The Spalatin Society: Advising the Wartburg Community Since 1509

The Spalatin Society provides opportunities for fun and learning. Students interested in pursuing a career in law gather on a regular basis to talk about law school, meet alumni, and learn about the practice of law.

George Spalatin was born in Germany in 1484 and studied law and religion at the University of Erfurt. In 1509, he became a confidant and adviser to Frederick the Wise, the Elector of Saxony. He was also a friend and confidant of Martin Luther. Spalatin, who accompanied Frederick to the Diet of Augsburg in 1518 and the Diet of Worms in 1521, negotiated with papal representatives and his diplomatic efforts were important in the early years of the Reformation.  After Luther refused to recant or rescind his positions at the Diet of Worms, Spalatin is credited with convincing Frederick to provide protection to Luther at the Wartburg Castle. 

Law schools accept students from all majors and backgrounds. You should be preparing to succeed in law school, not preparing to succeed at getting into law school. This means you should be working toward the strongest possible college record you can achieve. But like it or not, law school admissions is a numbers game; your undergraduate GPA and your score on the LSAT are the two most important factors determining the likelihood of acceptance into the law school of your choice.

Having the scores to get in to law school does not guarantee you will be able to master a demanding law school curriculum if you haven’t honed the skills you need, including strong writing skills; a demonstrable ability in communication and reasoning; the ability to analyze complex and often conflicting cases and statutes which demand logical and analytical thinking; and the ability to express your reasoning with clarity and precision. Seminar format courses that accentuate writing and discussion usually contribute to developing these skills. Math, philosophy and engineering majors may find they are developing logical skills that may not have a specific application to the law, but will be of enormous use in general application to the study of law. If you feel your major does not adequately prepare you to write well or to think logically and analytically, you should take electives that will. Take challenging courses, and exercise the self-discipline to do well in those courses.

Don’t neglect extracurricular activities that will help to separate yourself from other applicants. Any leadership role you take helps to show admissions committees you have varied talents beyond your academic ones. Study abroad, honors, work experience, and internships all enhance your application.

Additional resources can be found in the Academic Resource Center in the Vogel Library, including the LSAT/LSDAS Registration and Information Book, The Official Guide to U.S. Law Schools, law school catalogs, and publications on the suggested reading list. Here are links to other helpful resources:

• The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) website has LSAT registration information.
• The American Bar Association has over 400,000 members and is committed to “supporting the legal profession with practical resources.”
• National Jurist calls itself the “voice of legal education.” It has helpful information regarding legal education and the legal profession.

Many factors should be considered in deciding where to apply: geographical region, setting (urban or rural), size, selectivity, status, cost, financial aid, special programs, clinical programs, and so forth. The Official Guide to U.S. Law Schools is a good place to begin your research. The guide presents two-page descriptions of the various schools prepared by the schools themselves. It gives a good sense of how the schools see themselves, including what they think they do especially well and specifics about their programs and financial aid. Many include a grid of their admissions record from the previous year at the various GPA and LSAT levels, which can give you some idea of how likely you are to be accepted at any particular law school.

Law school admissions personnel are usually happy to provide information to prospective applicants. You should take the opportunity to meet with many representatives in person each fall (usually early October). Once you have established a list of potential law schools, you should write to ask for catalogues and applications. New catalogues are available in August or September.

Selecting a law school is a critical decision. You should gather as much information as you can before you commit your time, money, and energy. The following is a checklist of items you should investigate before you make a final decision.

• Faculty: legal training, specialties, diversity, accessibility to students
• Financial support: loans, scholarships, employment opportunities at law school or law firms for second and third-year students
• Housing: dorms, apartment rates, parking, clearing house for roommates
• Tutorial: academic support programs
• Internships: number, locale, salaries (if any)
• Community environment: recreation opportunities; clean, well-lighted places; cafes, records stores, book stores
• Student organizations: kind and type
• Attrition rates: how many drop out or fail; why?
• Placement: locations, salaries; depth; differences between top 10% and other 90%
• Library facilities: extent of holdings; computer access; hours of operation; access to other libraries’ holdings; available individual and group study space; parking and proximity to rest of campus
• Alumni: what do recent alumni have to say?
• Student body: satisfaction level; backgrounds; undergraduate schools; diversity
• Costs:fees, likely increases; transportation or commuting costs, parking fees
• Bookstores: holdings, study guides
• Bar Pass Rates: review courses and costs, study facilities and accessibility
• Special Programs: guest speakers; moot court and/or other competitions
• Career services: number of advisors; programs; resources
• Student participation and representation: in admissions; in curriculum selection; in administration of the law school
• Philosophy: practitioner oriented; Platonic method
• Reputation: how does the school measure it? how do students?
• Administration: focus; personnel
• Joint programs: joint degrees; flexibility in tailoring a program
• Enrollment: student body count; class sizes
• Physical facilities: classrooms; student lockers and study spaces; student meeting areas; disabled student access

Application Tips

Make an attempt to contact current students and recent graduates as well as law school representatives to get answers to your questions.

You should select a range of schools for application. It is wise to apply to a few schools that will almost certainly admit you. You should also include a few on the other end of the scale, where you are not likely to be admitted, but would dearly love to attend if accepted. Your middle range should be schools that may or may not accept you, but you would be happy to attend.

You can apply to as many or as few schools as you wish or can afford. Each application requires a fee; fee waivers are available in cases of financial need. You should apply to enough schools to to be sure of being admitted to a school you would like to attend.

If possible, visit law schools before you make your final decision about which one you will attend. Most schools provide tours, arrange for you to sit in on classes, and to talk with professors, students and staff. Since law schools do not conduct formal interviews, visits are a good way to introduce yourself to school representatives at the same time you are gathering direct knowledge about the school.