Pre-Law Study Abroad (What Ivy Leagues Say)
Is study abroad a viable option for pre-law students? As you know, pre-law study abroad is not a requirement for law school admissions. Therefore, the question is not if you must study abroad as a pre-law student, but rather is it worth it in the bigger picture of your education and career?
Instead of telling you what we think, we’ve asked ourselves: who are some of the best authorities in the field? Who is best placed to answer the question “is study abroad worth it for pre-law students?” With that mindset, we decided to go and summarize what the Ivy League tells its own undergraduates on this matter. These are some of the best universities in the U.S., and their students have some of the best track records in getting in to law school. So let’s listen to what they say. From our research, we have discovered that Ivy League universities generally agree that study abroad is beneficial for pre-law--at least that’s what they tell their students.
Study Abroad and the ABA Competencies
The American Bar Association highlights 10 Core Skills, Values, Knowledge, and Experience pre-law students can gain prior to law school. Can skills such as problem-solving and exposure to the law be obtained in the U.S.? Of course, these important abilities are almost always taught on campus. However, the law experience in an American classroom and other exposure to the law in the U.S. (through internships, etc.) all center around a U.S. perspective and U.S. nuances.
Pre-law study abroad hones these same skills in a new setting with a different language, culture, timezone, and diverse expectations. Overall, it allows students to gain even more comprehensive background knowledge, another ABA competency. These are just a handful of the ABA core skills and experiences study abroad can help develop as well as give pre-law students something to highlight in law school applications.
Our programs here at Lex are definitely not your only option, but it’s worth noting here, while we are on the topic of competencies, that a PhD-authored study in 2019 found that 81% of Lex study abroad alumni agreed they had progressed on one or more of the ABA core competencies.
Again: Why Advice From The Ivy League?
It’s true that many schools offer study abroad programs for pre-law students as well as having strong alumni networks and advisory offices. And it is true that most large universities have pre-law advisors and websites with advice, and there’s a lot of good content out there. However, to give you the most valuable information for your goals, we are only looking at what a handful of Ivy League schools advise their own pre-law students in regards to study abroad.
As mentioned above, we chose to focus solely on Ivy League universities because they have the most resources, unbiased advisors, and some of the highest admissions rates from undergrad to law school. This isn’t to say that Ivy League schools are the largest emitters of applicants to law schools (since they are not as large as state schools and law school applicants come from all backgrounds), but their percentage success is still impressive and something that pre-law students can aspire to achieve. Moreover, these universities share their advice on their websites for everyone to see, so we might as well all learn from it.
By analyzing what these top universities are telling their pre-law students about study abroad, students such as yourself can be better equipped to choose if studying abroad is best for your own career aspirations, regardless of the college you currently attend. So let’s dive in (keeping in mind that this is just one set of views, which you should complement with your own school’s view).
Cornell University
Like with many of the institutions that make this list, Cornell University does not offer a specific pre-law major, and there are no educational requirements for entrance into law school. Instead, Career Services explains that “Law schools will try to predict how you will perform in law school by engaging in a holistic review of your application, considering a variety of factors regarding your efforts both in and outside the classroom.”
In addition to having a solid GPA, law schools will want you to “demonstrate your intellectual curiosity and ability that would be advantageous in the study of law.” One way the advising office recommends doing this? Studying abroad.
According to Cornell Law School Career Services, “While grades earned during study abroad or summer sessions elsewhere may not be calculated into your GPA for law school, admissions committees will see your transcripts for study elsewhere.” Though it won’t contribute to your grade, Cornell advisors acknowledge that the experiences gained from study abroad can be beneficial for a student’s long-term career goals, including applying for law school.
Above all, Cornell recommends engaging vigorously in activities that can help differentiate you from other law-school applicants and will contribute to your personal success and happiness. You should pursue opportunities that interest you, but that do not sacrifice your GPA goals. If a study abroad program at your school doesn’t fit with your interests or timeline, one of The Lex Fellowship’s study abroad programs in Europe and beyond may be a better fit. Ask your advisor whether Lex may be a good option for you, or whether a different program would be best suited for your unique situation.
Yale University
Yale University is widely considered to be the home of the best law school in the country, but what advice does it have for its undergraduates who are interested in the field? The undergraduate Office Of Career Strategy reiterates much of the same information as Cornell, highlighting that law schools do not value skills over a specific major. Rather, they advise that “prospective law students should develop skills such as writing, oral communication, reading, listening, researching, analytics, problem-solving, and critical reasoning.”
And while these skills can be honed in the classroom, select courses and activities can help students better prepare for a legal education. Yale advisors recommend that you “be mindful and seek educational, extracurricular, and life experiences that will assist you in developing those attributes.”
Growing these skills is not only practical from a grades standpoint, but study abroad as an experience gives pre-law students plenty to talk about during the application process into law school. “Your personal statement is your opportunity to tell your story to the law school,” Yale advisors explain. “This is particularly important because most law school applications do not include an interview. In general, committees are looking to hear about your actual experiences and past accomplishments.” Yale isn’t saying that this has to be done via study abroad, but it certainly shows how study abroad can fit many pre-law strategies.
Brown University
Brown University, another elite institution on the East Coast, also encourages pre-law students to study abroad when given the opportunity. Brown also emphasizes that there is no particular pre-law track or academic concentration that is required for law school. Rather, law schools look for a core set of skills and values that set the foundation for success in legal education and the profession. Many of these skills and values can be improved upon in a study abroad program tailored specifically for pre-law students.
The Law Careers Advising group at Brown recommends that pre-law students also try to participate in service-oriented activities. “Whether you volunteer in the Providence community, in another area of the United States, or abroad, service is a natural extension of your learning and can help you connect your academic interests to life beyond Brown.” From a law perspective, these activities can also further your general preparation for legal study and practice as you will be developing important communication and leadership skills.
The Ivy League institution also offers sound advice for pre-law students beyond academia. “As a potential law school applicant, you might also consider interning or working at a law firm, legal services bureau, advocacy or lobbying organization...Though not explicitly required for admissions, these kinds of experience can help you decide if law is the right career choice for you.” Though Brown does certainly not recommend any particular study abroad program, note that Lex programs (among others) focus entirely on the legal professional field; all Lex programs, both in the U.S. and in Europe, take place inside of law firms, and interaction with local lawyers.
At Lex, Fellows are encouraged to reinforce what they’ve learned while in the program during their stay. This can include everything from working on practice problems to debating with their cohort on relevant public policy issues. These exercises are essential for helping pre-law students gain experience and are inherently connected to the community they are studying in, effectively covering both of these important topics.
University of Pennsylvania
Finally, Penn Career Services provides one of the most comprehensive overviews of how pre-law students can navigate their careers in the field. They recommend that pre-law students “Take advantage of opportunities to challenge yourself academically, such as independent research, an honors thesis, graduate-level coursework.”
Much of the advice of the UPenn advisors is the same as that of peer Ivy League schools; that study abroad can be incredibly beneficial for pre-laws. However, the elite university also goes a step further to include testimonials from actual students who fit the profile. One such pre-law student who studied abroad explained that after their experience, they “Learned to trust [their] instincts and be more self-confident in going after what I want. I understand that you don’t have to be the smartest person in the room to contribute something valuable.”
Such as with the other Ivy League school, UPenn also acknowledges that every pre-law student’s experience is unique, and students should always speak with an advisor to understand if study abroad is right for them.
Conclusion
Study abroad is not required for pre-laws who want to go on to law school or have an internship at a firm. This being said, it can be one of the best ways for students to build many of the competencies that law schools clearly value and look for during the admissions process. While study abroad should never be a priority over grades and hands-on exposure to the law, it can be an experience worth considering when you find a program that promises a highly valuable law experience.
About The Lex Fellowship
College study abroad doesn’t have to be on a topic irrelevant to your U.S. pre-law path. Lex is the only program truly tailored to pre-law; in Lex’s “360 Law Immersion” model, you rotate to different law firms each day and get hands-on experience with diverse cases, fields, and lawyers, guided by someone from a U.S. JD background. This lets you (1) study abroad in a single or multi-country program, (2) understand the life of a lawyer across legal fields so you can make the most of law school (and confirm you want to go), and (3) stand out in law school applications with a condensed, unique experience (that can also replace common extracurriculars, letting you focus on GPA back at home).
Explore study abroad opportunities with The Lex Fellowship by starting your application process today.