WHEN TO ATTEND LAW SCHOOL DEFERRING

Deferring law school means delaying admission for one year (in some cases, one semester or two years) after the scheduled law school admission date. The time to request a deferral is after you have been admitted, not before.

Applicants accepted to a law school are expected to deposit and register for classes the semester in which they are accepted. It does happen that a deferment is necessary or desirable. The granting of a one-year deferment depends on the law school with responses ranging from almost always granting one to almost always never granting one. Note that if you are admitted from a waiting list, your chances of a deferment will usually not be very good. The granting of a deferment for more that one year is not very likely although some law schools will grant requests for a two-year deferment to someone participating in program that requires a two-year commitment (e.g. Teach For America). Even if a deferral is not granted there is almost always the option of reapplying for admission at a later date.

Question 16: I'll be working next year. Should I apply now and defer, or wait until next autumn? The answer given by ARiZONA STATE UNIVERSITY PRE-LAW is, "A law school is under no obligation to grant a deferral. Although many do so, it is certainly not as common as it once was. In general, it is wise to wait until your credentials are as strong as possible: the combination of a complete four-year transcript and some professional experience will certainly be helpful to law school admission committees as they evaluate your application."

Johns Hopkins The Law School Option considers the question, If you are admitted to law school and suddenly discover that you have won a fellowship to study abroad for a year or you have gotten a job offer you can't refuse, can you defer admission? Their answer is, "That depends on the policy of each school to which you apply. The general rule is that law schools like students to apply for the year when they plan to matriculate. However, they are also interested in having students who have varied experiences. If you wish to request a deferral after acceptance, write to the school and explain why the other opportunity seems most appropriate. The admissions committee could grant your deferral request or require that you reapply."

The DUDLEY HOUSE (Harvard) UNDERGRADUATE SITE talks about deferring, "Generally, the best time to apply to law school is the time you're ready to attend. However, some students choose to apply in their senior year and then defer. Most law schools grant one-year deferrals regularly, although often resist subsequent deferrals. (With rare exceptions -- for instance, students with international fellowships are routinely granted additional deferments). If you want to defer, beware that many schools make their deferral decisions on a first-come, first-serve basis. Law schools will often grant deferrals until their entering class gets too small, and then stop granting them. This means it is very much in your best interest to get your deferral request in as early as possible."

The University of Chicago Pre-law InfoCenter considers the question, "Should I apply now and defer or wait until next" Fall? Their answer is, "Law schools are under no obligation to grant deferrals; they would rather have you pursue your interests and then apply to law school. In general, rather than asking for a deferral, it is wise to wait until your credentials are as strong as possible: the combination of a complete four year transcript and some professional experience will certainly be helpful to law school admissions committees as they evaluate you. Petitions for deferrals usually are evaluated on a case-by-case basis and may be granted if you can cite legitimate and compelling reasons for seeking a deferral. The time to request a deferral is after you have been admitted, not before. Be sure to check law schools' web pages for their deferral policies."

WHEN TO ATTEND LAW SCHOOL GRADUATING COLLEGE EARLY

All other issues aside, graduating early will not affect your chances [of being admitted to law school] either positively or negatively. However, you should be aware that you will be presenting law schools with a shorter track-record (i.e. fewer grades) to evaluate..Just as importantly, you are losing a whole year of emotional, social, and intellectual development."       A typical 21 yr. old senior with no professional experience may well be admitted to a prestigious law program but may not, ultimately, gain as much from law school as if he or she had waited awhile. Many students in college feel pressured to begin their professional education immediately after graduation, but it is never too late to consider applying to law school.If you begin law school the same year you receive your B.A., you may be disadvantaged in two ways: 1) you will be among the youngest members of the class, and 2) you will not have a "professional" perspective on legal education.      Although being the youngest in a class may not seem important, the difference in the students' ages is much greater in law school than in college. Though students do enter law school right out of college, they often find that many of their classmates are in their late twenties or thirties, are married, and may have children of their own. Furthermore, the majority of their classmates will have had some professional experience. Imagine yourself in a classroom where the professor asks a student to interpret a legal point in the context of her professional experience as a real estate broker! Although your going to law school will not necessarily hinge upon a prior career, it is becoming increasingly important. Many admissions committees now view some professional experience as a significant part of the candidate's profile (business schools, for example, view it as a prerequisite)."       "When you decide to attend law school, whether you choose to graduate early, and how you choose to get exposure to the profession you are considering is up to you. Use the resources available to you and consult with your pre-law advisor to aid in your decision making process. It is our hope that you will one day have a successful, thriving career in whatever you choose to do."                        From the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PRE-LAW

WHEN TO ATTEND LAW SCHOOL FALL OR JANUARY ADMISSION

All American law school have Fall admission. At a few law schools admission in January is also an option. In general, when there is a choice, most applicants apply for Fall admission. The curriculum for students starting in January is very likely no different than the Fall curriculum. At some law schools admission is easier in January than in the Fall.