• The exam takes 4-6 weeks from receipt of the complete application There are important skills, values, knowledge and experience that you can gain before studying law that form a solid foundation for legal education. If you want to adequately prepare for legal education and a legal career or other professional service that involves the use of legal skills, you should seek educational, extracurricular, and life experiences that will help you develop these attributes. The student who does not have this foundation will face a difficult challenge. Here are some brief comments. Discussion and analysis Problem solving You should look for courses and other experiences that involve you in critical thinking on important issues, challenge your beliefs, and improve your tolerance for uncertainty and criticism. Your legal education will require you to structure and evaluate arguments for and against proposals that are likely to cause reasonable debate. A good legal education will teach you to “think like a lawyer,” but the analytical and problem-solving skills required of lawyers are not fundamentally different from those employed by other professionals. Your legal experience will develop and refine these crucial skills, but you must enter law school with a reasonably well-developed set of analytical and problem-solving skills. Critical reading Preparation for legal education should include extensive experience in accurately reading and critically analyzing complex textual documents, as much of what you will do as a law student and lawyer involves careful reading and understanding of judicial opinions, statues, documents, and other written documents.
You can develop your critical reading skills in a variety of experiences, including accurately reading complex documents in literature, political or economic theory, philosophy, or history. The particular type of material examined is not decisive; It is important to note that law school should not be the first time you have rigorously engaged in the effort to carefully read, understand, and critically analyze complex written documents of significant length. Writing and editing If you want to prepare for legal training, you need to develop a high level of written communication skills. Language is a lawyer`s most important tool, and lawyers must learn to express themselves clearly and concisely. Legal education gives you a good written education and especially in the specific techniques and forms of written expression that are common in the law. However, basic writing skills must be acquired and refined before entering law school. You need to gain as much experience as possible that requires rigorous and analytical writing, including preparing original pieces of considerable length and reviewing written work in response to constructive criticism. Oral Communication and Listening The ability to speak clearly and convincingly is another skill essential to your success in law school and the practice of law. You also need to have excellent listening skills if you want to understand your customers and others with whom you will interact on a daily basis. As with writing skills, legal education provides excellent opportunities to hone oral communication skills and, in particular, to practice the forms and techniques of oral expression that are most common in legal practice.
However, before entering law school, you should try to develop your basic speaking and listening skills, such as participating in debates, making formal presentations in class, or speaking in front of groups at school, in the community, or in the workplace. While there are many law-specific research sources and techniques, you do not need to have developed familiarity with these specific skills or documents before entering law school. However, it would be to your advantage to come to law school after having had the experience of carrying out a project that requires significant library research and the analysis of large amounts of information acquired through this research. There are some areas of basic knowledge that are useful for legal education and for the development of a competent lawyer. Some of the types of knowledge that would maximize your ability to benefit from legal education are: Don`t wait until you are accepted to think about how you will fund your legal education. Students who are starting their law studies and do not know if they have the pre-litigation training required under article 6060 of the Business and Professions Code may request an evaluation of the pre-legal training. Such an assessment will help them determine if they are ready to study law. Law schools may apply on behalf of a prospective student. An explicit request for approval by the LEO program is not required; All applicants will be considered for possible LEO admission. However, applicants who believe they may be eligible for admission as an LEO candidate may attach a separate statement with their application explaining why they believe traditional quantitative eligibility criteria may be insufficient predictors of success in their situation.
Syracuse University is committed to a diverse student body as an integral part of its educational program and mission. The diversity within the law student body created by the selection of individuals with a range of experiences and interests greatly enhances each student`s legal education by fostering a broad exchange of thoughts and ideas. Funding the Faculty of Law for law education is an investment in your future. As with any investment, it`s important to consider the pros and cons of significant effort, time, and money. Especially in times of financial uncertainty, a realistic assessment of why you want to pursue legal education and how you will pay for it is crucial.