Do’s and Don’ts of the Law School Application Process

Introduce yourself to the admissions office via email or by scheduling a video, phone, or in-person appointment. You may also request a guided tour of the law school and attend a law lecture when classes are in session.

Most schools receive several hundreds, if not thousands, of applications annually. Between file reading, recruitment travel, student appointments, and event planning, the admissions team maintains full schedules. For this reason, we do not recommend stopping by the admissions office unannounced. Always be sure to schedule an appointment in advance.

Prior to your appointment, do your research and come prepared to ask informed questions. The more prepared you are, the more you’ll benefit from the meeting.

You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. If you are contacting the office by email, from subject line to signature, make sure you are professional and using the proper tone. The goal of any admissions office is to answer your questions, within reason. Be sure to include adequate background information and articulate your questions. This will assist the admissions team in offering clear and thorough responses.

Pro Tip: Always address the individual to whom you’re writing and sign your email messages.

While it’s important to have meaningful and clear communication with the admissions office, it’s also important not to overwhelm them. Unless you have a specific reason to make contact or are dealing directly with someone regarding an issue, you should not email or call too often.

UB School of Law offers plenty of resources to help applicants navigate the application process. Whether you’re curious about our academic programs, virtual and in-person events, connecting with current students, housing, or our LSAT prep workshops and practice tests, the School of Law’s admissions team has a great deal of information to and resources to offer.

Bonus: Our Admissions Blog offers all the advice needed to successfully apply and excel in law school and beyond.

Most admissions offices are small, and it is unlikely that different people in the same office will give you conflicting information. We see this more than you’d think, and it leaves a negative impression.

An often overlooked and time-consuming process is requesting your official transcript(s) to be sent to the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). Transcripts from every institution you’ve attended (undergraduate and graduate, if applicable) are required, including community college coursework, or other pertinent academic experiences (e.g., study abroad). LSAC processing delays are not unusual. Request your official transcript(s) early so you can spend more time focusing on the other application components rather than stressing over when your transcripts will be received and processed.

Pro Tip: Give yourself 4-6 weeks processing time for official transcripts. For example, if you want to submit a completed application by March 1, request official transcripts by January 15.

It’s important that your law school application is as thorough as it can be. If there’s information you feel would help put your qualifications into context, consider uploading an addendum. If you want to address weak grades, a gap in your education, or a personal experience that negatively impacted your GPA, it’s worth offering the committee this additional perspective. Otherwise, the committee is left to make assumptions that may not serve you well during the review process.

On the flip side, don’t undersell yourself on the resume. If you worked a part-time, non-legal job throughout college keep this experience on your resume. It helps shape your undergraduate experience, and what competing priorities you juggled throughout college.

If you want your references to provide strong, thorough letters of recommendation be sure to give them plenty of time. Like transcripts, you will want to give your references 4-6 weeks to draft their recommendations.

Tip: Arrange a brief meeting with each reference to offer additional perspective regarding your interest in law school. Consider sharing your resume and personal statement so that they may put your academic performance (and/or professional work experience) in a greater context.

Letters say a lot about you as a person, student, and potential future lawyer, so you want to make sure you ask the right person to speak on your behalf. Choosing someone you trust will write you a strong recommendation is critical. A negative letter or one “damning with faint praise” could be damaging to your admission outcome.

Personal references (e.g. letters from family, friends, members of the clergy, politicians, etc.) should be avoided. Their comments are not useful in evaluating your academic or professional qualifications.

Attending law school should be a carefully considered decision that weighs your future career goals as well as financial obligations. Start early so you have enough time to compile materials, research what’s needed, write and proof your personal statement, request letters of recommendation and transcripts, and prepare for the LSAT (or GRE)!

I’m being repetitive, but it’s for good reason. The best law school applications have been meticulously prepared, reviewed and checked for grammar and typos. You want to put the best version of yourself forward to the committee, so take your time and proofread everything!

Although the application process can be daunting, keep a positive attitude and don't be afraid to ask questions. The admissions team is here to help you succeed in your dream of attending law school, so don’t be afraid to reach out.

Editor's Note: This post was originally published in July 2017 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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