This is a test site. For the most accurate information, visit csumb.edu

College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences

Humanities and Communication

Law school admissions

Watch here for information about law school, the admissions process, resources and tips for completing your application.

The Law School Admissions Test (LSAT)

LSAT test dates

The Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) website includes test dates for the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) required by most law schools for admission.  Make sure to check out the Getting Ready for the LSAT page for more details about the remotely proctored LSAT, the modality of the exam for the time being. 

Khan Academy and Law School Admissions Council Offer Free LSAT Preparation

Khan Academy and the Law School Admissions Council have teamed up to produce an official--and free--preparation course for the LSAT.

Preparing for the LSAT

Preparing for the LSAT is an important element of the application process. Whether doing so on your own, through the official LSAC partnership with Khan Academy, or through a commercially available course, these resources may help you develop the capacity to do well and improve over time. A good LSAT score can mean the difference between admission to your preferred choices or not, as well as access to scholarships.

The list here includes a variety of options--and in no way is an endorsement of a particular product. Do your own research and find the LSAT preparation solution which is best for you.

LSAT and Admissions

  • Here’s a blog with some resources about LSAT prep and other resources about law school admissions.
  • The LSAC search engine lets you search for American Bar Association (ABA) approved law schools by LSAT, GPA and location as you explore options.

Selecting Where to Apply

  • Before you begin this process, and if you intend on staying in California, here’s a description of what you need to know about bar admissions requirements to practice law in California as well as recent bar passage statistics-how many students from particular law schools successfully passed the bar exam.
  • Here is a list of California law schools from the State Bar of California and a list of United States law schools with links to their websites.
  • The Law School Admissions Council publishes an official guide to American Bar Association accredited law schools.
  • The American Bar Association publishes annual reports--submitted by ABA accredited law schools--which provides useful details about each law school. These "Standard 509 Disclosures" are a valuable resource for your research process, and starting in 2018, include data on bar passage and employment statistics for each ABA law school.
  • XPloreJD is a tool created by the nonprofit organization AccessLex to help you evaluate law school options using a range of factors--including six key factors: Location, Cost, Enrollment, Diversity, Curriculum and Outcomes.
  • The non-profit Law School Transparency Project has some helpful resources about making informed choices about applying to law school. The organization has helpful reports on law schools as well as a data dashboard.

Financing a Legal Education

Grants word cloud

Law school is a major investment. And, financial aid for law students is different from your undergraduate experience, so it pays to investigate your options early in your process. Here are some resources for you to begin.

Law School Admissions Council (LSAC)

The LSAC provides a helpful starting place for you to investigate the financial cost of law school and what types of financial aid are available.

For Undocumented Students

Undocumented and looking for information about how to finance law school? Here are some places to start:

AccessLex

AccessLex is a nonprofit organization that provides free resources to pre-law and law students as they investigate ways to finance a legal education. This includes one-on-one financial counseling. Some of their programs include:

  • MAX Pre-Law: Includes worksheets, checklists, webinars and other resources for you to plan how you will pay for law school and beyond.
  • AccessLex Student Loan Calculator: helps you estimate the costs for law school, including tuition, living expenses, and bar preparation, as well as the cost of borrowing.
  • LEX Talk Money Podcast: a series covering many issues related to financial matters of relevance to graduate students, including law students

Other Resources

Careers for Lawyers

There are many ways to be an attorney--and researching those options are important as you consider law school. Here are a few resources to get you started.

Lawyer image

Creative Commons image source: Alpha Stock Images

  • The National Association of Law Placement has a helpful introduction to legal careers. The organization tracks what pathways law students take after law school.
  • Law School Transparency, a non-profit organization educating the public about the legal profession, produces a Podcast called "I Am the Law" which includes interviews with recent law school graduates about "what a career in law is really like."
  • The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics provides information about careers for lawyers--and what needs are on the horizon.

Additional Resources