There is a certain challenge offered by a law school that can spark the fire in a conscientious and ambitious student. A student, who has always aspired to be in a legal profession, whether through the legacy of his/her parents or through other personal reasons, may go to law school no matter what the cost – physically, mentally, and financially. However, the current trends are suggesting that even this type of student should stop, look, and listen.

The legal profession as of late

As of the moment, the legal profession is not at its prime. In the job market, there are lawyers who have had fantastic grades in law school and in the Bar exam settling for other career alternatives. Some legal professions are not as lucrative or rewarding as they used to be. Some may even find out that this is not the glamorous profession that aspiring law students dream of and imagine about.

The future of law students

It takes extra years to earn a law degree, and those years might feel extra long because of the long nights of studying. Law school, without a doubt, demands a lot, since the years you spend in one also cost a lot. There are many law school students who are looking at a pile of debt from their student loans. Because of the poor job market for law graduates, those loans will not get paid fast. Current law students may later find themselves in a dilemma given the state of today’s job market.

Of course, the most brilliant of the lot can still do wonders in the legal profession. Determined law school students can earn their degree and rise above the competition.

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Source: Shilling Me Softly

Law school applicants must recognize the fact that the component of their law school applications that they can best control is the personal statement. This is because undergraduate transcripts can no longer be tweaked, letters of recommendation can only be requested from people who know them during their academic and professional journey, and work and leadership experiences may only be changed if they want to delay their law school application. That said, this leaves the law school personal statement to be the only thing under the applicant’s full control. The applicant should then focus much of his or her energy on writing an effective personal statement.

Writing with a purpose and for the readers

The law school applicant can use his or her motivations for pursuing such a degree to write his personal statement. Aside from the purpose, the applicant must focus on the readers as well. He or she must be able to gauge the impact of the personal statement on the admissions committee.

Anticipating the essay’s effect on interview questions

It is important to be honest and sincere when writing the law school personal statement. The applicant must also be able to anticipate the questions that the essay may generate. He or she must remember that the law school admission process usually culminates with an interview, and the interviewer will be referring to the essay when asking questions.

Promoting one’s self

A personal statement should be able to represent the law school applicant who is not there when the admissions committee members are reading the essay. The essay should then accurately represent who the applicant really is. The admissions committee must be convinced that the applicant is a perfect fit to the law school.

Excellent writing skills

Of course, everything would be for nothing if the applicant cannot express him or herself articulately. The personal statement must use correct English grammar, have a strong introduction, present a powerful conclusion, and create an overall persuasive argument. The law school applicant must already show that he or she has the powers of persuasion.

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Law school is tough. It has to be to create lawyers that can make logical arguments and arrive at the truth. TheLaw School Admission Test (LSAT) is then used to gauge the analytical and logical reasoning of would-be law school students. However, when certain apprehensions are added to the mix, the applicant can get very flustered and may fail the exam because of nervousness, which can be very unfortunate. Though failing after a good fight is better, passing the exam is still best.

Reasoning tests

Reasoning tests, both analytical and logical, are LSAT mainstays. Admission tests prioritize logical test results as well since logical reasoning is a very important factor of a law student’s, and eventually a lawyer’s, life. The applicant must be able to show just how competent he or she is when dealing with arguments. The applicant must be able to present his or her arguments in a logical and organized way.

Analytical reasoning is also vital to an applicant’s admission into a law program. This test is basically like the logical reasoning in terms of gauging the ability of the applicant to use logic and problem-solving skills. Applicants do have to watch out for over-analysis, as some can easily get too carried away when taking the LSAT that they over-analyze everything.

Reading comprehension

Most entrance and standardized tests have reading comprehension. If an applicant is ready to pursue higher education, he or she must be able to show a certain degree of understanding and comprehension when reading a text in a given limited time. This is especially true for law students and lawyers who have to read pages and pages of text and make sense of them all in a short period of time. The applicant must not only keep things in memory but also comprehend the very point of each passage.

The LSAT can be an intimidating exam but if the applicant has what it takes to become a lawyer, he or she is expected to do well in it. If this is not the case, then the applicant may be better suited for another career. With proper preparation and steady nerves, the applicant will allow the test to be very accurate in gauging his or her capabilities.

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