Pre-Professional Advisors: They Can Help You Get Where You Want to Go

Britt Johnson - Pre-Law

Kristina Gacutan - Pre-Health Professions

Pre-Law Professions:

by Britt Johnson

Hello. I am very pleased to have been given the opportunity to introduce myself and to share some information with those in the L&S Honors Program who might be contemplating a legal career. My name is Britt Johnson, and in addition to being an academic adviser in the college office, I am also the pre-law adviser for UCSB. I have been involved in pre-law advising for a number of years and have learned a fair amount from law school admissions directors and also from UCSB graduates who are, at present, practicing law, as well as from UCSB students currently in law school.

You might be surprised to learn that 500-600 UCSB seniors and graduates apply to law school each year, which places UCSB in the top 25 nationally. Not surprisingly, many of these students are active members of the L&S Honors Program. The honors program offers many benefits that are very attractive to a student planning to attend law school, but one of my favorites is the degree to which an honors student will develop significant student-mentor relationships with faculty. With so many excellent students applying to the nation's law schools each year, an extraordinarily strong faculty letter of recommendation can and does make a difference.

Although we can (and should) discuss these and other considerations at greater length, Iąd like to offer a few quick tips for those of you who have decided to seek admission to law school at some point in the future:

1. When it comes to picking a major, indulge yourself! Since law schools have no preference when it comes to an applicant's choice of major, take full advantage. Grades are of paramount importance, and you are likely to earn your highest grades if you are truly engrossed in your particular major.
2. Widen your intellectual expectations. Most students have a fair number of courses that are pure electives. Choose these with a sense of curiosity and adventure. To the degree that you can, keep abreast of the world around you. Read a newspaper from another part of the country, the Wall Street Journal, or an English language newspaper from abroad. Do you have time for a study abroad experience or for a one-quarter internship in our nation's or our state's capital? A liberal arts educational experience is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so make the most of it.
3. Timing is important. When your junior year arrives, it's time to start making distinct plans. By the middle of your junior year, you should be thinking about registering to take the LSAT and subscribing to the LSDAS application clearinghouse service, obtaining commitments from faculty about recommendations, and evaluating your list of potential law schools in light of your academic record. These are things that I am happy to help with.

So, if you are interested in eventually applying to law school, I invite you to make an appointment so we can talk about your plans. As I mentioned before, UCSB is a very popular place to prepare for a legal career. I'd like the chance to help in any way I can. Best wishes for a great Spring 2005 term!

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