Your Path to a Career in Law
Pre-Law Advising is designed to help students determine if law school or a career in the legal field is an appropriate path to pursue, and assist those interested in law with the law school application process, as well as securing law-related internships and employment.
Explore Details About Pre-Law Advising
General Timeline
Freshman and Sophomore Years: Maintain GPA while taking courses that are writing- and research-intensive. Meet with a Career and Professional Development Center staff member to learn about a career in law, including pre-law internship opportunities. Considering joining law-related organizations, such as Phi Alpha Delta.
Junior Year: Prepare for taking the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). Plan to take the LSAT in the spring of or summer after junior year.
Senior Year: Register with the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) and the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) as preparation for submitting law school applications. Deadlines vary by school, but law school applications will be submitted roughly 8-10 months prior to enrollment.
Common law school application materials:
- Application Fees
- Letter(s) of Recommendation
- LSAT Score
- Official Academic Transcript
- Personal Statement
- Take a variety of law-adjacent classes, such as ethics, political theory, macroeconomics, accounting, logic, statistics, constitutional law, legal studies, and rhetoric. Contact your academic advisor when preparing your schedule to accommodate classes of interest. Regardless of your major, these classes will help in preparing you for law school coursework. Further, any class that is reading-, writing-, and/or research-intensive will help prepare you for law school, particular your first year.
- Talk to law students and practicing lawyers about opportunities and challenges in their respective graduate programs and careers.
- Secure a law-related internship. While the day-to-day work might not be directly connected to the practice of law, this type of internship can provide valuable exposure to working in a legal environment and networking opportunities with legal professionals. A great place to begin the search for an internship is the Hilltop Careerspage.
- Calculate your likely expenses incurred and return on investment before attending law school. Explore available scholarships/fellowships to help offset the cost of your chosen program.
- Research law schools in the region where you might want to work after law school. It is often easier to find employment in the region where you went to law school, in part due to professional networking and on-campus recruiting. Attend St. Edward's Graduate and Professional School Fair each Fall. In 2016, visiting law schools included University of Texas at Austin, SMU, Baylor, St. Mary's University, Texas Tech, and the University of Houston, among others.
- Join the St. Edward's chapter of Phi Alpha Delta, a student organization dedicated to those interested in attending law school and pursing a career in the legal profession. See the "Phi Alpha Delta" section of this page for more information.
- For more information, contact the Career and Professional Development office (512.448.8530; seucareer@erare.net) to schedule an appointment with a career counselor.
- Law School Admission Council (LSAC) | Law school selection and LSAT resources
- American Bar Association | Pre-law information from the ABA
- Pre-law Handbook & FAQs | Overview of pre-law recommendations and common questions
- Resume Writing | Get your resume ready
Phi Alpha Delta is an international legal fraternity that seeks to unite lawyers, law students, and undergraduate students interested in pursuing a career in the legal field. The St. Edward's chapter is a student organization that consists of current St. Edward's students brought together by their interest in law. Further, it seeks to bring its members into contact with legal professionals as well as educate its members about the law school admissions process in a relationship of mutual respect and friendship.