Why You Should Research Clinic and Journal Options When Choosing a Law School
When thinking about what law school to apply to, the choices can feel overwhelming. There are many schools out there, and there is a ton of information you need to collect and consider before putting together a list of schools to apply to. You should research tuition, acceptance rates, and the average GPA and standardized test scores of those accepted to each school. These numbers will give you an idea of how likely is it that your law school application will be successful at a certain school.
Before you proceed with the law school admissions process, you should also look beyond these basics. You'll want to research each school's law journals and clinic programs. Some programs may be better suited for you than others based on your interests and the direction you hope to take in your legal career. Adding more factors to consider may seem stressful, but understanding what each school offers can help you choose what law school to apply to and put together a more tailored law school application.
What Is a Clinic?
Law school clinics are designed to provide a hands-on learning experience for law students. Many of these programs serve clients, especially lower-income clients, during criminal and civil cases. These are often pro bono services, which are free for those who cannot afford a lawyer.
What You Should Know About Clinics Before You Apply to Law School
Looking at clinic options can help you identify programs that are in line with your interests and career goals so you can apply to law school options that will let you explore these areas further.
Different Types of Clinics
One of the benefits of a clinical program is the practical experience they offer. Getting real-world experience will strengthen your resume and appeal to employers. Some clinics work with real clients. Joining a clinic that offers direct services will help you understand what a real case looks like and how it develops. You will learn how to interview clients and do the type of legal research you would in a job.
Some schools have policy-based clinics. These include seminars or trial advocacy courses that teach students to provide comprehensive legal representation. You will learn skills like writing, negotiation, and policy research. Some clinics also provide travel opportunities for action-based learning in different settings.
Wide Range of Specialties
During your law school admissions research, look for law school clinics that offer students the opportunity to explore legal specialties. You may have an idea of what type of law you want to practice before you apply to law school, or you may want to explore different paths while in school. Clinics can give you a feel for what a variety of practice areas are like outside of classes. If you're interested in a specific area, participating in a clinic lets you test it out to see if you would actually enjoy practicing that type of law.
A clinic with a wide variety of practice areas, or multiple clinic options within a law school, will help with your final decision. Some common clinic fields include immigration, business law, and criminal procedure. A quality law school clinic will help guide you on the right path so you can decide where to start your legal career after graduation.
Hours Per Semester
Another factor you will need to consider is how many hours of practice a law school's clinic program can give students. A large clinic that provides you with plenty of practice hours is likely to be a strong program. Since you'll receive course credit for participating in a clinic, you should be learning enough policy or practical information to earn those credits.
Your clinic should require enough time to for you understand how to build a case and present it in court. However, the program should not ask for too many hours, as this can conflict with the rest of your school schedule.
What Are Journals?
Also known as a law review, a law journal is a series of published articles written by law professors and other legal professionals. Students often run a school's law review. While legal experts write the articles, students can submit notes to the journal. You will usually apply to a journal during your second year of law school, but some allow third-years to apply as well.
Law schools often have a main law review that covers a variety of legal topics as well as secondary journals that focus on specific areas of the law. Before you apply to law school, make sure to research the school's journal options.
Choosing the Right Subject
When considering what law school to apply to, try to find one that has a journal that covers an area of law that interests you. Participating in these journals is a good way to build a network with those who are also interested in the topic. Working on a law journal is time-consuming, so it's important to look for schools that offer journals that are relevant to your goals and interests.
If you have no interest in the field of law that the journal focuses on, then the work will feel tedious. Even if it would look good on your resume, it's better to avoid joining a law journal that does not interest you.
Considering Leadership Opportunities
Law journals are completely student-run, so you will have to chance to work your way up to higher positions and more complex responsibilities after joining. You may start off doing less appealing tasks like checking citations. However, there are plenty of jobs that students can apply to as they gain seniority on the journal.
Students can be elected to the editorial board or even become the editor-in-chief. These higher-level jobs come with more responsibilities and a greater time commitment, but they'll allow you to build up your leadership skills. Eventually, you'll review entire papers and develop skills like spotting logical fallacies.
The qualifications you'll need to obtain a senior position will be different for each journal. If you are interested in joining a certain law journal, it can help to speak to a current member about the process of moving upwards.
Understanding How to Apply
You will need to apply for a position as a staff member. Normally, you will not be able to do so until you have finished your first year of school. Each journal will have different selection criteria. Some will invite students to join based on their first-year grades. Others will have a write-on competition during or after first-year exams to select members. A few journals will use a combination of the two. Generally, information on how to join is posted at the end of the academic year.
Deciding what law school to apply to can be stressful, but having guidance on what to look for can help. If you have questions about law journals, clinics, or any part of your law school application, contact S. Montgomery Admissions Consulting today.