Developing Leadership and Problem-Solving Skills - Preparing for Law School

Getting accepted to the law school of your choice is no small task. Pools of applicants are growing in number, and the quality of applicants is increasingly competitive as well. If you're in the early stages of considering law as a career option, it's a good idea to start thinking about what law school admissions committees will be looking for in an ideal candidate. There are many factors that law schools consider as they review the piles of applications submitted two them, but two key features that they look for in potential students are leadership and problem solving skills. As an applicant, you should be able to demonstrate these characteristics through your experiences, and you may want to think about developing these characteristics as you choose your undergraduate curriculum.

One of the essential features of any good leader is strong communication skills. Any successful lawyer will need to be able to communicate orally and in written form in a concise, articulate manner. One of the best ways to develop the former is through a public speaking organization such as Toastmasters. These groups are available in any major city and through most universities, and they offer members the opportunity to practice public speaking while getting advice from well-seasoned speakers. Toastmasters will teach you to make well-organized, prepared speeches and will also help you will extemporaneous speaking. The presence of Toastmasters on your application will show an admissions committee that you are committed to developing your leadership abilities. If a Toastmasters group is not available, look into the communications department at your university and find a class on persuasive speaking. This too will impress an admissions committee.

Developing strong writing skills isn't easy but is an important part of developing leadership skills necessary for success as a lawyer. Some people seem to be born with the ability to write while others struggle with it. Taking classes through the English department that require frequent essays, term papers, and essay tests will help you develop your writing. Further, these classes will require significant amounts of reading, and the more you read, the better you write. This too will impress any admissions committee so consider taking such courses.

Being able problem solve effectively is certainly a common denominator among all strong leaders and an essential element to success in law school and as a lawyer. Such skills may be developed by taking classes that focus on analytical thinking. Philosophy classes will require such thinking as you will be required to analyze difficult passages of text. Courses in mathematics and any of the sciences will also help sharpen your ability to analyze a situation and solve challenging problems, and such classes will prepare your mind for the challenges that await you in law school.

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