Law School Tips for Success

Most police rails practice rolling admissions so the earlier you apply, the better.

Considering equity school? Here are some pointers and suggestions to help you decide if a law degree is right for you.

Smart choices

The effects of the recession are still lingering in the legal industry, but numerous partners at large law firms agree that the market has approximately stabilized. Intellectual property and energy law continue to be lucrative — and competitive — specialities. Most law schools also exsert dual degrees, such as J.D./MBA and J.D./MA degrees in a variety of fields, which give students greater interdisciplinary expertise that whitethorn be a benefit in the clobberforce.

 

[Find out what a dual J.D./MBA can add to your education.]

Insider tip

If you are get up on a career in public interest law, don't permit finances s conk you. M any schools tenderize debt re earnings options to students who work in the public sector, if their salaries are economic crisis enough.

Low Income Protection Plans (LIPP) and loanword Repayment Assistance Programs (LRAP) at schools help students who work in the government and at nonprofits pay back their student loans finished loan forgiveness, lower interest rates or postponed payment plans.

Students with good credit can also fund their replete(p) law education with a mixture of Stafford loans and Grad addition loans — both of which are government-run borrowing programs. Better yet, to keep your quittance plan affordable, the government will now tie it to your income, if it's low enough. If you're still working in the public or nonprofit sector after 10 years and you've stayed on top of your payments, the rest of your debt can be wiped clean.

[Read more about gainful for law school.]

Getting in

Study hard: High LSAT scores and GPAs continue to set top students apart in the admissions process, especially at the close highly selective schools.

Apply early: Most law schools practice rolling admissions, which means that the earlier you apply, the more openings there are probably to be. Also, try to apply well before scholarship deadlines, hitherto if you don't think you have a shot. Many schools don't ask for any supplemental materials when awarding scholarships, so as long as you apply on time, you'll be considered.

[Check out the Best police force Schools rankings.]

Insider tip

Application mistakes are common but avoidable. Make sure you don't banish a law school application with one of these 10 common mistakes.

Blog watch: Many law school admissions offices have blogs where they offer up-to-date information about the school and pointers for applicants. Scout the blogs for insights when crafting your own(prenominal) statement to increase your chances of being accepted to a peculiar(prenominal) program.

[Explore the U.S. hots Applying to Law School guide.]

Reality check

• The number of LSATs administered lessen from the previous year. In the 2011-2012 school year, 129,419 tests were administered, a drop from the 154,418 tests that were administered in 2010-2011.

• First-year associates at large private law firms can expect to make $160,000 in metropolitan markets including New York, Chicago and Washington, according to the Association for Legal Career Professionals, cognise as NALP, in its 2011 Associate Salary Survey.

• In 2011, some metropolitan areas saw increases in medial salaries: In Atlanta, the median profits jumped from $125,000 in 2010 to $130,000 in 2011. The median salary at Chicago firms with 251 to 700 lawyers increased from $130,000 to $137,000 in 2011, and the median salaries at firms of the same size in Washington and New York climbed to $160,000 in 2011, according to NALP.

Corrected 03/28/13: A previous version of this article misstated the year in which the median salary for Chicago firms increased.

Materials taken from US News