Pre-Law Student's Plan to Applying to Law School
| Freshman/Sophomore Years |
Junior Year |
Senior Year |
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Continuous throughout Fr. and So. years
- Meet with your pre-law advisor to develop an academic plan
- Review available cognates and courses to expose you to law related themes and topics
- Consider joining a pre-law affiliated organization or other student organizations and activities of interest
- Begin to establish relationships with professors, faculty, and campus staff
- Take on internships or a paid job of interest to gain valuable practical experience (Positions do not have to be law related)
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Recommended completion is August – December
- Meet with your pre-law advisor to review plan and ensure you are positioning yourself to be a competitive candidate
- Begin researching law programs and organize deadlines, application requirements, and familiarize yourself with the program’s offerings and applicant profile
- Attend LSAC Law School Forums
- Create an account on the Law School Admission Council website – org
- Begin researching LSAT prep courses and materials
Recommended completion is Jan. – July
- Start preparing for the LSAT
- Identify and contact recommenders for letters of recommendation
- Take LSAT for first time in June or July (Sept. is also an option)
- Review your resume and personal statement draft with your pre-law advisor
- If needed, you can apply for LSAT held in September or October
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August
- Organize application deadlines for list of schools you plan to apply
- Meet with your pre-law advisor to ensure your resume and personal statement are finalized
- Sign-up and pay for Credential Assembly Service on LSAC.org to manage your transcripts, letters of recommendation, and other key components of your application
September – October
- Begin submitting applications – A majority of schools open their process in September and October
- If needed, take the October LSAT
November – December
- Recommend contacting programs where you submitted applications to confirm applications are complete
- If needed, take the November LSAT
January – February
- Submit financial aid paper work
March – April
- Begin to evaluate acceptance offers and financial aid packages
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Available Resources
The Social Sciences & Pre-law career circle is for anyone pursuing a degree in the social sciences and interested in a career in law.
An overview of navigating the law school application process.
This page provides helpful resources as you decide if attending law school is in your future.
This list provides a variety of options as you identify preparation courses that can teach you strategies that will help increase your LSAT scores.
Utilize these reports when researching and comparing law programs, bar passage rates, and employment outcomes for each program graduating class.
A cognate is a group of at least three courses, for at least nine credit hours, that share a theme or focus determined by the faculty. Below is a list of cognates that will provide an overview of the law discipline. The Cognate Search Engine can help you shape a program of learning that is broad, coherent, exciting, substantive, and uniquely your own. This PDF document contains a list of cognates that may be of particular interest to pre-law students.
Pre-law students can use this site to stay on top of trends, news, and insights of the law industry. Additionally, provided articles share tips and strategies in creating your application documents and the law school application process.
UM Pre-Law Organizations
Above the Bar
Above the Bar is a multicultural organization for University of Miami pre-law students to ensure their matriculation into law school. The mission is specifically to educate, elevate, and demonstrate ways to thrive utilizing tools, forums, and platforms.
Debate Team
It is the mission of the debate program at UM to provide participating students a valuable educational activity with a primary emphasis on intercollegiate debate competition. Public debate experience and community service to middle school, high school and developing college programs are important secondary components of the mission of the UM debate team.
Ethics Society
The UM Ethics Society endeavors to spread understanding of ethics and critical thinking throughout society – in law, medicine, politics, business, and all other aspects of life. We will delve into these issues mainly through competitive debate, but also through special programs, panel discussions and collaborations with student orgs.
Model United Nations
The purpose of the Model United Nations Team is to provide opportunities for students at the University of Miami who are interested in developing leadership, diplomacy, research, and debate skills. The students focus on global issues by actively participating in various activities and attending collegiate conferences throughout the nation.
Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity
The purpose of Phi Alpha Delta is to provide undergraduate students with opportunities to learn about the law school admissions process, legal institutions, and careers involving law. The goal of Phi Alpha Delta is to present students with sufficient information for them to make informed decisions about applying to law schools and eventually becoming professionals in the field of law.
Sociology and Criminology Club
We offer a positive learning environment for students with an interest in the fields of sociology and criminology. We regularly have guest speakers and are involved in events such as Relay for Life and Walk a Mile in Her Shoes.
UM Mock Trial
UM Mock Trial is a competitive team in the American Mock Trial Association national circuit that works towards fostering interest and growth in the fields of litigation and trial advocacy, as well as provide a unique, learning-through-doing experience.
Summer Experience Programs & Institutes for Pre-law Students
University of Miami Summer Legal Academy for Undergraduate Students
University of California Davis School of Law
Cornell University Pre-Law Summer Program
Duke Law D.C. Summer Institute on Law and Policy
Please visit this site for additional programs and information.
Recommended Courses to Consider
- Intro to sociology SOC 101
- Social problems SOC 103
- Criminal justice
- Social inequalities SOC 303
- Criminology
- Intro to psychology
- Abnormal psychology
- Industrial & organizational psychology
- Critical reasoning
- Logic and law
- Ethics
- Intro to American Gov POL 201
- Constitutional law 1&2 POL 373/4
- Administrative law
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- Intro to International politics POL 203
- Comparative politics POL 202
- Politics of Civil rights
- English composition ENG 105/6
- US history
- Public speaking COS 211
- Advanced Oral Advocacy COS 311
- Argumentation COS 377
- Intro to economics
- Business law BSL
- Corporate law
- Negotiations
- Art of government in Greece & Rome
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For additional information about pre-law events, email Toppel at toppel@miami.edu.
