A lawyer is a professional who has strong oral and written communication skills. Throughout their education and experiences, they have developed excellent analytical and logical thinking skills. Using these skills, a lawyer helps clients navigate a range of legal issues. A student who studies law may find himself or herself working in many different capacities. Some lawyers choose to pursue careers in government, health, or non-profit environments; others use their legal background in politics or business. There are many avenues for the future lawyer to pursue.
Pre-Law students at UNL are working on building the skills and academic background necessary to be competitive to apply to law school. Explore Center Academic and Career Advisors can help you make a plan. Information for getting started is below.
Plan your Path to Law School
- Earn a Bachelor’s Degree. Any major is ok for students seeking to attend law school. Meet with an Explore Center Academic or Career Advisor for help exploring majors.
- Meet regularly with an Explore Center advisor to create and update your comprehensive professional and co-curricular plan for building the skills necessary for candidacy for law school.
- Research law schools and decide which schools you plan to apply to
- Take the LSAT
- Research application requirements for law schools you plan to apply to
- Letters of recommendation and resumes are often required
- Meet with law school representatives, attend open house events at law schools, or reach out via email to law school admissions offices to learn more information about each school.
- Apply to Law School using the Law School Admission Council Credential Assembly Service
Beyond Academics
Volunteer
Volunteering in the community is a great way to gain experiences and demonstrates your commitment to helping others.
Shadow
Shadowing law professionals allows you to explore law- related careers and build connections with law professionals. Talk to a Pre-Law advisor for more information.
Research
Research is a great way for you to learn more about your specific areas of interest, engage with faculty members, and develop analytical skill sets. You can become involved in research by visiting UNL department websites to see what research faculty are conducting and reach out to researchers whose projects interest you. Another way to become involved in research is through UNL's UCARE and other undergraduate student research programs.
Student Organizations
Student organizations are a great way to connect with others who share your academic, social, or service interests and can provide volunteering and leadership opportunities. UNL offers several Pre-Law-related organizations.
Consider joining the Pre-Law Club, Mock Trial Organization, UNL Speech & Debate Team, or ASUN.
Work Experience
Gaining practical work or internship experience in any kind of field helps you to develop professional skills, clarify career interests, strengthen self-confidence, build leadership skills, and establish professional contacts. Some examples of law-related work experience include but are not limited to:
- Internships at a law firm or government related non-profit
- Working as a legal runner for a law firm
- Paging at the NE State Capitol
Explore this Career
Local Professional Schools
Suggested Academic Preparation
- Bachelor’s degree – required for admission to law school and any UNL major is a great option
- No specific course requirements
- Consider taking courses that will give you a broad base of knowledge and that challenge you to develop excellent written and oral communication skills and logical reasoning skills.
- Take upper-level courses that require extensive reading, writing, and analysis of texts as these will help you prepare for law school
- Competitive academic record. Law schools will consider:
- GPA
- LSAT score
- Difficulty of courses
- Number of classes withdrawn from or taken pass/no pass