NORTHWESTERN CAREER ADVANCEMENT

All law school application are submitted through LSAC and will include the following documents:

• All Post-Secondary Transcripts (some study abroad exceptions)
• LSAT or GRE Score(s)
• Letters of Recommendation
  • Law schools typically request 2 letters of recommendation from applicants, but may accept up to 4 letters
  • Law admissions committees prefer to see two academic letters of recommendation from professors who know you the best and can address your participation in the classroom and performance on papers and tests. If you would also like to include a supervisor or other professional contact that you have worked closely with and you believe might have some additional insight to share with the admissions committee than you can also include them as an additional letters of recommendation
  • After identifying your recommenders, schedule a time to speak with them in person if possible. In this meeting, discuss your interest and reasons for pursing law school and law schools you’re considering, and anything you’d like them to highlight in the letter. It can be helpful to bring a copy of a piece of written work you did for them (a class paper or test), your resume and/or your personal statement for additional information about your qualifications and professional goals
  • Remember that letters are written on a voluntary basis. If you sense hesitancy or they say no, ask someone else
  • If you are thinking of taking time off prior to law school, you should still ask for your letters of recommendation prior to leaving campus, when it is easier to connect with your recommender and you are fresher in their memory.
• Law School Personal Statement
• Law School Resume
  • Law School Resumes should be formatted the same as your professional resume but in most cases can be more than one-page (although check with each law school for specific guidelines)
  • The resume should include all educational history starting with college, extracurricular activities and leadership experiences, community and volunteer activities, and all full and/or part-time work experience you feel are relevant to and exemplify your candidacy
• Diversity Statement (Optional)
  • If you would like a law school admissions committee to consider how your background, life and work experiences, advanced studies, extracurricular or community activities, culture, socio-economic status, sex, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or other factors would contribute to the diversity of their entering class (and hence to your classmates’ law school educational experience), you may describe these factors and their relevance in a separate diversity essay.
• Addendums (Optional)
  • Many law schools will allow students to provide supplemental essays to explain any red flags in an application including multiple test scores, a dip in grades, academic discipline matters and other character and fitness issues
• Any additional requirements unique to that particular school