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L AW S CHOOL R EPRESENTATIVE S URVEY R ESULTS

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I AM A LAW SCHOOL OFFICER AT A The majority of respondents were from private (56%) and medium (43%) schools.

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I HAVE BEEN IN LAW ADMISSIONS FOR Large schools have the highest % of reps in admissions for 10+ yrs (62%). 45% (the highest %) of small school reps have 3-5 yrs of experience.

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H OW DO YOU NURTURE THE LAW SCHOOL / PRE - LAW ADVISOR RELATIONSHIP ? C HECK ALL THAT APPLY. 76% of large school reps make use of APLAs 22% of small school reps stay in contact via social media 32% of private school reps v. 16% of public school give advisors branded items. *Pre-law advisors dont prefer to read brochures, but 72% of reps send them.

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H AVE YOU EVER CONTACTED AN ADVISOR TO GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT AN APPLICANT, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THAT ADVISOR HAS WRITTEN A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION FOR THE STUDENT ? Most reps (64.6%) dont contact the pre-law advisor to get more info on an applicant.

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D O YOU CALL ADVISORS ABOUT APPLICANTS ONLY IF THEY HAVE WRITTEN LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION FOR THEM ? Most reps (86.3%) would call a pre-law advisor about an applicant, even if the advisor didnt write a letter of recommendation.

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H AVE YOU EVER CONTACTED AN ADVISOR TO GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT AN ADMITTED STUDENT, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THAT ADVISOR HAS WRITTEN A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION FOR THE STUDENT ? Most reps (79.7%) have not contacted an advisor to get more info about an admitted student. A higher % of public school reps (27% v. 19%) have contacted an advisor to get more info about an admitted student.

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T HE ROLE OF THE PRE - LAW ADVISOR SHOULD BE TO

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W HAT IMPACT SHOULD AN ADVISOR HAVE IN HELPING LAW REPS DECIDE ON A CANDIDATE ? C HECK ALL THAT APPLY. Other: *Write honest letters of recommendation and dont use a form letter for every applicant. *I would not consult with a pre-law advisor in deciding on a specific candidate. *They're only comparing students in their own schools so it doesn't seem as helpful. *Advisors should explain to the law school admissions professional their approach to advising so the admissions professional can better understand the context in which that advisor assists his or her students.

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H OW DO YOU PREFER ADVISORS CONTACT YOU ? The majority of law school reps prefer email (76%) and telephone (21.6%).

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W HEN SHOULD CONTACT BE MADE ? C HECK ALL THAT APPLY. 94% of small school reps believe that contact should be made at the time of the application.

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W HAT GENERAL ADVICE OR TIPS WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE WITH ADVISORS ? * Be mindful of the fact that processes vary from school to school. *If your student wants you to discuss all aspects of their application, have them submit a written statement to that purpose. *Provide students well-rounded advice. Recognize your own biases and be impartial in your recommendations. The highest ranked school may not be the best school for every student. *Students sometimes need a reality check and advisors should be helping them with that. *Advise applicants to be cognizant of their online presence. Suggest they Google themselves. *Encourage students to visit campuses and find the best fit - don't rely completely on rankings. *Encourage students to contact admissions offices and talk directly with the administrators. *Coach students to see a "big picture" - of themselves as applicants, of the application process and how the steps fit together, of law school as a path to a career. Students lose perspective with conflicting barrage of info. Encourage them to gather balanced information, introspection on what they need/want to succeed, guide them to plan ahead and be proactive so they will have more and better options. *Advisors should visit as many law schools as possible to get a strong understanding of the culture of those schools which will help in advising students where to apply or attend. Keep in mind that schools change and one visit over a long span may not be sufficient. *Stay up-to-date on as many schools as possible particularly schools most popular with your advisees. *Speak to us about borderline candidates who would be a good fit for our school. Applications tell us only so much, it really helps a lot of if a PLA "vouches" for the student. *Help us to help you understand how we approach our job so you can better advocate for your students. *MANY top attorneys come from schools up and down the rankings, so I really appreciate advisors who realize this as well as the fact that not all of their students can/will get into the top schools. When I plan a visit to an undergrad campus, it is OK for the advisor to tell me they cannot guarantee an audience but they should alert students to our visit and give us the time of day as they would a top school. *Most admissions officers welcome phone calls from Advisors. Invite us to events on campus or contact us regarding specific students or programs.

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D ESCRIBE YOUR BEST EXPERIENCE WITH A N ADVISOR. *Too many to count. Those who remember you by name and also know their students by name. *I work VERY closely with the excellent pre-law adviser at our university. Together, we have created jobs Pre-Law Advising Center for two current law students. We have drafted an early acceptance program for undergraduates. We co- sponsor a series of spring and fall workshops for undergraduates. We collect used LSAT prep materials and law school guides at Admitted Students Day and Orientation for the Pre-Law Advising Center. *MANY top attorneys come from schools up and down the rankings, so I really appreciate advisors who realize this as well as the fact that not all of their students can/will get into the top schools. When I plan a visit to an undergrad campus, it is OK for the advisor to tell me they cannot guarantee an audience but at the least they should advertise our presence and give us the time of day. *I have been an individual presenter or on a panel at several excellent, well planned workshops where the advisor had obviously prepared the students, great information was shared, there were thoughtful questions for the panel or individual reps, and we had a chance to get beyond the routine superficial "table event" questions. It is always rewarding to be able to give prelaw students insights early enough in the process to really benefit them. Have also met a few advisors in their office to discuss the primary concerns of their advisees - useful input. *I think the human resource is a valuable one and I'm glad to know they are out there. *When we have pre-law advisors visit the school as part of our program, I really enjoy speaking with them about the challenges they are facing and what is on their students mind. *Best and worst are the same. We invited a group of pre-law advisors to the campus for tours, meetings with current students who had attended their institutions, and meetings with faculty. Only one showed up. He was great and we have a continued relationship even though he works at a different school and I've worked at two law schools since. *When advisor contacts me to advocate for a student that we may have passed on without more information, and I trusted that advisor would go to bat only for special circumstances. *I have had so many. They are the ones who really care about their students and call to obtain as much information as they can to help their students. *I have many wonderful relationships with advisors. It is quite rewarding to share in the success of a student with an advisor. *______from _______ is an amazing pre-law advisor. She knows her students, which schools they are applying to and which schools would be a good fit for them. She has only referred students to us that flourish and are happy here. *Open candid conversations are always the best. *Advising is not a job, it is a calling so I highly respect advisors who realize what their limits should be and who treat law reps as professionals and worthy of attention regardless of what tier they are in.

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D ESCRIBE Y OUR W ORST E XPERIENCE WITH A P RELAW A DVISOR. *I overheard a pre-law advisor tell a student not to even consider my school based on a number of inaccurate statements. During a break at an APLA event, I met an advisor and asked whether she was at all acquainted with my school. She said not really, but mentioned a couple of incorrect facts and said she would never recommend the school to an advisee anyway. Another discouraging experience was hearing from an advisor only after she got pressure from parents of a denied student. She was advocating for another review. *An advisor provided students in one of my presentations completely inaccurate and outdated information about the application process and scholarships. *I visited a school and the pre-law advisor made little effort to reach out to students to meet with me while I was on campus. I feel that these are great opportunities for students thinking about law school to talk to someone in the admissions office. I felt that they were not proactive in providing unique experiences for their students. *My school is in the middle of the law school pack. I am irked when Ive scheduled a private visit to a school and see announcements/notices of top ranked school visits prominently displayed and my school poorly situated or totally ignored. Surely all of the students at these institutions are not going to get into the top ranked schools. *Not agreeing to meet on his/her campus because that school's students would not be interested in my school. *One advisor was determined all students needed to go to a specific school...even if it wasn't a good fit for the student. *Ive heard students say they were told by an advisor not to go to law school unless they could go to a top ranked school. *I, along with two other schools, arranged well in advance to visit a small school in the NE. When we arrived at the hotel the night prior, we got a message at the front desk that the visit was being cancelled because no students had signed up. No offer to meet with us, no follow up call, nothing. She made sure we never returned but I think she did a disservice to her students. *Why are we all like lemmings and consistently use examples of students or alumni from top ranked schools in our marketing materials? Its a vicious circle and too often USN&WR rules the roost for advisors and law schools alike. *I have encountered pre-law advisors at APLA law fairs who behaved like prospective law students by interacting with the reps from "prestigious" schools and walking past my table as if I didn't exist. *Had one PLA tell me to my face that our standards were too high. If his students had the numbers to get into my school he would recommend they go to a higher ranked school anyway. *A pre-law advisor from my home institution telling a student in the presence of other prospective students not to even consider attending the institution in which he would have residence. *Getting the sense that they relied on USNWR Rankings and not their relationship with the organization.

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W HAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE BEST WAYS TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH PRE - LAW ADVISORS ? Keep channels of communication open. Ask for feedback. Take advice! ;o) So many advisors are spread very thin and we take our cue from them and they usually say they are too busy to visit, make an appointment, etc. and I am mindful they may get communication from 150+ law schools. I appreciate hearing from any prelaw advisor and would certainly respond gladly to any request. We know youre busy but we are taking time to visit your campus. Even if it is only for a quick coffee, be willing to meet with law school reps when they visit. Consistent interaction at conferences, forums; reaching out during recruitment. Work on working together. Have regular contact with the Admissions Office of the law school, especially in the non-admission part of the year. Admission offices are so busy during the "file review period" but other times of the academic year are perfect for arranging tours, guest lectures, etc. Encourage students to contact us and not rely entirely on Internet and social media. Meet practitioners and get exposed to what the practice of law really requires. Think through what is personally important for them in choosing a law school - finances, geography, family support, where and what they want to do with their degree, kind of environment where they will thrive, etc. so they can make an informed personal choice. Pre-law advisors need to be more available. Unfortunately, there are ones who are and ones who aren't. The ones who attend the apla's tend to be the same people, while other pre-law advisors are ill-informed and don't participate.