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 Why Do Lex?

 
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 Overview

What is Lex Law Immersion?

Lex Law Immersion is a unique, time-tested model developed with dozens of law firm partners around the globe. When compared with regular study abroad or typical legal internship experience, Lex Law Immersion has far greater depth, breadth, and intercultural perspective, and takes place over college breaks.

Lex Legal Associate advising Lex students (Rome, Italy)

 

Experiences outside of the classroom can be distinguishing factors among many highly qualified applicants, particularly at highly selective law schools, and for candidates whose GPA and/or LSAT score make them borderline applicants."

Princeton (not an endorsement)

 

Lex students during a law firm visit (Rome, Italy)

At a Glance

The Only Program Tailored for Pre-Law

Unlike typical study abroad programs, The Lex Fellowship is the the only summer travel program tailored for pre-law. With Lex’s Law Immersion model, fellows rotate through different law firms in different practice areas each day, meeting lawyers, learning pertinent information about each practice area, and real life cases.

While being guided through law firm visits by a Legal Associate (with a U.S. JD background), students get the opportunity to travel abroad while gaining first hand legal experience. Foreign language skills aren’t required.


Top 3 Reasons To Participate in a Lex Pre-Law Program:

#1: Travel to One (or More) Exciting Locations

Studying abroad is great for many reasons. Developing awareness of other cultures, gaining new perspectives, and getting out of your comfort zone are all great reasons.

Lex Fellows learn about various types of legal fields, see how legal systems vary across the globe, and gain an international perspective of the U.S. legal system.

Lex program participants (Madrid, Spain)

 

Lex Legal Associate providing 1L training & resources (Spain)

#2: Understand the Life of a Lawyer

The Lex law firm visits give Lex students an insight on what the day to day life of lawyers looks like. During each firm visit, Lex students meet with attorneys, learn directly from them about the nature of their work and specific area of legal practice.

The attorneys will then provide any pertinent background information the students need before presenting a real-world case, usually one the attorneys have worked on themselves, for the students to analyze with guidance from the Legal Associate.

 

#3: Standout on Law School Applications

Studying abroad with the Lex Fellowship adds variety and depth to your legal experience, thus making you a more competitive law school candidate. Plus, the Lex Law Immersion model helps students focus on improving in American Bar Associate core competency areas.

Top schools such as Harvard and Cornell (and many others) warn against focusing so much on legal experience and extracurriculars that it negatively impacts your GPA. Therefore, it is very important to focus on your grades and courses during semesters. Since Lex is such a unique experience and is held during academic breaks, students are able to focus more on their GPA during the academic school year.

Lex student on program (Rome, Italy)

25 More Reasons To Do It

  • College is the perfect time to explore new cultures before other responsibilities kick in. Shadowing over break means you’re utilizing your breaks to their utmost potential.

  • From Rome to Madrid, or Barcelona to Washington D.C., you can shadow in several countries back-to-back and then use your free weekends to explore practically anywhere in Europe. View Locations & Dates here.

  • Most study abroad programs are only somewhat valuable for your pre-law journey, in that they develop your cultural understanding but don’t give you an in-depth understanding of the legal field. Lex does both at once.

  • Lex provides legal training sessions and extended learning opportunities instructed by a U.S law student or J.D. graduate. These lectures introduce basic 1L concepts + vocabulary and provide insight on the law school admissions process. Read about Legal Associates here.

  • Lex helps students strengthen skills that enable you to work as part of a team and to build relationships with others. The interpersonal skills gained also help in legal settings and prepare students for law school socialization.

  • We have seen alumni get high quality internships and experience after studying abroad with us, positions that set them apart in law school application pools as some of the very few people bridging international legal systems.

  • From presenting your case analysis to the attorneys, to mock oral arguments, Lex fellows engage in numerous public speaking practices. This prepares students for the Socratic method which is used in U.S. law schools, and helps them build the confidence needed to make their presence felt in intimidating legal environments.

  • Even if you already have an idea of what practice area suits you and have been gaining experience in that area, Lex allows you to expand your experience and knowledge even further, giving you a more comprehensive understanding of the legal field and more diverse areas of practice.

  • You’ll make many new friends to spend time with in the evenings and on free weekends during your program, and Lex students often stay in touch with their fellow participants long after their program ends. This is also an opportunity to obtain a broader and more geographically diverse pre-law peer network. As you later go through law school applications (and beyond) everyone can benefit from this.

  • Lex alumni hail from 500+ universities and go on to pursue J.D.s and many other legal careers. Many have gone on to attend top law schools, including Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, Cornell and more. View more Alumni Outcomes here.

  • Many of the cases that students work on are extremely unique and not seen during basic pre-law based courses or U.S. internship opportunities. Lex exposes students to international law cases that they wouldn’t otherwise see, thus providing a unique legal perspective.

  • Students study abroad for 1-9 weeks weeks while rotating through various law firms and legal settings. With a minimum of 3 firms visted per week spent inside firms, you’ll have no shortage of stories or experience.

  • The Legal Training Sessions and Extended Learning Opportunity curriculum aims to enhance students' legal research and writing abilities. Case analysis assignments shed light on the thought process that goes into legal research. Students also participate in legal writing exercises and get feedback from someone with a U.S. J.D. background.

  • Many pre-law students focus so much on extracurriculars that it impacts their GPA and LSAT scores. Participating in Lex during college breaks allows students to focus on their grades during semesters, without worrying about having a scarcity of extracurriculars on their resume.

  • Programs range from 1–10 weeks long, and students generally rotate between various types of law firms everyday. Examples include criminal, civil, mergers & acquisitions, employment, family law, and more. Although not every specialty may be one that you’re interested in, it can be guaranteed that Lex students visit enough law firms to get a comprehensive idea of what a legal system looks like and how it works. This exposure often helps students narrow down their choices for post-law school areas of interest and practice as well.

  • Our alumni in top law schools have said that,”having Lex on my resume lent some credence to my claims that I had interest in international law” (Camille Brunetti, Harvard Law School ‘25).

  • The Lex Fellowship provides great opportunities in comparison to traditional study abroad programs. With apartment style housing and a site manager who is often from the area you’ll be studying, students truly get to immerse themselves into the cultural experience of their program location and live like locals. The lunches provided by Lex are often catered at the law firms after the coursework for the day is completed; students get to enjoy a networking focused lunch where they can ask for advice, gain knowledge, and build professional connections all at the same time.

  • Lex helps you envision your own future and determine where your passion lies – whether that is in law or not. The time will be well spent as you discern your vocation and develop confidence in your career path.

  • Lex gives you firsthand knowledge of international law to bring to interviews. Many law school blogs talk about ways in which the U.S. legal system could improve in comparison to other countries. Lex fellows get direct experience with other legal systems. This makes you an even more competitive candidate during the law school application process and prepares you for law school with a global perspective.

  • Overall, 81% of Lex Fellows reported that they progressed in [American Bar Association core competency][1] areas. These competencies include problem solving, critical reading, writing and editing, oral communication and listening, research, organization and management, public service and promoting justice, and relationship building and collaboration.

  • Aside from the firm visits, students observe other unique legal settings. For example, Lex fellows may sit in and observe court sessions or visit legal associations like the Madrid Bar Association or the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C.

  • With a bit of intentionality, you can certainly ask the lawyers you shadow or your legal advisor for for recommendation letters – this opportunity arises all the time at Lex , and we think you’ll find that said individuals are very happy to help. They want you to succeed! However, keep in mind the advice you have already received on letters of recommendation: they are only worthwhile when you have really met the person in question at a significant level.

  • Law schools look for ability and passion. With lawyer burnout on the rise, it’s not enough to demonstrate your skills with a high GPA and LSAT scores. You need experiences that show a love and dedication to the legal field.

  • Gain an understanding of diverse cultures within and beyond the United States, of international institutions and issues, of world events, and of the increasing interdependence of the nations and communities within our world, just as the American Bar Association recommends.

  • Lex costs a small percentage of the cost of college and graduate/professional school, but it’s a great resume booster and has a significant impact on you being accepted into law school.

"It is critical for you to learn as much as possible about law school before you get there to determine if this environment is a match for your skills and goals." - Penn State (not an endorsement)

 Watch Video: The Lex Experience