Qualifying For Corporate Law 1

Qualifying For Corporate Law Mark James Johnson 7 February 2014

Prepared For Dr. Karen C. Holt Brigham Young University- Idaho

Qualifying For Corporate Law 2

A year ago while talking with my father about a friend of his we stumbled onto the topic of what his friend does for a living. My fathers friend is a corporate lawyer, I knew he worked as a lawyer but I never bothered to find out what that meant. I always thought of lawyers as people who defend whoever pays enough money to avoid trouble and sues the other side for their misconduct. However, as my father described this friends work to me it sounded noble. The idea of helping a company stay safe and protected sounded fun and exciting. I wanted to know more and soon became captivated by the idea of myself having a similar career. This is not to say that my father had any idea that his simple definition caused me to consider corporate law as a future occupation for myself; I also do not intend to say that the description of his friends work is the most accurate. But I do argue that this passing conversation did put the idea into my heart and now I desire to explore that idea further to comprehend the possibilities therein. What potential does this career offer to me is not the intention I hope to discover, but more to learn how likely is the process and if chosen to prepare how a young student, like me, would qualify to work as a corporate lawyer. Within these pages some of the methods of preparation for corporate law will be discussed, corporate law will be better defined, and needed skills will be described. The intent therefore is to help others similar to myself know ways in which to prepare for a career in corporate law. Now that the reasons for this research and my intentions behind the researchs findings are established, the following are findings with regard to preparing for corporate law. An

Qualifying For Corporate Law 3 occupation in the field of corporate law is not a specific target to shoot for; it is more of an airport to land within the boundaries, much broader. With this clarity of trying to land the plane the way to be ready to land this plane of corporate law is the same regardless of which specific airstrip is chosen in the end. Landing the plane of corporate law can best be prepared for by gaining a college education that helps develop writing and thinking skills, to help prepare for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), and then continuing education at law school where there is possibility to gain relationships with people and/or companies within the landing strip or career desired.

Corporate law definition Corporate law is a large branch within the field of law. The work being done within any corporation to do with law falls into the corporate law category. According to Kevin Layton an in-house litigation lawyer for Apache Oil Company in Houston Texas, corporate law consists of tax law, employee law, commercial law, and litigation to list only some. During our interview I realized the vastness of that field. Because corporate law is so vast it is important to understand why all those careers are needed. Corporations deal a lot with contracts, but those agreements are unable to fully protect corporations. Laws give a measurement of what is allowed within and between companies. Contracts are made as fair play for corporate work, but without a standard to measure by the possibility of taking away from the public good rises, taught John Armour of Oxford University (Armour, Hansmann, and Krackman 19). With this definition in place the research that follows could be applied to many jobs in the law field, but it is my hope to show the facts in light of corporate law positions.

Qualifying For Corporate Law 4 Undergraduate study preparation It would seem that to best prepare for a career in corporate law a specific path would be the best option. However, according to the Law School Admission Council in undergraduate school there is not a preferred or recommended path. The councils website explains, There is no single path that will prepare you for a legal education. However, there are core skills and values that will provide you with a solid foundation No particular undergraduate education is recommended; students are admitted to law school from a lmost every academic discipline (Preparing for Law School). This information was reiterated as I met with the Pre-law advisor at BYU-Idaho, Susan Garner. She mentioned that students are accepted into law school after having graduated from almost any degree. Susan Garners talk with me lead to the discovery that to best prepare for corporate law in undergraduate study must come through developing needed skills and receiving a good score on the LSAT. Skill development Law school is not simple; it requires certain skills to have been attained before students begin their first class. Writing, reading, and thinking skills are the most important. Christopher Wren lawyer published in et Cetera states about lawyers, Lawyers spend an enormous percentage of their time writing or speaking to or on behalf of their clients (1). Wrens words helps to show why law students need to be good writers. Corporate lawyers especially need to be good at writing so that they can communicate professionally, mediate carefully, and negotiate properly. Lawyers who lack this skill struggle. Kevin Layton argues that along with writing that being able to read and comprehend quickly helps one be successful in corporate law as well as law school. Being able to read a statement and know what it entails helps aspiring corporate

Qualifying For Corporate Law 5 lawyers to one day perform the needed action of working on a timetable when representing a client. LSAT preparation The LSAT is an excellent preparation for law school as it assesses students ability to comprehensively read and critically think. Preparation for this test is crucial because it plays such a large role in graduate school acceptance. Learning to think in new ways is most beneficial to LSAT preparation. Philosophy and ethics type classes help to develop needed thinking skills confirms tax attorney Mont McNeal from Tulsa, Oklahoma. He also states, I grew up on a farm and no one in my family ever had a professional job. So when I got to law school, I still wasnt all that prepared to think critically. Many test prep options are available from classes to practice tests, but the skill of thinking is most important. Students preparing for the LSAT need to know in order to pass the test they need sharp thinking skills that can see both sides of an idea. Locating higher education Choosing and being accepted into the right graduate program is a key part in gain a good job in corporate law. Being accepted is not always easy, but schools publish information about the acceptance averages to help students see where they are likely to be accepted. The table below gives average acceptance of law students based on GPA and LSAT scores for specific schools.

Qualifying For Corporate Law 6 Table 1. Burns, Joseph. NAPLA LAW SCHOOL LOCATOR 2012-2013. Planc.org. Boston College. Web. 10 Feb 2014 See appendix A for the schools in correspondence with the above table. Garner explains that LSAT scores followed by GPA and then personal statements are what law schools examine when selecting which students to accept. Yet Ann Perry, Associate Dean for Admissions and Financial Aid at University of Chicago Law School, points out Although no one factor is a perfect indicator of academic potential, studies demonstrate that the LSAT is a relatively reliable predictor of law school performance. However, the committee evaluates the LSAT in the context of your overall application (6). The two accounts both mention that the LSAT is a crucial point of the application. When students have an idea of what type of school will accept them with their GPA and LSAT score they are better prepared to apply. School selection Selecting which law school to attend is one of the most important decisions in seeking an occupation in corporate law. Knowing what Joseph Burns of Boston College and author of the table listed above describes where students should apply for schools that are surely to accept that student with a certain combination of GPA and LSAT scores as well as a few that are difficult to be accepted as well as one that is not likely to make (Burns 1). Doing as Burns suggests can help you a student to apply to a wider variety of schools that fit their desires. Students in the application process should ask questions about if schools fit type of corporation they want or if connections can be made at school to help find employment? Questions like those before are what need to be kept in mind as one considers different school options. Considering schools When considering which law school is the best option there are many things to consider. Schools are ranked which leads many students to try for the best schools first and settle for lower

Qualifying For Corporate Law 7 ranked schools. Admittedly the system stands for a reason, but it is important to know how the ranking system works. As stated by the Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at UCLA School of Law, There is no reason why students should not consider the rankings in making their choice; however, in order to determine how much weight to give the rankings, they need to understand the methodology used to rank the schools (Schwarts 18). Schwarts then goes on to explain that the ranking is made up from surveys results, acceptance results, and employment results. In actuality students may or may not want to follow the rankings. Considering reasons According to Kevin Layton only the top 15% of a graduating class get looked at by big companies. The question then becomes can I finish in the top of my class in this law school. In contrast some good companies look for prestigious colleges. This leads one to consider options for more reasons like cost, region, and faculty. Cost for some highly ranked schools triples tuition rates at lower ranked colleges. Companies are more likely to look at students who are graduating in the region they are located. Also the faculty can make the school experience so much better. When all reasons for looking into a law school are considered a selection can be made of which colleges to apply for acceptance. Making the connection Along with being very conscious of the law schools one applies for it is imperative to make connections throughout all years of higher education. Making connections is a needed step to any student seeking any occupation especially those studying law. There is an old saying, its not what you know it is who you know and although I disagree that that is altogether true it is definitely helpful when finding employment. Susan Garner expressed to me the importance of gaining mentors and contacts in fields one may want to work for. Those connections can be the

Qualifying For Corporate Law 8 only reason a persons application is looked through. This makes finding connections through school or through social media, like Linked-in, essential for aspiring corporate lawyers. Between having a good education and having the proper connection work with a profitable corporation is not only possible but probable.

To summarize, in order to best prepare for corporate law a person must prepare well in undergraduate years by developing the needed skills and achieving the need test score to gain acceptance to law school. Selecting which laws schools to submit an application should be carefully considered, not to say that any hopeful applicant should be too picky but they should make wise choices. Making decisions about law schools should take in consideration all reasons and not only school standings within national rankings. It is my belief that such considerations will help any student to become enrolled in a school that should, with help of good connections, gain the student employment with a profitable corporation.

Qualifying For Corporate Law 9 Works Cited Armour, John, Henry Hansmann, and Reinier Kraakman. The Essential Elements of Corporate Law: What is Corporate Law? Harvard. 2009. Web. 29 Jan. 2014.

Burns, Joseph. NAPLA LAW SCHOOL LOCATOR 2012-2013. Planc.org. Boston College. Web. 10 Feb 2014

Garner, Susan. Personal interview. Rexburg, ID. 29 Jan. 2014.

Law School Admissions Council. LSAC.com. Web. 1 Feb. 2014.

Layton, Kevin. Telephone interview. 31 Jan. 2014.

McNeil, Mont. Telephone interview. 4 Feb. 2014.

Perry, Ann. Interpreting the Numbers. Getting into Law School. AdmissionsDean.com. Plymouth,

MA. Web. 1 Feb. 2014

Schwarts, Robert. Interpreting the U.S. News Law Rankings. Getting into Law School. AdmissionsDean.com. Plymouth, MA. Web. 1 Feb. 2014

Wren, Christopher. "E-Prime, Briefly: A Lawyer's Experiment with Writing in E-Prime." et Cetera 60.3 (2003): 264-70. ProQuest. Web. 14 Feb. 2014.

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Appendix A.