This page includes links to a collection of sites designed to help pre-law students. If you would like to know more about preparation for law school and the law school application process, stop in or call to make an appointment with the pre-law advisor in the Weinberg College Office of Academic Advising, 1908 Sheridan Road, 847-491-8916.
Considering Law School
Applying to Law School
Academic Resources
Student and Professional Organizations
Recommended Books
Weinberg College Guide for Pre-Law Students
American Bar Association: Legal Education and Student Resources
Useful information about getting a law degree, Bar admissions, and careers in the legal profession.
Equal Justice Works
Resources for those interested in learning more about Public Interest Law, including law schools and programs, debt and loan forgiveness, and finding public interest jobs.
Internships (information from UCS)
Northwestern University Career Services offers guidance and resources for all Northwestern students on finding an internship and on making the most of your internship experience.
Northwestern Externship Program (NEXT)
Northwestern alums offer current Northwestern students the opportunity to shadow them at their place of work for one or more days and gain insight into the practical aspects of potential future careers.
Northwestern Pre-law Summer Institute
A weeklong non-credit intensive course taught by faculty of the Northwestern University School of Law. Helps students to sharpen their critical thinking and analytical reasoning skills, gain practical experience, and interact with professionals in the field of law and with law school admissions officers to explore their possible futures in law school and in the legal profession.
Northwestern University School of Law
Our own law school in downtown Chicago serves as a valuable resource for our undergraduate students who want to learn what law school is like first hand. Call the Admissions Office at 312-503-8465 to schedule a visit to tour the school, sit in on a class, and speak with law students.
Dean’s Certification
Some law schools require applicants to submit a “Dean’s Certification” form that provides information on academic and disciplinary issues that students may have encountered as undergraduates. Students/alumni of the university may begin this process by contacting Northwestern’s Office of Judicial Affairs.
Financing Law School
Information on financing options from the Law School Admissions Council.
LSAC Action Reports
Find out the success rate of Northwestern students in applying to individual law schools. Data include LSAT score, undergraduate GPA, major, year of graduation, ethnicity, and state of residence. Data are updated annually and used for advising alumni and students. You must meet with the prelaw advisor to access these data, which are subject to severe privacy restrictions. Students may not see this document, and identities of individual students are never divulged.
**Important Note: When registering for the LSAT exam, please check the box authorizing your data to be released to your undergraduate institution so that future students and alumni may benefit from it. **
Law School Admission Council Online
Your starting point to find the answers to your questions. Information on the LSAT exam, LSDAS (application procedures and services), law school forums, diversity initiatives, publications, and more. Bookmark this site -- you will return to it often.
LSAT & LSDAS Information Book
Current information (updated each spring) on preparation and registration for the LSAT exam. The printed version of this book is available in the WCAS advising office, 1908 Sheridan Road.
Resources for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Applicants
Information from the Law School Admissions Council for members of these groups.
Resources for Minority Applicants
Information from the Law School Admissions Council for members of underrepresented minority groups.
University Career Services, 620 Lincoln, 847-491-3700
UCS provides one-on-one advising to students and alumni on applying to law school and pursuing a legal career. Pre-law references are available in their Career Information Library. Workshops and programs are offered throughout the year (e.g., writing a personal statement, choosing a legal career, finding an internship). UCS schedules campus visits from law school admissions representatives. Check the UCS calendar for upcoming events.
WCAS Pre-law Adviser
Students and alumni from all Northwestern schools are invited to make an appointment with the Weinberg College Prelaw Adviser. Office visits and phone appointments are both available. Contact the WCAS Advising Office, 1908 Sheridan Road, 847-491-8916. Questions by email are welcomed from students studying or living abroad.
Writing the Personal Statement
Help in writing your personal statement is available from various sources on campus. University Career Services offers tips on how to approach the task, The Writing Place can help you polish your writing to make the statement clear, concise, and above all, error-free, and the WCAS pr-law adviser (1908 Sheridan Road, 847-491-8916) can give you feedback on the content and overall impression of your essay. Don’t overlook asking your professors for their input as well.
Academic Resources at Northwestern
Department of Legal Studies
The program’s website offers a list of undergraduate law-related courses which are open to all students.
Student and Professional Organizations
Minorities in the Pursuit of Law and Business (The Pursuit)
A pre-professional organization educating Northwestern’s minority community on opportunities in the fields of law and business. Contact African American Student Affairs for current information.
Northwestern Mock Trial Team
A nationally competitive team in the American Mock Trial Association. Tryout materials for prospective members are provided. Tryouts are held each year in October. The President for 2009-2010 is Jennifer Berman.
Phi Alpha Delta Pre-law Fraternity
Northwestern’s chapter of the national co-ed organization for undergraduate students interested in law. Information on the national organization is also available online.
You will find many book lists in the resources above, and you will easily encounter many useful books on your own. Here are three that have been proven especially useful:
The ABA-LSAC Official Guide to ABA-Approved Law Schools. Contains specific data about each ABA-approved law school, plus charts that summarize a variety of details about them. Also has useful information on law school preparation, selection and admission, the application process, the legal profession, financing a legal education, salaries, and more. The online searchable edition is free. You can enter your LSAT score and GPA and find the likelihood of admission to a particular law school, or you can enter your personal criteria for choosing a school and find out which law schools satisfy those criteria. A paperback copy can be purchased from LSAC or in bookstores. Published yearly by the Law School Admission Council. ISBN: 0-97-930502-0
Lisa L. Abrams, The Official Guide to Legal Specialties. National Association for Law Placement (2000) ISBN: 0-15-900391-1 (paper). Describes over thirty legal fields.
Deborah Schneider and Gary Belsky. Should You Really Be a Lawyer: The Guide to Smart Career Choices Before, During & After Law School. Decision Books (2004) ISBN 0-94-067557-9 (paper). The questions you need to ask yourself before committing to law school.
updated 9/18/08 - JR
