Career Services
Pre-Law Preparation
Given the steady interest in legal careers, the level of competition for places in U.S. law schools remains significant. In 1993 the law school world as a whole admitted 58% of all applicants to one or more schools for the 52,000 places offered.
This leaflet answers some of the questions most frequently asked by students preparing for a career in law at Reed. If there are other things you would like to know as you consider your college options, let us know and we will have the appropriate person -- the Career Adviser, the Pre-Law Adviser, faculty member, student, or alumnus -- get in touch with you.
What is the Best Preparation for Law School? Is There a Pre-law Major at Reed?
"What law schools seek in their entering students is not accomplishment in mere memorization, " states the Association of American Law Schools, "but accomplishment in understanding, the capacity to think for themselves, and the ability to express their thoughts with clarity and force." The Association does not prescribe a specific course of study to prepare undergraduates for law school, but rather suggests a broad approach to liberal arts, including work in English, humanities, logic, mathematics, social sciences, history, philosophy, and the natural sciences.
The College has drawn similar conclusions on the basis of the experiences of Reed graduates, and therefore does not offer a program specifically designated "pre-law." Among the Reed students who have pursued careers in law, a broad variety of majors are represented. The most popular have been political science, psychology, English literature, and history, although recently more science and math majors are applying to law schools.
What is important in preparation for law careers is not so much specific content as skills, and Reed provides the opportunity to develop those skills through a stimulating and rigorous curriculum. Because most classes at Reed are conducted in small conferences rather than in lectures, Reed graduates are particularly well-prepared to analyze problems and solutions both orally and in writing -- important skills for law students and attorneys.
Does Reed Recommend any Specific Courses to Prepare for a Career in Law?
Several courses are offered through the departments of political science and economics which are specifically related to the law, among them Constitutional Law and Judicial Politics; Civil Rights and Liberties; Systems of Justice; and Trade Unions, Collective Bargaining, and Public Policy. These courses should be taken out of interest and perhaps to gain some familiarity with the theory of law; they will not be more highly valued by law schools than Reed courses in other departments, nor will they better prepare the student for taking the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT).
Because the LSAT is designed to evaluate reasoning ability and language skills, specific knowledge of the law is not necessary. Reed students tend to score very well on the exam. Of the Reed graduates attending law school in 1990-91 who took the LSAT, one half scored above the 97th percentile.
Are There Opportunities to Learn More About Careers in Law?
For the student who wishes to pursue a career in law, there are several opportunities at Reed to learn more about the field and to receive assistance in the law school application process. Reed's Career Adviser and the Pre-Law Adviser are the primary resources available to students.
The Career Adviser is available to discuss a student's concerns about the practice of law, his or her appropriateness for it, and alternatives to law, including interdisciplinary programs which combine the study of law with study in other fields (law-business administration, law-psychology, law-public administration, etc.). In addition, the adviser can arrange interviews with Reed alumni who are currently attorneys in public or private practice in the Portland area and who can discuss matters relating to law as a career choice.
Each year the Career Advising Office organizes a seminar series on careers in law. Attorneys from the Portland area come to campus to discuss their areas of specialization; Reed graduates discuss their law school experiences; and attorneys reponsible for hiring recent law school graduates discuss the job market and the hiring process.
In the fall, the Office also hosts representatives from some of the top law schools in the country and will schedule interested students for appointments. Other sources of information available to students interested in a law career are the deans and faculty members. They regularly consult with students on the possibilities a legal education can provide for careers other than the practice of law. Law school can be an excellent preparation for positions in government, management, industry and education, as well.
What are the Possibilities for Gaining Practical Experience in Law While Attending Reed?
The most useful way to gain practical experience in law is to engage in volunteer or internship activity. Such opportunities include:
- Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia internship in which students work closely with the Investigation Division and staff of Permanent Investigator.
- State Legislature Internships, which allow students to gain broad exposure to the workings of state government.
- Cascade Policy Institute, Oregon's free market think tank where students can sharpen their writing, debating, media and event organizing skills.
- Mayor's Office, City of Portland where students assist the Ombudsman Office with researching and responding to citizen inquiries and opinions.
Many volunteer opportunities are available. Some of the agencies in which Reed students have gained valuable experience include the Public Defender's Office, one of the best such programs in the country; the Legal Aid Bureau; the Multnomah County Justice Services Division; Common Cause; and the Oregon Environmental Council.
All of these internships and volunteer programs are publicized by the Career Advising Office. The Career Adviser works individually with students to refer them to programs for which they qualify. If a resume is required as part of the application process, the Career Adviser will discuss guidelines to resume writing and will critique rough drafts.
What is the Record of Reed Graduates in Law?
Since the College's founding in 1909, its alumni have entered some of the finest law schools in the country. Students from Reed's classes of 1980 through 1989 enrolled at Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Berkeley, Columbia, Duke, and Notre Dame, among others. Over the past decade the most frequently attended law schools have been Yale, Chicago, Northwestern School of Law, Berkeley, and Oregon. Both in public service and private practice, Reed's alumni in the law reflect the diversity of pursuits available within the profession; several have clerked for Justices in the Supreme Court; others hold positions on the faculty of major law schools; many work in corporate law firms and governmental agencies or have established their own private practices.
Reed's conference system taught me to think on my feet and to defend my ideas clearly and forcefully in front of others, under pressure of vigorous debate. This skill served me well in law school and continues to stand me in good stead as a lawyer. Also invaluable were the study skills I developed as a student at Reed. No challenge in law school required me to work harder than my senior thesis!
Jennifer Harrington, Reed '85
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