What Do Law Schools Look for in an Applicant? What to Know

By Dr. James Barney  |  06/25/2024

During the COVID-19 pandemic,  there was an increased interest in law school applications, making the admission process much more competitive for many law schools. While your college grades and standardized test scores, such as the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) exam, remain significant components of the law school admissions process, high grades and a strong LSAT score are not enough to ensure your admission into most law schools.

Instead, make sure that you also focus on those parts of the law school application process that are often overlooked, including a carefully crafted personal statement, an academic resume, and stellar letters of recommendation. If you’re an aspiring law student, here are some useful tips to help you create the strongest possible application that many schools want. 

The Importance of the Personal Statement

Many applicants for law school dread writing their personal statements because these essays ask candidates to engage in self-reflection and assessment of their strengths and weaknesses. While most students will quickly write up their personal statements or rehash college admissions essays, remember that the personal statement is a critically important part of the law school application. The essay provides law school admissions committees with valuable insight into a candidate’s background, judgment, and writing style.

Unfortunately, many aspiring law students make the mistake of using the personal statement as an opportunity to address the real or perceived weaknesses contained in their application. However, this approach is not advisable for impressing most law schools' admissions officers. 

Instead, a personal statement should make an affirmative case for your enrollment. Explain clearly why the law school's admissions officers should approve your application over other candidates in the admission process.

To make sure that you stand out, explain your motivation for attending law school, your preparedness for the academic challenges you will face in law school, and any other distinguishing characteristics. These qualities should all be featured prominently in any law school personal statement, demonstrating that you will be a good law student.

A personal statement should also make a compelling case for why you have selected a particular law school. For example, if you live in Wyoming or New York City and are applying to a law school in Ohio, you need to make a compelling case to the admissions committee explaining why you have chosen that particular law school.

Remember that you are applying to enter a profession where your judgment and discretion are critically important traits. Ideally, you do not want to include any material in your personal statement that would call these traits into question.

Showcase Your Writing Skills

Law school admissions officers will also assess your writing skills when they review your personal statement. A personal statement with a collection of typos or grammatical errors could doom your chances of admission, even if you have outstanding high school or college grades and an outstanding LSAT score.

Given the importance of the personal statement, you should carefully craft and edit the statement so that an admissions committee can easily understand it. In addition, have several people review and edit the personal statement before you submit it.

Utilize Available Resources for Guidance

If you are struggling to formulate a law school essay to use as your personal statement, there are some valuable resources available like the book,  “55 Successful Harvard Law School Application Essays, 2nd Edition: With Analysis by the Staff of The Harvard Crimson.” This work provides examples of strong personal statements relevant to a legal education.

Remember That Not All Resumes Are Equal

Many aspiring law school students give little thought to the resume attached to their law school application. However, a resume is an equally important part of the application packet as your personal statement. The resume provides the admissions committee with valuable information about your background and experience.

The resume you attach to your application should emphasize those skills and experiences that will be relevant to your success in law school. Such a resume will include your educational background, school activities (including clubs and awards), and a limited discussion of your work history in no more than one page. Like the personal statement, the resume submitted as part of the law school application should be free of errors.

Students often struggle to fill space on their academic resumes. They overlook how participating in extracurricular activities through the student organizations available at a university may help them fill up a resume and obtain the skills needed for academic success in law school.

For example, obtaining leadership experience in law-centric groups like the pre-law fraternity  Phi Alpha Delta or groups like the  Model United Nations Club are excellent ways to obtain oral advocacy, leadership, and team-building skills. These skills are sought by law school admissions professionals in candidates.

A Stellar Letter of Recommendation Can Also Make a Difference

Like personal statements and resumes, law school applicants often downplay the importance of strong letters of recommendation. Letters from your first-grade teacher or an employer who is not familiar with law school or your academic abilities are of little value to you. Also, a lackluster or negative letter can be fatal to your chances of being accepted to law school.

Ideally, people who are familiar with law school and the skills needed to succeed in it should write your letter of recommendation. These letters can come from a combination of employers as well as teachers, who are eager to serve as a referee (a person writing a letter of recommendation).

When scouting for potential referees, do not be afraid to ask referees if they are willing to enthusiastically endorse your application. If the referee is unable or unwilling to do so, then that person is not the right person to be your referee.

Remember that asking a person for a letter of recommendation, especially a professor, is not a burden. Instead, your referee should be honored that you have selected him or her for that person’s expertise and advice.

During the process of writing the recommendation letter, ask your referee to have a brief meeting in person or by telephone. During this meeting, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of your law school application and ask for advice. Again, if a law referee avoids a meeting or provides some negative information during the meeting, that hints that the referee is not the right person to draft the letter.

Like your personal statement, a letter of recommendation should focus on the skills and experience you possess that will make you a strong future attorney. It should also discuss your motivations for attending law school.

A referee should also be willing to review other parts of your application, including your personal statement, resume, and college transcripts. That referee should provide critical feedback on your application to make it as strong as possible.

Remember that the University Has Resources to Aid You

As you embark on the law school admissions journey, remember that many of our school’s graduates – whether they have pursued a legal studies degree or another type of degree – have successfully transitioned to law school in the past.

Most law schools are becoming more accommodating to historically underrepresented populations, including working adults, non-traditional students, military servicemembers, and marginalized groups of all varieties. And remember: our school has resources to aid in realizing your law school dreams in this competitive environment.

Legal Studies Degrees at AMU

American Military University (AMU) offers comprehensive legal studies degree programs designed for students seeking to enhance their understanding of the legal field. These programs cater to professionals aiming to expand their legal knowledge and skills through a flexible, online learning environment.

The curriculum is taught by experienced faculty and focuses on critical legal concepts and practices. AMU's legal studies programs provide a strong foundation in legal principles and their applications.

Online Associate of Science in Legal Studies

The online associate of science in legal studies at AMU is intended to equip students with essential legal research and writing skills applicable in realistic legal contexts. Students have the chance to develop critical thinking and legal analytical abilities, as well as demonstrate proficiency with the office equipment and software used in law firms. These learning objectives ensure that graduates are prepared to effectively handle the practical demands of the legal world.

Online Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies

The learning objectives of the online bachelor of science in legal studies at AMU include appraising the merits of legal research and writing skills in realistic contexts, differentiating factual, conceptual, and procedural patterns through critical thinking and legal analytical skills, and collaborating on finding legal solutions using technology. Students can participate in comprehensive legal studies and gain practical experience through case studies, legal writing, and critical analysis.

Online Master of Arts in Legal Studies

The learning objectives of the online master of arts in legal studies at AMU include developing advanced legal research, writing, and analytical skills, understanding legal concepts, and applying legal reasoning to solve problems. Students are instructed to critically analyze legal issues, participate in scholarly legal research, and design innovative solutions to legal challenges using technology. This program emphasizes the practical application of legal knowledge.

Note: Although some states do not require a Juris Doctor for bar entry, this program does not prepare you for the practice of law or admission to the bar of any state based solely on completion of this program. Completion of American Military University’s Master of Legal Studies online program does not qualify an individual to sit for the bar exam in any state.