Do all law students go straight from college to law school?
No. It is very common for undergraduates to assume that they should plan to go straight to law school after graduating from college. In fact, only approximately one-third of law students nationwide go straight from college to law school. That means two-thirds, a decisive majority, take some amount of time between college and law school.
What do people do between college and law school?
Anything you can imagine. There is no right or wrong path to pursue and law schools do not prefer, require, or more greatly value any specific type of experience when considering your application. Most people work, but you do not necessarily need to work in a law-related job. Think about the time between college and law school as your last opportunity to confirm that law is the right career for you.
Why do people take a gap year or time between college and law school?
Everyone is on their own path. Reasons may include:
- Additional time to prepare for and take the LSAT
- Increasing competitiveness for target law schools, e.g. experience or GPA
- Paying off student loans and/or building up savings for law school tuition
- Building workplace experience to increase post-law school competitiveness
- Pursuing a desired service-oriented position, such as Americorps or Peace Corps
- Balancing additional involvement, e.g. intensive research programs, full year abroad, etc.
- Investing in physical and mental health to support a successful transition into law school.
It is completely normal to develop plans A, B, and C for your law school application timeline. Interests evolve, opportunities arise, needs change. CPLA is here to support you all along the way to reaching your long term goals.
What have prior CPLA advisees done?
- Work in a Non-Legal Job
- Work in a Law-Related Job
- Volunteer With a Service Organization
- Graduate School Work
- Apply for a Fellowship/Grant Program
- Anything Else!
If you are trying to decide between law and another career, consider working a year or two in the other career field to help you make that decision. It is also important to pursue informational interviews with professionals in your fields of interest during this time.
Non-legal jobs can also be helpful for people who are sure that law is right for them! For example, if you are interested in corporate law, consider working in a business-related position. If you are interested in environmental law, consider an environmental non-profit. That experience will help you better understand the issues faced by your future clients.
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.