⚖Pre-Law 4-Year Timeline

This general timeline serves as a guideline for students attending a four-year undergraduate institution. Be sure to consult with your advisor, who can assist you in creating a personalized timeline tailored to your individual needs and career goals.

“The study of law can be disappointing at times, a matter of applying narrow rules and arcane procedure to an uncooperative reality; a sort of glorified accounting that serves to regulate the affairs of those who have power—and that all too often seeks to explain, to those who do not, the ultimate wisdom and justness of their condition. But that’s not all the law is. The law is also memory; the law also records a long-running conversation, a nation arguing with its conscience.”

Barack Obama

  • Explore majors of interest
  • Design a degree plan that will challenge you academically.
  • Identify your academic strengths and areas you want to improve.
  • Introduce yourself to your professors and get to know them so they get to know you.
  • Get into the habit of making well-informed decisions and meeting deadlines.
  • Introduce yourself to the pre-law advisor and visit the Career Center.
  • Read about the practice of law – the real practice of law, not what you see on tv or in movies. 

  • Begin to explore careers in law through various resources: readings, informational interviews with attorneys, externships (shadowing), and internships in a legal environment.
  • Although there are no required courses for law school, it is important to take courses to continue to develop the types of skills that will be necessary in law school and in your legal career such as reading, writing, critical thinking, and analytical reasoning.
  • Familiarize yourself with the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) website.
  • Focus on your academics; undergraduate GPA is one of the top factors in law school admission.
  • Get to know your professors. You will need academic letters of recommendation when you apply to law school, and these professors will then be in a better position to write a strong letter of recommendation if they get to know you and your academic skills.
  • Get involved in activities that interest you – student organizations, study abroad, research with faculty, leadership, community service, etc.
  • Connect with your pre-law advisor to begin exploring law and whether it is a good fit for you, to discuss the basic timeline for pre-law students, and to discuss questions about the application process.

  • Continue to maintain a strong GPA and continue your involvement on campus and in the community, possibly through leadership opportunities within your organizations of interest.
  • Attend and stay updated on pre-law events hosted by the Career Center.
  • Reconnect with your pre-law advisor to begin talking about your GPA, target law schools for which you’d be competitive, and ways to continue to enhance your undergraduate experiences.
  • Begin to prepare for the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). While there are numerous ways to prepare for the LSAT, the key is to prepare.
    • A good way to begin evaluating how much preparation you need is by taking a practice LSAT, preferably a full-length/timed test so that you can get a baseline score and become more familiar with the LSAT to determine your preparation strategy. Pre-law advisors can help you identify various resources and then you can decide which preparation strategy is best for your individual situation.
  • Attend pre-law events to learn more about topics such as the overall law school admission process, what law school is really like from a law student’s perspective, what law schools are looking for in competitive applicants for their law school, how to write a strong personal statement etc.
  • Research law schools and make arrangements to tour their campuses if possible. Attend an LSAC Law School Forum to speak with law school representatives from all over the country in a one-stop environment.
  • Register to take the LSAT in summer between your junior and senior years. Continue to prepare for the LSAT.
  • Start identifying faculty, employers, and other individuals who you want to ask to write your letters of recommendation for law schools. Ask them if they would be willing to write a positive letter of reference for your law school applications.

  • Continue to study for the LSAT and take it in the summer if you feel prepared.
  • Register and pay for the LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service (CAS) at least 6-8 weeks before you plan to submit your first law school application.
  • Confirm with recommenders who you have previously asked to write letters of recommendation and provide them with copies of your resume, personal statement, and any other materials that would be helpful for them to write a strong letter. Enter the recommenders’ contact information into your Credential Assembly Service (CAS) account.
  • Begin to write drafts of your law school admission essays (personal statements).
    • Remember, you must format each statement according to each law school’s individual specifications, so review each school’s website to determine their guidelines. You may have multiple essays to write for certain schools. Talk with a pre-law advisor about the purpose of an addendum if there is something about your academic record that you would like to explain.
  • Have several others read your statement and give you feedback. Several offices on campus offer personal statement feedback.
  • Prepare your resume for law schools. Visit the Career Center if you need assistance with your resume.
  • Begin to research financial aid options for law schools. The LSAC’s Financing Law School is a good place to start.
    • While there are some scholarships available for highly competitive applicants, many law students utilize student loans or personal resources to finance law school so carefully consider cost factors when researching individual law schools. Other useful financial aid resources can be found at U.S. Dept of Education.
  • Speak with a pre-law advisor to discuss your law school questions and to help you develop a good application strategy based on your GPA and June LSAT scores.

  • Attend additional pre-law workshops offered on campus related to the application process, writing personal statements, mock admission panels etc.
  • Attend the Graduate & Professional Schools Fair, sponsored by the Career Connections Center, early in the Fall semester to meet with law school admissions representatives on campus.
  • Request that official transcripts be sent to LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service (CAS) from the registrar’s office of each college or university you have attended.
  • Finalize your personal statement(s) for each school to which you are applying.
  • Register for and take the LSAT in early fall (Aug/Sept/Oct) if you didn’t take it in June or if you plan to retake the LSAT to improve your score.
    • You may wish to consult with a pre-law advisor before making your final decision on whether or not to retake the LSAT.
  • Apply to your target law school(s) as soon as their applications are available (usually in September or early October for most schools). Applications are submitted through the LSAC website.
    • Apply as early as possible (ideally in September/October/early November) since law schools have a rolling admissions process and your application may be more competitive if you apply early. Once the law schools receive your completed applications, they will contact the LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service (CAS) to have your law school report sent which will include your transcripts, letters of recommendation, and LSAT score(s).
  • Continue to research financial aid options. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible after October 1 of the year before you plan to start law school.
  • Make decisions regarding law schools to which you are accepted and/or other career options.

  • Take or retake the July LSAT, if relevant. 
    • Though it’s late, you may be able to parlay a significantly higher LSAT score into an acceptance at a school that waitlisted you or into more financial aid. 
  • Make sure you’ve met all enrollment requirements. From sending final transcripts to immunization records, you have a few more things on your enrollment checklist before arriving on campus!
  • Attend admitted student open houses, orientation, and other events, if you haven’t already.
  • Finalize your housing arrangements for the coming academic year. If you’re moving, send your law school an updated mailing address.
  • Confirm the deferment status of any existing education loans you have. 
    • Federal loans should go into an automatic in-school deferment once you start your law school classes, but sometimes a private lender needs additional deferment paperwork. Contact your lenders if you have questions.
  • Thank the people who helped you along the way, like recommendation writers, your family and friends, and even the admissions folks.
  • Complete readings and assignments. 
    • You’ll likely receive new student orientation instructions by now, including readings or other assignments you may need to complete for the beginning of the year. In law school, you’ll hit the ground running!
  • Get ready for law school! 
    • Enjoy the end of the summer as much as you can. Relax. Take some time to appreciate the journey you just completed. And get excited for the adventure ahead.

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