Prospective law students are expected to have completed an undergraduate degree before enrolling in law school, although many students apply to law school during their senior year of undergraduate school. While many law students major in political science or a related degree, this is not a necessity. On the other hand, a high grade-point average and a demanding course of study count favorably toward a candidate's chances for admission, according to the Sallie Mae website.
The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is the standard entrance examination for prospective law students. It is offered four times per year: in February, June, October and December of each year. The actual test dates vary each year. The LSAT is offered on Saturdays except in June, when it is offered on Mondays. Alternate test dates are available to students who observe a Saturday sabbath. The December test date is generally the latest test date that will allow a student to meet an application deadline, although many schools advise students to take the test earlier if possible.
The LSAT consists of five segments of 35 minutes each, with three types of multiple choice questions: reading comprehension, analytical reasoning and logical reasoning. The score scale for the LSAT ranges from 120 to 180. A 35-minute writing sample segment also is given with the test. The writing sample is not scored, but it is submitted along with the LSAT scores to law schools to which the student has applied.
Patent law consists of four general areas of specialization: biotechnological, chemical, electrical and mechanical. It is not necessary to attend law school or to be an attorney to take the patent bar exam, however, the United States Trademark and Patent Office (USTPO) has specific requirements for eligibility to take the patent bar exam: an undergraduate degree in engineering or the sciences, an undergraduate degree plus a concentration of science courses in a specific discipline or a passing score on the Engineer-in-Training (EIT) test. .Many students who wish to practice patent law concentrate on intellectual property courses during their legal education.
The test for admission to practice patent law is the "Examination for Registration to Practice in Patent Cases Before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office," commonly known as the patent bar. The examination is offered once each year and consists two sections of 3 hours each. The first section is made up of 50 multiple-choice questions, and the second section is a combination of multiple-choice and essay questions. Test takers who pass one section but fail the other may retake the section they failed at a later test date.
Many law schools require students to submit a personal statement along with their transcripts and LSAT scores. This personal statement should explain why the student wishes to attend law school in general, and the specific law school for which they are applying in particular. In addition, many schools interview students on campus, or have alumna conduct interviews for students who are unable to visit the campus in person.