbar.org) • National Lawyers Association (www.nla.org)

  23. Need help? • Alejandro Mendoza • Academic Advisor & Pre-Law Advisor • mendozaa@uwosh.edu • Student Success Center, Suite 202 • Jerry Thomas • Faculty Advisor & Pre-Law Advisor • thomasj@uwosh.edu • Sage 4631 (Department Office) • Mai Nhia Xiong • Career Advisor • xiongma@uwosh.edu • Student Success Center, Suite 125

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