Career Center Online

Pre-Law at the University of Maine What is "pre-law" at UMaine? Suggested Courses for Pre-law Students Applying to Law School Selecting A Law School Financing Law School

Welcome Congratulations on your interest in applying to law school.  This web site is designed to assist you with learning about the field of law and provide you with the resources necessary to apply to law school. A law career may provide you with intellectual challenge, emotional and financial rewards and may also be very demanding.  With this in mind, one should not take the decision to attend law school lightly.  So take some time to learn about the field of law, understand what you need to do at the University of Maine in order to be a competitive applicant and develop a plan to move you toward your goal.

This Health and Legal Professions Career Specialist can assist you with: Exploring your options Developing an application strategy Selecting potential law schools Reviewing application materials Connecting you with current practitioners

To get started, you should contact the Health and Legal Professions Career Specialist: Phone: 207-581-2587 Email: Crisanne.blackie@umit.maine.edu Office Location: Room 308, Memorial Union This office is part of the Career Center and the Division of Student Affairs

What is "pre-law" at UMaine?

The University of Maine offers nearly 90 baccalaureate degree programs. The excellence of these programs will provide University of Maine students with the necessary skills to succeed and gain admission to any law school in the country.

As a pre-law student, you can major in anything that you choose. Your major should be interesting to you, provide you with a rigorous course load and assist you with developing the skills needed to be a successful lawyer.

Many pre-law students will choose to declare a Legal Studies Minor.  This program consists of six (18 credits) courses.  The Department of Political Science will sign and process the necessary paperwork for students interested in this minor.

For those students interested in environmental law, there is a pre-law concentration within the Environmental Management and Policy degree within the College of Natural Sciences Forestry and Agriculture.

Law and Society is a student government sanctioned club that is open to all students interested in pre-law activities.  This organization has a folder on First Class where you can learn about the club and its activities.  Club activities include inviting guest speakers to campus and participating in Mock Trial.  For more information, please contact the club directly.

No particular courses are required of students entering law school. However, it is suggested that students take courses that emphasize reading comprehension, analytical thinking and written and oral expression.  Although not mentioned below, courses in Economics, Math, and  Sciences are invaluable in developing rigorous analytical reasoning. Finally, mastering a foreign language and computer skills are increasingly necessary as we become a global village.  For a semester’s offering consult the Schedule of Classes.

LSAT prep materials: Please contact the Health and Professions Office for local review courses. For additional course offerings, contact

Kaplan Review Class: http://www.kaptest.com/
Princeton Review: http://www.review.com

You can register for the LSAT online by visiting http://www.lsac.org

Law School Application Checklist (source: Northeast Association of Pre-Law Advisors Handbook, 4^th edition)

LSDAS

When applying to law school, you must register for the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS).  This is a central clearinghouse for gathering and dispersing information to law schools.    To register go to: http://www.lsac.org

The two most basic criteria for admitting students to law school are your LSAT score and your GPA.  Many students have found the NAPLA Law School Locator to be of assistance when identifying which schools you should consider including on your law school list.  This matrix, developed by Boston College, will help you to identify which schools fall within your range.  Please visit: http://www.bc.edu/offices/careers/gradschool/law/lawlocator/

With an average debt is $80,000 nationally (for those who borrowed federal and private loans) financing law school is an important consideration.  There are many loan programs available to assist you with financing your education.  In addition, many law schools will offer institutional aid as well.  For those interested in working in public service or in the public sector, there are loan forgiveness and repayment options.  For more information on these programs, please visit http://www.Equaljusticeworks.org.

The following websites will help you get the answers to your financial aid questions. However, your intended law school is the best source for financial aid information.

U.S. Department of Education

Free Application for Federal Student Aid

The Smart Student Guide to Financial Aid

National Association for Law Placement

National Association for Public Interest Law