Gap Years/Time Off

Working in a law-related position can also be valuable to the extent that it helps you confirm that law school is right for you. Working as a paralegal or legal assistant can also help you learn more about the legal profession and make professional connections that could benefit you in law school or later in your career. 

To be clear, working in a law-related position will not give you an advantage in the law school admissions process. Law schools do not prefer law-related professional experience over other types of professional experience. You should instead consider law-related positions for the personal and long-term professional benefits that you would gain.

Many people choose to pursue service opportunities in well-respected national and international programs such as Teach for America, the Peace Corps, or Americorps. While these positions are not always directly law-related, they offer excellent opportunities to develop skills relevant to law school and contribute to our communities. Law schools appreciate and value the positive benefits that these programs offer to their members. If you are interested in volunteering with such an organization, consider using www.serviceyear.org to search for an organization.

Alternatively, volunteering locally is also a valuable use of your time. Volunteer positions often allow you to develop skills relevant to law school, and substantive volunteer experience demonstrates a commitment to serving your community.

Future law school students often attend a different type of graduate school program before applying to law school. For example, people who have been awarded nationally competitive scholarships/fellowships like a Rhodes, Marshall, or Fulbright pursue graduate level work before attending law school. Similarly, it’s not unusual for people interested in a specific area of law, such as intellectual property law, to pursue a graduate degree in that area before attending law school. 

An interesting graduate option to consider right here at UW-Madison is the Accelerated Master of Public Affairs program at the La Follette School of Public Affairs. Started during an undergraduate’s senior year, this program involves just one additional year of graduate study before completion of your MPA.

There are some programs designed for new college graduates that will involve funding for travel or study. Here are just a couple of examples:

• Wolff Fellowship– provides an award of approximately $45,000 to an outstanding graduating UW-Madison senior for a year-long travel, service, or study-abroad experience.
• Fulbright Scholars– U.S. Student Program funds American citizens to study, conduct research, or teach English abroad.

If these opportunities spark your interest, check out the Academic Awards and Scholarships section of our website.

Law schools understand that the time between college and law school may be the last opportunity that you have before retirement to do something just for you. They won’t hold it against you if you choose to do something “unusual” before law school. A UW graduate recently moved to Colorado to be a ski instructor for a year before attending law school. Other people have chosen to travel the world for an extended period before law school. While this isn’t necessarily a common path, it is the right fit for some people who have the resources to do so, and it will not hurt you in the application process.