Courses available to Third year Students

ENG 3308 Writing in Law and Policy
SOC 3348 Legal Forensics
PSI 3308 American Constitutional Law
PSI 3319 American Civil Liberties
PSY 3201 Inside the Criminal’s Mind
SOC 3328 Social Inequality and Justice
SOC 3315 Criminal Justice
SOC 3429 Race and Ethnic Relations in the U.S.

Third year checklist

Register for the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS) the summer after your junior year.
This is the online service you use to apply to law schools. Your transcripts, LSAT scores and letters of recommendation are all sent there. Find online at http://www.lsac.org/.

Pick professors you want to ask for a letter of recommendation.
You want to have at least one letter from a professor, preferably two. If you’re working, consider asking your supervisor for a letter. Ask for letters of recommendation by August. Give your writers at least a 1-month notice.

Write a memorable personal statement.
This is a very important part of the application. Meet with a pre-law adviser to brainstorm essay ideas. Give yourself enough time to write several drafts. Ask several, trusted reviewers to read your essay and give you feedback. The personal statement is the only part of the application that you have total control over and it’s important that you enlist your best writing skills in completing it. Since law schools don’t have mandatory interviews, committees rely on this statement as an interview-in-an-essay and will read it to see what kind of person you are. Some schools give you a specific question, such as “What do you think you’ll be doing in five years?‚“ but most are deliberately vague in giving you guidelines, leaving you to come up with a topic.
Some subjects to consider: a memorable event in your life and how it affected you (e.g., learning to dance, playing an instrument, going on your first date, having a serious illness); something you did that was a personal achievement (climbing a mountain, inventing a recipe, winning a contest, writing a poem); and overcoming adversity (growing up poor, dealing with a bully, being the first in your family to go to college, learning how to ski after your foot is amputated).

Once you’ve decided on a topic, keep in mind that committees read thousands of statements, so it’s in your best interest to write your essay in a lively manner. A boring, flat essay can be the kiss of death. Use vivid, descriptive prose with the intent to draw readers in and keep them interested.

Prepare for additional statements/addendums.
Meet with a pre-law adviser to discuss writing additional statements or addendums such as the diversity statement, grades addendum, etc.

Prep for the LSAT the summer before you apply to law school.
Many McDaniel College students prep during the summer and take it in September/October. Consider taking a prep course. The test is primarily logical and analytical reasoning, and should not be taken “for fun‚“(that is, without studying). There are many prep courses available. For those who choose to study on their own, it’s easy to buy a number of released tests from the LSAT booklet.

Secure Dean’s Forms
Many schools do not require this form. The intention of this form is to have an appropriate official (administrative rather than dean) verify that you are a student in good standing (that is, one who has not been called up for cheating or other academic infractions). The place to take it is The Office of the VP for Student Affairs in Decker College Center.

What’s on the LSAT?
• Reading comprehension (1 section)
• Analytical reasoning (1 section)
• Logical reasoning (2 sections)
• One duplicate section to test new questions
• Ungraded writing sample

The LSAT is offered four times a year in February, June, September/October and December. You can take the LSAT up to 3 times in 2 years.

If you are still unsure about law school, consider taking time off after you graduate from college. Many lawyers looking back on their lives recommend taking anywhere from one to five years off after college to work, travel, do something other than school. It will help you develop as a person, give you time to think about whether you really want to be a lawyer, and your work experience and maturity can be an added benefit to your law school application.

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