By Hillary Mantis
I get a lot of emails like this one around this time of year, from stressed out potential law school applicants:
“Should I apply to law school in this application cycle? Or is it better to wait until next year and work first? What are the pros and cons of taking time off?”
Some of the stress stems from less than stellar results on fall LSATs, leading them to either apply with a lower score, or else take a later test, that will place them towards the potentially less advantageous end of the rolling admissions cycle. Others only recently decided that they want to go to law school and do not have recommendations, a personal statement or a strong resume. Some are actually unsure as to whether or not law school is right for them but are afraid they won’t have a job lined up after graduation, or have parents that are pressuring them to start grad school right away.
Of this group, which of them should wait to apply to law school until the following admissions cycle? In my opinion, all of them.
According to Harvard Law School’s website, for its J.D Class of 2027, 79% were out of college at least one year; 66% were out of college for two or more years. Yale Law School’s profile of the Class of 2027 lists 89% as at least one year out of college. Columbia Law School’s J.D entering class has 74% out of college for one plus years.
I have not seen law schoolwork out that well for those who were not ready, not sure about it, or not positioned well to be admitted to their top choice schools. In all my years of prelaw advising, I cannot recall anyone ever regretting taking a year for professional development before attending law school.
Pros: Taking a professional development year (or two) can really boost your resume, provide you with insight into the legal profession, and show an admissions committee your professional growth. It can also provide you with an extra letter of recommendation from an employer. Taking time off can also help you determine if law school is really the right career for you. It can also give you a lot of time to prep for the LSAT, or other currently accepted admissions exam, should you want to try for a higher score, rather than rushing to prep for it while you are still in school. It is also nice to have a break from being a student before going back to school, in what will be a rigorous academic program.
Cons: If you are ready to apply to law school in your senior year of college, sure that you want to become a lawyer, and are happy with your GPA and test scores, go ahead. You don’t have to not apply just because so many others are taking time off. If there is a particular reason why it would be better for you to remain as a student, because of a financial, academic, social or family issue, then of course you do not need to take time off. If you are ready to apply, go ahead and apply. I’ve met plenty of applicants who successfully started law school right after graduating college and were happy that they did.
I’ve also met tons of applicants over the years who worked first or used the time off to travel or study for the LSAT. If you have decided to take a professional development year, as a first step, meet with your career services office and sign up for their job listings. Many law firms, government agencies, non-profits and banks hire recent college graduates. Programs such as Teach for America also offer great opportunities.
