Pre-Law

Attend an LSAC Law School Forum to meet admission representatives, get more information about law school and ask questions.

As a pre-law pre-professional co-ed fraternity, Phi Alpha Delta is the preeminent group for aspiring law students at CU Boulder. Their collective goal is to be an active and diverse group in the professional, academic and social community, while preparing students for law school.

Materials you need for law school applications

Transcripts

Official copies of your transcripts must be sent directly from the registrar’s office to either the law school or to LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service. Check with CU Boulder’s registrar or the registrar for any other school you attended, but you will generally be required to submit a transcript request form to the registrar’s office at each institution. For detailed information on how and where to send your transcripts, visit LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service.

Letters of recommendation

Each law school has different requirements for letters of recommendation. Some accept only two letters, and some accept as many as four. Some law schools limit recommendation letter writers to present or past professors while others may accept letters of recommendation from past or current employers. Some law schools impose length limits on their letters of recommendations, and others do not. Some law schools ask letter writers to address specific points (academic performance, personal knowledge of the applicant) while others do not.

Research your law schools of interest to find out what their requirements are. Make sure you share those requirements with your letter writers, and that they know when these letters are due and to whom they are due. Give the letter writers enough time to think about, write and polish your letters of recommendation. For detailed information on letters of recommendation, see LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service.

Evaluations

Evaluations are reports prepared, written and transmitted to the law schools you designate through LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service. Again, law schools have different policies on whether they require or even accept evaluations. Your evaluators can be the same individuals you ask for letters of recommendation or not, depending on each law school’s requirements.

LSAC’s service asks evaluators to rate candidates on 30 individual attributes and skills in six different categories. These include intellectual skill, personal qualities, integrity and honesty, communication abilities, task management and ability to work with others. For detailed information on the evaluation process, explore LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service offerings.

Tips for writing an effective personal statement

Personal statements are requested by most law schools. These statements allow you to go beyond the objective aspects of the application, and share more about who you are and what is important to you. Schools will be seeking information about your background, personal qualities, leadership skills and motivation to learn what sets you apart from other candidates with similar GPAs and LSAT scores. Your goal will be to write a concise, detailed statement establishing yourself as an individual. An interesting and personal discussion about yourself, one that reveals your personality and character, will help you come alive to the admissions committee.

Law schools will be looking for evidence that you can write a coherent statement. Follow these general guidelines for writing essays: 

• There should be introductory and concluding paragraphs
• Each paragraph should begin with a topic sentence
• There should be a clear line of development through the statement
• Ideas should be supported with concrete examples

Your statement should be serious, honest and sincere. The tone should be confident and positive. Any negative information (such as disciplinary or academic probation) you feel compelled to or are required to discuss should be addressed in other parts of the application or in an addendum. Use simple, direct language and rely on well-organized, interesting content to make a positive impression.

Proofread carefully—any typographical or grammatical errors will detract from the positive impression the statement might otherwise make. Do not use large words in an attempt to impress readers. 

Personal statements are typically two double-spaced pages, though some schools will give more latitude. If schools don’t provide guidelines on length, submit a statement that’s approximately two pages long. A few schools will limit the number of words permitted and you should follow their guidelines.

To schedule an appointment for review of your essay, please make an appointment with the pre-law academic advisor through Buff Portal Advising.

Some law schools require applicants to submit a Dean’s Statement of Good Standing as part of their application process. Research which, if any, of the law schools to which you are applying to requires these statements.

At CU Boulder, dean’s letters can be requested through the pre-law academic advisor in Career Services. Allow for 2-3 weeks for processing during peak application times. Please contact us at 303-492-3474 to request a form or if you have any questions.

Follow the schools’ directions for returning the dean’s letter or completed form. If you have the dean’s letter sent back to you to include with your other application materials, the envelope must remain unopened.

Connect with our team via office hours, express appointments and individual advising appointments.

Tony Bastone

Pre-Law Career Advising Program Manager

Embedded Career Team

CU Boulder Career Services provides numerous online tools to support you wherever you are in your journey — from mapping out career pathways to preparing for the job and internship interview process.

Career Help On Demand