Prof. Susan Estrich delivers insider's view on getting into law school

Susan Estrich — USC Law professor, noted author and political analyst — delivered an insider's perspective on getting into law school to a packed audience of about 150 USC undergraduate students and their parents.

The talk, followed by a book signing and reception, was one of many events to mark USC’s 125th anniversary celebration.

“Getting great scores are important, but that’s only part of the puzzle,” she said. “You’ve got to really set yourself apart from the pack when applying to law school.”

What works? A burning ambition, good writing, and simply being nice to everyone — from the secretary to the dean of admissions.

“You never know who will be answering the phone,” Estrich said. “Admissions’ offices are often small, and even the secretary can have an effect on your application. So be nice to everyone. … You’ve also got to have a passion. If you don’t have a passion, go and see the world before coming to law school.”

After years of fielding hundreds of nervous calls from young people who were applying to law school, Estrich decided to write a book about it. Aptly titled How to Get into Law School (Riverhead Books, 2004), Estrich’s book covers how to choose the right law school, how to succeed once there, and how to find fulfillment in a law career.

She spent years interviewing admissions directors, professors, veteran attorneys and students, including many at USC Law. She even attempted to take the LSAT again — after passing it with high scores 25 years earlier.

“I failed. Here I am a law professor, and I couldn’t pass it without reviewing,” Estrich said. “That goes to show you that you need to study like crazy for the bar because if I couldn’t pass it without review, you won’t be able to pass it.”

After a week of review, Estrich said, “it all came back to me. It was like picking up a language again. So you’ve got to spend a few months studying, studying, studying.”

Estrich offered a number of tips to prospective law school applicants. Writing a great personal statement, she said, is key. What doesn’t work? Essays on a European summer vacation; “sob stories” and any essay that has misspellings or bad grammar.

“You need to find that one thing that really makes you special and that shows you will bring something of value to the school," she said. "We all have it — you need to find it and describe it.”