Insider's Guide to Law School Admissions 2020

Insider’s Guide

to Law School Admissions Fall 2020 Practical Tips to Find and Get into the Right Law School for You

Welcome

2

First Things First

3

Know Your End Game

4

Factors to Consider in Selecting a Law School - Geography

5

Factors to Consider in Selecting a Law School - Culture and Environment

6

Optimize Your Application

6

When to Apply

7

Apply to a Range of Schools

8

Standardized Test Score and Undergraduate GPA

8

The Personal Statement

8

Recommendations

10

Résumé

10

Character and Fitness Questions

11

Addendum

12

Diversity or Optional Statement

12

After You’ve Been Admitted

13

Welcome Applicants often tell us that they wish they knew more about the admissions process going in. It would have been helpful, they say, to have some practical tips they could use to navigate their way from start to finish.

That’s why we created this guide.

There’s a lot of how-to-get-into-law-school advice out there. You can get it from market experts, media pundits, family, and friends. This guide is different because it gives you the insider’s take on the law school search and admissions process.

It’s filled with user-friendly tips based on nearly a century of applicants to St. John’s Law. It also shares insights gathered from law school admissions offices across the country.

We hope you’ll use the guide to help you find, and get admitted to, a law school that’s just right for you.

All the best,

Alicia Meehan Assistant Dean of Admissions and Recruitment

Theresa Hallet Senior Director of Admissions Office of Admissions St. John’s University School of Law

2 | ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW 2020

First Things First As you begin your law school search and application process, it’s important to take a good look at the landscape around you.

The good news is that, for many of you, it’s a great time to go to law school and start a career as a lawyer. Schools like St. John’s are offering generous scholarships and graduate employment prospects are strong. So law school can be a smart investment.

The second piece of good news is that the law school application process is a lot simpler and more straightforward than the undergraduate admissions process (and you got through that just fine, right?).

Most of the mechanical details of the admissions process can be found at the Law School Admissions Council’s website (LSAC.org). Visit the site and, while you’re there, register for the Law School Admission Council’s Credential Assembly Service—it’s how you’ll organize and submit all your application materials, including LSAT scores, transcripts, letters of recommendation, and electronic applications. Also, check out the site’s list of recruitment events, where you can meet law school representatives in your area.

And there is even more good news.

While St. John’s and some other law schools don’t charge an application fee, other law schools do. Seven applications at $80 each is $560, just to apply, on top of what you’ve already spent on the LSAT. That’s a lot of money.

Don’t worry. You can save on those application fees by signing up for the LSAC’s Candidate Referral Service (CRS). Many law schools offer fee waivers, but they need your email address to extend the offer. And they usually get your email address through the CRS. CRS participants receive a lot of email and wading through it can be a chore. But avoiding the CRS to keep a clutter-free inbox can be a costly mistake.

Here’s a proven solution: Set up a temporary e-mail account just for your law school application process. Choose an email address that’s professional and appropriate, and make sure to check it daily. You’ll learn about a lot of law schools, you’ll save money, and you’ll keep your primary inbox clutter-free. And, you can always unsubscribe if you are no longer interested in a particular school.

ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW 2020 l 3

Know Your End Game Why are you going to law school?

That’s a trick question.

There’s only one reason to go to law school—to use your law degree to get a job. That job could be as a practicing lawyer or in fields where a J.D. is an advantage, like compliance or tax advisement. It’s totally fine if you don’t know what kind of lawyer you want to be or where you want to work right now. But, if you do know, you should use that knowledge to your advantage.

Whether you want to work in the fabled BigLaw firms of 500+ attorneys, dream of serving your community as a prosecutor or public defender, or are drawn to a specialized practice area like corporate law, you’ll want to choose a law school that has a proven track record of placing graduates in the type of job you’re interested in.

Luckily, you don’t need to do much digging to find the proof you’re after.

The American Bar Association requires all accredited law schools to disclose graduate employment information, which you should find on the law school’s website. If a school doesn’t give you easy access to detailed employment data, that’s a big red flag.

As you examine the data, keep in mind that the most important placement rates are for full-time, long-term, bar required, and J.D. advantage jobs.

For example 92% of St. John’s Law Class of 2018 obtained fulltime, long term, bar required, and J.D. advantaged jobs. St. John’s is # 2 in NYC and # 14 nationwide in employment. Full employment data is available at www.stjohns.edu/law/law-career-development/law-students-ready-profession Another great way to make sure a law school can help you meet your career goals is to contact one of its admissions officers or career counselors. These representatives should be more than happy to talk to you and to put you in touch with professors, current students, and alumni who can enhance the conversation.

4 | ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW 2020

Factors to Consider in Selecting a Law School Geography Say it’s your dream to practice law in New York City, the hub of global business and commerce. Does it make sense for you to go to law school in Vermont, Arizona, or Idaho? Usually, it doesn’t. Similarly, if your goal is to practice law in California or Texas or Michigan, consider schools that have connections in those states.

Location matters. That’s because, more often than not, you end up beginning your career in the state where you go to law school. Most law schools are firmly rooted in the surrounding legal and business community.

So while you’re a student, you’ll forge strong, local connections through the school’s alumni network, in its externships and clinics, and via its public service initiatives.

This example from St. John’s Law highlights just how much your law school’s location can shape your career path:

Hon. Raymond J. Dearie, a St. John’s Law alumnus and a federal judge in New York, was looking to fill a summer internship position in his chambers and called Dean Michael A. Simons for help. After consulting with our Career Development Office, Dean Simons recommended Jonathan P. ‘18. Jonathan got great experience as Judge Dearie’s intern, and that experience stood out when he interviewed on campus with Cooper & Dunham LLP, a New York intellectual property law firm. One of the firm’s partners is St. John’s Law alumna Tonia A. Sayour ’03. Jonathan received an offer, and worked as a summer associate at Cooper & Dunham, positioning him for full-time employment there after graduation.

Your law school’s location also matters because bar exams are administered at the state level and because many states have additional bar admission requirements. Under New York’s pro bono requirement, for example, you’ll need to do 50 hours of pro bono service before applying for admission to practice. And, under the State’s 2015 Skills Competency Requirement–Rules for the Admission of Attorneys and Counselors at Law (22 NYCRR 520.18), you’ll have to establish that you acquired the skills and professional values necessary to competently practice law.

For all these reasons, being savvy about the location of your law school is key in your search and application process. Narrow your choices to the schools that can best prepare you to gain admission to the bar of, and to work in, the state where you intend to practice.

ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW 2020 l 5

Factors to Consider in Selecting a Law School Culture and Environment Law school is a major investment, and you want to make sure that your school’s culture will enhance, rather than deplete, that investment. So, take some time to test out the culture as part of your search and application process.

The best way to get a feel for a school is, of course, to visit. A tour allows you to see the building and classrooms. Check out the library (you’ll likely be spending a lot of time there), student activities, where to eat and other amenities (gym, campus, etc.), and clinics where students do real legal work for real clients under faculty supervision.

Even if you can’t visit a campus, a school should let you speak to current students, alumni, and professors. Take advantage of this opportunity.

The American Bar Association requires all law schools to annually report a lot of interesting and useful data on such things as admissions, employment outcomes, costs, and bar passage. This info is disclosed in a school’s 509 Report and in the ABA’s Employment Summary which should be available on the school’s website and can also be obtained directly from the American Bar Association at www.abarequireddisclosures.org. This report can also give you a little insight into the culture of a law school.

The reports show transfers in and out. If there are a high number of transfers out of a school, that can be potential red flag that students aren’t happy at a school. A few transfers are to be expected. If a school has a dozen or more transfers out, ask why.

Optimize Your Application Law school is a rigorous undertaking, and admission officers need to know that you’re academically qualified.

But we also understand that there’s a lot more to you than your GPA and standardized test score. Those credentials tell only part of a much bigger story of you and your qualifications to succeed in law school and beyond.

They need to be put in proper context.

That’s what the rest of your law school application is for. So, optimize it!

Emphasize your strengths and explain any weaknesses in your application or discrepancies.

6 | ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW 2020

Admission officers consider your background, experiences, obstacles, and anything else you tell us about yourself. Don’t be too shy or too modest to tell us why we should admit you. If your GPA took a dip because you had to work through college, or care for an ailing parent, let us know.

If you had a particularly challenging course of undergraduate study or a formative professional experience, point that out as well. All of these things help us get a more complete picture of you.

When to Apply Admission decisions at most law schools are made on a rolling basis beginning in late fall, therefore you have an advantage by submitting your application sooner rather than later. This is especially true if you are an attractive candidate to a school. If the school is a reach for you, you may have to wait a bit longer for a decision.

Some schools, like St. John’s Law, may also have early decision programs that have special features or opportunities. We’ve included brief descriptions of the St. John’s Law programs as examples, but make sure you check out early decision options for the schools in which you are interested.

Honors Early Decision Program This is a very selective program for high-achieving students with exceptional credentials who know that St. John’s Law is their top choice.

Students admitted through this program become St. Thomas More Scholars, receive a full-tuition scholarship, work closely with a faculty advisor, and get access to special events. Applicants to the Honors Early Decision Program who aren’t admitted will be considered for regular admission. Application Deadline: November 20, 2019.

Regular Early Decision (R.E.D.) Program This program is for students who know that St. John’s Law is their #1 choice and want to express that preference to our Admissions Committee.

While R.E.D. Program applicants get priority review and an expedited admissions decision, they aren’t considered for merit scholarships. So, applicants seeking financial assistance shouldn’t apply through the R.E.D. Program. Application Deadline: January 6, 2020

ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW 2020 l 7

Apply to a Range of Schools It’s a good strategy to apply to schools based on geography and ranking.

As you know, rankings have limitations, however, so don’t forget to focus on a cluster of schools in an area of the country that you want to work that have strong bar passage and employment outcomes.

Don’t immediately discount your chances for admission just because either your LSAT or GPA are below a school’s 25th percentile, especially if your other number is above a school’s median. U.S. News uses a school’s median as part of its rankings calculation. Many schools will balance a class to get to a target median, meaning that they will admit applicants with all sorts of scores who demonstrate their potential to be successful law students.

To get an idea of your chances for admission at ABA-approved law schools, use the Law School Admission Council’s UGPA and LSAT Score Search, which can show you how many past applicants with similar credentials gained admission. The American Bar Association’s 509 Report also includes the number of applications a school receives and the number of offers a school extends.

Standardized Test Score and Undergraduate GPA Okay, let’s get this out of the way. Yes, your LSAT/GRE score and GPA are important. Law school is a rigorous academic experience, and we need to know that you’re up to the task.

All accredited law schools will accept the LSAT, some (about 30 as of fall 2019) will also accept the GRE. If you are planning to apply to a wide variety of law schools and don’t already have a GRE score, it probably makes the most sense to take the LSAT rather than the GRE. The selective admissions process is for your own good. We never admit anyone who we are not convinced will be able to complete the program.

But the numbers only tell part of the story. They need to be put in context, and that is what the rest of your application is for!

The Personal Statement We can’t overstate the importance of your personal statement, for two reasons. First, we want to know about you. There are certain character traits that we look for in our applicants; traits that, despite what the numbers say, indicate to us that this is an applicant who will likely be 8 | ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW 2020

successful. I’m talking about things like determination, grit, and focus. These are traits that are difficult to pull out of an application but can provide a compelling reason to admit someone. So, tell us about yourself. Tell us what you’ve overcome. Tell us about your successes. Tell us about your failures (we all have them, it’s what you do afterwards that matters). In other words, show us why you are someone we want to be part of our community.

The second reason the personal statement is so important is because young lawyers (and law students) must be good writers. We ask legal employers what the most important skill they need in their new hires, and every year, without fail, they respond: good writers. It’s fair to say that you can never be too good a writer. So, given this importance, we are looking for students with good fundamental writing skills. No, we’re not looking for someone who can write a Supreme Court brief (we’ll teach you how to do that). Instead, we’re looking for people who have mastered the fundamentals of effective written communication.

Since the personal statement is so important, spend a lot of time on it. Edit it. Have someone you trust read it. Edit it again. Make sure it is the best example of your writing you can produce. Since most law schools don’t have an interview process, this may be the only time to tell us about you.

Make it count.

Many personal statements are generic and bland. Try to make yours interesting to read. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Discuss possible topics with someone before you write. Your great idea may not have the appeal you think it does.

• Tell a story and don’t try to cover too much. Be positive.

• Don’t pretend to be a lawyer or judge and don’t write about legal concepts or use legal jargon.

• Don’t use big words just to sound impressive.

• Highlight information that sets you apart.

• Don’t bury the most interesting content in your essay.

Admission officers may have to read thousands of personal statements. Put the best stuff in the first paragraph.

• Keep it to 2-3 pages, max.

• Most law schools allow you to choose a topic, but some may require or encourage you to write about something specific.

Read the directions carefully.

• Don’t restate your resume or simply list your experiences.

• Use an addendum to address specific academic or criminal issues (character and fitness questions).

ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW 2020 l 9

Recommendations We’ll be honest, many letters of recommendation aren’t very effective.

Many are generic and sound the same. A generic-sounding letter won’t help you get in. A good and thoughtful recommendation can help though.

Academic recommendations are best for current or recent college students.

Your recommender should know you and be willing to write positively about you. You need to feel comfortable asking him or her what they will say. Give them a copy of your resume and a statement about your goals, reasons for applying to law school, and anything else that could help them write a good recommendation. Refresh their recollection of their interactions with you and the grades you got in their class or projects you worked on. Leave something in writing they can consult.

Ask for your letter early. Many recommenders are busy.

Résumé Your résumé should include everything about you: schools, work, volunteer experience, etc. It is also a good way to list interesting stuff about yourself (you are a lifeguard who plays the bass guitar) so that you don’t clutter up your personal statement.

And be aware that your résumé itself is an indication of your writing ability. Just as with your personal statement, make it perfect. Edit it. Then, edit it again. Have someone else proof it.

As guidance, here are the instructions St. John’s Law provides to applicants:

In reverse chronological order, please list all employment, volunteer experience, and extracurricular activities as well as all educational institutions attended. Include an explanation for any gap of time (three months or more) not explained on your resume.

10 | ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW 2020

Character and Fitness Questions Every law school asks disclosure questions about academic issues and criminal history.

Here are the ones we ask at St. John’s:

Have you ever been subject to any disciplinary action, placed on academic probation, or dismissed from any school, college, university, or graduate/ professional school, or is any such action pending or expected to be brought against you? If yes, please state the precise facts and disposition of such action in a supplementary statement or on an electronic attachment.

Please note: Although a disciplinary action may have been expunged or dismissed, it nevertheless should be disclosed in answer to this question.

Have you ever, either as an adult or juvenile, been cited, arrested, taken into custody, charged with, indicted, convicted or tried for, or pleaded guilty to, the commission of any felony or misdemeanor or the violation of any law, except minor parking violations, or been the subject of any juvenile delinquency or youthful offender proceeding? If yes, please explain in a supplementary statement or electronic attachment the charge or charges and relevant facts, including the nature of the offense, the dates and courts involved, and the penalty imposed, if any.

Please note: Although a conviction may have been expunged or sealed by an order of a court, it nevertheless should be disclosed in answer to this question.

Answer honestly. Your default reaction should always be to disclose rather than conceal.

Yes, under-age drinking violations, shoplifting, speeding tickets, citations, and vandalism should be disclosed. Yes, you need to include things that have been expunged. Failure to disclose these things may prevent you from later being admitted to the bar. The questions can differ between law schools, so there is no one answer for what should be disclosed or can be omitted. Read carefully.

We are required to provide a copy of your law school application to the Committee on Character and Fitness after you pass the bar exam. The committee will conduct its own investigation into your background. If their investigation reveals something you did not disclose on your law school application, well, you just created an issue of your integrity, because the committee will now wonder what else you may not have disclosed. You don’t want to have to defend your reputation and honesty in order to be admitted to the bar. This is not the time to parse words or argue that the question was unclear. Disclose, disclose, disclose.

ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW 2020 l 11

Addendum Most law schools will ask you to provide an addendum to explain any “yes” answers to the character and fitness questions.

Keep it brief, but provide all the details, including the consequences. Take responsibility, show contrition, and demonstrate that you learned from the mistake. This applies to both academic and criminal issues.

You can also use an addendum to explain an anomaly in academic performance or poor standardized test score. Maybe your grades aren’t as good as you would like because you had to work or take care of a sick family member. Maybe your major is tough and a B- is a good grade. You could have been sick the first time you took the LSAT. Remember though, it needs to be an explanation, not just an excuse.

Diversity or Optional Statements Many schools now accept diversity or optional statements, in addition to personal statements and addenda. These statements are usually shorter than personal statements and generally discuss how an applicant is diverse or could add to the law school community and legal profession. Some schools define what they want, others leave it open to interpretation.

In general though, the goal is to find out how you, the applicant, will contribute to the law school. This could be racial, ethnic, gender, or even socioeconomic diversity. Read a school’s application carefully to determine their definition of diversity.

12 | ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW 2020

After You’ve Been Admitted Okay, so you’ve been admitted to law school. Now what?

Too many law school applicants shortcut their decision making process, which can feel overwhelming, by relying too heavily on lists and rankings compiled by people who may not share their priorities.

Rankings (and for that matter blogs, web sites, and social media) can be useful tools, but they shouldn’t make the decision for you. Take a deep dive into a school’s outcomes - primarily bar passage and employment and match that up with your career aspirations.

Ultimately, the only way to know for certain if a law school is right for you is to see it for yourself.

The big secret is that from a curricular perspective, law schools are far more similar than different. Everyone teaches the same basic classes. There are no majors in law school. Where law schools are distinctive is in the advanced classes offered, clinics, externships, co-curricular programs and academic centers. And, of course, law schools are very different in their cultures and their atmospheres.

That means you need to visit the school and get the lay of the land. Speak with the admission officers and the faculty; but even more importantly, speak with some current students.

While you’re on campus, give yourself an extra hour or two and just hang out in the cafeteria or lounge areas (don’t do this during finals!). And don’t be shy. Introduce yourself and tell people why you’re there. You’ll learn a lot from their responses—not just about classes and programs, but about the real student experience. You’ll also learn why they chose to go there and why their decision was right for them.

A visit is the best way (really there’s no substitute) to find out if a school is right for you. Considering how much time you’ll be spending in law school and that you’ll be an alumna/us of that school forever, it really is worth making the right decision for you.

Best wishes in the law school search and application process, in law school, and as you start your legal career!

ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW 2020 l 13

Admissions Office 718-990-6474 lawinfo@stjohns.edu law.stjohns.edu