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In other jurisdictions these programs are more completely integrated into the other university faculties, such as in Canada where they are often called a faculty of law. Other degrees that are awarded include the Master of Laws degree ( L.L.M.) and the Doctor of Laws degree (J.S.D.).
Admission to law school requires a bachelor's degree, a satisfactory undergraduate grade point average, and a satisfactory score on the Law School Admissions Test. The standard varies from school to school. Highly-regarded law schools, such as Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and ChicagoThe University of Chicago Law School is a part of the prestigious University of Chicago. Having recently celebrated its centennial, the Law School has established itself as an eminent institution in its own right. According the Educational Quality Ranking usually look for an LSAT score over 170 and a GPA above 3.7: most law schools will admit less-qualified applicants.
In recent years, most schools have moved away from a strict admissions policy based entirely on GPA and LSAT scores, and have begun admitting applicants from outside the traditional pool in order to boost campus diversity. Many law schools now factor in extracurricular activities, work experience, and unique courses of study in their evaluation of applicants. A growing number of law school applicants are individuals with several years of work experience: relatively fewer law students enter immediately after completing their undergraduate education.
In order to sit for the bar exam, the vast majority of state bar associations require that an applicant's law school must be approved by the American Bar AssociationThe American Bar Association (ABA is a voluntary bar association of lawyers which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. It has been criticized for perceived elitism and an over-representation of white male corporate defense lawyers in. The ABA has promulgated detailed requirements covering every aspect of a law school, down to the precise contents of the law library.
CaliforniaCalifornia is a state located in the western United States, bordering the Pacific Ocean. The most populous and third largest state in the U. California is both physically and demographically diverse. The state's official nickname is "The Golden State", wh is the most famous exception to the rule. Its Committee of State Bar Examiners accredits many schools which would not qualify for ABA accreditation (due to low admission standards, lack of a full law library, or nonstandard academic calendar). Graduates of such schools can sit for the bar exam in California, but not in most other states. California is also the first state to allow graduates of online law schools to take its bar exam.Law students are referred to as '1L's, '2L's, and '3L's, based on their year of study. In the United States, the American Bar AssociationThe American Bar Association (ABA is a voluntary bar association of lawyers which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. It has been criticized for perceived elitism and an over-representation of white male corporate defense lawyers in mandates a curriculum for 1L's that includes:
These basic courses are intended to provide an overview of the broad study of law. Not all ABA-approved law schools offer all of these courses in the 1L year; a significant number of schools make constitutional law and criminal law required upper-level courses. Some schools roll legal research and legal writing into a single year-long "lawyering skills" course, which may also include a small oral argument component.
The ABA also requires that all students at ABA-approved schools take a course in professional responsibility. The course is typically an upper-level course, most often taken in the 2L year. This requirement was added after the Watergate scandal, which seriously damaged the public image of the profession, for President Richard Nixon and most of his henchmen were lawyers. The ABA hoped to demonstrate that the legal profession could regulate itself (and also hoped to prevent direct federal regulation of the profession).
As of 2004, to ensure that students' research and writing skills do not deteriorate, the ABA has added an upper division writing requirement. Law students must take at least one course as a 2L or 3L that requires the writing of a paper for credit.
After the first year, law students are generally free to pursue different fields of legal study, such as administrative law, corporate law, international law, admiralty law, intellectual property law, and tax law.
Many law students participate in internship programs during their course of study. Some become assistants ("clerks") for local, state, and federal judges: others work in law firms, corporations, or legal aid clinics. Most law schools also offer extracurricular programs (both intramural and interscholastic) such as Mock trial and Moot court, which allow students to learn practical skills related to the practice of trial and appellate law.