SOURCES OF CRIMINAL LAW

Pre-Law Information SessionDr. Jack E. Call, prelaw advisorOffice phone: 831-5391jcall@radford.eduWhat is RU Doing to Help Students Interested in Law School?Creation of pre-law web pagehttp://www.radford.edu/content/chbs/home/prelaw.htmlPlacement of pre-law information booklet onlineRejuvenation of Phi Alpha DeltaMock trial course Spring 2013Should I (Can I) become a LAWYER?3Becoming a Lawyer for the Right Reasons 10 Questions Pre-Law Students Should Ask ThemselvesWhy do I want to go to law school?Why do I want to be a lawyer?Do I know what lawyers do every day?What quality of life do I want during law school?What quality of life do I want after law school?Should I go to an expensive or an inexpensive law school?How will I pay back my student loans?Can I handle the pressure?What could I do before going to law school?If I couldnt go to law school, what would I do instead?

LawyersEducation requirements 5LawyersEducation requirements 4 years undergraduate school plus 3 years full-time law school 6LawyersEducation requirements 4 years undergraduate school plus 3 years full-time law schoolExceptions 7LawyersEducation requirements 4 years undergraduate school plus 3 years full-time law schoolExceptionsSome part-time schools (Neubauer says about a third of accredited schools) 8LawyersEducation requirements 4 years undergraduate school plus 3 years full-time law schoolExceptionsSome part-time schools (Neubauer says about a third of accredited schools)Reading for the law 9LawyersEducation requirements 4 years undergraduate school plus 3 years full-time law schoolExceptionsSome part-time schools (Neubauer says about a third of accredited schools)Reading for the law Virginia is one of the few states that still utilizes this methodSee http://www.vbbe.state.va.us/reader/readerrules.html for the program rules

10LawyersEducation requirements 4 years undergraduate school plus 3 years full-time law schoolExceptionsSome part-time schools (Neubauer says about a third of accredited schools)Reading for the law Virginia is one of the few states that still utilizes this methodSee http://www.vbbe.state.va.us/reader/readerrules.html for the program rulesAccording to an ABA chart (2010), the following states permit reading for the law: California, Maine, New York, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wyoming11LawyersEducation requirements 4 years undergraduate school plus 3 years full-time law schoolExceptionsSome part-time schools (Neubauer says about a third of accredited schools)Reading for the law Virginia is one of the few states that still utilizes this methodAccording to an ABA chart (2010), the following states permit reading for the law: California, Maine, New York, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wyomingwww.abanet.org12Accredited vs. Unaccredited law schools ABA-accredited: graduates can take bar in any state13Accredited vs. Unaccredited law schools ABA-accredited: graduates can take bar in any stateUnaccredited: graduates can take bar only in state where school is located14Virginia law schoolsUniversity of VirginiaCollege of William and MaryWashington and Lee UniversityUniversity of RichmondGeorge Mason University (1979)Regent University (1986)Appalachian School of Law (Grundy)(1997)Liberty University (Lynchburg)(2004) now fully accredited15Tuition at Virginia Law Schools(2010/2011)SchoolAnnual Tuition(2010/2011/2012)Half to Full Scholarship(2011/2012)University of Virginia$38,800/42,500/44,6007.5%/13.7William and Mary$21,646/23,800/26,2003.0/1.3Washington and Lee$38,062/39,937/41,94718.5/26.5George Mason University$20,556/22,222/23,7201.9/1.8University of Richmond$32,450/34,070/35,4307.7/9.7Regent University$29,852/31,410/32,78016.8/18.5Appalachian School of Law$26,825/28,325/29,8259.9/11.5Liberty University$27,847/29,120/30,60438.6/47.2Bar exam Multi-state bar exam (all but 2 states Washington and Louisiana use it)First administered in 1972Source: Bar Admissions Requirements, 2009, published by National Conference of Bar Examiners and ABA Section of Legal Education17Bar exam Multi-state bar exam (all but 2 states use it)Bar review courses 18Bar exam Multi-state bar exam Bar review coursesPercentage that passed the Virginia bar exam in:1990: 71%1995: 67%2000: 65%2004: 64%2008: 73%2009: 69%2010: 70%http://www.ncbex.org/ - provides national statistics19Variation in School Prestige Law School RankingsU.S. News:http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/law-rankings/page+2

20Do I Have the Right Qualities and Skills to be a Lawyer?Writing abilityAbility to synthesize complicated informationReading comprehension legal materialsAbility to reason by exampleWould I Like Doing What Lawyers Do?Would I Like Doing What Lawyers Do?Lawyers do a lot of different things things that appeal to people with different interests and different skillsComparison of 1974 & 2001(Where graduating students went to work)19742001Private practice51.957.8Judicial clerkship8.411.6Government18.513.1Business9.711.3Public interest5.32.9Academic3.51.524

What Do I Have to Do to Get Into Law School?Admission Standards LSAT score and undergraduate GPA the two most important factors 33Percentage of Students Scoring Within Designated LSAT Scores(2011-12 Testing Year) LSAT Score Range % of students 175-1800.5%170-1742.1%165-1696.0%160-16410.9%155-15917.3%150-15418.6%145-14917.7%