How desirable is legal experience before applying to law school?

arnisya97

Hi everyone

I was wondering how important you guys think it is, to have either interned or worked at a legal firm or other legal institution before applying to law school?
Is it a particularly weighted factor in admissions or is it totally fine if you haven't had such an experience?

I have spent my undergrad years so far volunteering at various community impact organizations and working for a non-profit. I always thought I would just get to the legal interning and whatnot during law school and undergrad could be a time for me to get these different experiences.

I am asking this now because if it is truly an important factor for admissions I will try to get a legal internship over this summer, since I plan to apply to law school in October.

Thank you!

Alex

I think it's pretty important regardless of admissions. If you don't have any experience working in the legal field, how do you really know law is for you?

Hemingway

I'd like to know as well. I've been a lobbyist at a law firm for almost two years now and always wonder if it will make me a more appealing candidate. A lot of what I do involves reading and analyzing pending legislation, new laws and even older state laws and comparing them.

westcoastbestcoast

Legal experience will you get an inside look on the daily workflow of a lawyer. There isnt an unique advantage from an admissions standpoint.

studyingandrestudying

It's a good thing, but keep in mind the field is saturated and there are lots of people with JDs looking for jobs as well and you'll also want to make sure it's a job that's beneficial and interesting to you. Think outside the box.

tringo335

There is no advantage to having a legal background when applying to law school. I've heard this from many admissions folks. This is also proof of why more school are accepting the GRE because they know people have been in other fields or pursued other goals before applying to law school and want to give them the same opportunities. If you would like to intern in a law practice certainly go for it but it is not a requirement. If you really want to know if law if for you, a good book to check out is Law School Confidential: A complete guide to law school. https://www.amazon.com/Law-School-Confidential-Revised-Experience-ebook/dp/B000FC1AB6

This guy gives you an honest run down of law school. It helped me decide to take the leap and go for it.

ElleWoods77

From my experience it varies from school to school. I had a meeting with the dean who was super excited about my legal experience but the overall consensus is that your LSAT score , GPA, and statements are what is super important to admissions . I would suggest if you are interested and are not so sold on law school, I would seek some experience. I wasn’t sure about law school before I worked at my former job, but my job ensured law school is the only thing I see for my future. My job allowed me to work for judges, gain strong letters of recommendation, built my network, and foster strong relationships with alumni for my top choice who want to help me get in. From my experience, I would say it wouldn’t hurt and would help build your resume .

Seeking Perfection

As far as admissions, you would certainly be better off studying for the LSAT during the same time even if it only netted you one or two points.

However, the legal experience could help you decide whether to commit your life to something and go into potentially hundereds of thousands of dollars of debt.

J.CHRIS.ALST

Personally, I work as a legal assistant because I desperately wanted to get started in my field of interest after graduation. That decision is something I do not regret at all. Whether the admissions board at a law school finds value in it is for the birds, really. I've found immense value in it because I've learned a lot about areas of law I could see myself focusing in (criminal ftw), and other types of law that, once in law school, I will not touch with a ten foot pole. These types of lessons are invaluable; it allows you to narrow your focus during law school.