Starting a career in the legal field is an enticing thought. However, this field does not accept jokers because it involves a lot of studying to master the acts and scrolls that never seem to end. Everyday, a region or state adopts a new legislation or amends a previous one; the legal industry especially the practitioners need to know about this when it happens.
Therefore, the professionals in this field of study always have a lot in their hands because it is possible to argue a case on a law made today or even a precedent that happened many years ago. For this reason, legal matters require a sharp mind.
Personal statement - many would think that a description of self, own ambitions, deficiencies and laurels would be taken as a routine matter. However, when it comes to gaining admission in a law school, your personal statement plays a very important role because it throws light upon your persona as well as your eloquence which is one of the most important attributes of a lawyer or attorney.
Letters of recommendation - the law school admission committee gathers relevant information about the prospective student from the recommendation letters they have. The way others appreciate the strengths of these students help the committee measure the intrinsic value and potential of the student.
Law school actually rewards certain kinds of smarts and not others. What kind of smart matters in your legal education? In general, analytic smarts are far more important than intellectual smarts. A mind that is skilled in analysis is good at slicing and dicing problems -- breaking problems down into pieces that can have rules or arguments applied to them (see my article on law school preparation for the reasoning skills commonly applied in law school).
It is best to make sure that you take the law school admission test before the month of December rolls around. This is the best time to take it in order for the results to be ready and read by the people who take applications at all of the top law schools in the nation, but most people take it in the summer months or the fall months, right as the Fall begins.
The above items are the law school requirements, but the greatest success goes to the law school applicants who go above and beyond the law school requirements and give the law school admissions committee something extra. The greatest rewards in life go to the outstanding, and when it comes to getting into law school its no different.
Apply As Soon As Possible - Simply put, the longer you wait to apply, the greater the disadvantage. If feasible, you should apply on the first day that the school begins accepting applications. The logic for this is twofold. First, most law school admissions are rolling. That means that the law school receives and reviews applications continuously over a designated period.
Personal statement is also very important in determining whether you are good for law education or not. Think of it as a resume. It may not necessarily speak for your entire being and capability, but it can show admission committees a summary or a glimpse of who you are. After all, your personality is directly related to the way you communicate or speak.