Joan Howland on Law School Admissions, Applications, and Choosing the Right Law School

^{Last Updated: September 2026}

Applying to law school involves much more than submitting an LSAT score and undergraduate transcript. Admissions committees want to understand an applicant's academic preparation, communication skills, experiences, motivations, judgment, and potential contribution to a law school community.

In this interview, Joan Howland of the University of Minnesota Law School discusses what makes a strong law school applicant, how admissions committees evaluate applications, what students should consider when writing personal statements and obtaining recommendations, and how prospective students can decide when and where to attend law school.

Applicants considering Minnesota can also review the University of Minnesota Law School profile for information about admissions, academics, costs, employment outcomes, and student life.

Editor's Note: Admissions policies, deadlines, tuition, scholarship programs, test requirements, and other institutional practices can change over time. This interview has been reorganized to emphasize Joan Howland's broader admissions and law school advice. Applicants should confirm current requirements directly with each law school before applying.

What Makes a Law School Stand Out?

Question: What qualities should prospective students consider when determining whether a law school is a good fit?

Joan Howland: Students should look at both the academic opportunities a school provides and the character of its community. At the University of Minnesota Law School, one of the qualities we have valued is a challenging academic environment combined with a collegial atmosphere.

Faculty accessibility, student engagement, legal writing opportunities, clinical education, journals, moot court programs, and student organizations can all contribute to the quality of a student's legal education.

Prospective students should therefore consider more than reputation alone. They should think carefully about the type of academic and professional environment in which they are most likely to learn, participate, build relationships, and succeed.

Choosing a law school is ultimately a personal decision involving academics, geography, finances, career goals, culture, and professional opportunities. Applicants can also explore the Top-Law-Schools law school resources when comparing their options.

What Makes a Strong Law School Applicant?

Question: What characteristics do you look for in an ideal law school applicant?

Joan Howland: Strong applicants are academically capable, motivated, engaged, ethical, and prepared for the demands of legal education.

An applicant's academic record is important, but a law school application provides several opportunities to demonstrate qualities that cannot be represented by numbers alone. Experiences, writing ability, recommendations, employment, extracurricular activities, community involvement, and the reasons behind an applicant's interest in law can all contribute to a more complete picture.

Applicants should approach the application as an opportunity to show not only that they can handle law school academically, but also what perspectives, experiences, and interests they would bring to the law school community.

How Do Law Schools Evaluate Applications?

Question: How should applicants think about the different parts of the law school application?

Joan Howland: Academic indicators such as undergraduate performance and standardized-test results can play an important role because they provide admissions committees with common measures for comparing applicants.

However, those numbers do not tell the entire story.

Admissions committees also examine personal statements, recommendation letters, résumés, academic trends, the rigor of coursework, professional experiences, and other materials that provide context about the applicant.

Students should therefore avoid assuming that one component automatically determines the result. A strong application should be thoughtful and consistent across all of its parts.

Applicants looking for broader guidance can explore the Top-Law-Schools law school admissions resources for additional information about preparing and evaluating an application.

How Important Are the LSAT and Undergraduate GPA?

Question: What role do an applicant's LSAT score and undergraduate GPA play in the admissions process?

Joan Howland: LSAT scores and undergraduate grades provide useful information about an applicant's academic preparation, but admissions committees can also consider the context surrounding those numbers.

For example, an applicant's transcript may reveal the rigor of the courses taken, improvement over time, academic challenges, or other information that a cumulative GPA alone does not communicate.

A positive grade trend and challenging coursework can therefore be meaningful parts of the overall academic record.

Applicants should focus on presenting the strongest academic profile they reasonably can while recognizing that the complete application provides additional opportunities to explain their experiences and qualifications.

Does the Prestige of an Undergraduate School Matter?

Question: How should applicants think about the institution they attended for undergraduate study?

Joan Howland: Admissions committees have information that helps them interpret undergraduate academic records in context.

Rather than assuming that the name of an undergraduate institution will determine the outcome, applicants should focus on the quality of their academic performance, the rigor of their coursework, and the complete record they have built.

An admissions committee can consider several academic factors together rather than evaluating a GPA in isolation.

How Should Applicants Write Their Law School Personal Statements?

Question: What advice would you give applicants who are preparing their personal statements?

Joan Howland: A personal statement should demonstrate strong writing and communication skills while helping the admissions committee understand the applicant more fully.

Applicants may want to discuss experiences that influenced their decision to pursue law, their short- and long-term goals, or the reasons a particular law school aligns with those goals when the school's application instructions make that appropriate.

A successful statement should not simply repeat information already available on the résumé. It should provide greater insight into the applicant.

Applicants should also remember that different law schools may ask different questions or impose different length requirements. Always follow the instructions provided by the individual school.

For step-by-step help, applicants can use the Top-Law-Schools Law School Personal Statements Guide, which includes advice about selecting topics, structuring an essay, avoiding common mistakes, and reviewing successful personal statement approaches.

LawCrossing also provides additional guidance on submitting law school essays and personal statements.

What Makes a Strong Letter of Recommendation?

Question: Who should applicants ask to write their law school recommendation letters?

Joan Howland: The strongest recommendation usually comes from someone who knows the applicant well enough to discuss the applicant's abilities in meaningful detail.

For students and recent graduates, an academic recommendation can be particularly useful because a professor can address classroom performance, analytical ability, writing, intellectual engagement, and preparation for demanding graduate-level work.

Applicants who have been away from school for a substantial period may also find that professional recommendations provide useful evidence of their abilities and development.

The important point is familiarity. A detailed recommendation from someone who knows the applicant's work can often provide more useful information than a generic letter from a prominent person who has little direct knowledge of the applicant.

Should You Apply to Law School Immediately After College?

Question: Is it better to attend law school immediately after completing an undergraduate degree, or should applicants first gain professional or life experience?

Joan Howland: Applicants should apply when they feel prepared to pursue a legal education.

Some students are ready to enter law school directly after college. Others benefit greatly from spending time working, volunteering, serving in their communities, traveling, pursuing other academic opportunities, or gaining broader life experience.

There is no single path that every successful law student must follow.

Time away from school can help some applicants develop greater maturity, clarify their goals, and bring additional perspectives into the classroom. The key is to make the decision intentionally rather than assuming that law school must automatically follow college.

What Types of Work Experience Help a Law School Application?

Question: If an applicant works before law school, does the job need to be in the legal profession?

Joan Howland: Valuable experience does not necessarily have to involve working in a law firm.

Experiences that challenge applicants, increase responsibility, expose them to new perspectives, or broaden their understanding of people and institutions can all contribute meaningfully to their development.

A prospective law student might gain useful experience through business, government, nonprofit organizations, public service, research, education, technology, community work, or many other fields.

What matters is not simply the job title, but what the applicant learned and how the experience contributed to personal, academic, or professional development.

Students thinking beyond admission should also consider how law school fits into their broader professional plans. LawCrossing's guide to career readiness for law students discusses practical skills, professional communication, workplace awareness, and early career preparation.

Should Applicants Visit a Law School Before Enrolling?

Question: What can prospective students learn from visiting a law school?

Joan Howland: A visit can help applicants understand a law school's environment in ways that websites and written materials cannot always communicate.

Prospective students may be able to observe the campus, meet students, speak with admissions personnel, learn more about academic programs, and develop a better sense of the surrounding community.

The purpose of the visit should be to evaluate whether the school is a good fit rather than simply trying to influence an admissions decision.

Applicants should use visits, admitted-student programs, conversations with students and alumni, and other opportunities to gather information before making a final enrollment decision.

How Should Applicants Think About Residency and Location?

Question: How important are residency and geography when choosing a law school?

Joan Howland: Geography can influence several aspects of the law school decision, including tuition, professional opportunities, networking, quality of life, and where a student may want to practice after graduation.

Applicants considering a public institution should carefully review current residency and tuition policies because those rules can vary among institutions and may change.

Location should also be viewed in the context of longer-term goals. Applicants should think about where they would be comfortable living during law school and where they may eventually want to build professional relationships and begin their careers.

Should Applicants Apply Early?

Question: Is there an advantage to submitting a law school application early?

Joan Howland: Applicants should understand each school's current application process and deadlines rather than relying on a single strategy for every law school.

Submitting an application earlier may allow an applicant to receive a decision sooner at some institutions, but students should not sacrifice the quality of their application simply to submit it as quickly as possible.

A carefully reviewed personal statement, accurate résumé, strong recommendation letters, and complete application are important.

Applicants should check each school's current admissions calendar and requirements and develop an application schedule that gives them sufficient time to prepare strong materials.

How Should Applicants Handle Multiple LSAT Scores?

Question: How should students with more than one LSAT score approach the application process?

Joan Howland: Applicants should review the current policies of the schools to which they plan to apply because approaches to standardized-test results can change.

More broadly, applicants should remember that test scores are considered as part of an academic record that also includes undergraduate performance and the rest of the application.

When a school allows or requests an explanation concerning testing history, applicants should provide one only when it adds useful context.

Does the Law School Environment Matter?

Question: Law school is sometimes portrayed as intensely competitive. How important is the culture of a law school?

Joan Howland: The learning environment can have a significant impact on a student's law school experience.

A rigorous legal education does not necessarily require an unhealthy or excessively competitive culture. Students can challenge one another intellectually while also collaborating, studying together, participating in organizations, and forming lasting professional relationships.

When researching schools, applicants should investigate not only academic programs but also the culture of the institution.

Speaking with current students and graduates can provide valuable information about faculty accessibility, student interaction, extracurricular activities, academic support, and the overall learning environment.

What Should Applicants Do If They Are Waitlisted?

Question: Can a student improve the chances of admission after being placed on a law school waitlist?

Joan Howland: Applicants should follow the individual law school's instructions concerning waitlist communication.

When a school permits updates, students may want to inform the admissions office about significant developments in their application and appropriately express continued interest.

Relevant updates might include new grades, academic honors, significant professional accomplishments, promotions, new responsibilities, or other developments that meaningfully strengthen the application.

Communication should have a purpose. Repeatedly contacting an admissions office without new information is unlikely to be helpful.

Applicants considering a letter of continued interest can also review the TLS forum discussion on letters of continued interest and waitlist strategy.

How Should Applicants Evaluate Financial Aid and Scholarships?

Question: What should students consider when evaluating financial aid and scholarship offers?

Joan Howland: The affordability of legal education should be an important part of the decision-making process.

Applicants should carefully review the complete financial-aid package offered by each institution, including scholarships, grants, loans, tuition, living expenses, scholarship renewal requirements, and other expected costs.

The amount of scholarship assistance offered at admission is only one part of the calculation. Students should understand the conditions attached to an award and consider the total anticipated cost of completing the degree.

When comparing offers, admitted students can communicate professionally with law schools about financial considerations that may affect their enrollment decisions.

Should Law School Applicants Pay Attention to Rankings?

Question: What factors should matter most when comparing law schools?

Joan Howland: Applicants should avoid reducing an important decision to one number or characteristic.

A useful comparison may include:

Academic programs and curriculum
Faculty and teaching opportunities
Legal writing and clinical programs
Employment outcomes
Geographic placement
Tuition and total cost of attendance
Scholarships and financial aid
Student culture
Alumni network
Professional opportunities
Career goals
Personal fit

Rankings can provide one source of information, but applicants should evaluate the factors that are most relevant to their particular academic, financial, and professional circumstances.

The University of Minnesota Law School profile provides an example of the broader information students can evaluate when researching an individual school.

How Can Students Prepare for a Successful Legal Career?

Question: What advice would you give students who want to succeed both in law school and after graduation?

Joan Howland: Students should try to maintain balance while pursuing their academic, professional, and personal goals.

Law school success requires serious academic effort, but students should also develop relationships, communication skills, professional judgment, and an understanding of what they want from their careers.

The experiences students pursue outside the classroom can also be important. Clinics, internships, externships, research, student organizations, journals, networking, and other professional activities can help students understand how their legal education connects to practice.

LawCrossing's guide on how law students can successfully land legal jobs provides additional strategies for preparing for the transition from law school to employment.

Students who are still exploring their long-term direction may also benefit from building career clarity during law school by combining self-assessment, practical experience, coursework, networking, and mentorship.

Key Lessons for Law School Applicants

Joan Howland's advice highlights several principles that remain useful for prospective law students:

Treat the application as a complete picture rather than focusing exclusively on GPA or test scores.
Use the personal statement to demonstrate strong writing and reveal information that the rest of the application cannot.
Choose recommenders who know your abilities and can provide specific observations.
Do not assume that applicants must attend law school immediately after college.
Use employment and life experience as opportunities for growth rather than trying to find a single "perfect" pre-law job.
Research the culture and learning environment of each law school.
Evaluate financial considerations carefully before enrolling.
Follow each school's current instructions when communicating about a waitlist.
Consider academics, cost, location, career outcomes, culture, and personal goals when choosing among law schools.
Think about professional development from the beginning of law school rather than waiting until graduation.

Ultimately, law school admissions are only the first stage of a much longer professional journey. Applicants should seek a school where they can develop academically, professionally, and personally while preparing for the type of legal career they hope to build.

Additional Resources for Prospective Law Students

Related Top-Law-Schools Forum Discussions

Forum Note: Forum posts reflect the experiences and opinions of individual users and should not be treated as official admissions policies. Always verify current requirements directly with the law school.