5 Ways to Improve Your Law School Application

When we meet law school applicants on tours, at recruiting events, and at our open houses, we often get asked for tips on how to prepare a standout application. Below are five ways you can improve your application, from your resume and personal statement to your recommendations and more. We also encourage you to attend an application webinar. 

1. Don’t underestimate the value of your resume

Your resume is a great tool for showing how you would be an asset to the school. Think strategically about what you want to highlight and what you’re trying to convey. Do you have leadership experience? Have you done volunteer work? Think about how those experiences have helped prepare you for the challenges of law school or inspired you to pursue a particular career path, and include bullets reflecting that. (e.g. Led a team of campus and community volunteers as part of a city-wide trash clean-up campaign.)

2. Be authentic

Many applicants find the personal statement difficult. The most common questions we get are: How can I be unique? How do I stand out? The answer: You don’t need to be unique, you need to be authentic. Share a story or an experience that provides some insight into who you are. Discuss aspects of your background and experience that you think will help the committee understand your motivations, goals, and why you are interested in law school. Highlight the journey that helped you develop the voice you will bring to the classroom. The best personal statements always include a compelling first sentence and a good story, and answer the questions, “why law school” and “why now.”  

3. When in doubt, disclose

The character and fitness section can be intimidating. It asks very specific information about criminal background, disciplinary actions, financial obligations, and more. As a student, you will have a continuing duty throughout your law school experience to inform the school of any changes to the answers to these questions. Failing to disclose or providing incorrect information can have serious consequences. If you’re unsure about what you need to disclose, talk to an admissions representative.

4. Be strategic with your letters of recommendations

Choose recommenders who like you, and more importantly, support your choice of going to law school. It sounds like a given, but so many letters of recommendation are ambivalent about a candidate’s ability to succeed in law school. Select recommenders who can best describe how great a law student and lawyer you will be. You want recommendations from people who can talk about your unique attributes as a student, your academic performance, and how you stand out among your peers. If you are choosing an employer as your recommender, pick someone with whom you have built a strong professional relationship, someone who can speak about your work ethic and employability qualities, as well as your commitment to becoming a lawyer.

5. Keep it professional

This is an application for professional school– keep it professional and don’t overshare information that is too personal or makes the reader uncomfortable. Several people could read your application, such as admissions representatives, faculty, deans, and alumni, all from various backgrounds and perspectives. Your application reflects your character, judgment, and readiness for law school. Take the process seriously, and make sure every piece of information that you provide adds value and is a good reflection of who you will be in law school.