“When is the best time to apply to law school?” Benjamin nervously asked. He was a junior at the time. “What do law schools prefer?”
Benjamin was surprised to learn that a large percentage of applicants every year take at least one year off between college and law school for professional development. In my experience, as a prelaw advisor, in recent years many applicants have often taken two years between college and law school, or more.
Some try nonlegal careers, some want legal experience, and some use the time to travel.
“Is it an advantage to take time off before applying?” Benjamin continued. “Will it hurt me if I apply to law school right from college? I’m not sure what I want to do.”
While more than half of applicants do take at least one year before applying to law school, many do start law school right after graduating from college.
So what do admissions officers think? I spoke with Stephen Brown, assistant dean of enrollment at Fordham University School of Law.
“There is no right or wrong time to apply to law school. Apply when you’re ready,” Brown advised.
“So if I do take a professional development year,” Benjamin said, “would it look better to work for a law firm or in some other kind of legal setting?”
Based on my years of advising, I have seen students work in all kinds of fields, I told him. If students haven’t had a chance to work for a law firm or in a legal setting, I sometimes advise trying this type of job to know more about what lawyers do on a day-to-day basis.
One of my recent college graduates, who is now a paralegal at a large firm, told me that it is truly helping him understand law and how law practice works. He thinks it will help him tremendously once he gets to law school.
Other college graduates have worked at gyms, started their own businesses or did other jobs not related to law; they still did well when they applied to law schools.
Brown agreed. “Students have done many things during their years of personal and professional development. Beyond paralegaling, and other common ones, our students have served in the military, worked in retail — from clothes to real estate — are SAG members, musicians, research scientists and engineers. Just as any major works for law school, so does any job where you are gaining experience and building professional skills.”
