Widener Law Admissions Blogs

Law school admission is a tough battle.  For some, classes and tests come easy and law schools welcome students with these natural academic skills.  Others work hard to reach their dreams and simply need the opportunity to show their work ethic in a legal setting.  For these aspiring lawyers, getting into law school can be a greater challenge.  If your GPA is less than stellar and your standardized test taking skills need some work, then consider these steps to improve your chances:

• Prepare for the LSAT.  Take as many practice tests as you can and time yourself in the process!  I frequently meet applicants who study for the LSAT but never timed themselves.  Guess what?  They felt rushed and pressured when they actually took the test.  Don’t be one of these applicants; take a prep class if you feel it’s appropriate.  In addition, search online, contact your pre-law advisor or career development center or ask local colleges if they offer weekend prep courses.  Yes, they are expensive but so is law school.  In the end you might save more money with a scholarship if you score well on the LSAT.  Widener Law offer mock LSAT administration every year.  We invite prospective students to take the LSAT under simulated testing center standards.  This is free and typically offered one week before the actual test.

• Ignore the naysayers.  There’s a lot of gripe about law school out there.  First, yes, it is important to know that you definitely want to pursue law as a career.  Make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into (this is a topic for another blog).  If you know it, you can do it.  I believe there is a right law school for almost everyone.  Do your research and find out when law schools begin accepting applications.  Widener Law has a fairly open application season.  We begin accepting application in late August and continue accepting applications through May 15.  However, we continue accepting applications through the summer if space is available.  So if you didn’t get in early, try for different options.  Sometimes schools you never considered are a diamond in the rough, check out JD programs for what they offer rather than just what you heard.

• Contact the Admissions office to ask about your file.  If you were not successful this time around, we can help improve your chances next time around.  Remember that the LSAT and GPA are important criteria for admission.  The Admissions Committee generally looks for applicants close to the incoming class median.  Widener Law’s medians are typically around a 151 LSAT and above a 3.0 GPA.  However, every applicant is review holistically and your personal statement, letters of recommendation, work experience and additional accolades can sway the committee’s decision.

Still not sure where to go from here?  I’d be happy to help, feel free to email me at asdelpuerto@mail.widener.edu.

Jason Ploppert, Widener Law Student

As an incoming 1L my biggest fear was the immense amount of reading, and the inherent competitive nature of law school.  Your first year in law school is unlike any other experience you have had in your life.  The pressure you face your first year is palpable, however, the professors and students at Widener make first year a much less harrowing task.  Professors and other students are more than willing to lend a helping hand, and unlike other schools there is less of the typical “me-first” mentality.  In my first year I had some of the best teachers I have had in my entire life.  My civil procedure professor, Patrick Johnston, was able to take a subject that many consider the hardest in law school and make it much less convoluted, while adding in a great deal of humor.  Another personal favorite of mine, Leslie Johnson, makes students feel so comfortable by being so approachable and teaches in a way that could make the most complex subject seem like third grade math.

At the end of the day law school is what you make out of it, in my two years here I have probably learned more than I did in the other 23 years of my life combined.  If you come here willing to put in the work, there is no limit to what you can accomplish.

Thanks for your thoughts Jason!  Learn more about him on our Student Ambassadors Page.

So you’ve decided to attend law school.  Good choice!  Maybe you were a Pre-Law major interning at a law office, or maybe you studied Biology and only recently decided to follow a legal career.  Maybe you’re 21 or maybe you’re 55.  No matter what your background, law school is a completely different ball game from your past education and experiences.  We all begin law school with a blank slate.  So, how do you prepare?

First, relax.  This is your break before diving into cases and hundreds of pages to analyze.  Try to avoid burn out before you even begin.  Catch up with friends and family, read novels that you find interesting, keep up with the news and current events.  Take a vacation if you can!

Next, consider keeping your mind active with a few classes or books.  They don’t need to be intense, just a way to keep keen for school.  Widener Law offers a summer Paralegal Certificate program that introduces legal research, legal writing and mechanics of the litigation process.  If you feel that extra courses can help you, this is a great head start.

Finally, What else do you think helps prepare for law school?  Do you think internships are useful?  Taking a reading or writing course?  Seeking advice from friends and family?  Interviewing a person in the field?  Share your thoughts!

Students sometimes struggle through their first semester of law school or college.  However, if you find yourself frustrated with the environment or resources offered at your school then consider other options.  Transferring can stir up a lot of anxiety.  Traci Cosby, third year law student, was unsure about her decision to transfer but ultimately found a great fit at Widener Law.  See her story on YouTube:  Traci Cosby Talks About Transferring to Widener Law.

It’s interesting to look back at when I just started and see how far I’ve come in such a short period of time. The first time I briefed a case in law school, I spent about 3 hours trying to wrangle some sort of meaning from it. I got most of it wrong. The second time it took about an hour, but I still got most of it wrong. The work load has substantially increased this year. In my first semester, most professors gave us 5 to 10 pages of homework per class. This doesn’t sound like much, but it is when each page takes 15 to 20 minutes just to get a basic understanding. By second semester, professors had moved up to giving 10, 20, or even 25 pages of reading per class. This tracked well with my ability to comprehend, and before I knew it, I was actually understanding cases and concepts without having to reread it 10 times.

This year, my work load has dramatically increased, but so has my comprehension. I can still remember posting on Facebook, “My Real Estate professor wants me to read 125 pages by Thursday. I may have made a mistake.” Well, I did the work and survived. I even thrived.

It is now about a month into the Spring semester of my second year, just past the halfway point in my law school career. I am taking 6 classes for a total of 16 credits. The pressures of first year have been replaced with this year’s tsunami of work and the Bar Exam looming in the not too distant future. As long as I keep swimming, I just might become a lawyer.

On November 11, 2011, Widener Law invited Pre-Law Advisors from regional colleges and universities to visit the Harrisburg campus and discuss recent trends in law school admission and education.  Topics included the worth of law school, alumni occupations, and advice to offer undergraduates.  Since this blog serves prospective students, I’ll focus on the information most pertinent to you.  And, since there was a wealth of information, this post is long but worthwhile!

First, Professor Ben Barros proficiently addressed the controversy over law school tuition, debt and salary statistics.  If you graduate from law school, you will likely leave with a great diploma and a debt around $90K-$100K, unless you have alternate means like a scholarship or sponsor.  Yes, that’s daunting.  But recall that you have decades to pay off your debt and initial salaries increase within a few years.  Consider the investment you are making, this is your life and you will very likely find a job within law that will cover your debt load.  Dean Linda Ammons reminded us that professional schools in general require a hefty investment, take a look at the tuition rates for medical programs (how about dentistry?).

But don’t take my word for it, take a look at statistics.  The website Law School Transparency uses American Bar Association (ABA) data to formulate reports about salaries, job characteristics, credential requirements and geographies.  Professor Barros encourages everyone to consider the wide range of salary data and look at the whole picture.  What is the cost of living within the region?  Where do graduates obtain jobs?  Typically, law schools are regional.  Plan to practice where you study, that’s where you network, secure internships and learn the law.  It makes sense to place location high on your list of criteria that determine your choice of schools.

The following session showcased alumni addressing their experiences at Widener Law and finding employment.  Once again, networking was a general theme since most, if not all, of the graduates secured a job through friends, colleagues and mentors.  LeaNora Ruffin, Assistant Dean for Career Development, added that Widener offers a mentoring program between alumni and students to learn more about important skills and network into the profession.  She also addressed the difference between J.D. preferred and J.D. required jobs.   J.D. preferred positions tend to require the skills developed in law school, such as leadership and writing.  The jobs, such as lobbyists and executives, associate with the law but are not directly involved in proceedings.

In regards to undergraduate preparation, the panel stressed the importance of writing persuasively. English was an excellent choice of major for several panelists.  Specifically, they mentioned rhetoric and persuasive writing classes as more beneficial than creative writing.  Additionally, public speaking classes can help define the skills necessary to support and argue a legal position.

During the question and answer session, Pre-Law Advisors asked what characteristics are necessary to succeed in law school.  Professor Ben Barros and Vice Dean Robyn Meadows stressed the importance of focus and dedication.  Too often they see students in class wasting time on facebook or attending because it is expected by Mom and Dad.  You should attend law school because it is your dream and passion.  If you don’t like what you do, it becomes obvious in time.  With dedication, most students succeed.  Widener Law professors feel it is their job to train future attorneys and, while a few students are simply not capable of “thinking like a lawyer”, the majority do succeed if they truly desire.

Additionally, when considering scholarships students should ask how many scholarship recipients retain their award.  At Widener Law, the vast majority keep their scholarship since the Admissions office strives to award funds only to those most likely to show extraordinary performance in their first year of law school as illustrated through the LSAT and undergraduate GPA.

Overall, professors, advisors, administrators and graduates encourage incoming students to really consider their professional skills.  Professors are transitioning into practical, versus doctrinal, teaching to develop students into professional attorneys who do not need significant orientation upon entering their first job.  For this reason, they expect students to seek opportunities as they arise.  Don’t wait for a test to find out you don’t understand the material, ask questions often.  As an attorney, you will be expected to dig for information.  That is only achieved by asking questions.  So start now, what is your goal?  How do you get there?  What are the details involved?  Who can guide you?  What questions can you ask them?

As always, I’m a resource to you if law school admission is your goal!

So, what do Highlander, The Karate Kid and law school have in common?  They all highlight the importance of balance.

As I sit here, at home in my study, I decided that I had better write something for my blog before something else takes priority.  I have been thinking about this for weeks, but just haven’t found the time.  There was always something else that needed to get done first.  This is why I think balance is so important for us as law students.  It seems as if we are going, going, going all the time, with barely a minute to catch our collective breath.  Studying, meetings, family, sleep – if we spend time on one, then there never seems to be enough time to spend on the others.

This semester, I started by biting off more than I could chew.  I took my role as Student Ambassador for the Admissions Office to heart and spent a lot of time talking to new students in order to help them with the transition into law school.  Although I did this willingly and very much enjoyed it, it ate up more of my time than I expected.  I met with students individually and in groups, and I tried to give helpful advice on Facebook.  I also agreed to write this blog, figuring that a few paragraphs every once in a while would be no problem. (Ha!)

As Co-Chair of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Society, I spent a considerable amount of time prepping for our Fall Negotiation Competition.  Thanks to the dedication of the other executive board members, it was a stunning success.  We had a record number of students compete and a record number of students inducted into the society.  Again, although I am very pleased with the outcome, time was taken away from other important areas.

There are many other non-class related, non-family related drains on my time as a law student.  I am a 2L (second year) Class Representative to the Widener Student Bar Association.  This brings its own set of obligations.  I am also an active member of Phi Alpha Delta, the largest student organization on campus.  Student organizations at Widener Law put on many interesting and informative events and I try to attend as many as I can.  Last week LALSA hosted a fantastic panel discussion on The Dream Act and its implications.  Next week PAD will put on an unprecedented mock trial featuring the Philadelphia Homicide ADA going against one of the highest profile defense attorneys in Philadelphia.  Events like these are invaluable to understanding how what we learn in class is applied in the real world.  Even so, with over two dozen student organizations on campus, the pros and cons of the time commitment must be weighed.

All of this must be balanced with what I think are the two most important time commitments for a law student: studying and home life.  I spend fifteen hours per week in class.  I spend twenty-five to thirty-five hours per week actually studying, and even more than that before finals.  I have begun listening to audio lectures in the car, trying to make more efficient use of my thirty minute drive to and from school.  As for home life, I am very lucky to have such a supportive wife who understands that I need to spend so much time studying and being involved on campus.  We still try to make time for each other and put everything else aside, but it is sometimes easier said than done.

Each law student may have different obligations and priorities, but we all need to balance them the best we can in order to be successful.

In my travels this fall, many prospective students showed interest in International Law.   First – about specializations:

Take your time to select an area of law you wish to practice – if you select one at all! There is no requirement to focus on just one area, in fact, most of our students graduate with a wide variety of electives on their transcript. Some stress that specializations arise in internships and first year employment as you recognize your strengths through law school. Furthermore, you don’t really know what you’re getting into until you try it. Reflect on what your strengths REALLY are as opposed to what you THINK they are.

The number one, most important aspect of law school is to prepare students for the bar. Take the classes that are emphasized on your state bar exam. Don’t get distracted from your purpose for attending law school – passing the bar exam!

A few students, however, know which firm or specialty they will pursue upon graduation. They have no doubt in their goal and no interest in other options. In that case, there are certificates you can earn while obtaining your J.D. Visit our Certificate Programs page for more information.

I mentioned International Law for a reason; Widener offers great opportunities :

The Global Externship program prepares students to practice on an international level. Students have been placed with the World Health Organization, the World Intellectual Property Organization, International Trade Agency, the US Department of Commerce and United Nations Development Office.   Click here for a video introduction.

The Institutes offer a variety of international perspectives; particularly in business, environmental and health law.

Study abroad programs in Italy, Switzerland, Australia, Kenya and China. There are a variety of comparative law courses each year to suit your interests.

Renowned professors assist students in developing their legal skills and teach electives in Comparative or Global Law.

Student Organizations on both the Harrisburg and Delaware campuses promote networking and learning about current trends.

The Career Development office assists students in honing interviewing and networking skills to find and land jobs and internships.

As always, email me with comments, questions, suggestions, etc. – asdelpuerto@mail.widener.edu. Thanks for reading!

So you have no idea what to write and you don’t think you’re special.  What should you do?

• Think positive.  You’re not that average, you’re applying to law school.  Not everyone has that privilege.  In fact, only around 10% of the U.S. population earns a professional degree.  That in itself is remarkable!   So how did you get into this elite group?  You might be judging yourself more harshly than you realize.  Although cliché, everyone really does have a different perspective to offer in a classroom discussion.  In the U.S., it seems ordinary for some to go to college and graduate school.  But this is certainly not true.  Even if you had support along the way, you didn’t just sleep your way through high school and college (hopefully).  Take the typical and turn it around.
• Take the pressure off and just write whatever comes to mind.   Once you have exhausted your thoughts and then review your brainstorming session.  Collect what’s relevant and form it into a paper.  You know how to do this because you’ve been trained to write since childhood.  But if you’re struggling organizing your thoughts, then visit the writing center at your college or alma mater.
• DO NOT start with “although I’m not traditionally diverse . . .” Widener Law’s Admissions Committee seeks diversity in many ways, some you may not even consider in yourself – reflect.  What have you done that your friends or family have not?  How have you been praised?  What’s your favorite hobby?  Where have you traveled?  Who raised you?  Anything that has led you to the point of considering law school is significant.  You have a story to tell, no matter what your background.
• The personal statement is important but it certainly does not make or break your application.  Make sure it is well written, grammatically correct, and purposeful.  Keep in mind, however, that Admissions uses your scores (LSAT and undergraduate GPA) as the objective indicator of success in the first year of law school.  Spend time on every component of your application, all of it is important, but if you have to choose between mulling over a sentence in your personal statement or mastering an LSAT question – go with the LSAT.

Finally, watch Dodgeball for some inspiration (and probably a much needed break).  The Average Joes come out on top!

Questions about applying to law school?  Email me – asdelpuerto@mail.widener.edu or visit law.widener.edu/admissions

Meet Our Former Bloggers!

Tom

Tom: My name is Tom Trettel. I am a regular division (full time), second year (2L) student at the Delaware campus. My plan at this point is to graduate in May 2013, then work as an associate for a few years before opening my own “small-town” practice in Delaware. Being a few years older than most students, I had two careers before law. I counseled teenagers at an in-patient psychiatric hospital and then moved on to running a small retail business. After enjoying that for many years, I decided that it was about time to get my doctorate, so here I am. For me, it was a great decision. Follow my posts!

Jonathan

Jonathan: My name is Jonathan Suzuki and I was born in Tokyo, Japan. Since the summer I graduated high school, I’ve been in and around the music industry, and my first foray was translating for major label bands performing at the Fuji Rock Festivals. Because I got a taste for being around musicians, I pursued an undergraduate degree in Music Technology (sound engineering). I found a job at a music publisher after I quickly realized that I wasn’t equipped with the requisite patience to be at the bottom of the studio totem pole. While working for the publisher, I was exposed to onerous songwriter agreements, publishing agreements, and international royalty-collection agreements but in all honesty, I didn’t understand most of it. Not understanding led me to endeavor in law school. Read more on Jonathan’s Blog Posts!

Chelsey

Chelsey: “I am currently taking Torts, Criminal Law, Property, Civil Procedure, Contracts, and Legal Methods. To assist you in your understanding of the life of a law student, I intend to blog about my experiences in and outside the classroom at Widener, so you can get a real feel for what it is that we do as students of law. My hope is that as you choose where best fits you for law school, that this may be something that could assist you in that decision. If I could answer any specific questions for you, please don’t hesitate to email me at cdcrocker@mail.widener.edu. Best of luck in the process!” Read more from  Chelsey’s Blog.

Jana & Jennifer

Jana DiCosmo and Jennifer Perez are students on the Delaware campus of Widener Law. Jana is an Extended Division student while Jennifer is enjoying her experiences as a First year law student. Click on the slides below to meet Jana and Jennifer!

Meet Jana

Jana & Jennifer’s Blog:

Jana DiCosmo, is a second-year law student in the Extended Division day program. Before joining the Widener Law community, she attended the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. She majored in Political Science, focusing on civil rights law classes and statistical analysis in social science research.

Feel free to email any questions about the first year, or the transition from the first to second year: jrdicosmo@mail.widener.edu. She looks forward to sharing her experiences with you! Read More from Jana

Meet Jennifer

MEET JENNIFER: Jennifer writes that her life experiences and cultural background are greatly responsible for her professional and personal passion for United States Immigration Law. As a child of Latino immigrants living in Camden, New Jersey, the struggles that immigrants in her community overcame were just part of life. As she grew older and looked at her surroundings, Jennifer realized that she could make positive change. For years, Jennifer has relied on the prospect of “giving back” to my community by serving its immigrant population. Thus, from a very young age, Jennnifer has strived to join the ranks of lawyers and judges who also believe that character is forged by helping others. Read more from Jennifer

Kathleen & Meghan

Kathleen and Meghan are both   First year regular division law students on the Delaware campus. They share what it’s really like to be a first year at Widener Law! Click on the slides below to meet Kathleen and Meghan!

Meet Kathleen

Hi! My name is Kathleen Hubbert and I am a first-year law student in the Regular Division. Prior to arriving at Widener, I attended Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, PA (Go Dips!). There, I majored in Sociology and minored in English. I am from Blue Bell, PA (outside of Philadelphia), but I live on campus in one of the dorms.
I was originally drawn to Widener because of the professor’s reputations, and of the campus’ proximity to both Philadelphia and downtown Wilmington. Now that I’ve been on campus for some time, I know for certain that I made the right decision by coming to Widener.
Through this blog, I hope you’ll be able to get a feel for law school life, and you will get a feel for what life at Widener is like. If I can help you in any way possible, please don’t hesitate to email me at kmhubbert@mail.widener.edu with any questions.

Meet Meghan

Hello everyone, my name is Meghan Harp. I’m currently a 1L regular division student at the Widener University School of Law and loving it! I’m also a recent graduate from The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey where I majored in Political Science. I became interested in the study of law while in my junior year of undergrad after taking a course on civil liberties. I was particularly drawn to Widener Law for its friendly and welcoming environment. In particular, I was interested in their nationally recognized Health Law Certificate Program. Follow along in my blog as I experience what it’s truly like to be a first year law student!
Thanks for reading!

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