Columbia Law School is one of the graduate schools of the Ivy League member institution, Columbia University. Columbia Law is located in New York City and is undoubtedly one of the most prestigious law schools in the US. The school has a highly selective and competitive admissions process, and has produced lawyers who have become senators and congressmen, successful businessmen, diplomats and ambassadors, and even former US presidents, such as Franklin Roosevelt and Theodore Roosevelt. Columbia Law is known for its specialty in intellectual property, international law, and corporate law. To know more about the school’s programs, curricula, and admissions requirements, you can visit their official website at www.law.columbia.edu/ and their admissions page.

Established in 1887 and located in Ithaca, New York, Cornell Law School is one of the graduate schools of Cornell University, and is one of the five renowned Ivy League law schools. Cornell Law offers a wide variety of law degrees and programs, such as JD-MBA, JD-Masters in Global Business Law, LL.M, and JSD. The school’s program offerings include Clarke Program in East Asian Law and Culture, International Human Rights Clinic, Public Interest, International and Comparative Law Program, and an extensive Externships program. Application competition is tough in Cornell Law, so you might want to do your research on the institution by logging on to their official website at www.lawschool.cornell.edu and the school’s admissions page.

CUNY Law, or the City University of New York Law School, was established in 1983 and specializes in public interest law. As the school’s motto aptly states, Law in the Service of Human Needs, the City University of New York Law School offers a curriculum that is designed to imbibe in students the passion and desire to become lawyers who will serve the disempowered and disadvantaged members of society. The clinics and concentrations that the school offers include International Women’s Human Rights, Immigrant and Refugee Rights, Economic Justice Project, and Community and Economic Development. You can find the full list of courses and clinics offered at CUNY Law at their website, www.law.cuny.edu and information on applications at their admissions page.

The Cleveland-Marshall College of Law is the law school branch of Cleveland State University located in Cleveland, Ohio. Originally established in 1897 and named Cleveland Law School, the institution merged with the John Marshall School of Law in 1946, and since then has adopted the name Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. The school offers a JD degree, five dual degree programs, and LL.M. programs. The Cleveland-Marshall College of Law is also known for being the very first evening law school in Ohio, and one of the nation’s first law schools to accept minorities and women in their academic community.If you’re interested in applying to Cleveland-Marshall Law, check out the school’s admissions page to get the lowdown on the processes and requirements.

The Franklin Thomas Backus School of Law first opened its doors in 1892, and is one of the oldest existing law schools in the US. The Backus School of Law is the law school of Case Western Reserve University and has produced a long line of successful lawyers and politicians who have served in the local and federal government. The school offers several dual-degree programs such as JD-MBA, JD-MSSA (Social Work), JD-MD, JD-MPH (Public Health), and JD-MA in Bioethics. Case Western Reserve Law also offers the LL.M. in U.S. and Global Legal Studies Program. To know more about the school’s course and program offerings, visit their website at www.law.case.edu and the school’s admissions page.

Chapman University School of Law, or commonly referred to as Chapman Law, is a private, non-profit law school established in 1995 and is located in Orange, California. Chapman Law is one of the graduate schools of Chapman University, and offers combined degrees such as JD-MBA, JD/MFA in Film and Television Production, and LL.M. degrees in Prosecutorial Science and Taxation. Chapman Law emphasizes ethics and good citizenship in their legal instruction and training — an aspect of teaching that the institution deems is essential in producing competent lawyers. The school is also a member of the American Bar Association, as well as the Association of American Law Schools. For more information on Chapman Law, you can visit their website at www.chapman.edu/law/ and the school’s admissions page.

The Boston University Law School or BU Law is a branch of Boston University which was founded in 1872 by a group of lawyers, educators, jurists, and law teachers with the aim of making quality legal education available to anyone with merit. BU Law offers joint degrees such as JD-MBA, JD-MPH, and JD-MA, in association with the other graduate schools and colleges of Boston University. The faculty at BU Law uses the Socratic method of teaching, which encourages interactive, intellectual dialogue between students and lecturers. To see the complete listing of the programs and courses offered at BU Law, check out the school’s official website at www.bu.edu/law/, and the school’s admissions page.

Brooklyn Law School or BLS was established in 1901 by Norman P. Heffley and William Payson Richardson, with the aim of making legal education accessible and available to women, immigrants, and the less privileged members of society. Located at the heart of New York City, Brooklyn Law School boasts of a diverse student body and a multi-faceted academic community. The school offers joint degrees in association with other colleges and academic institutions; JD-MBA with Baruch College, JD-MA in Political Science with Brooklyn College, JD-Masters in Urban Planning with Hunter College, and tons more. You can find the complete list of courses and programs that BLS offers at www.brooklaw.edu, and more about the school’s application process at their admissions page.

Ave Maria School of Law is a Roman Catholic law school found in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school was established in 1999 and received full accreditation from the American Bar Association in 2005. The school’s instruction of law studies is contextualized in Catholic intellectual tradition with a specialization in philosophy and ethics. Ave Maria School of Law offers a wide variety of courses including Alternative Dispute Resolution, Dignity in the Workplace, and Papal Teaching and the Law. If you want to know more about Ave Maria School of Law’s course offerings and application process, you can visit the school’s official website at avemarialaw.edu and their admissions page.

Baylor Law School was founded in 1857 in Waco, Texas, and is the oldest existing law school in the state. The school’s mission is to imbibe in its students a strong Christian commitment combined with academic excellence. Included in the school’s list of notable alumni are countlesss outstanding lawyers who have made a name for themselves in their service for the local and federal government. These Baylor alumni have gone on to become senators, congressmen, judges, justices, and ambassadors. For those who want to know more about the Baylor Law School, simply log on to the school’s official website at law.baylor.edu and the school’s admissions page for information on the application process.

In-house counsel

Large companies and industries have their own legal departments to take care of everyday tasks that involve varying degrees of legal work. The duties of in-house counsel do not necessarily involve frequent high-profile litigations. However, administrative matters and duties may be assigned from time to time as in-house counsels also work closely with other departments such as Human Resources and even Finance.

Courts

The courtroom can still be the arena of a law degree holder even without having to do litigation. Attorneys in judicial clerkship jobs research and make recommendations on how to handle current cases.

Public Service

Politics can be the next step for lawyers who’ve had enough of traditional lawyering. One can start in the district attorney’s office by being elected into the post, after which a state attorney general post becomes the next big step. Lawyers can also opt to join the US Department of Justice or can hope to be appointed by the President of the United States to the US Attorney’s Offices. Other posts in the arena of politics are also available for the law degreeholder. However, experience, whether in court or in other areas of public service, coupled with a level of popularity is needed.

Legislation

Attorneys in the legislative sectors work closely with senators and other members of the legislature in the formulation of laws. Legislative attorney do research and even drafts of bills that may be enacted. Law degreeholders in this arena are exposed to the political factors as well and may eventually become part of significant events in history.

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KISS

Keep it short and simple. Courts usually have a set of rules that govern brief-writing. The Supreme Court has one that has been in effect since January 1, 1990. When fighting a federal appeal case though, grab a FRAP, not the coffee drink, but a handbook of the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure. These handbooks enumerate everything from page margins to length of the brief that should strictly be followed by the brief writer.

Questions Presented

Drafting the questions is a tremulous task. Questions that obviously point toward your favor is not presenting the facts clearly. Master the art of formulating sentences that are neutral-sounding but have subtle hints of the side you are arguing for.

Drop the prose

Law speak as we all know is heavy with prose and other jargon. Facts are crammed in a breath that painfully lasts like a five-line paragraph. Remember that facts should be presented clearly. Take note of the reader’s attention span and patience.

Statement of Fact

All lawyers know that all facts that are put in the brief should be those that can be found on the known record of the case. This consistency with known facts preserve the credibility of the whole brief, and can help you win your case. Other facts, though, can be presented with caution if they are relevant and in a descriptive light instead of a defensive manner.

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Billable hours

The bane of existence by all practicing lawyers. Simply put, one gets paid by the hour of services rendered. Sometimes, associates are ranked by their billable hours, though this is not done formally. The more hours you put in on working a case, the more you could bill a client.

Pro Bono

Literally translating to “for the good of the public,” pro bono hours are actually required by the American Bar Association for each lawyer. Though the ABA requires 50 hours, state bars may recommend fewer hours of pro bono service. The more free hours of legal service a law firm gives, the more chances they can be ranked higher and chosen by the best students from the top law schools.

Terms of hierarchy in law firms

Paralegal
Paralegals have the knowledge and the expertise to be employed in the legal industry but are not bar passers, nor have they completed law degrees. Paralegals perform legal research, prepare legal documents, and can offer legal advice when conferring with clients provided that they are properly supervised by an attorney. However, in the US, paralegals may choose to be certified or registered with the National Association of Legal Assistants or the National Federation of Paralegal Associations to improve their chances of employment.

Summer Associate
These are interns from law schools who are employed by law firms over a period of three months the summer. Eventually, if their performance impresses the law firm, they may be invited to stay on as associates of the firm.

Associate
Once you have been hired by a law firm, you can now start with the title of associate. This is usually the entry-level position for lawyers and is further categorized as junior associate and senior associate.

Partner
This is the position every greenhorn associate dreams of attaining in as little time as possible. An equity partner owns part of the law firm and shares in the total profits made.

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Extracurricular Activities

Participation in community or non-government organizations
Active participation in non-government or community organizations championing various causes can help you get into law school. If you have a strong belief in a certain cause, it can even help shape your career towards a specialization like environmental law, gender and equality law, or even taxation law. However, join these organizations not because you want to put something on your resume, but because you share the same beliefs that they uphold.

Positions held

The ability to throttle an organization or at least play a part in its major planning can make one a viable candidate for a slot in law school. Law schools look for people who have strong leadership and organizational qualities.

Writing stints

Contributing to the local or school paper or journal can also be of value when applying for law school. Having exemplary writing skills can help one draft an impressive personal statement law school essay - skills that many law schools would like to see honed for the next few years.

Debaters

Communication skills harnessed by experience in debate and speech are also what law schools like to see in applicants. A lawyer needs to be able to communicate ideas clearly in his or her trade. Work experience as broadcast media practitioners can also fare favorably with admission panels of law schools.

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What types of law reviews are there?

Law reviews basically cover a wide range of issues regarding the law but there are some law schools that publish reviews about specific topics. These satellite journals or specialty law journals offer a more concise focus on issues concentrating on one type or branch of law.

Who can join a law review?

Law students vie for positions in law reviews and law journals in their respective schools. Flagship law reviews most often use writing competitions to screen members. Student in their first year of law school can join and if picked, write those case notes and comments that come out during the school year. Senior student soften hold the editor positions while those younger are assigned to staff positions.

Why is it important to join a law review?

Law reviews and journals serve as platforms for legal discourse in the academic level. Though articles done by a student can hardly influence any major legal decision in the field of law, such articles can be cited to be of great integrity as these are usually well-researched.

Having the name of your law review as a bullet in one’s resume is a good bait to reel in prospective employers. Law firms are on the look out for candidates with the best credentials, and membership with a law review or journal signifies that the candidate possesses exceptional qualities.

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