Law school recruitment fair offers advice for potential students
By Valen Emmert

Making decisions about higher education can sometimes be a difficult task. UT’s College of Law held a law school recruitment fair to make the decision easier. The overall goal of the day was to get prospective law students from UT and area schools to see the opportunities available to them.

For the event, which was attended by approximately 60 to 80 people, admissions officers from Georgia State, South Carolina, Mercer and Vanderbilt law schools traveled to be a part of a panel.

The panel discussed preparing for law school as an undergraduate, the law school admission process and legal employment with the current economic state. The panelists also held a question and answer session, followed by a meet and greet time where students could talk with them about their law school options.

During the Q&A, the panel discussed a wide range of topics. Students were interested in everything from letters of recommendation to the LSAT exam to differences between private and public law schools. Looking ahead, the students also asked about forming stand-out applications and effective personal statements.

Law School Admissions Counselor Hosts Informational Seminar
by Jordan Dailey

Rachel Wishum, admissions director of Jones School of Law at Faulkner University in Montgomery, spoke to Auburn students interested in law school Thursday, Sept. 3.

She spoke about important areas for all potential law students– LSAT scores and GPA.

“The LSAT tells us how you think and process what you read,” Wishum said. “Your GPA tells us what your work ethic is like.”

Though the LSAT measures students’ performance at one point in time, GPA spans a longer period.

“We look at trends,” Wishum said. “If your GPA started out badly, but has increased over time, it tells us you got serious and decided to work hard.”

Sara Duffy, a second-year student, or 2L, at Jones School of Law, graduated from Auburn in May 2008 in public relations.

“Law school is different than undergrad in that you’re learning how to be a good lawyer, not just memorizing a bunch of stuff for a test,” Duffy said.

Potential law students may wonder when is the best time to take the LSAT.

Wishum and Duffy recommend the June before a student’s senior undergraduate year.

“It’s not like the ACT where you take it over and over,” Wishum said. “This test is extremely difficult. You don’t want to take it more than once if you don’t have to.”

Study: More students turn to law school in failing economy
Registration for LSATs has increased more than 20 percent during past year
By Alex Zielinski

An April study of prospective law students revealed a leading motive for attending law school: the failing economy.

The study, administrated by Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions, reported that 40 percent of the 1,040 students who took the February 2009 Law School Admission Test were motivated by today’s economic crisis to apply to law school. In addition, the registration for the Kaplan-administered LSATs has increased by more that 20 percent during the past year.

Since 2006, the University’s School of Law has seen the number of applicants rise by 113, with 2008’s enrollment around 531 students. The law school’s LL.M, or Master of Laws, class of 2010 will be the largest since the program’s initiation two years ago. The law school building itself can hold no more than its current students, so increased applications would mean more discretion when reviewing new applicants.

The survey highlighted many economic reasons why students would decide to go to law school now. Sixty-seven percent of survey participants said the high earning power of a law degree substantially affected their decision to pursue an education in the field.

Study: More students turn to law school in failing economy
Registration for LSATs has increased more than 20 percent during past year
By Alex Zielinski

An April study of prospective law students revealed a leading motive for attending law school: the failing economy.

The study, administrated by Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions, reported that 40 percent of the 1,040 students who took the February 2009 Law School Admission Test were motivated by today’s economic crisis to apply to law school. In addition, the registration for the Kaplan-administered LSATs has increased by more that 20 percent during the past year.

Since 2006, the University’s School of Law has seen the number of applicants rise by 113, with 2008’s enrollment around 531 students. The law school’s LL.M, or Master of Laws, class of 2010 will be the largest since the program’s initiation two years ago. The law school building itself can hold no more than its current students, so increased applications would mean more discretion when reviewing new applicants.

The survey highlighted many economic reasons why students would decide to go to law school now. Sixty-seven percent of survey participants said the high earning power of a law degree substantially affected their decision to pursue an education in the field.

If hindsight is 20/20, this show will provide Fall 2010 admission cycle applicants with help making decisions in the coming months.