
SUGGESTED Pre-Law TIMELINE
Regardless of pre-professional category, creating a meaningful and robust resume throughout your undergraduate career is important. Below, goals are broken into three categories for each year: Career, Personal, and Academic.
While all four years of your undergraduate experience are important, your law school application journey begins during your Junior year of college.
FRESHMAN YEAR
Career Goals:
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Attend career, major or pre-professional-related workshops hosted by Career Development & Exploration. Explore online information about careers in law.
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Develop career goals: short and long term as well as alternative career goals.
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Start to build your resume through involvement, shadowing, and volunteer work.
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Create a resume.
Academic Goals:
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Meet with a pre-professional advisor to develop your educational plan for prerequisite pre-professional health courses.
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Meet with your college advisor to begin looking at your major pathway.
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Maintain a strong GPA.
Personal Goals:
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Explore service learning or other civic engagement options in Cleveland.
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Explore student organizations.
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Apply for scholarships: University and community sources.
SOPHOMORE YEAR:
Career Goals:
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Explore job shadowing opportunities or other ways to get direct experience in the law field.
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Modify career goals: short and long-term. Make sure that you are coming up with Plan B options.
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Update your resume.
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Begin researching different law schools and programs. Create a document that details specific admissions requirements, processes and tuition costs.
Academic Goals:
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Meet with your pre-professional advisor to update your plan and establish relationship with college and faculty advisor.
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Cultivate relationships with faculty/staff/advisors that may serve as references for applications.
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Maintain a strong GPA.
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Take elective courses that will help you prepare for the LSAT.
Personal Goals:
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Get involved in student organizations at CSU.
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Get involved in professional law student organizations.
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Apply for scholarships: University and community sources.
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Consider a summer internship or shadowing opportunity at a law office.
JUNIOR YEAR
Career Goals:
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Register for a free account at LSAC.org
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Apply for an LSAT fee waiver at LSAC.org/feewaiver (see website for qualification details).
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Register for the Applicant Track Workshop series and attend workshops.
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Register and gain access to free Kaplan test prep through CSU’s All Access initiative.
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Create study timeline for the LSAT exam. (two-three months of prep encouraged).
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Finalize your top Law School choices.
Academic Goals:
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Continue to attend pre-professional workshops to learn about various fields.
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Meet with your college or faculty/department advisor to confirm graduation plan.
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Maintain a strong GPA.
Personal Goals:
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Consider leadership positions in student organizations for Junior or Senior year.
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Get involved in professional student organizations.
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Apply for scholarships: University and community sources.
SENIOR YEAR:
Career Goals:
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Complete the Federal Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and take the LSAT.
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Finalize Application materials and apply to your selected schools.
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Once you receive your first interview, sign up for a Mock Interview with Career Development & Exploration.
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Update your resume.
Academic Goals:
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Select applicable elective coursework that will aid in your transition to professional school.
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Meet with advisor to make sure all courses are in progress or complete by graduation.
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Maintain a strong GPA.
Personal Goals:
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Accept leadership roles in student organizations.
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Find ways to pay for your professional career by applying for scholarships and grants.