Smart Ways to Make the Most of Gap Years Before Law School
When college is in the rearview mirror and law school lies ahead, J.D. hopefuls can use the time in between to do a variety of things or nothing at all.
"If you are burned out on school and just need a year to recoup, I think that's a perfectly valid reason to take off," says Jay Shively, assistant dean for admissions and financial aid at the School of Law at Wake Forest University. Law school applicants take gap years, time off between undergrad and professional school, for different reasons, experts say.
Though it's important that they don't have a laissez-faire approach when taking a break."I think people need to consider what it is they're looking for in that gap year," says Shively.
There's no right or wrong way to spend gap years, experts say. Many applicants use time after undergrad to improve an LSAT score or save money for law school. But there is one thing that they should not do.
[Consider three gap year jobs that prepare students for law school.]
"They should never do something just so that it looks good for an admissions committee," says Johann Lee, assistant dean of admissions and financial aid for the School of Law at Northwestern University. In some years, more than 90 percent of the school's entering J.D. class has had work experience, Lee says.
No matter what applicants decide to do, they can employ a few strategies to make sure their time off is well spent.
Ideally, what someone does should be professionally related, says Lee.
If applicants are interested in specific areas of law, they should work in environments where they can explore those areas. "Getting an internship in like a big hospital might be worthwhile for someone who's interested in doing hospital administration or health care law," says Shively.
Some applicants also work for political campaigns before heading to law school, says Karen Buttenbaum, a former admissions director at Harvard Law School. "You really see how laws affect the constituents," says Buttenbaum, who is now a partner at The Spivey Consulting Group, which helps law school applicants and lawyers with their career and academic goals.
[Evaluate the pros and cons of gaining work experience before law school.]
Applicants who are interested in education policy or want to gain a broader perspective on socio-economic disparities may work for Teach For America, an organization that places new teachers in schools with at-risk youth, experts say.
Working with the Peace Corps, the international nonprofit that places volunteers in disadvantaged communities around the world, can also give applicants a global perspective, says Shively.
Experiences in both organizations can help applicants stand out from their future classmates, and add to the class' diversity. "We don't want everyone in the room to have the same life experience," says Shively.
Applicants who work with these organizations may also be more well-rounded attorneys, he says.
Some prospective students may think working as a paralegal is the best route to take between college and law school, but "a paralegal may not even be the best thing to do," says Shively.
[Consider the benefits and consequences of gap years between college and law school.]
Unless applicants work as paralegals for an attorney who works in the kind of law that interests them, they may not be able to use the experience to shape their career goals, he says.
Those who choose to travel or explore another career entirely -- even if it's not a professional one -- likely won't lose many points in the eyes of an admissions officer, experts say. It's common for college graduates to work first and pursue graduate school later.
"A lot of times people don't realize they want to go to law school until they've gotten some experience," says Buttenbaum.
Admissions teams also look at applicants holistically. They strongly consider a prospective student's transcripts, letters of recommendation and LSAT scores, and the applicant's work experience usually won't be a deal breaker.
Applicants can explain time off in their resume or personal statement, or during an admissions interview, experts say. When describing their work, it's important to show how the experience has impacted their next steps in life.
"I think it's a moment to show growth," says Buttenbaum.
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Delece Smith-Barrow is an education reporter at U.S. News, covering graduate schools. You can follow her on Twitter or email her at dsmithbarrow@usnews.com.
