Still trying to figure out what to do this summer to either make yourself a better applicant or prepare for law school? Several law schools have summer pre-law programs with deadlines approaching. We have provided information for some of these below. For more info about other summer pre-law programs, go to the PLAS Compass page and click on “Summer Pre-Law Programs.”
Harvard/NYU Trials Program: Harvard Law School – June 28-August 7, 2015 Applications DUE NEXT FRIDAY, February 27, 2015
Trials is a unique partnership of NYU School of Law, Harvard Law School, and the Advantage Testing Foundation. It is a fully subsidized/full scholarship summer study program for students of modest means whose backgrounds are currently underrepresented at the nation’s top law schools. Students are not responsible for any tuition, fees, or related expenses. In addition, each Trials student also receives a $3,000 stipend to replace or supplement summer employment income.
In addition to the academic curriculum of the program, every Trials student will receive:
- Transportation to and from the host university campus (Harvard Law School in 2015)
- Campus housing for the duration of the five-week program
- Three daily meals at the campus dining hall
- Access to the host university’s library, computer centers, and gym
Each week, senior instructors from Advantage Testing prepare Trials students for the LSAT by deconstructing the test and presenting a step-by-step approach to each question type. Students maintain a rigorous practice testing schedule, frequently sitting for full-length official LSATs under simulated testing conditions. Working closely with their instructors, students learn to develop an individualized study plan, focus their preparation, and apply the core principles they master.
Trials students also attend lectures presented by prominent lawyers, public figures, and legal scholars, including distinguished faculty from both NYU Law and Harvard Law School. These lectures provide a wide-ranging introduction to the study and practice of the law while giving students the opportunity to ask specific questions related to their particular fields of interest.
Perhaps most important, Trials allows students to experience communities similar to those they will encounter in law school. Students form study groups to challenge, motivate, and inspire one another. In lunches with instructors and speakers, students can take part in informal discussions to learn more about the law, their peers, and themselves.
Finally, Trials is committed to taking full advantage of the resources of its host locations. Students enter the field in Boston and New York City to meet with and observe lawyers at work, garnering practical experience that complements the academic curriculum. This year’s program will be held at Harvard Law School June 28- August 2, 2015. Applications are due February 27, 2015. Click here for more information or to apply.
ITT Chicago-Kent College of Law PLUS Program: May 31-June 19, 2015. Applications due March 2, 2015
The IIT Chicago-Kent Prelaw Undergraduate Scholars program (“PLUS”) offers a unique and unforgettable experience for college students who are interested in the legal profession. This rigorous three-week program is designed to provide students with a “taste” of the law school experience. The program is primarily directed at undergraduate college students from disadvantaged groups that are underrepresented in the legal profession.
The PLUS program is a three-week summer institute which will: (1) introduce participants to law school and the legal profession; (2) provide participants with substantive skills to strengthen their preparation for law school; and (3) educate and prepare participants for the law school application and admission process. Students must attend all classes and participate in all program activities to receive a stipend. Because this is a full-time commitment, students must agree not to have any outside commitments that would prevent them from giving the program their full attention.
The PLUS program targets college students who have just completed either their first, second or third year in college. All students are encouraged to apply who will not have received their bachelor degree by the start of the program, but preference will be given to those who will have completed their first and second years of college by the start of the program. Students who have already completed a bachelor degree are not eligible for the program. For additional information, please download the application packet or contact Theda Mickey, Administrative Director-PLUS Program, at plus@kentlaw.iit.edu if you have any questions. Applicants must submit a $30 application fee. In addition, accepted applicants will be required to submit a $70 seat deposit. Both of these fees are non-refundable. Download PLUS Application
CLEO Achieving Success in the Application Process (ASAP) Prelaw Seminar:
John Marshall Law School, July 11-12, 2015
Applications Due: April 1, 2015
Goal: To prepare talented, motivated, yet under-represented students to successfully gain admission to and succeed in law school.
Overview: The ASAP program curriculum will focus on aspects of the law school application process that are commonly overlooked or undervalued by students when applying to law school.
The ASAP curriculum seminar includes the following sessions:
- Selecting a law school
- Drafting an effective personal statement
- Choosing sources for letters of recommendations
- Preparation strategies for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT)
- The impact of LSAT scores and Grade Point Averages (GPA) in the selection process
- The significance of the early application process offered by many law schools
- Debt management and developing credit worthiness
- Common errors committed by law school applicants
Advantages of being an ASAP participant include:
- Provides a head start on the law school admissions process
- Establishes mentoring relationships with CLEO students in law school
- Nominal fee
- Meals provided
- Opportunity to network with Attitude Is Essential (AIE) participants from around the country
- An opportunity you don’t want to miss
Targeted Students:
- ASAP is open to college juniors and seniors, as well as post-graduates.
Click here to Register online for the ASAP program.
CLEO Attitude Is Essential Seminar
John Marshall Law School — July 11 & 12, 2015
The first year of law school is the most important year. Employers hire second year law students primarily based on their first year GPA. If you want to hear them say “You’re Hired,” and you want to be more than a law school survivor, then you need the right attitude to take control of your legal education.
At the “Attitude is Essential” (AIE) seminar, you will:
- Develop the skills you need to take control over your own law school learning process
- Learn how to:
- Read and brief opinions
- Prepare for law school exams, including the best practices for memorizing all the law you need for your exams
- Write exams using the IRAC form
- Conquer your workload, time, and stress in law school
- Experience the Socratic Method by participating in a Mock Law School Class
- Write a contracts essay exam and debrief the experience
- Discover the benefits of study groups and how to make sure your groups are productive and not dysfunctional
- Begin to build a network of other successful law students
Who should attend? All students who intend to begin law school in the fall of 2015.
What is required? Applicants must have been admitted to a law school, submit an online application, and pay a $200 registration fee.
Click here for more information or to register online for the AIE Seminar.
