While law schools do not require specific courses, you can gain exposure to legal studies by taking a variety of courses. If you have a specific interest, such as environmental law, you should strongly consider selecting an academic major in that area. Undeclared students are welcome to meet with a career advisor to discuss the choice of major, understanding that there is no pre-law major, and thus no “right” or “wrong” choices.

Applicants who can convincingly demonstrate that they have challenged their thinking, reasoning and writing skills usually impress admission committees. When choosing courses, focus on developing verbal comprehension and expression, critical understanding of human institutions and values with which the law deals and creative thinking. 

Courses that provide opportunities to increase these core skills are valuable regardless of subject matter. English, logic and political science courses fall in this category. Logic courses, in particular, may help prepare you for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). Courses that involve reading cases and statutes and understanding citations will give you an idea of what to expect in law school. Finally, any courses that sharpen your analytical skills can also be helpful, including those that provide a basic understanding of business, accounting, finance and statistics.

VCU courses that include analysis of law or the legal system

• CRJS 324 Courts and the Judicial Process*
• CRJS 358 Lawyer’s Role in the Justice System*
• CRJS 373 Crime Scene Evidence: Law and Trial Procedure*
• CRJS 475 Criminal Procedure*
• FIRE 325 Real Estate Law*
• FIRE 459 Insurance Law*
• FRSC 375 Forensic Evidence, Law and Criminal Procedure*
• ENGL 302/CRJS 302 Legal Writing*
• BUSN 323 Legal Environment of Business*
• PHIL 201 Critical Thinking About Moral Problems*
• PHIL 222 Logic
• PHIL 320 Philosophy of Law*
• POLI 311 Politics of the Environment
• POLI 313. U.S. Constitutional Law: Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
• POLI 314 U.S. Constitutional Law
• POLI 315 Courts and Politics
• POLI 316 Women and the Law
• POLI 331 Public Administration
• POLI 332 Administrative Law
• POLI 362 International Organizations and Institutions
• POLI/INTL 363 U.S. Foreign Policy
• POLI/INTL 365 International Political Economy
• POLI 370 Foundations of Nonprofit Management
• POLI 372 Ethics, Law and Governance
• POLI 384 International Law

*Indicates there is a course prerequisite or major restriction. Visit bulletin.vcu.edu to review course requirements.

VCU’s Department of Philosophy offers a minor in philosophy of law and a Bachelor of Arts with a concentration in philosophy and law.

The LSAT is a half-day standardized test required for admission to all ABA-approved law schools, most Canadian law schools and many non-ABA-approved law schools. It provides a standard measure of acquired reading and verbal reasoning skills that law schools can use as one of several factors in assessing applicants. The test is administered multiple times a year at hundreds of locations around the world.

Many law schools require that the LSAT be taken by December for admission the following fall. However, taking the test earlier — in June or October — is often advised.

How to prepare for the LSAT

Taking a free, timed, practice LSAT is always a good idea so that a benchmark score is available to help determine preparedness for the actual test. The key to success on the LSAT is preparation. Self-disciplined applicants may decide to self-study. Others might consider an LSAT preparation course. Testing dates and practice tests can be found on the Law School Admission Council website.

In addition, there are some LSAT test preparation resources available on hold at the Cabell Library.

LSAT information and preparation courses:

• Cambridge LSAT
• Griffon Prep
• Kaplan
• Khan Academy
• Princeton Review
• Test Masters
• VCU OCPE LSAT Prep courses
• VCU OCPE LSAT Intro sessions

Please consider gaining valuable post-baccalaureate experience before applying to law school. Law school is a tremendous and worthwhile investment which requires careful consideration. While you can always work to enhance your credentials (both legal and otherwise), you are strongly encouraged to become engaged in the application process 18 months before starting law school. VCU recommends that students apply to law school a full year before planning to enter a program.

Recommended timeline

Spring (18 months before starting law school)

• Research law schools of interest
• Meet with your career advisor to being discussing your options
• Prepare (throughout the spring semester) and register for a summer LSAT administration

Summer (15 months before starting law school)

• Take LSAT
• Attend the Law School Admission Council Law School Forum
• Contact VCU alumni currently attending law school or working in a law-related profession
• Subscribe to and send college transcripts to the Credential Assembly Service (CAS)
• Gather law school application materials
• Write, rewrite and polish personal statement
• Talk and clarify goals with potential recommenders

Fall (application for following fall enrollment)

• Take LSAT, if necessary
• Request dean’s certification forms from the Office of Student Conduct and Academic Affairs.
• Request recommenders send evaluations or letters of recommendation to CAS
• Complete and send applications before December 1

Volunteering or interning in a legal setting will bolster your application to law school and help to demonstrate your interest in pursuing law as a profession.

Internships

Consider applying to the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs Capitol Semester program, a semester-long fellowship at the General Assembly.

Depending on the organization, the internship role may be reserved for individuals already in law school. This isn’t always the case and if you find an internship at the undergraduate level, it will likely be more administrative in nature. This is still really valuable exposure to the field!  In addition to using the word “internship,” you may also want to search for terms like “legal assistant” when looking for opportunities. Hiring timelines for these roles vary and may not follow an academic calendar. Some firms and organizations decide in the middle of the year that they’d like to hire an intern or assistant.  

At smaller firms, legal internships and assistant positions are often filled through word of mouth and referrals. Conducting an informational interview with someone in the field can be a great way to learn more about a legal career path and develop an understanding of the hiring process for interns and legal assistants.

Volunteering and shadowing

Shadowing lawyers or judges is the best way to learn about the legal profession, and the best way to get shadowing opportunities is to ask! Research firms, companies and agencies that will develop your interests. For volunteer legal experience, contact the clerk’s office at a local court and research law firms that specialize in an area that appeals to you.

Regardless of what each school requires for admission, it’s important to get legal experience so that you know as much as possible about your chosen profession at the time that you apply. 

Log in to Handshake with eID and password to view law-related internships and experiential opportunities.

Location, cost, specialization and difficulty of admission are just some of the many factors to consider when selecting a law program. Carefully research each program prior to submitting your application to ensure that the program aligns with your career aspirations.

Use these links to begin your search:

• ABA-Approved Law Schools
• AccessLex

Apply to law school through the Credential Assembly Service, an arm of the Law School Admissions Council (or LSAC). The CAS provides a means of centralizing and standardizing academic records from all undergraduate schools to simplify and streamline admission to U.S. law schools.

Resume

See our resume guide and examples

Cover letters

Review our cover letter guide

Personal statements

See our personal statement resources

All schools require a personal statement, and each has its own instructions. Your personal statement is your opportunity to expound upon experiences not represented in other parts of the application. Perhaps you interned for a lawyer, judge, or politician, or volunteered a lot of hours, but what kind of experiences did you gain? Think about how your experiences have motivated you to pursue a career in the legal profession. Express unique qualities or experiences you have that you would like the committee to consider.

• Proofread each essay before copying and pasting to your application! Many students have been denied admission simply because they forgot to properly identify the school to which they were applying.
• Quality is more important than quantity.
• Have others read your essay, ask them to comment on grammatical errors and also on your sincerity. Do you come across as the person you really are?
• Creativity and quality are important, but you are not expected to write a masterpiece. It should be apparent that you can express yourself well, but do not try to “woo” the admission committee with big words and elaborate descriptions. Be genuine.
• Try to stick with why you are interested in the legal profession and your experiences. Do not try to use this as an essay to review the political process, strengths, and weaknesses of the legal profession or current trends in the courts. This essay is intended to provide details about you, not your chosen profession.
• If you are reapplying, write a new personal statement. Show that you are willing to put effort into your new application or how you have grown as an applicant.
• Once you complete the first draft of your personal statement, make an appointment with a career advisor to review your progress.

Letters of recommendation

The LSAC provides a letter of recommendation collection service. Use of the service is optional unless a school specifically states it is mandatory. (Students not wanting to use this service can elect to have their individual letter writers send letters directly into the admissions office of each law school to which they apply. Please provide a stamped, addressed envelope for each school to each recommender.)

The LSAC online account allows you to have your recommendation letters sent to law schools based on each school’s requirements or preferences and to direct letters intended for specific schools. The LSAC allows you to submit up to four general letters to be sent to every school to which you apply.

These general letters require applicants to identify recommenders, print out pre-filled recommendation forms generated by the service and provide the forms to the chosen recommenders. Recommenders must complete the form, sign the letter, insert it into their envelope and send it directly to LSAC. The service will send general letters to law schools in the order in which they are received.

To ensure a strong recommendation, you should give each letter writer a personal profile or a copy of your resume.

Recommenders should:

• Know you well.
• Be able to speak well of your intelligence, personality, and motivation toward your chosen career.
• Have worked with you in an academic/professional capacity (except for peer/character recommendations) and can speak of your academic skills and potential.

Ask for letters early. Some professors take quite a while to write and submit the letters. It is your responsibility to make sure each program receives the letters by the appropriate deadline. Find out if professors will be at VCU over the summer. If not, ask for the letters well before they leave. Give letter writers one to two months’ notice to write letters or fill out evaluation forms. Provide very specific instructions on where to send them. If postage is required, be sure to provide it to the person who agreed to write a letter.

It’s a good idea to consider people other than professors who might write a strong recommendation. Often, letter writers are advisors to student organizations or lawyers who were shadowed for a significant period (as opposed to one or two weeks). Other letters can come from supervisors or co-workers.

Transcript requests

Transcripts from all coursework completed at VCU and other undergraduate institutions must be sent to LSAC.

Dean’s certification

Most schools request a Dean’s certification. These are obtained from the Office of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity.