PRELAW HANDBOOK - When and Where To Apply

WHEN AND WHERE TO APPLY
INTRODUCTION

With 195 ABA-approved law schools, it will be necessary to eliminate many law schools from consideration. This chapter and the chapter CHOOSING THE LAW SCHOOL TO ATTEND will help with this elimination.

TOPICS

WHEN TO ATTEND LAW SCHOOL. The obvious possibility is right after completing the undergraduate degree requirements but there also is the option of waiting a year or two, or even longer.

GATHERING LAW SCHOOL INFORMATION

LAW SCHOOL'S SELECTION FACTORS. Every one has certain selection factors that are important. This sections lists almost thirty selection factors and indicates where to determine which law schools meet your needs.

NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS TO SUBMIT

WHERE TO APPLY TO LAW SCHOOL

WHEN AND WHERE TO APPLY
SOME ADMISSION STATISTICS

According to TUFTS 2006 PRE-LEGAL HANDBOOK, for 2005
Applicants to law school: 95,760

Average LSAT score: 152

Average GPA: 3.23

Average number of applications per applicant: 5.73

Average number of acceptances per applicant: 1.51

Percent accepted to one or more law schools: 58.6

For 41.4 percent of the applicants, there were no acceptance letters.

WHEN AND WHERE TO APPLY
SOME KEY FACTS ABOUT LAW SCHOOLS

NUMBER OF LAW SCHOOLS
As of June 2007, a total of 195 INSTITUTIONS ARE APPROVED (As of June 2006, 193) by the American Bar Association to confer the first degree in law (the J.D. degree). Eight of these 195 institutions

PROVISIONALLY APPROVED LAW SCHOOLS
Charleston School of Law
Faulkner University School of Law (Alabama) *
Florida A&M University College of Law (Orlando) *
University of LaVerne College of Law (Ontario, California) *
Liberty University School of Law (Lynchburg, VA)*
John Marshall Law School (Atlanta) *
Phoenix School of Law
Western State University College of Law (Fullerton, California) *
* means the law school was on this same list last year.

LAW SCHOOLS ON PROBATION
At its meeting on August 4-5, 2005, the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar determined to place Whittier Law School, located in Costa Mesa, California, on probation for a period of two years, effective August 9, 2005. Effective December 9, 2005, Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco is on probation for a period of two years.
     Both of these law schools are not SELECTIVE; Whittier Law School is in the bottom ten percent while Golden Gate University School of Law is in the bottom fifteen percent. For law schools with low standards, one might expect a high attrition rate; this is the case. At Whittier Law School only about 63 out of 100 in the entering class graduate from Whittier Law School in the expected amount of time while at Golden Gate University School of Law the corresponding numbers are 58 or 59 out of 100.
     Even with the high attrition rates, for both of these law schools, only 30 percent of their graduates pass the California Bar Exam on the first try. Thus for these two law schools, only about 18 out of 100 in the entering class graduate and pass the California Bar Exam on their first try.