Pre-Law Opportunities Newsletter

Posted in Announcements News | Tagged pre-law

January 26, 2023 – Upcoming Events, Opportunities & Resources

FROM THE ADVISOR:

It’s the time of year when applicants are hearing back from law schools. This means that some of you are or will be on the waitlists for schools that you’d very much like to attend. I’d therefore like to once again share what I call the “Waitlist Two-Step” for handling this situation. Yup, it consists of two steps.

First, upon being placed on a waitlist, applicants should shoot off a succinct letter of continuing interest (LOCI) to the school. This should be a very short expression of your appreciation of still being under consideration and your desire to attend the school if admitted. Perhaps note some specific aspects of the school that make you particularly interested in studying law there. The reason this first LOCI is so short is because most schools will not look at the waitlist in terms of vetting potential admits until after the first deadline has passed for already-admitted students to submit their deposits. It’s at this point that schools know how many slots they still have to fill for their incoming class.

Second, a few days after the aforementioned deposit deadline, shoot off another LOCI. This one should again express appreciation and interest, but also include academic and professional updates (e.g., grades, students-group achievements, internship/job achievements, awards, etc.). Try to keep a list of these sorts of updates so you have them ready for these types of letters. This is because, from here on out, you want to send a LOCI about every 2-3 weeks expressing appreciation, interest, and updates until something happens with your application (i.e., you’re accepted, rejected, or withdraw from consideration). So use your best updates first, but try to keep one or more for subsequent letters. This process will keep you fresh in admissions officers’ minds.

I’d also like to highlight an opportunity here, the Lightfoot Pre-Law Program. Last year, Lightfoot launched a pre-law diversity initiative aimed at rising college seniors and incoming law students interested in becoming trial lawyers. The week-long Lightfoot “Trial Academy” will take place June 12-16, 2023 in Birmingham, Alabama. The program provides an opportunity to learn from skilled trial lawyers and gain an understanding of how a litigation firm operates. Future lawyers will have a seat at the table and a chance to work and work one-on-one with Lightfoot’s trial lawyers. The application deadline for the 2022 program is March 20, 2023.

Note

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After Boycott from Law Schools,
U.S. News & World Report Changes Ranking System
(Ruth Graham – New York Times)

“U.S. News said its next list would give more credit to schools whose graduates go on to pursue advanced degrees, or school-funded fellowships to work in public-service jobs that pay lower wages. The magazine, which has been publishing the ratings for decades, is responding to criticism that its rankings overvalue high-paying private-sector jobs.”

(Read More)