A fee of $85 The application form Your resumé A personal statement Your LSAT scores 2-3 recommendation letters. (At least one should be from an academic. If you have been out of school for a long time, you may submit non-academic recommendations, or consider taking extended education college courses to get to know a professor. ) Character and Fitness Questions (to determine eligibility for the bar upon graduation) An interview (granted to approximately 1,200 applicants)
History – Teaches strong reading, research, and writing skills, as well as a basic knowledge of U. S. laws and politics. [9] X Research source Philosophy – Teaches logic, critical analysis, close reading, and writing, and is considered a very rigorous major. [10] X Research source Economics – Teaches analysis and logical thinking. A senior thesis that displays research and writing skills will boost your application. Economics is considered preferable to business. [11] X Research source Political Science – Teaches strong reading and presentation skills, as well as a basic knowledge of the U. S. legal system. However, political science is considered a less rigorous major, so you will need a very good GPA. If possible, do a senior thesis to supplement your courses and show strong research and writing skills. [12] X Research source English – Shows strong reading and writing skills, but you will need to supplement your course work with research heavy courses. Science majors – The difficulty of these majors makes a high GPA even more impressive. That said, you will need to take electives to show you are strong in reading, writing, and research. Also, your application will be stronger if you say you are planning on being a patent or intellectual property lawyer. [13] X Research source Art/Music/Film – Harvard law actually likes students with less traditional backgrounds, though to get in with a major in the arts you will need a great GPA, supplemental course work in fields like history, economics, or philosophy, and preferable a senior thesis. [14] X Research source
Courses with term papers – Term papers might not be fun, but they require reading, research, and writing, making these classes the ideal preparation for law school. Courses that emphasize reading – Literature, philosophy, history, and political science. Courses that emphasize textual research – Economics, psychology, sociology, history, or any course with a term paper. (The key here is textual research, so lab work will not be as useful. ) Courses that emphasize writing – Literature, history, philosophy, or any course with a term paper.
Non-profit work – The larger and more prestigious the organization, the better. Think Habitat for Humanity or a Community Law Project or Clinic in your area. [20] X Research source Legal internship – Most legal internships are for non-profits, government, or the American Bar Association. They are good summer experiences, but not necessarily better than any other extracurricular activity. Debate – Debate teaches you a number of skills useful in law: memorization, crafting arguments, speaking extemporaneously, and analyzing texts, amongst them. [21] X Research source Pre-law – Pre-law societies run activities like mock trials and cross-examination exercises, and often have journals that you can contribute to. Participation builds valuable skills and shows a passion for law. [22] X Research source Model United Nations – Allows you to practice diplomacy and mediation. And since most law cases are settled before trial in mediation or arbitration, this is a vital skill. [23] X Research source Student government – Just serving is not enough. Focus on what you have done for your school and the specific changes you have implemented. [24] X Research source Other campus organizations - Any campus organization can be a bright spot on your resume, so long as you hold a leadership position in the organization and can show you made an impact. [25] X Research source
Paralegal or legal assistant – These jobs will not necessarily give you an advantage over other jobs – indeed, Harvard Law likes people with eclectic backgrounds – but they certainly won’t hurt you, and more importantly, they can help you to decide if law is right for you. [27] X Research source A non-law job related to the law field you are interested in. If you are interested in corporate law, you might work in business. If you are interested in patent or intellectual property law, you might work in tech. In general, you will get the most out of your non-law job if it relates to the field you want to practice in. [28] X Research source
These courses can be particularly useful for people who have been out of school for 3+ years, as they can yield academic recommendations.
A graduate degree gives you a chance to soften the blow of a bad undergrad GPA. Grad GPAs are not factored into LSAC’s GPA calculations, but they are reported and can shows that you have matured as a student. [31] X Research source Graduate degrees can yield fresh recommendations from professors. Your degree can make you a more viable candidate for certain fields of law. For instance, if you are going into corporate or tax law, a MBA or accountant’s degree can help. If you are entering patent or intellectual property law, a graduate degree in a scientific field can help tremendously. [32] X Research source
You must have taken the test within the last 5 years before applying to Harvard law.
Reading Comprehension (one 35 minute section) – You will be asked to read a text and then answer questions about its content and structure. This question format will be familiar if you have taken the SAT, only the texts you must read will be more difficult. Analytical Reasoning (one 35 minute section) – Also known as Logic Games, these problems test your deductive reasoning and ability to structure data, and are of the type: “Jill, Bob, Susan, Erik, and Stan must be seated at the same table. Jill can’t sit next to Susan or Erik. Bob must be beside Stan…” Most test takers find them the most challenging part of the test. Logical Reasoning (two 35 minutes sections) – These questions “evaluate the ability to analyze, critically evaluate, and complete arguments as they occur in ordinary language. ”
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Write about something you care about, even if it has nothing to do with why you are going to law school. The goal is to let your personality, strengths, and way of thinking shine through. They already know you want to go to Harvard Law. You applied. Don’t write about how your study abroad experience transformed you. It’s been done way, way too many times. If you are going to write about why you want to be a lawyer, know that this is probably the most common type of essay. That doesn’t make it a bad topic, but you’ll need to tell a particularly engaging story to avoid boring your reader. [42] X Research source
Do not start with an overly dramatic story. This is a clichéd technique that has been used far too many times. [43] X Research source If you are going to tell a story, make sure you first frame why it matters. Definitely don’t lead with something like “I’ve always dreamed of attending Harvard Law” or “I have a passion for the law. ” (Unless you follow that statement with a twist like, “But then a professor told me what a terrible idea that was. ”)
Why do you want to go to law school? What attracts you to Harvard Law, in particular? When did you decide to go to law school?[50] X Research source What do you see yourself doing when you graduate?[51] X Research source
