Prospective law students often wonder if they should take time off between finishing their undergraduate work and applying to law school. While there is no one size fits all answer, the trend shows that many law schools are expecting and even rewarding students who take at least a brief interlude prior to starting school.
According to ABA data, the majority of 2024 matriculants did report a gap prior to starting law school (65 percent). Among four of the top five ranked law schools by U.S. News and World Report in 2024, the incoming classes showed that between 70 and 90 percent of incoming students took at least one year off before matriculation. At Yale, 89 percent of the Class of 2027 was at least one year out from undergraduate and 46 percent were at least three years out.
While, it isn’t necessary for all students to take a gap year, it can be a beneficial use of time for the following types of applicants:
Those with a general interest in the study of law, but without experience in the day-to-day operations of a law firm and/or those who do not yet feel comfortable selecting a career path within the legal industry
Those who have a passion they would like to pursue, who can spend some time in the field to confirm law school is the right next step to help them achieve their goals
Those who need to enhance the competitiveness of their application with additional experiences and insight into their future goals
Those who may benefit from a year of earnings prior to taking on the financial burden of law school
Those interested in working at a firm post- law school, as prior work experience can be looked upon quite favorably by hiring managers
Check back tomorrow as we discuss productive ways to spend your gap year.