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      The King Hall USENET FAQ [ASCII/Multipart] (Version 1.1) Part 2 of 6
      Frequently Asked Questions at and About King Hall (c) Copyright 1995

                                       by

                             David F. Prenatt, Jr.
                            King Hall, 1995 Alumnus
                            U.C. Davis School of Law
                            University of California
                              Davis, CA 95616-5210

                             dfprenatt@ucdavis.edu


The King Hall USENET FAQ may be comprised of more than one part.  If it is,
please see the TABLE OF CONTENTS in Part One for a complete list of the
questions I have attempted to answer and for other important legal
information.  Caveat emptor:  I assume no obligation to anyone through the
publication of the King Hall USENET FAQ.  Furthermore, all versions of the
King Hall USENET FAQ are my personal property and are protected by
applicable copyright laws.  All rights are reserved except the following:
I hereby give my permission to anyone who has access to this version of the
King Hall USENET FAQ to reproduce the information contained herein for non-
profit purposes, provided that proper credit is given to me as the author
of this FAQ and that I am notified of any use other than personal use.
Permission to reproduce any version of this FAQ may be revoked by me at any
time.

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      The King Hall USENET FAQ [ASCII/Multipart] (Version 1.1) Part 2 of 6
      Frequently Asked Questions at and About King Hall (c) Copyright 1995
                                       by
                             David F. Prenatt, Jr.


1)  ABOUT THIS FAQ.

1.1)  Who wrote this FAQ and how can I reach him?

     This FAQ was written by me, David F. Prenatt, Jr., 1995 alumnus of the
     University of California, Davis School of Law (King Hall).  Until
     further notice, you can reach me by e-mail at U.C. Davis:

          dfprenatt@ucdavis.edu

     or by snail-mail (i.e., U.S. Mail) through the U.C. Davis Law School:

          David F. Prenatt, Jr.
          King Hall, 1995 Alumnus
          U.C. Davis, School of Law
          University of California
          Davis, CA 95616-5210


1.2)  What information is contained in this FAQ?

     Anything that I, as the author, decided would be of interest to
     members of the King Hall community.  See PREFATORY QUESTIONS (Section
     0) for more information.

1.3)  How is this FAQ organized?

     This version of this FAQ may be arbitrarily divided into unequal parts
     where I felt it was convenient to do so.  I did this for two reasons.
     First, some readers of this FAQ may have specific questions and may
     not want to read the entire FAQ.  If this version of this FAQ is
     comprised of more than one part, the first part will contain the
     complete TABLE OF CONTENTS.  Thus, readers may refer to the TABLE OF
     CONTENTS to find the specific questions that they want answered.
     Second, some computer services are unable to handle extremely large
     computer files.  If this version of this FAQ is comprised of more than
     one part, no one part will exceed 32k.  See the TABLE OF CONTENTS in
     this FAQ more detailed information about how this version of this FAQ
     is organized.

1.4)  How can I obtain this FAQ?

     The most current version of this FAQ will be updated and posted once a
     month to the ucd.king-hall USENET newsgroup (among others).  Feedback
     is very much welcome and appreciated, but I am sorry that e-mail
     requests for this FAQ will be ignored at this time.  However, snail-
     mail requests to me for the next release of this FAQ, [Offline]
     Version 1.2 (to be released August 13, 1995), will be honored within
     the United States (U.S.) if they are accompanied by $5.00 U.S.
     currency, in the form of a check or money order, to cover the cost of
     printing, shipping, and handling.  At my discretion, I may ship a more
     recent version unless you specify otherwise.  I have also requested
     approval of this FAQ by the *.answers team, so future versions of this
     FAQ will probably be archived at rtfm.mit.edu and available by
     anonymous ftp.

1.5)  Are there any other FAQs available by the author of this FAQ?

     Yes.  I have also published the U.C. Davis USENET FAQ, which should be
     available on one of the *.general newsgroups where you obtained the
     King Hall USENET FAQ.  The next release of the U.C. Davis USENET FAQ,
     [Offline] Version 1.1 (to be released August 13, 1995), is also
     available within the U.S. by snail-mail request, if your request is
     accompanied by $5.00 U.S. currency, in the form of a check or money
     order, to cover the cost of printing, shipping, and handling.  At my
     discretion, I may ship a more recent version unless you specify
     otherwise.  Including the King Hall and U.C. Davis USENET FAQS, I have
     about a dozen FAQS currently under construction and/or pending
     approval of the *.answers team.

2)  FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT PREPARING FOR LAW SCHOOL

2.1)  What should I do to prepare for law school?

     There is no right way to prepare for law school, academically or
     otherwise.  However, there are ways to maximize your chances of
     getting admitted to the law school of your choice.  In most instances,
     what prepares you for law school is just living.

2.1.1)  What sort of academic preparation is required for law school?

     An undergraduate degree from a prestigious university is by far the
     best way to maximize your appeal as a law school candidate.  However,
     many law schools do not even require that you have a four year degree.
     In any event, other than the undergraduate education that most law
     schools require, no scholastic preparation is necessary for success in
     law school.
          While no scholastic preparation is necessary for law school, many
     law students have advanced degrees in various disciplines.  In fact,
     many of them have already achieved remarkable success in careers other
     than the law.  In other words, people who are among the best and
     brightest apply to law school.  As such, most law schools can pick and
     choose from whomever they want to have as incoming students.
          Rather than simply pick the elite of the best and brightest,
     however, law schools try to find people with unique and interesting
     backgrounds to achieve diversity in the law school student body.
     Thus, no student is guaranteed admission to any law school, regardless
     of his or her credentials.  This comes as quite a shock to many
     applicants with impeccable credentials who are rejected by the law
     school of their choice.

2.1.1.1)  What undergraduate program should someone pursue if he or she
          plans to go to law school?

     An unusual undergraduate major typically maximizes your chances of
     admission to law school.  However, your class ranking as an
     undergraduate is also very important because many other applicants
     will probably have a scholastic background that is similar to yours.
     So study something that you will enjoy and at which you will do well.

2.1.1.2)  Aren't political science majors better prepared for law school
          than other college graduates?

     As a rule, no.  Political science is a distinct and different
     discipline than the law.  Even so, many people who go to law school
     have studied political science as an undergraduate.  Other things
     being equal, they are no better qualified to study the law than anyone
     else is.  They are also at a distinct disadvantage in the law school
     application process, which favors diversity.  The number of political
     science majors who apply to law school and get accepted by the law
     school of their choice is proportionately small when compared to other
     undergraduate majors.

2.1.1.3)  Wouldn't someone who studied a challenging undergraduate major be
          better qualified to study the law than someone who studied
          underwater basket weaving?

     Not necessarily.  No matter how challenging an undergraduate major is,
     it does not qualify you to study law.  It merely demonstrates your
     ability in that undergraduate major and/or your commitment to that
     major.  Someone who excels at underwater basket weaving may be just as
     qualified to study the law as someone who excels at the most
     challenging undergraduate major.  More important is the fact that
     someone who has studied underwater basket weaving is more likely to
     get admitted to the law school of his or her choice based on
     diversity.

2.1.2)  What else should I do to prepare for law school?

     Whatever appeals to you.  Some sort of work experience is usually your
     best option.

2.1.2.1)  What type of work experience best prepares someone for law
          school?

     With the possible exception of legal work experience, no particular
     type of work experience prepares you for law school better than any
     other.  On the other hand, there is no work experience that does not
     prepare you for law school.  The law affects every aspect of modern
     living, including virtually every type of job, so every type of work
     experience prepares you for law school.

2.1.2.2)  What other kinds of experience prepare someone for law school?

     The best kind of experience to prepare someone for law school is
     overcoming some sort of personal hardship.  Law school can be a
     humbling experience, even for the best and brightest.  In my humble
     opinion, those who get the most out of the law school experience are
     those who know how to cope with both success and failure.

2.2)  How do I know if I'm ready for law school?

     Objectively speaking, no one is ever ready for law school.  No one
     leaves law school as the same person that he or she was when he or she
     entered.  Subjectively speaking, you are ready for law school whenever
     you make the decision to apply.

2.2.1)  What if I don't know why I want to go to law school?

     Join the club.  It is a rare individual who knows why he or she wants
     to go to law school.  Those who think that they know why they want to
     go to law school typically discover opportunities in law school that
     they had never considered before.  Some people stick with their
     original goals, but the odds are stacked against it.

2.2.2)  What if I am too old to go to law school?

     Nonsense.  If you are young enough to think about going to law school,
     then you are young enough to go.  There is no such thing as a good
     excuse for choosing not to do something that you want to do, and there
     is no time like the present to start making up for lost time.

3)  FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT APPLYING TO LAW SCHOOL.

3.1)  To which law school(s) should I submit (an) application(s)?

     You should submit applications to as many law schools as possible,
     covering a spectrum from the schools that you really want to attend to
     the schools that you would attend if no other school accepted you.  I
     strongly recommend that you apply to my alma mater, King Hall, the
     smallest (total enrollment approx. 500) and youngest (established
     1969) of the four U.C. law schools.  U.C. Davis Law School is approved
     by the American Bar Association (ABA), it is highly ranked (both by
     academics and professionals), and it is very affordable to California
     residents.  Also noteworthy is the fact that the graduates of King
     Hall have traditionally had the number one passage rate on the
     California Bar Exam (arguably the hardest bar exam in the nation),
     more consistently than any other law school in California.

3.2)  What do I need to do to apply to law school?

     Every law school's application requirements are different, so contact
     the law schools that you are interested in attending.  Most law
     schools require that you complete an application form and submit other
     information with your application, such as personal references, a
     personal statement, and the compilation of scholastic records that is
     provided by the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS).  The LSDAS
     reports your score(s) on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), which
     you should take as early as possible.  It is also important to apply
     for financial aid and scholarships as early as possible.

3.2.1)  Who should I get to give me references for law school?

     The identity of the people that provide your references is not as
     important as their relationship to you.  Some law schools specifically
     request that you provide references from former professors or
     employers.  Whatever your relationship to the people whom you ask to
     provide as a reference, pick people who will lavish praise upon you.

3.2.2)  What should I include in my personal statement for my law school
        application?

     Be as honest as possible.  Explain why you want to go to law school
     and what you have to offer the legal profession and the particular law
     school to which you are applying.  Your personal statement is also
     your only opportunity to highlight the many achievements that do not
     fit on your application and to put your shortcomings into perspective.

3.2.3)  How does the LSDAS work?

     The LSDAS collects and standardizes your academic records to make it
     easier for admissions personnel at various law schools to compare you
     with other law school candidates.  Contact Law Services for more
     information at Box 2000, 661 Penn St, Newtown, PA 18940-0998.

3.2.4)  How do I increase my chances of doing well on the LSAT?

     There are many commercial LSAT preparation courses on the market, and
     you should most certainly take one.  The structure that such a course
     imposes upon you will force you to prepare for the LSAT.  However,
     there is no substitute for practicing sample LSAT questions under
     actual test conditions.  Virtually all LSAT courses offer good study
     materials and basic test taking strategies.

3.2.5)  How do I apply for financial aid in law school?

     Every law school is different.  Contact the financial aid office at
     the law school to which you plan to apply for this information.  At
     the very least, you will have to fill out a financial aid application
     and forward Financial Aid Transcripts (FATs) from every college you
     have every attended.

3.3)  How do I apply for admission to King Hall?

     Contact Sharon Pinkney (slpinkney@ucdavis.edu) at the King Hall
     Admissions Office for this information (916)752-6477.

3.4)  How do I apply for financial aid at King Hall?

     Contact the Director of Financial Aid at King Hall Lu Bastian
     (lrbastian@ucdavis.edu) at (916)752-6573 for this information.  If I
     were to pick one reason why I chose to attend King Hall rather than
     some other law school, it would have to be the Financial Aid
     Department.  I cannot speak to the horror stories that I have heard
     about financial aid departments at other schools because Lu Bastian is
     a saint.  Her support staff, currently one Cindy Alvarez Nechoechea
     (calvarez@ucdavis.edu), have always been of similar character.  They
     have protected me from the harsh realities of the real world of
     financial aid.
          I had never been on financial aid before I attended King Hall.
     However, I found the financial aid process at most law schools to be
     unnecessarily intrusive, degrading, problematic, and bureaucratic.
     The only place that I encountered any problems of my own making was at
     King Hall, and yet the financial aid process at King Hall was by far
     the smoothest one.  So smooth that I stopped entertaining any serious
     thoughts that I may have had of attending any other law school.
          I cannot emphasize how important it is to listen to what Lu
     Bastian and her staff tell you to do.  When it comes to matters of
     financial aid, their word should be heeded as though it were gospel.
     They will do their level best to pull your fat out of the fire, but
     they can't always do so.  And if they can't help you, no one else can.

3.5)  Where can I get more information about other law schools?

     Law School Services sponsors a number of Law School forums in
     different areas to which virtually all law schools send a
     representative.  Contact Law School Services for more information at
     Box 2000, 661 Penn St, Newtown, PA 18940-0998.

3.6)  What sort of educational programs are available in law school?

     Most law schools offer a Juris Doctor (J.D.) program.  This is usually
     a three year program that begins after you receive a four year
     undergraduate degree.  Some law schools also offer the J.D. program
     spread out over four years (for instance, in a night school program).
     A few people continue their legal education after they have received a
     J.D. (for instance an L.L.M degree program), but this is extremely
     rare.
          There are 176 law schools accredited by the American Bar
     Association (ABA).  These law schools are much more prestigious than
     schools that have some other form of accreditation, and most people
     think that ABA accredited law schools are much better than other law
     schools.  This is generally true, and if you have the option, you
     should attend an ABA accredited law school.  However, not everyone can
     attend an ABA accredited law school, and many fine law schools do not
     receive ABA accreditation.  Check with the bar association in the
     jurisdiction in which you intend to practice about other options for
     studying the law.

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End of document:

      The King Hall USENET FAQ [ASCII/Multipart] (Version 1.1) Part 2 of 6
      Frequently Asked Questions at and About King Hall (c) Copyright 1995

                                       by

                             David F. Prenatt, Jr.
                            King Hall, 1995 Alumnus
                            U.C. Davis School of Law
                            University of California
                              Davis, CA 95616-5210

                             dfprenatt@ucdavis.edu

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