The University of North Texas offers a Certificate of Legal Studies designed to prepare students for admission and success in law school. Starting in the spring semester 2014, the 15-hour course program emphasizes academic learning in five areas: 1) the fundamentals of the U.S. legal system, 2) analytical thinking, 3) ethics, 4) writing, and 5) applied legal studies. Several courses provide an in-depth understanding of certain types and aspects of law. For example, you can take courses on the U.S. legal system, constitutional law, the U.S. Supreme Court, and international law through the Department of Political Science. The G. Brint Ryan College of Business teaches courses in business law and international transactions. UNT Criminal Justice Department courses cover most areas of criminal law. Cost – Declaring bankruptcy after graduation tends to inhibit brilliant legal careers! While there are excellent loan repayment programs out there, you still want to pay attention to your debt burden. Again, your sensitivity to costs may depend on the type of legal career you wish to have. No matter how much money you make after law school, less debt is always nice.
Consider schools where you are an exceptionally strong candidate and from which you could receive a substantial scholarship offer. Be sure to consider the cost of living in the area where the law school is located. You don`t just pay tuition, so you need to think about the total cost of participating. “If students want to know what it takes to go to law school, this is this program,” said Wendy Watson, a pre-law consultant and lecturer in political science. “Law schools take into account the breadth of a student`s training as well as the work in a targeted classroom. The certificate encourages students to take introductory courses in a structured and informed setting that prepares them for the work ahead, from reading hypothetical legal cases and dissertations to analyzing logic lessons and writing advanced presentations. “Lawyers are needed in virtually every business and at every level of government to interpret rules and regulations. If you have scientific expertise or are interested in information technology, you can deal with intellectual property and copyright issues.
More and more people with a legal background are embarking on careers that do not include the practice of law. A law degree also allows you to work as a librarian, lobbyist, financial specialist or educator. Pre-legal counseling helps students interested in a career as a lawyer make good decisions and achieve their goals. We advise students from their first year at UNT throughout the law school application process. Our services are available to all current UNT students as well as UNT alumni who wish to be admitted to the Faculty of Law. We are not affiliated with the UNT-D Faculty of Law and have no expertise in paralegal programs. Law schools often want students with diverse personal and academic backgrounds. For this reason, students with any major can apply to law school. UNT offers a wide range of courses designed to strengthen your writing, argumentation, communication and analytical skills and prepare you for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). Information on how to apply to law school with the Law School Admissions Board can be found here. You must log in to LSAC and register for the credential assembly service.
You send all your application documents (transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc.) to LSAC. When it`s time to submit applications, log in to LSAC.org, access your account, select a school from a drop-down menu, fill out their one-page application, attach your documents and click “Submit”. Clinical Programs/Specialties – All law schools cover the fundamentals of law, and you can practice any type of law with a degree from any law school. However, you may want to look at clinical programs, certificates, and programs offered by individual law schools. For example, if you are particularly interested in intellectual property law, a school with a program in this area offers many courses that can be exciting for you and links to the types of companies in which you want to practice. The “Book of Lists” (link on the resource page of this site) offers an almost complete list of specialties and programs. For more information, visit the UNT Pre-Law website and Watson can be contacted directly: prelaw@unt.edu. Be sure to pay attention to the application deadlines and requirements of each law school.
It is your responsibility to know this data and to respect the rules. Your personal statement (also known as an application essay) may be the first document you write if you are a lawyer. You should argue why your law school of choice should choose you! The most important thing to keep in mind when writing your personal statement is to think about what sets you apart from the thousands of other people who also apply to law school. You want the admissions agencies to remember you. Telling the committee that you “always wanted to be a lawyer” will not set you apart from other candidates. (To view the alumni catalogue or an archived catalogue, use the drop-down menu at the top right) Applications for admission to law schools are generally submitted in the fall semester of the year preceding your enrolment in law school.