Anyone interested in applying to law school must consider some of the following items during the application process: the LSAT, their GPA, legal internships and tuition.
Within the Political Science department is Queens College’s Pre-Law Program, designed to help students prepare their applications. The program has been running since 2023, following the former pre-law program run by the Philosophy Department, which ended in fall 2022.
Professor Keena Lipsitz shared the resources she provides to pre-law students to help them make an informed decision. She uses her connections to host events with lawyers and judges, helps place students in internships and advises students on their law school applications.
Thanks to Professor Lipsitz, some found success.
“I had a great experience with the pre-law program,” said Leah Rosenberg, a QC alumna and first-year law student at the University of Michigan.
Professor Lipsitz reviewed Rosenberg’s personal statement and resume, helped with editing and proofreading.
“I found that incredibly helpful,” Rosenberg commented.
However, other pre-law students raised concerns about the advice they’d been given.
“I felt rather discouraged,” a senior pre-law student who asked to remain anonymous said. They will be referred to as Student A.
Student A had been advised to apply to law school straight out of their senior year of college. Though this works for certain students, it is not typically recommended; the large majority take time off before applying. Student A was also told to curb their expectations regarding which law schools they applied to.
“When I heard it, I believed it. What was I to know?” They said.
However, after speaking to other lawyers, Student A decided not to follow the pre-law program’s advice with regard to lowering their expectations for admissions outcomes.
Student A will be attending Columbia Law School and has also been accepted into NYU, Cornell, Georgetown, UT Austin, Boston College and Cardozo School of Law.
Toward the end of their application cycle Student A worked with philosophy Professor Sari Kisilevsky, the former head of the pre-law program.
“I wish I’d met her earlier,” Student A said. “She was really helpful about getting to the meat of what the programs are and how to reach out.”
She also helped them with financial negotiations. Student A amassed a whopping $815,000 in scholarships through their negotiations.
While they lamented the loss of Professor Kisilevsky as a go-to resource for pre-law students, they did encourage students to give the program a chance:
“You should definitely give it a shot,” they said. However, they cautioned that students should always fact-check with second opinions.
Something they’d like to see: an advisor “with more experience in this domain.”
The majority of advising is done by Professor Lipsitz. While she holds a PhD in political science, teaches pre-law classes and studies data regarding law schools, she has never taken the LSAT, never gone to law school and holds no JD.
“Looking at resumes and helping people think about whether or not they really want to go to law school, those are things I can definitely help with,” Professor Lipsitz said.
She does, however, note, “[In] the places where I feel like I don’t have the expertise, I find the people who do.”
For example, she has a faculty advisory board consisting of professors with JDs. She had one of them, Professor Natalie Vena, and a few law students lead an event that took place for rising 1Ls (graduating students accepted into law school).
However, her lack of legal experience turned some pre-law students away.
“I completely avoided it,” said a senior Philosophy major who also asked to remain anonymous. They’ll be labeled Student B.
Instead, Student B sought out Professor Kisilevsky whom they explained was integral to their success. She guided Student B through the application process, provided invaluable feedback regarding their personal statements and advised them on financial negotiations.
Student B was accepted into Fordham, Columbia, Cornell and Cardozo School of Law. They’ll be attending Columbia with 50% of their tuition covered through the Butler Fellowship.
Despite the success they achieved, they were concerned for future pre-law students.
“I have no reason to think that [the pre-law program] is not trying its best,” they began, citing how the program helped their friend score an internship. “But they can’t know as much as a person who is in the field can know, so it’s not the best opportunity for us.”
Regardless of where pre-law students go for help, it’s as Student A said: “You should feel encouraged to apply to the very best schools you can; if you don’t apply, you can’t get in!”
