Frequently Asked Questions

While an ideal applicant will have a strong GPA and LSAT score, there are many other things that we look for in our applicants. We are trying to bring in an intelligent, interesting, and diverse class overall.

The most competitive applicant will display strong writing, reasoning, and analytical skills, be actively involved in organizations or pursuits that show a strong interest in learning and service, demonstrate a mature and ethical character, and have a well-thought reason for going to law school. Some applicants will also bring a diverse perspective because of their socio-economic, cultural, ethnic, or educational backgrounds, or because of their unique life experiences. Others will have exceptional work experience.

An applicant should demonstrate these attributes through the personal statement, resume, letters of recommendation, and supplemental statements (when applicable). Note that these factors in and of themselves will not get someone into law school, but it is the combination of them that makes one most competitive.

There is no application fee for students applying to the JD or any joint degree programs at Lewis & Clark Law School.

Generally, personal statements and essays should roughly be between 500 and 1000 words. Some schools will be very specific about word or page limits and font sizes; others, like Lewis & Clark Law School, will not give any restrictions.

The best way to ensure your personal statement and essays are an appropriate length is to provide enough details for us to get to know you and to edit carefully to be clear and concise.

At Lewis & Clark, our prompts are very general. First, we ask you to explain why you are particularly interested in Lewis and Clark. There are many reasons for choosing a law school and it is helpful to our Admissions Committee to know why you think Lewis and Clark is a good match for you. Of course, there are no wrong answers to this prompt, but explaining your specific reasons for considering Lewis and Clark helps our Admissions Committee better see how you will add to our community.

In your personal statement, we ask you to write about your background, experiences, interest in law, aspirations, special abilities, or any topic that will help us get a sense of you as a person and prospective law student. Successful personal statements discuss topics ranging from a memory of an influential person, an important discussion with a parent, a significant life experience, a special accomplishment, a unique talent—whatever it is that makes you interested in pursuing a law degree.

In addition to learning your interest in law school, our Admissions Committee will be evaluating your writing ability. Your essay and personal statement should be polished; that is to say it should be well written, be without grammatical or spelling errors, flow well, be clear, and show correct word usage. You will want to proofread it multiple times, with and without spell check. You may also want someone you know who writes well to take a look at your essay and give you feedback on (not rewrite) your essay.

Finally, it is nice if your statement is interesting. What makes for an interesting personal statement is that it is  personaland  genuine. We want to know how you think, feel, and live, and you should be true to yourself. This is your opportunity to tell us who you are in your own words.

There isn’t any specific thing that an admissions committee is expecting to see on a resume. For example, we do not expect that you have worked in a law firm or have 150 hours of community service. We simply would like knowledge of your various pursuits other than school. This gives us a good idea of the experiences you will be bringing to law school and can highlight things about you that might be different from other applicants.

Just like a resume you would submit for a job application, a resume for law school should list your educational background, such as where you went to school, the degree you received, and the date you graduated. It should also list work experience, school activities, volunteer work, and honors or awards. What is different with a law school resume is that it can be longer and more descriptive than job resumes. You aren’t limited to one page with a law school resume. You can also include things that might be a bit more personal such as personal hobbies & interests. You want your resume to look and sound professional while also giving a comprehensive view of what you have been doing with your life outside of the classroom.

If you have been out of college for a long time, you can be judicious about how you describe your work and life experiences. Summarizing duties for past employment, or simply listing dates/title/organization for your volunteer work may suffice.

Keep in mind that activities from high school or before should not be on your resume unless they were particularly impressive (e.g., class valedictorian) or reflect lifelong pursuits (e.g., 15 years of violin playing).

In general, admissions committees are interested in knowing how you have spent your time and the resume is a way to highlight that in a descriptive, yet succinct, way.

The best letters of recommendation come from people who know you well and are in a position to evaluate your skills and abilities that will be put to use in law school. These skills include writing, critical thinking, problem solving, and grit.

If you are currently a student or a recent graduate, the Admissions Committee expects at least one letter will be from someone who can speak to you academic skills. That’s usually a professor who had you in class or with whom you worked closely in an academic setting. Other academic sources that are acceptable can come from graduate teaching assistants, academic advisors, coaches, and others with whom you have developed a good relationship and who can speak of your strengths.

If you have been out of school for a while, then employers are also a good source for a letter. Additional options for sources include internship supervisors and volunteer coordinators –with the caveat that they know you well and can evaluate your abilities that would be applicable to law school.

Letters from politicians, well-known people in the community, lawyers, or law school alumni are not the best sources unless they can speak specifically to your performance in an academic or work setting. If these people have taught you or supervised you, know you well, and have been in a position to evaluate your skills & abilities, then they can be good people to ask. Otherwise, it is best to ask someone who knows you in a work or academic setting.

An addendum is a separate essay that you may submit with your application. It provides additional information that that does not easily fit within your essay, personal statement, or resume. For example, an addendum may explain a poor academic performance in a particular semester, large differences in multiple LSAT scores, or gaps in your resume. It can also discuss a learning disability, a unique grading system at a particular school, or other matters that will help the Admissions Committee have a more complete picture of you.

You should also submit an addendum to also explain any academic or disciplinary issues, or to explain any criminal or misconduct charges in your past. These addenda are required.

Addenda are typically no longer than one page and sometimes are only a paragraph. Particularly with addenda addressing academic or criminal matters, be sure to include enough details to assure the Admissions Committee that these prior experiences will not recur in law school.

Note that many applicants do not need to submit addenda. When in question, contact the admissions office and someone can discuss with you if one is necessary.

Your statistical profile is comprised of your highest LSAT score and your cumulative undergraduate GPA. A graduate degree does not affect this statistical profile.

However, a graduate degree can often strengthen an applicant’s file. The skills you hone in graduate school can be very helpful in law school, especially if your graduate program included extensive research and writing. Strong graduate grades can offset lower grades in undergrad. A graduate degree can also show academic motivation and maturity.

The Admissions Committee look at each applicant’s entire file and evaluates graduate work in the context of the applicant’s other work. In other words, a graduate degree may be a very influential factor for one applicant and be less significant for a different applicant.

Yes. Academic performance and potential are very important considerations when making admissions decisions. Along with your overall grade point average, the Admissions Committee considers the rigor of your courses, the school(s) you attended, and your grade trend. An upward grade trend can help make up for a poor performance earlier in college. A strong LSAT will also help. If your grades improve significantly and you show additional aptitude for law school through a good LSAT score, then you can make a strong case for your academic abilities despite having struggled earlier on.

You may also submit a GPA Addendum, explaining your slow academic start in college. This addendum does not need to be long—one or two paragraphs should suffice.

At Lewis & Clark, there is no such thing as a “non-traditional” applicant. Our applicants have very diverse backgrounds, experiences, and skills. Furthermore, the average age of our incoming students is 26, but we have many applicants who are in their 30’s, 40’s, and sometimes older. We receive many applications from people who are returning to school after many years. We value older students who bring a wealth of real world life and work experience to our community.

The Admissions Committee reads every application file in its entirety, but not all factors are going to weigh the same for each applicant. For example, for someone who has been out of school for a long time, the Admissions Committee may attach more significance to their work experience than to their undergraduate grades from many years before. Similarly, while we will expect a recent college graduate to have a letter of recommendation from a professor, someone who has been out of school for a few years would be more likely to have recommenders who know them in a work setting.

Ideally, you will take the LSAT by December in the year before you plan to attend law school. Because most law schools review files in the winter and early spring, you will want to make sure your application is complete sometime in the fall or early winter, and thus, it is best to take the LSAT no later than January.

If you take the LSAT in February of the year you plan to attend law school (or later), the risk is that your application will be completed later in the process and your file will be reviewed when less space is available in the entering class. (Note: schools will not review your files until all required items have been received, including the LSAT score.) Many schools will have already awarded their scholarships by the time they get to reading files with March LSAT scores. In really competitive years when applications are up, a March LSAT may mean you are too late to be considered for scholarships at some schools. In years where applications are going down nationally, a March score may be more acceptable, but you will still be later in the process than is preferred and may have fewer options than had you completed your application earlier.

It can be a good idea to take the LSAT even earlier, such as in June, July, or September of the year before you plan to enroll in law school, so that if something happens around the time you’re planning to take the LSAT (e.g. you get ill or have a family emergency), you can cancel your reservation for the test and take it later. Or, if you don’t feel that the score you received is up to your potential, you can take the test again later and still have time to get your applications complete in a timely manner.

For test dates, registration sites and deadlines, LSAT costs and more, please go to http://www.lsac.org/jd/lsat/test-dates-deadlines.

How you prepare for the LSAT depends on how much time you have to study before the test and how you best learn. Many experts suggest you should have at least 8 weeks of dedicated and diligent studying to prepare. If you decide to take an LSAT prep course, most of them are 6 to12 weeks long. Either way, you need to be able to spend enough time to take several practice tests—enough practice tests so that you feel very comfortable with the test, so that you have seen improvement in your speed, and that your practice test scores are consistent (and you’re happy with the result).

As part of your practice, try to recreate the conditions of the actual test. Most importantly, keep track of your timing and practice finishing your practice tests within the time requirements of the actual test. Finishing the test in the amount of time allotted is one of the biggest hurdles to doing well on the LSAT. You may be able to get most of the questions right if given all the time in the world, but the LSAT only allows you a certain amount of time per section and you’ll want to get through as many questions as you can. Also make sure not to get used to using scratch paper, as it is not allowed during the exam. If you find that you’re dedicating regular time to study over a few weeks and are satisfied with your practice scores, then studying on your own is probably an effective way to prepare.

Another option to preparing is to take an LSAT prep class. This can be effective if you are the type of learner who needs someone to instruct and motivate you, or if you are a more visual or oral learner. Because you are paying for the class, it’s more likely that you will go and thus, dedicate some time to preparing. Test prep companies will provide you with the prep materials and will conduct practice exams so that you can get a feel for what it is like. Again, make sure they are using previous tests that come from LSAC and are not just simulated to look like the LSAT. The downside to this method is that LSAT prep courses can be expensive. If you cannot afford a class, ask the prep company if they have any scholarship or grant programs that you could apply for that would either pay for or reduce the cost of the class. Also note that simply taking the class will not ensure a higher LSAT score. You should also spend time outside of class to get the most out of it.

A third option is to work with a private tutor. The test prep companies, your college learning center, or your prelaw advisor may be able to refer you to a tutor. A tutor will give you individual attention and cater the teaching to your learning style. A tutor will also be more able to work within your personal schedule.

Further, if you know or suspect that you have a learning disability, a tutor may be able to give you some more directed strategies. You should look into getting the disability diagnosed that is necessary in order to apply for testing accommodations on the LSAT. This process can take several months so you will want to explore this option long before you plan to take the exam.

Whichever option, or options, you use to prepare for the LSAT, make sure to give yourself plenty of time and practice often. You want to be as ready as possible when you do take the exam and ideally, you’ll be satisfied with your score the first time so you won’t have to take it again.

Lewis & Clark does not have a minimum LSAT/GPA nor is there a statistical cut-off to our admissions process; we consider every application for admission. While LSAT and GPA are considered fairly heavily in the admissions process, the Admissions Committee will give significant weight to other parts of application including the personal statement, resume, letters of recommendation, and supplemental statements. For more details on how to create a good application file, check out the Application FAQs.

At Lewis and Clark, we place primary emphasis on the highest LSAT score, so if you think you can improve your score, you should consider taking the LSAT a second time. However, you should only take the test again if you think there is a realistic chance to improve your score. For example,

You may want to consider this option if you were sick the day of the exam, could not concentrate because of something going on in your personal life, or you had a panic attack and left large sections of questions unanswered. Another reason to retake the test is if you did not have adequate time to prepare for the exam and you will have time to prepare before you take it again.

If you do decide to retake the test, make sure to sign up right away as spaces can fill up quickly. Continue to practice for the exam so that you do not lose your momentum. If you think you didn’t do well because you weren’t prepared, consider taking a different approach to studying for the LSAT. Finally, notify the schools you applied to that you will be taking the test again so that the school will know to hold your file until it receives your new score.

Yes, Lewis & Clark will give primary consideration to the higher LSAT score when reviewing applications. That said, the Admissions Committee will still see the other exam scores. If an applicant has a significant difference in LSAT scores, or has more than three scores on record, we recommend that they submit an addendum with their application to explain the difference in scores or the reasons for taking it multiple times.

You do not need to explain a canceled score and a canceled score will not affect a decision on your file. The Admissions Committee understands that there are many reasons for canceling a score and will simply ignore a score that the applicant canceled.

 

Applying for scholarships at Lewis & Clark is easy because, your application to the law school isyour scholarship application. On your law school application form, make sure to check the appropriate boxes indicating your interest in being considered for scholarships. The Scholarship Committee determines the amount of awards based on the merit that one brings to the school. Merit can mean many things. The Committee primarily considers your previous academic performance and your LSAT score. The Committee also considers writing ability, work or activities, diversity, and other significant accomplishments beyond academia.

You may also submit a scholarship addendum with your application. This statement provides additional information that one wishes the Admissions Committee to especially consider when determining scholarship awards.

While scholarship awards are primarily merit based, The Committee may consider also financial hardship. The Committee does not review your FAFSA to determine your scholarship award.

 

Applicants must first complete the Free Application for Federal Aid (FAFSA) by the priority filing deadline of February 15. The Financial Aid Office at Lewis & Clark begins releasing financial aid awards in early March. Every effort is made to provide applicants who complete the FAFSA by our priority deadline with their financial aid notification before our first seat deposit deadline.

Students interested in loans need to apply for financial aid as early as possible and should not wait for an admissions decision to begin the financial aid application. As soon as a person is admitted, the Admissions Department notifies the Financial Aid Office; if the student’s financial aid file is complete, their award is prepared shortly thereafter. Thus, it is best to have the financial aid file completed at the same time as the admission file.

We award scholarships at the time we make the admission decision. Your notice of admission will include your scholarship award. The Finanical Aid Office determines the rest of your financial aid package, including student loans. That Financial Aid Office will notify you of your financial aid award separately from your notice of admission, but should include any scholarships you were awarded at admission. Please read through the Financial Aid Guide to learn how to accept your financial aid and receive student loans.

At Lewis & Clark Law School, the FAFSA is the only form that you need to fill out for financial aid. Ideally, you should submit the FAFSA before February 15 in the year you plan to attend law school, though you can submit the FAFSA after this date if necessary.

As for scholarships at Lewis & Clark, your application to law school is what will determine your eligibility and competitiveness for our merit based scholarships. There’s a section on the law school application itself that asks you to indicate if you are interested in being considered for a merit-based scholarship. Checking “yes” is all you need to do to be considered and the committee will determine your merit compared to the rest of the applicant pool. You can submit an addendum highlighting your specific qualifications for scholarships, but note that this is optional and is most helpful if you are providing any additional or new info that is not already in your application.

Yes. For the most comprehensive list of scholarships for upper-division students, check out our Scholarships and Awards page. The various scholarships provided by Lewis & Clark Law School are listed along with brief descriptions of the award. There is also information about outside (non-L&C) scholarships, and a couple of popular scholarship search engines you can use to do further research about other award opportunities.

You can start with our website. You can also find more information on the FAFSA website. Finally, you can contact the Financial Aid Office at fao@lclark.edu or 503-768-7090, with any further questions you might have.

Scholarships for incoming students are renewable every year the student is enrolled, without a GPA contingency.

Federal Work-Study (FWS) is a program that allows students to earn financial aid that does not have to be repaid. Earnings under this program are paid jointly by the government and by the organization that employs you. You must demonstrate financial need to qualify for work-study, and this will be determined based on a review of your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). At Lewis & Clark, work-study awards are available by request to qualifying students who have completed their 1L year and who have been offered a FWS position. If you’d like to learn more about Federal Work-Study for law students, please contact the Financial Aid Office at fao@lclark.edu or 503-768-7090.

In addition to work-study positions, many law students work and go to school. Many people who do this choose to pursue our part-time program, which allows one to work during the day and attend law school at night. It’s a four-year, rather than three-year, program, but it does help continue one’s income while in school.

There is, of course, summer work that one could also pursue while not in classes to help alleviate the cost of attendance.

Our application opens online on September 15. Like most law schools, Lewis & Clark only allows new students to start in the fall, so the best time to apply is in the fall the year before you wish to attend. To apply to Lewis and Clark, you first need to register with the Law School Admissions Counsel (LSAC). LSAC is a clearing house for law school applications and you will submit all you application materials through LSAC. Files are not read before all materials are in, and we recommend getting your file complete by the end of the calendar year before the Fall that you plan to attend. That said, Lewis and Clark will continue to consider applicants received after our priority application deadline of March 15.

Our admissions committee begins reviewing applications in late November and our first offer letters usually go out in December. However, our review process ramps up considerably once we return from Winter Break in January, so most applicants will not get a decision until late January or later. We review files in the order that they completed. If your file completed before January, then you should hear from us by the end of February. If your file was completed after the first of the year, then you should hear from us about within 4 to 8 weeks after we receive your completed application file from LSAC.

We currently do not have an Early Decision process.

We do work to make all admissions decisions as quickly as possible, given our commitment to review every file carefully and thoroughly.

While there have been circumstances where we are able to offer admission for the coming fall for someone applying after the June LSAT for that year, it is very rare. Usually, our class is filled by late Spring. We generally encourage folks to consider the summer LSATs when applying for the following fall to put oneself in the most competitive position for admission and scholarship awards.

The deadline for Fall Transfer and Visiting applicants is July 15; the deadline for Spring Transfer and Visiting applicants is November 15. That said, we recommend that you do not wait until the deadline if at all possible. You will also need to your transcripts from your law school and undergraduate school where you received your bachelor’s degree. This can take some time. The earlier you submit all required materials, the sooner we can get a decision to you and the more time you’ll have to move to Portland and get adjusted. Transfer & visiting application requirements and info can be found here: http://www.lclark.edu/dept/lawadmss/transfer_visit.html.

Entering first year students must begin law school at Lewis and Clark in the Fall semester. Only transfer students have the option of starting in the spring.

Lewis and Clark will accommodate with disabilities. You may be asked to provide documentation of your diagnosis and recommendations for. You should discuss any needs with our Office of Student Accessibility and our Student Affairs Office after you have been admitted. Details of how to provide accommodations will be determined prior to the start of school.

Yes. The Academic Enhancement Program (AEP) is designed to assist students who need additional academic support in law school. Admitted students who feel they might need extra guidance during law school can apply to participate in AEP in their first year and in AEP’s Summer Institute prior to starting law school. Current students who find themselves struggling with law school material, or who are on academic probation, also can use AEP for assistance. AEP helps students identify their academic needs, organizes skills building workshops and tutoring sessions, works with first year TA’s, and offers individual academic counseling.

We also strongly recommend that students speak with their professors if they questions about their classes. At Lewis and Clark, our professors regularly meet with students outside of class. Doing so earlier in the semester is best, so that there is time to give you the most help possible.

If there’s something else going on in your life that is affecting your law school work, but is personal in nature, it’s a good thing to discuss that either with your professors, with our Associate Dean of Student Affairs, or Lewis and Clark’s Counselling Services. At Lewis and Clark, there are people here to help you with both your mental and physical well-being.

There are many students at Lewis & Clark Law School with families; some are even starting or growing their families while enrolled in law school. While we do not have any formal day care programs at the school, there are daycare centers and schools in the area surrounding the college that students, faculty and staff use for their own needs and can recommend to others.

The community at the law school is very welcoming and understanding of the needs of students who are also parents. If you have any family concerns or issues that arise while you are a student at Lewis & Clark, we encourage you to discuss them with the Associate Dean of Student Affairs.

The academic side of law school is very time-consuming, but there definitely is room for an active social life. We recommend that students maintain interests outside of the classroom to keep some balance in their lives.

There are many social opportunities at L&C. Our first-year pod system, where students each pod all take the same classes together, allows new students to really get to know one another. Because they have the same schedule, it also makes it easy for them to meet up outside of class and on weekends as well as to form study groups and study sessions if they wish.

The law school student organizations also plan many activities throughout the year. For example, one of our students recently started the Food and Wine Law Society at Lewis & Clark, and it has been an extremely popular and active student organization. Since the group’s initiation, they have held annual Food Law symposium, which have been sold out events. The Public Interest Law Project plans a major fundraising event every year to raise funds for the Summer Stipend Program at L&C for students planning to work in the public interest sector.

The Student Bar Association, Minority Law Student Association, Women’s Law Caucus and other groups often host BBQ’s, breakfasts, or potlucks in the outdoor amphitheater or student lounge. There are many more examples of groups of students getting together to ski, bike, hike, salsa dance, watch movies, go fly-fishing, kayaking, and much more. Of course, many of these organizations also host campus events such as speakers, live debates, documentary viewings, networking activities, and more.

Students can get involved in most student organizations as a first year student. You definitely won’t be lacking in things to do while in law school, and it is important that some of those things are just for fun!

The easiest way to schedule a visit is to use our online visit form.

During a visit, you can get a tour of the law school, sit in on a first year class, and meet with a member of our admissions team and get answers to all your questions about law school. Current students generally lead the tours unless classes are not in session.

Lewis & Clark Law School has partnerships with the summer study abroad program at the University of San Diego and with Santa Clara University Law School, where L&C students can study in 12 countries or intern in over 30 countries. L&C students can also attend a summer institute for international law and policy at Utrecht University in The Netherlands.

L&C students may participate in summer study abroad through either of these programs or they can participate in summer programs offered at other ABA accredited law schools. The ABA allows transfer of up to 12 study abroad credits towards a JD degree at a U.S. law school.

We advise that you discuss your plans of going abroad with the staff at Career & Professional Development Center to make sure that this will fit well with your goals. In some cases, they may recommend that you consider working abroad or volunteer while studying, so that you come back with some solid work experience (preferably legal) that you can use to enhance your resume.

Some students choose instead to pursue an externship abroad, rather than studying abroad. Refer to our externship program for more information on this option. Examples of where L&C students have done international externships include India, the Netherlands, and China.

Click here for more information and advice about studying abroad.

Some students choose to specialize in an area of law, but many students do not. At Lewis and Clark, we have nine certificate programs for students who want to specialize their studies.

A certificate program is something like a minor in undergrad. At Lewis and Clark, law is your “major” and if you want to focus your electives in a certain area then you can get an emphasis, or “certificate,” in that area. You do not have to specialize in law school, just as you do not have to have a minor in college. It is simply a way to show that you have pursued a particular area of interest. It is also a way for a law school to promote an area of law in which it has a particular emphasis.

At Lewis & Clark Law School our nine certificate programs are Animal Law; Business & Commercial Law; Criminal Law and Justice; Energy, Innovation, and Sustainability Law; Environmental and Natural Resources Law; Intellectual Property Law; International Law; Public Interest La; and Litigation and Advocacy Skills. While we offer specialties, our students can study several other subject areas and our graduates end up practicing many different types of law, including employment law, international law, health law, immigration law, family law, Indian law, civil rights law, and much, much more.

About forty percent of our students pursue a certificate in one of our specialties mentioned above. Although they are taking focused classes, they also still have room to take courses outside of their specialty area. Other students take a mix of courses in many different subject areas. Students are also welcome to take courses within specialized areas without having to follow the set requirements for the certificate. In sum, there is a lot of flexibility to pursue many interests.

Lawyers are professional writers and Lewis and Clark requires all students have extensive training in legal communication.

In the first year, you will do extensive writing in Lawyering I and II, where you will begin to develop your legal communication skills. In Lawyering, you will do several writing assignments over the course of the first year. In the Fall, these assignments will include counseling documents where you will advise a “supervising attorney” on the likely outcome of a client’s legal matter. In the Spring, Lawyering shifts to advocacy and you will write a persuasive brief to an appellate court.

In the second and third years, you’ll have some courses that will require papers in addition to, or instead of, a final exam. Most of these papers will require you to do research on specific legal issues.

At Lewis & Clark Law School, all students must complete two writing experiences in their upper division years. These experiences may include upper level writing classes, such as Contract Drafting or Advanced Legal Writing: Litigation. In addition, most students will write a Capstone paper that requires extensive research into a narrow legal topic of interest to the student.

Finally, in many of your classes, you will take an exam at the end of the semester. Most law school exams require you to write essays explaining the legal issues presented in a complex fact scenario. This type of exams assesses you ability to recognize legal issues, apply the relevant law to the facts of a legal matter, and predict the outcome of the legal matter. These exams are designed to assess your knowledge of the law and your ability to communicate that knowledge effectively.

Juggling full-time work, part-time law school, and a family can be overwhelming at times, but it is also manageable. We have held evening courses for over 100 years and have had time to establish a very well-run, flexible program for students who have other work and life commitments. One testament to that is our low attrition rate—few students leave the law school regardless of whether they are full-time or part-time students.

Even so, some students are able to handle the load better than others. Time management and prioritizing skills are critical to success in law school. The best advice is to get everything (and everyone) on a schedule. That way you allot time to all that you have to do. Also, your family and your employer will all know what to expect and when you will be available. We encourage you to work with your employer to allow some flexibility into your schedule if possible. For example, maybe you could work less, or even take time off, when it is time to study for final exams.

Having the support of your family and friends is key. Because working law students are stretched for time, your loved ones may end up with much of the burden of running a household and taking care of children. You are all going to be in this together so if they are not on board with your goal, or have unrealistic expectations, then things will be more difficult for everyone. Lewis & Clark has a session during Orientation specifically for spouses and significant others of law students. The session helps prepare them for what to expect and allows them to meet others in the same situation.

It is very important for you to think about your goals, your current situation, the type of work you are doing, and whether you might need to make some changes to make it all work with law school too. In the end, if going to law school is a goal of yours, our part-time option can make that goal a reality. We have hundreds of alumni who went through the part-time program who can attest to the reality of doing it!

Request more info about the evening program.

No, you cannot enroll in any courses for credit prior to being admitted to the law school. There is the ability to “audit” courses at the law school, but if you do so and later attend the law school, you cannot transfer those in as credits toward your law degree. Auditing is meant for those that need a couple of courses for their employment or general knowledge, but not for later admission or to see if law school is something one would want to do. Only upper-division (not first-year) courses are available for auditing and only if they aren’t already filled. Check with the Registrar Office for the cost of auditing a course.

 

We understand the wealth of free information available at our fingertips given the state of the web and current technology. We also understand applicants’ desire and drive to gather as much objective and anecdotal information about schools as they can dig up. There are many pitfalls accompanying the use of such sites however. We generally recommend applicants be careful about using the law school discussion forums and discussion boards because it is often factually incorrect or misleading and can be really toxic and paranoia-inducing, so for most people it’s not a helpful resource. Many of the people who post to these sites have very little information upon which to base their posts, or have taken a very unique circumstance upon which an entire policy or practice is assumed. We know that our applicants will continue to peruse such sites, and we urge only that you take information provided there with the very tiniest of grains of salt.

The law school does not require students to purchase a laptop computer but students are highly encouraged to purchase/bring their own computer. Regardless of which type you bring, Mac or PC, please make sure it isn’t too old, that it’s in good working order (no viruses or spyware), and has the latest updates.

Also, the law school uses a computer-based exam system. The vendor we use is ExamSoft. Most laptops less than five years old will meet the minimum system requirements. We provide ExamSoft free of charge to all our law students.

You can go to school anywhere in the U.S. and still be eligible to take any state’s bar exam as long as you have attended an ABA-accredited law school. There are at least a couple of states where you can still take the bar exam even if you didn’t attend an ABA-accredited law school, but the vast majority of states have this as a requirement (including Oregon).

With more and more states adopting the Uniform Bar Exam, this means that law graduates are more and more at liberty to attend law school in a state other than the one in which they would like to practice in. At Lewis & Clark Law School, a lot of students choose to take the bar exam in other states. Even some bar exam prep companies hold their classes for the Oregon, California, and Washington state exams at Lewis & Clark to make it more convenient for graduating students.

If you know you want to practice in another state, we recommend that you speak with the Registrar’s Office at your law school. Most will have a list of common subjects covered on each state’s bar exam. This way, you’ll know what courses you might want to take while in law school which could help you on the exam. Because bar exams cover common, substantive areas of the law, every law school should be offering courses that would be on any state bar exam. For example, almost all first year classes (Contracts, Civil Procedure, Torts, etc.) are areas that will possibly be tested on the bar exam. Not all courses you take in law school will be subjects tested on the bar exam though, and most students study for the bar by also signing up for bar prep courses. These are offered the several weeks leading up to the bar exam. You may also want to check the website of the state bar association where you plan to practice to see if they have any additional information about their particular exam.

There is no academic curriculum that is required in order to apply for or attend law school, other than completing the bachelor’s degree. While the most popular majors of law school applicants tend to be in political science, history, philosophy, psychology, and English, our students have majored in everything you can think of including math, music, geology, computer science, art, and world languages.

The best advice we can give is to major in whatever most interests you, because if you’re interested in the subject matter, it is more likely that you will do well in school. That said, the rigor of your program is going to be a factor in the consideration of your application and how well you might do at the law school where you apply. For example, if you are majoring in engineering or a hard science, we realize those areas can be quite difficult and the admissions committee will take that into account. Regardless of what you choose to major in, we suggest that you take some classes that are academically challenging, as law school will present many such courses. You should also take some classes that develop skills in writing, reading, critical thinking, and research. Examples of such classes can be found in the areas of philosophy, history, political science, classics, and some of the sciences and liberal arts.

Generally, law schools will strongly discourage you from taking this approach. Deferrals are intended to allow for the unexpected events that prevent you from being able to attend school for the year you applied.

It is very difficult for law schools to make plans and predictions for their incoming classes if they are receiving applications from people who do not intend to matriculate that year. Because of this, many schools have chosen not to grant deferrals at all.

It seems that most people interested in this option are college seniors who wish to take off a year or two before attending law school and are worried that the longer they wait to apply, the weaker their applications will be, especially with regard to getting recommendations from professors. The thought is that the further out of school they are, the less their professors will remember them and therefore, they’ll get weaker letters of recommendation or none at all. One must keep in mind that you can request a letter of recommendation and submit it to the Law School Admissions Council’s Credential Assembly Service (CAS) and they will keep it on file for you for five years. While letters that are five years old are not ideal, letters that are one or two years old are usually fine to use for your application.

Another way to mitigate this concern, is to let your professors know that you’d like to get a recommendation from them in the future when you plan to apply to law school, and then make an effort to keep in touch with them over the next year or two so that they don’t forget you. When you are ready to apply, you should remind your professors that you would like a recommendation, provide them with a copy of your resume and personal statement, and then set up an appointment (via phone or in person) to discuss your goals and reasons for applying to law school. Professors often write great letters for a student they taught a couple of years ago, while also commenting on the student’s growth and maturity since graduation.

An additional concern graduating students have is that they need to take the LSAT when they are in the study “mode” and must apply to law schools with a recent score on file. Similar to the letters, your LSAT score will be kept on record with the CAS for five years and most law schools will accept scores up to five years old.

There are a couple of legitimate reasons to apply now with the knowledge that you might actually attend law school a year later. One reason is if you are currently applying for a program such as the Peace Corps or Teach for America and have not yet received an acceptance from the program. If your plan is to go to law school if you do not get accepted to such programs, then it is understandable that you would need to apply sooner than later. Some schools will offer 2 year deferrals to those going into the Peace Corps, but with the ease of internet access across the globe it can be quite simple to apply to law school even while serving in a remote area of the world.

If you have other reasons for applying while knowing you’d like to defer, you should contact the admissions office to discuss whether this is a wise approach for your circumstances.

Requests for deferral must be submitted in writing to the Admissions Office with a full explanation as to the reasons for wanting to defer. Deferrals are not granted automatically, but are considered on a case-by-case basis at the time of the request. If approved, deferrals are granted for one year. We recommend that you do not submit your request until you know for sure that you would like to defer, because if approved, you will immediately be removed from the current entering class and placed in the next year’s entering class. If your deferral request is granted, any merit scholarship offer you have received will also be deferred and guaranteed for the following year when you start; however, you will not be eligible for the consideration of additional merit scholarship in the following year. When a decision on your deferral request is made, we will notify you by email. You will also be required to submit a non-refundable deposit of $600 in order to secure your seat for the following year. 

If you are a “traditional” undergraduate student who went to college straight from high school, then taking a break may be something you want to consider. If you are feeling burned out from studying, if you have grand thoughts of traveling or volunteer service, or if you’re not really sure what career you want, then taking time off is a good idea.

Something else to keep in mind is that while it is fairly easy to take a break after undergraduate school, it is not as easy to do so after law school. Most law students pursue a job right out of law school, so you will have to explain to some employers why you weren’t working using your law degree for a year or two out of school. The legal field can be competitive and the best time to get a legal job is soon after you graduate and take the bar exam. Thus, it will be much harder for you to “take time off” after law school.

Also, taking time off after getting your undergraduate degree may give you time to mature and to make sure that law school is something you really want to pursue. Law school is very challenging and expensive. It is not an endeavor to take on if you are feeling ambivalent about it.

However, if you are really excited about law school, can’t wait to get started, and are confident that law school is something you want to do, then starting right out of college may indeed be the right thing for you.

Lewis & Clark does not ask you to reveal expunged records, but some schools may, so the short answer is yes.

Here’s the long answer: All law schools have a question on their applications that deals with your “criminal” history. It is important that you reveal this in your application fully and truthfully. Even if a record has been cleared, erased, dismissed, whatever the term, it is best to reveal more, rather than less, information. In most cases, the criminal history will not be severe enough to impact a decision on a file, especially if it’s been expunged. The real concern is that you are being honest about your background. When you register to take a state bar exam after law school, the bar examiners will do very thorough background checks. If they find discrepancies between your background and your application, it can be a big problem. Dishonesty is not a good start to a legal career.

When submitting an addendum to explain academic sanctions or criminal history, admissions committees are expecting you to provide the dates, circumstances, and outcomes of the situation. They are also expecting that you address what you learned from the experience. Many people list just the facts and don’t take the time to reflect on the situation; this is a mistake to avoid.

If you have questions as to how the state’s bar examiners will react to your application, contact the bar admission agency, prior to matriculating, in any state in which you intend to practice. Personnel at that agency are in the best position to give you guidance on the likelihood of your passing that state’s character and fitness requirements. The National Conference of Bar Examiners website lists all the state bar licensing agencies with contact information.

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crimes Statistics Act requires that all colleges and universities make their annual security report available to prospective students. The annual security report includes campus crime statistics and other security information. You can find our annual report on the Campus Safety webpage at https://www.lclark.edu/about/campus_safety/crime_awareness/ or get a paper copy at the Campus Safety office.