Prelaw Priorities: Tips for the Early Birds

Sometimes we'll have clients reach out long before they begin applying to law school. And we love it! It gives us the opportunity to advise them on things they can do now that will save them time later, when things are more hectic. 

Journal Your Experiences. In addition to seeking out high quality and challenging academic, professional, and extracurricular experiences you’re interested in, you should keep a journal. It will make the brainstorming process a breeze. Log details while they're fresh in your mind. Did you have a meaningful conversation with a colleague while volunteering? Demonstrate leadership in an organization you’re involved with? Develop an imaginative solution on a team project? How did those interactions feel? What actions did you take, if any? Are there results to share? Pay particular attention to those experiences that prompted an evolution in your perspective and reinforced your interest in the study of law, as well as those that could show the reader your intellectual curiosity, integrity, and abilities in critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration.

Secure the Right Rec in a Timely Manner. If you're a college sophomore and have a current professor who you'd love to support your candidacy for law school, ask for the letter of recommendation right after the course ends. Your Credential Assembly Service (CAS) subscription remains active for five years and will deliver your reference letter when it's time to submit. Alternatively, if you would prefer to wait or if your ideal recommender says, "I'll write it the year you apply," stay in touch and keep them updated on your accomplishments. 

Start Preparing for the LSAT. A long lead-time before you apply to law school allows you to adjust your schedule to accommodate studying and taking the LSAT. Consider when you can most easily make the time for prep. Will it be during the summer while you participate in an internship or job? Or do you hope to plan for a lighter academic load the semester you plan to take the test? 

LSAT scores are valid for five years. If you can take the test earlier in your undergraduate career, you will have space to focus on strengthening other components of your application later. Additionally, taking the LSAT early leaves you with more options if your initial score doesn’t meet your expectations.

Law School Applicant Volume Up from Last Year

Prospective law students are coming out in droves for the 2023-2024 admissions cycle. The number of applicants for Fall 2024 matriculation is up four percent compared to the same point in the application cycle last year. And the pool is expected to continue to grow based on the registration volume for the January LSAT, which is up 15 percent from last year.

The diversity of the applicant pool has also increased compared to last year, which is notable because last year’s admissions cycle yielded the most diverse law school class on record. According to Reuters, the newly published LSAC data shows that over 43 percent of the applicant pool is made up of minorities and that the number of minority applicants has increased by seven percent from last year. Hispanic applicants have increased by almost nine percent, Black applicants by just over seven percent, and Asian applicants by six percent. The number of White applicants has held stable with growth of just one percent year-over-year. 

Last Summer, when the Supreme Court disallowed the use of race as a component of university admissions’ decisions, many in the legal and academic communities expressed concern that it would negatively impact underrepresented applicants and would discourage students of color from even applying. To counteract this, many schools updated their outreach and even their application components with the intention of encouraging minority students to apply. While it remains to be seen how many of the applications will turn into law school acceptances, this applicant data is encouraging. 

Related: A Compelling Diversity Statement will Strengthen Your Candidacy for Law School

Next Gen Bar Exam: Latest Updates

Last week the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) announced Next Gen Bar Exam updates. Here’s what you need to know. 

• The NCBE has extended the transition period for adopting the updated exam. The NCBE will continue to offer the uniform bar exam—the national component of the current bar—through February 2028. After that, the current bar exam will be retired and replaced with the Next Gen exam. 

• The NCBE will restore family law to the Next Gen exam, although it will not be incorporated until July 2028. 

• The Next Gen exam will make its debut in July 2026. To date, three states have announced that they will make the switch to the updated exam at that time: Maryland, Missouri, and Oregon. Two additional states (Wyoming and Connecticut) have announced their intention to transition to the new exam, although with longer timelines. Wyoming will adopt the updated test in July 2027 and Connecticut bar officials announced that the state will adopt the Next Gen, but have not released a date for implementation. Two states also announced that they would not adopt the Next Gen exam in July 2026, Florida and Pennsylvania. 

• The California State Bar recommended not adopting the Next Gen exam in favor of developing its own exam content. This recommendation now awaits approval by the Supreme Court of California.