Berea College Draper building

The Pre-Law Pathway

The Pre-Law Pathway (PLP) provides a suggested set of milestone goals for students interested in learning about the possibility of a legal career after their time at Berea College. During their sophomore, junior and senior years, PLP students join with others from their class to pursue those learning outcomes. Over these six semesters on the Pathway, each PLP student connects with various resources, including individual planning meetings, law school trips, and law-related internships.

First Year

Milestones

  • Attend the initial freshmen group meeting

Sophomore Year

Milestones

  • Attend pre-law internship group meeting with Career Development

Key Pre-Law Questions During Sophomore Year

To Change the World

While a legal education may expose you to the different institutions which influence society, law school is not a specialized program. Law school will teach you the basic analytical thinking and case method needed to be an American lawyer. However, most law schools offer clinical programs and co-ops targeted at a specific field in law.

Economic Success

Although a legal education can lead to a lucrative career, financial success depends upon the field of law pursued and the location of a lawyer’s practice. If your goal is to earn a lot of money quickly, then you may want to consider other career options besides law.

Political Career

Understanding the law and government structure will aid in understanding the legislative process of lawmaking. However, a legal education is not necessary for a successful political career.

No particular academic major guarantees success in applying to law school, and students from the arts, humanities, social sciences and natural sciences all find success in studying law. Instead, an undergraduate student should explore their interests as they pursue their coursework at Berea. On the other hand, lawyers are expected to have a strong background in analytical thinking which enables them to think, write and speak clearly. At Berea College, the general education curriculum emphasizes these tasks in the GSTR sequence and the required perspectives regardless of a student’s major. Within a particular major, a pre-law student should look for opportunities to increase their analytical reading and writing capabilities. In particular, successful law school students will need a solid background in American history, U.S. political structures, and economic and social justice issues generally.

A legal education can be applied in many fields such as government, business, education, immigration, entertainment, health care, technology and more. Below are some of the many fields you can enter as a lawyer:

If you would like exposure to the legal field you wish to pursue, an internship is a great way to gain experience. This not only helps you get an idea of what the work constitutes of but it would also allow you to build professional relationships which may prove useful. In order to explore this opportunity, please make an appointment and visit the Office of Internships and Career Development Office.

Although the LSAT and GPA are the most important factors, having extracurricular activities outside of classes and labor can be significant components of your application. Your extracurricular involvement gives the admissions team an opportunity to consider your interests and what you may contribute to their campus. If you would like information on the different clubs available on campus, please look into Berea Engage.

Junior Year

Milestones

  • Establish an individual Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) account with Student Mentor
  • Present your law-related internship experience to other PLP students (If applicable)
  • Conclude mentorship program with attorney who is a Berea alum

Key Pre-Law Questions During Junior Year

The LSAT has four components: Logical Reasoning, Logic Games, Reading Comprehension and a Writing Sample. It contains one section of Logic Games, Reading Comprehension, and writing sample, and two sections of Logical Reasoning. Each section is allotted 35 minutes for completion. There is a fifth unscored section used for researching new questions and the sections will vary across test administrations. While the writing sample is not graded, it is included in the application packets sent to the law schools. The exam is scored on a scale of 120 to 180.

After the new policy changes, the LSAT is offered six times a year in February, June, October (or late September), November, January and March. While the reporting time for the June test is at 12:30 PM, the other tests begin at 8:30 AM.

The decision to either self-study or take a commercial preparatory course depends on your study preferences and habits. If you prefer choosing your own study materials and can maintain a strict study schedule, it is advisable to pursue the self-study route. Otherwise, you may consider taking a commercial preparatory course that provides a structured class and specified study materials. Some offer live online courses while others have in-class programs. Depending on the course you take, there are varying amounts of follow-up work you would be expected to maximize your experience. The PLP program at Berea recommends students use the free online LSAT study program offered through the partnership between the LSAC and Khan Academy.

If you are seeking funding independently outside of the Pre-Law Pathway, the Berea College Internships & Career Development Office (ICD) may be able to provide assistance to fund your first LSAT exam based on LSAT practice exams and available funding. As the Pre-Law Pathway Program progresses, the cost of your LSAT will be covered along with the preparation materials and practice sessions. See more information on the timeline regarding when to take the LSAT within the program.

Since early application allows for a competitive edge, you may like to submit it prior to receiving your LSAT score. However, law schools consider applications incomplete until each required component, including the LSAT, is received.

The CAS is the system within the LSAC organization that processes your transcript, letter of recommendation, LSAT and personal statements. The system compiles this information into one cohesive document which will be sent out to the law schools. All law schools require CAS for the application process. It is important to purchase the CAS, which costs $185, at least three weeks before you intend to apply to law school. This is because the activation takes at least three weeks.

Most law schools request two to three letters of recommendations from professors and/or supervisors. Since the admissions process is highly competitive, it is important to identify professors who you have taken different classes with and who can write you a strong recommendation. It is advisable to inform your recommender of your intentions to apply to law school and request a letter as early as the summer of your junior year and no later than September of your senior year. During the face to face conversation, explain your motivation to attend law school and ask if it would be alright to send them your resume, personal statement and/or papers you have submitted to them. This would enable them to write not only about their experiences with you in class but also how your community engagement and passion can contribute to the law schools you are applying to. Lastly, include a list of all the schools you are applying to as well as a deadline for when the recommendations must be submitted. In order for them to submit a letter, you would need to register with the CAS and request for a link to be sent directly to their email addresses.

Senior Year

Milestones

  • Take LSAT Exam
  • Meet with Student Mentor and discuss target and safety schools for applications
  • Meet with Pre-Law Advisor to research law school funding options
  • Conclude the mentorship program with law student who is a Berea alum
  • Complete Law school application process:
    • Request transcripts through CAS
    • Visit target law schools
    • Review applications with Student Mentor and Pre-Law Advisor
    • Apply to all target and safety schools by Thanksgiving

Key Pre-Law Questions During Senior Year

The components needed for law school application are:

  • Credential Assembly Service (CAS)
  • LSAT
  • Transcript
  • Resume
  • Letters of Recommendation
  • Personal Statement
  • Additional optional essays and addenda

For more information on the application components visit the Law School Admission Council website at www.LSAC.org.

When considering which law schools to apply to, you may consider several factors which will lead you to a narrowed list. In no particular order, those factors are:

  • Competition for admission: How do your GPA and LSAT compare with the profile of recent past classes admitted to that law school?
  • Geographic location & practice: Are you looking for a national, regional or local law school? The networks you develop within your law school years are crucial, and if you know already the state where you intend to take your bar exam and practice, then you should consider these factors in choosing a law school.
  • Costs and scholarships available: What are the costs of tuition, fees, room and board, and insurance? How much scholarship are they offering? Do you intend to take out a loan?
  • Size of the student body: What kind of class size do you prefer? Do you prefer a small tight-knit community? Do you prefer a large student body?
  • Bar passage rate: The bar passage rate of the law school indicates how much the curriculum prepares law students for the bar.
  • Law school’s assistance with your job placement after graduation: How involved is the law school in your career development? What percentage of graduating students are employed soon after graduation?

Law schools tend to report that there are two stages for the law school admissions decision. During the first stage, the two most emphasized factors are Undergraduate GPA and LSAT scores. Once the applicant passes the numbers threshold, other components such as personal statement, recommendation letters and resumes will influence the admissions decision. It is important to be a well-rounded applicant. If you are unsure of how your numbers will fare against applicants to your law schools, please consult Law School Admission Council (LSAC) and the American Bar Association (ABA) searchable database of ABA approved law schools. This site helps you plug in you GPA and LSAT numbers to compute the how others with similar numbers fared in different law school admissions.

Most law schools have an official deadline with rolling admissions. This means that the admissions team makes their acceptance decisions as applications come in. With this knowledge, the earlier you apply in the cycle (September-November), the higher your chances are of gaining admission with a scholarship.

If you are applying Early Decision to a law school, make sure to check if this program is binding or non-binding. If it is non-binding, you can apply to another Early Decision program and would not need to withdraw your other applications.

On the LSAC Letter of Recommendation (LOR) form, you will be asked to sign and date the form to waive your right to view your recommendation letters for each professor. There are some perceptions that the LOR would not be regarded as highly if you are able to view it. On the other hand, it may allow you to access the recommendation and help your decision on assigning it. Overall, the decision to waive or retain your rights should be made based on your assessment of the pros and cons.

Besides the on-campus opportunities mentioned above, you can also access more information online. Some online resources for information on law schools are: